IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN BOTTLING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander William Gillman and Samuel Spencer,
both of the Castle Brewery, Saint George's Road, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN BOTTLING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS
"
Sealed the 21st September 1875, and dated the 30th July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander William
Gillman and Samuel Spencer at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th July 1875.
We, ALEXANDER WILLIAM GILLMAN and SAMUEL SPENCER, both of
the Castle Brewery, Saint George's Road, Southwark, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN BOTTLING BEER AND OTHER LIQUIDS,"
to be as follows -

page_text: to the employment of a novel arrangement and combination of parts to
ensure a proper quantity of liquid without waste entering a bottle, and
to cause the beer or other liquid to enter the bottle at or near the bottom
thereof, or below the top of the neck, thereby preventing the frothing of
the beer or liquid in the act of bottling, and at the same time facilitating
the escape of air from the bottle at the neck without waste of gas or
liquid. For this purpose we lead the liquid to be bottled from the cask
or vessel described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted
to us dated January 21, 1875, No. 234 to a measuring apparatus con-
sisting of a cylinder and piston provided with suitable inlet and outlet
passages and pipes, and with cocks or valves for controlling the inlet or
outlet of the liquid from either end of the cylinder; a stop capable of
regulation being employed to regulate the extent of motion of the piston
in order to cause a given quantity of liquid to be passed into and out
of the cylinder at each stroke of the piston. A lover or other suitable
means is employed to change the position of the cocks or valves By
these means we are enabled to pass through the measuring apparatus,
at each stroke of the piston in cach direction, the desired quantity of
liquid for each bottle; the pressure of the liquid in the cask or vessel
being employed on either side of the piston to force the liquid out from
the cylinder on the opposite side of the piston.
The liquid is led from the measuring apparatus by pipes connected
thereto at each end, and connected to a common pipe leading the
liquid to a pipe or tube provided with a cock or valve, and capable of
working on an axis of motion, and having connected to the-outer end
thereof a curved pipe or tube formed and capable of working in the arc
of a circle through a stuffing box fixed to or formed in the metal at the
side of the conical corking tube. The curve and length of this last
mentioned tube is so proportioned as to enable it to pass from the
stuffing box through the lower end of the conical corking tube, thence
through the neck of the bottle down to or near the bottom thereof, the
lower end of the curved tube being near to the side of the bottle.
Instead however of employing a curved tube as above described a
straight tube passing into the bottle neck at an angle to the axis of the
conical corking tube may in some cases be employed.
The neck of the bottle is forced upwards as usual against a conical
piece of india-rubber to prevent any escape of gas or liquid at that part,
and the metal at the side of the conical tube is provided with a

page_text: passage and regulating escape or safety valve above the india-rubber
to permit of the escape of air from the bottle as the liquid under
pressure rises therein Thus we are enabled to introduce the liquid into
the lower part of the bottle or below the top of the neck and prevent
froth in filling, whilst we are also enabled to allow of the escape of the
air from the bottle without waste of liquid or gas. By this arrangement
we are also enabled to withdraw the curved or straight tube from the
bottle, and to force the cork therein without permitting any liquid or
gas to escape at such time. The cork is forced into the neck of the
bottle through a conical corking tube by a plunger in the ordinary
way.