IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Porter O'Brien, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES AND OTHER LIKE
RECEPTACLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Porter
O'Brien at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th March 1875.
I, JONATHAN PORTER O'BRIEN, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES
AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a novel form of apparatus for capsuling
bottles and other like receptacles, and consists of two blocks of wood or
metal of suitable shape and of thickness to cover the space on the bottle
or receptacle requiring capsuling. These blocks are mounted on a frame-

page_text: work, one block being fastened to such framework and the other having
a sliding action thercon.
A convenient form of apparatus consists of mounting the blocks one
above the other, the lower block being made fast to the framework and
the upper block having vertical travel thereon. Where the upper and
lower blocks join or come together they are provided with an aperture
of a circular or slightly oval form. This aperture is cut half in cach
block and is of size to receive a gutta percha or other elastic cup or
tube capable of receiving a capsule, after being loosely placed in
its position on the top of the bottle or receptacle. The cups or tubes
vary in size to suit the capsules to be placed over the cork or stopper.
The upper or travelling block is fitted in slides on the framework and
receives motion by means of toothed wheels, or their mechanical
equivalent which operate a rack attached to the said block. The toothed
wheels or their mechanical equivalent are operated by a treadle or
treadles which work the upper block up or down at the will of the
operator, the upward motion being obtained from a spring or its
mechanical equivalent. The framework is attached to a suitable seat so
arranged that the operator can sit thereon, actuate the upper block by
means of the treadles and insert the bottle neck with the capsule into
the elastic cup to compress the capsule over the cork and round the
bottle neck, the compression being obtained by causing the upper block
to travel and compress the elastic cup sufficiently to secure the capsule.
The spring or its equivalent is of sufficient power to lift the upper block
and so release the neck of the bottle after capsuling. The recoil of the
upper block also allows space for the succeeding bottle to follow.
The upper and lower blocks are provided with tongues and grooves
working into each other and at each side of the aperture where the bottle
enters, so that a slight pressure is brought to bear upon the elastic cup
or tubing owing to the partially oval shape of the aperture formed in the
blocks. The side expansion is thus overcome when the leverage is
brought to bear on the upper side of the cup or tubing.
The space or aperture cut out of the blocks is regulated to suit the
size of the bottles requiring capsuling, allowance being made for the
admission of the elastic cup or tube before mentioned, which latter is
fitted with a flat metal button or other suitable contrivance at the back
of the cup and aperture, care being taken that no material is used which

page_text: may injure the colouring matter at the top of the capsule. This button
or stop presses the top of the capsule home on to the top of the cork.
The button may be used for the purpose of holding the elastic cup or
tube in position.
The whole apparatus can be cased over so as to cover all working
parts, the aperture alone being exposed to insert the bottle neck to bo
capsuled.
The casing is so arranged that it can be opened and removed back
and front at will to admit of the machine being cleaned, oiled, or
repaired when required.
The operator's seat is provided with a table on each side, one to
receive the bottles to be capsuled and the other to receive the bottles
after capsuling.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th September 1875.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JONATHAN
PORTER O'BRIEN, of. Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien,
Her special licence that I, the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Jonathan Porter O'Brien, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES," upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My Invention relates to a novel form of apparatus for capsuling
bottles and other like receptacles, and consists of two blocks of wood or
metal of suitable shape and of thickness to cover the space on the bottle
or receptacle requiring capsuling. Those blocks are mounted on a
framework, one block being fastened to such framework and the other
having a sliding action thereon.
A convenient form of apparatus consists of mounting the blocks one
above the other, the lower block being made fast to the framework and
the upper block having vertical travel thereon. Where the upper and
lower blocks join or come together they are provided with an aperture
of a circular or slightly oval form. This aperture is cut half in
each block and is of size to receive a gutta percha or other elastic cup or
tube capable of receiving a capsule, after having been loosely placed in
its position on the top of the bottle or receptacle. The cups or tubes
vary in size to suit the capsules to be placed over the cork or stopper.
The upper or travelling block is fitted in slides on the framework and
receives motion by means of toothed wheels, or their mechanical
equivalent which operate a rack attached to the said block. The toothed
wheels or their mechanical equivalent are operated by a treadle or
treadles which work the upper block up or down at the will of the
operator, the upward motion being obtained from a spring or its
mechanical equivalent. The framework is attached to a suitable seat so
arranged that the operator can sit thereon, actuate the upper block by
means of the treadles, and insert the bottle neck with the capsule into
the elastic cup to compress the capsule over the cork and round the
bottle neck, the compression being obtained by causing the upper block

page_text: to travel and compress the elastic cup sufficiently to secure the caspsulc.
The spring or its equivalent is of sufficient power to lift the upper block
and so release the neck of the bottle after capsuling. The recoil of the
upper block also allows space for the succeeding bottle to follow..
The upper and lower blocks are provided with tongues and grooves
working into each other and at each side of the aperture where the
bottle enters, so that a slight pressure is brought to bear upon the
clastic cup or tubing owing to the partially oval shape of the aperture
formed in the blocks. The side expansion is thus overcome when the
leverage is brought to bear on the upper side of the cup or tubing.
The space or aperture cut out of the blocks is regulated to suit the
size of the bottles requiring capsuling, allowance being made for the
admission of the elastic cup or tube before mentioned, which latter is
fitted with a flat metal button or other suitable contrivance at the back
of the cup and aperture, care being taken that no material is used which
may injure the colouring matter at the top of the capsule. This button
or stop presses the top of the capsule home on to the top of the cork.
The button may be used for the purpose of holding the elastic cup or
tube in position.
The whole apparatus can be cased over so as to cover all working
parts, the aperture alone being exposed to insert the bottle neck to be
capsuled.
The casing is so arranged that it can be opened and removed back and
front at will to admit of the machine being cleaned, oiled, or repaired
when required.
.
The operator's seat is provided with a table on each side, one to receive
the bottles to be capsuled, and the other to receive the bottles after
capsuling.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of this my
Invention, I will now proceed to describe more in detail how the same
may be carried out into practical effect, and for that purpose I have
hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings marked with figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation, like
letters and figures being used to denote similar parts throughout the
various views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my
Invention, shown partly in section; Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1;

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1, also shown partly in section; Figure 4 is
an enlarged view of capsuling aperture and sliding block; Figure 5 is a
side section of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view of bottle head with
capsule.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that my Invention
consists of two wood or metal blocks A, B, of suitable shape and
thickness to cover the space on the bottle or other receptacle requiring
capsuling. These blocks are mounted on a framework C, the block B
being fastened to such framework, and the other block A having a
sliding action thereon. Where the blocks A and B join or come together
they are provided with an aperture D, D', the part D being cut in the
block A and the part D¹ cut in the block B. This aperture is of size to
receive an india-rubber, gutta percha, or other clastic cup or tube E of
size capable of receiving a capsule after being loosely placed in its
position on the top of the bottle or receptacle, as in Figure 6. The
upper or travelling block A is fitted in slides on the framework and
receives motion from the toothed wheels F, G, which operate the rack
and rod H, and thereby the block A (which is attached to the rod H by
the bolt ). The toothed wheels F, G, are operated by the treadles I, J,
and the block A can be thus worked up or down at the will of the
operator, the upward motion being obtained from the spring K. The
framework C is attached to a suitable seat L so arranged that the
operator can sit thereon, actuate the block A by means of the treadles,
and insert the neck of the bottle M with the capsule N into the elastic
cup E to compress the capsule over the cork and round the bottle neck,
the compression being obtained by causing the block A to descend and
compress the clastic cup E sufficiently to secure the capsule, the spring K
being of sufficient power to lift the block A, so that the bottle neck may
be released after capsuling.
The blocks A and B are provided with tongues and grooves R working
into each other and at each side of the cup E, so that a slight pressure is
brought to bear upon the elastic cup or tubing owing to the partially
oval shape of the aperture formed in the blocks and the side expansion
is thus overcome. The elastic cup or tube E is attached to the frame C
by the metal stud or button S.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature, object, and
purposes of this my Invention, and shown how the same may be carried
out into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine

page_text: myself to any particular size or dimensions of the apparatus, as shown in
the Drawings, nor do I confine myself to the exact arrangement of parts
constituting the machine, as shown in the Drawings, as the same may
be considerably varied without departing from the principle of my
Invention, for instance, other mechanical arrangement than the rack
and pinion and treadle may be used for giving motion to the compressing
block; also the block A may be made stationary and the block B
moveable without departing from my Invention, or the blocks may be
made to work horizontally instead of vertically and still effect the same
object. These differences will be understood by any mechanical
engineer. What I claim as my Invention and secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid is,―
Firstly. In a capsuling machine the blocks A and B and the flexible
or elastic cup or tube E so arranged that one of such blocks being
caused to travel compresses the clastic cup or tube, and thereby capsules
the bottle or receptacle which may be inserted into the said cup, sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described
and set forth in the beforegoing Specification and Drawings.
Secondly. The construction, arrangement, and combination of the
machine or apparatus for capsuling bottles and other like receptacles,
substantially as shown in the accompanying Drawings and described in
the beforegoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Porter O'Brien, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
JONATHAN PORTER (L.S.) O'BRIEN.