Improvements in Bottle-filling Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-filling Apparatus.
I, JOHN JACKSON of School Street, Lonsdale, in the County of Providence,
and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Folder, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in bottle-filling apparatus or machines of
the construction described in Letters Patent of the United States of America
granted to me and dated the 8th day of November 1892, No. 485942. The object
of the invention is to provide a means whereby a number of bottles may be
simultaneously filled in an expeditious and convenient manner without spilling any of
the liquid, whether the bottles be transparent or not, and to provide each bottle
with a filling tube of a size enabling it to hold a sufficient quantity of liquid to fill
the bottle, and a means whereby the operator will be enabled to control the outlet
at will. A further and prime feature of the invention consists in providing
reservoirs connected with a suitable source of supply, the reservoirs being adapted to
hold a predetermined quantity of fluid, and in connection with such reservoirs to pro-
vide a means whereby connection between the reservoirs and the source of supply will
be cut off while the bottles are being filled and turned on after the bottles are filled.
The body of the machine consists essentially of a receiving trough, delivery or
filling tubes connected with the trough, a valve-carrying frame, and a lever connected
with the frame. The trough may be of any size and shape, preferably however it is
rectangular and the base wall of the trough is given a slight pitch in the direction
of one end. The trough is provided with a series of openings in its bottom
extending through and adapted to receive and have secured therein the delivery or
filling tubes above referred to. The upper portions of the tubes are of much
larger diameter than the lower portions which latter are made of such diameter as
to readily fit into the mouths of the bottles to be filled and the size of each tube
is such that it holds when filled or practically so, just a sufficient quantity of
liquid to properly fill the bottle in connection with which it is to be used. The
filling or receiving tubes may be made of any suitable material, metal being
preferred, and the tubes may be attached to the trough by cement, screws, nails, or
equivalent fastening devices. The filling tubes are preferably made in two sections,
one having a screw connection with the other, so that the lower section or that
adapted to enter the bottle may be readily removed and a larger or a smaller
section may be attached to the upper or fixed one. As the filling tubes are smaller
at the bottom than at the top a seat is formed in each for the reception of a valve
and the valves are provided with stems which extend some distance above the
trough. The valve stems are all connected in any approved manner to the frame
heretofore referred to, preferably however springs are wound around the steins
having bearing-upon shoulders formed on the stems and against the under surface
of the frame. The valve stems are guided in their movement in the delivery or
filling tubes by passing the stems through spiders or their equivalents attached
preferably to the lower sections of the tubes. The frame corresponds practically
in size and shape to the contour and dimensions of the trough, above which it is
located, and slides to and from it by guide rods secured one at each corner of the
trough and passing upward through openings in the frame. One set of guide bars
is connected above the frame by a cross-bar to the centre of which one end of the
lever is pivotally secured, the central portion of the lever being connected with the
central portion of the valve frame by means of a lug or by a link. The lever is held
normally in a horizontal position by a post secured to the trough entering a recess
or socket in the free end of the lever. When the lever is in its normal position

page_text: the valves are seated in the filling tubes and liquid can not flow from the tubes.
One or a number of supply tubes leads into the trough, the upper ends of which
tubes are connected each with a reservoir and all of the reservoirs are connected
with a tank, barrel, cask, or other receptacle employed as a source of supply. The
receiving trough is divided into several compartments, each compartment containing
a given number of filling tubes, a supply tube is led into each compartment, although,
if in practice it is found desirable, the trough may be made with but one or two
compartments. Each supply tube is provided with a valve above the reservoir of
that tube and a valve below the reservoir and these reservoirs are adapted to be
removed from connection with the supply tubes, if desired, in order that smaller
or larger reservoirs may be used. The filling tubes are therefore made in sections
and the sections are connected by suitable couplings. The handles of the upper set
of valves are attached to the upper portion of a frame and those of the lower set
of valves are connected with the lower portion of said frame, the attachment being
a pivotal one. The frame is provided with a suitable handle through the medium
of which it is operated, so that when the frame is in one position the upper set of
valves is closed and the lower set is opened and the liquid from the reservoirs flows
into the compartments of the trough and when the position of the frame is changed
the lower set of valves is closed and the upper set is opened and at this time the
supply of liquid to the trough will be cut off while the liquid from the tank, barrel,
or other source of supply will be permitted to flow into the reservoirs and fill them.
Each reservoir is provided with a vent tube located preferably in its upper end.
In operation, the bottles are placed beneath the filling tubes, the tubes entering
their mouths, and the valves in the filling tubes are squarely seated at that time.
The frame to which the handles of the valves of the supply tubes are connected
is then moved so that the liquid will flow from the reservoirs into the filling tubes
and each tube will be supplied with a sufficient quantity of liquid to fill a bottle,
the frame being next manipulated so as to close the lower set of valves and open
the upper set, and then the lever is manipulated to open the valves in the filling
tubes and permit the liquid contained therein to flow into the bottles.
Dated this 13th day of February 1893
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-filling Apparatus.
I JOHN JACKSON, of School Street, Lonsdale, in the County of Providence and
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Folder do hereby declare the
nature of this 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 improvements in bottle-filling apparatus or machines of
the construction illustrated and described in Letters Patent of the United States of
America, granted to me and dated November 8th 1892 No. 485,942.
The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a number of bottles
may be simultaneously filled in an expeditious and convenient manner without
spilling any of the liquid whether the bottles be transparent or not, and to provide
each bottle with a filling tube of a size enabling it to hold a sufficient quantity of
liquid to fill the bottle, and a means whereby the operator will be enabled to
control the outlet at will. A further and prime feature of the invention consists in
providing reservoirs connected with a suitable source of supply, the reservoirs being
adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of fluid, and in connection with such
reservoirs to provide a means whereby connection between the reservoirs and the
source of supply will be cut off while the bottles are being filled, and turned
on after the bottles are filled.

page_text: The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the body of the machine, the said
section being taken near the centre;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine, the casing being in horizontal
section;
Figure 3 is a detail sectional view through one of the filling tubes; and
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the reservoirs and mechanism for controlling the
valves thereof.
The body of the machine consists essentially of a receiving trough 10, delivery or
filling tubes 11, connected with the trough, a valve-carrying frame 12, and a
lever 13, connected with the frame. The trough 10, may be of any size and shape;
preferably, however, it is rectangular, and the base wall 14 of the trough is given a
slight pitch in the direction of one end, as shown in Figure 1.
The trough, as shown in Figure 3, is provided with a series of openings 15 in its
bottom, extending through and adapted to receive and have secured therein the
delivery or filling tubes 11 above referred to. The upper portions a of the tubes
are of much larger diameter than the lower portions a', which latter are made
of such diameter as to readily fit into the mouths of the bottles A to be filled; and
the size of each tube is such that it holds, when filled or practically so, just a
sufficient quantity of liquid to properly fill the bottle in connection with which it is
to be used.
The filling or receiving tubes may be made of any suitable material, metal being
preferred, and the tubes may be attached to the trough by cement, screws, nails or
equivalent fastening devices. The filling tubes are preferably made in two sections,
one having a screw connection with the other, so that the lower section, or that
adapted to enter the bottle, may be readily removed and a larger or a smaller
section may be attached to the upper or fixed one..
As the filling tubes are smaller at the bottom than at the top, a seat 16 is formed
in each for the reception of a valve 17, and the valves are provided with stems 18,
which extend some distance above the trough. The valve stems are all connected
in any approved manner to the frame 12, heretofore referred to; preferably,
however, springs are wound around the stems having bearing upon shoulders formed
on the stems and against the under surface of the frame. The valve stems are
guided in their movement in the delivery or filling tubes by passing the stems
through spiders 19, or their equivalents, attached preferably to the lower sections
of the tubes.
The frame 12, is made as light as possible consistent with strength, and
corresponds practically in size and shape to the contour and dimensions of the
trough. The frame is located above the trough, and is made to slide to and from it
by guide rods 19, secured one at cach corner of the trough and passing upward
through openings in the frame. One set of guide bars is connected above the frame
by a cross bar 20, to the center of which one end of the lift lever 13, is pivotally
secured, the central portion of the lever being connected with the central portion of
the valve frame by means of a lug 22, or by a link. The lever 13, is held normally
in a horizontal position by a post 23, secured to the trough, entering a recess or
socket in the free end of the lever. When the lift lever is in its normal position
the valves are seated in the filling tubes, as shown in Figure 1, and liquid can
not flow from the tubes. The trough may be made to accommodate any desired
number of filling tubes, the number shown in the drawings being twenty-four.
One or a number of supply tubes 24, leads into the trough, the upper ends of
which tubes are connected each with a reservoir 25, and all of the reservoirs are
connected with a tank, barrel, cask or other receptacle employed as a source of
supply.

page_text: The receiving trough is divided into a number of compartments 26, each
compartment containing a given number of filling tubes; a supply tube 24, is led
into each compartment, although if in practice it is found desirable the trough may
be made with but one or two compartments. Each supply tube 24, is provided
with a valve 26" above the reservoir of that tube, and a valve 27, below the
reservoir, and these reservoirs are adapted to be removed from connection with the
supply tubes, if desired, in order that smaller or larger reservoirs may be used.
The filling tubes are therefore made in sections and the sections are connected by
suitable couplings.
Each valve 26", is provided with a handle 28, and each valve 27, is provided
with a similar handle 29. The upper set of valve handles is attached to the upper
portion of a frame 30, and the lower set of valve handles is connected with the
The frame is
lower portion of said frame, the attachment being a pivotal one.
provided with a suitable handle through the medium of which it is operated.
When the frame is in the position shown in Figure 4, the upper set of valves is
closed and the lower set is opened, and the liquid from the reservoirs will flow into
the compartments of the trough. When the position of the frame is changed, that
is, when the handles are made to stand in practically an opposite direction to that
shown in Figure 4, the lower set of valves is closed and the upper set opened,
and at this time the supply of liquid to the trough will be cut off, while the liquid
from the tank, barrel, or other source of supply will be permitted to flow into the
reservoirs and fill them. Each reservoir is provided with a vent tube 31, located
preferably in its upper end.
In operation, the bottles are placed beneath the filling tubes, the tubes entering
their mouths as shown in Figure 1, and the valves in the filling tubes are squarely
seated at that time. The frame 30, is then carried to the position shown in
Figure 4, and the liquid will flow from the reservoirs into the filling tubes, and each
tube will be supplied with a sufficient quantity of liquid to fill a bottle; next the
frame 30, is manipulated to close the lower set of valves and open the upper set,
and the lever 13, is then manipulated to open the valves in the filling tubes and
permit the liquid contained therein to flow into the bottles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
1. A filling apparatus comprising a trough having a series of dependent tubes
provided with valves, a shifting lever connected with the valves, reservoirs
connected with the trough, valves located above and below the reservoirs, and a
shifting device connected with both sets of valves, whereby when one set of valves
is closed the other set is simultaneously opened, as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a bottle-filling apparatus, the combination, with supply tubes and reservoirs
connected therewith, of valves located above and below the reservoirs, a frame
having a link connection with both sets of valves, the frame being located between
the sets, whereby when one set of valves is closed the other set is opened, said
action taking place simultaneously with the movement of the frame, and vents
located in the reservoirs, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The filling apparatus, comprising a trough having a series of dependent tubes
provided with valves, the tubes being made in two sections removably connected,
the valve rods extending upward from the valves, a sliding frame to which the
upper ends of the valve rods are connected, guides upon which the frame moves, a
pivoted lever crossing the frame, an attachment between the frame and the
lever, and a supply mechanism leading to the trough, substantially as shown and
described.
4. In a bottle-filling apparatus, the combination, with a trough, a series of tubes
extending from the trough, each tube being adapted to contain a predetermined
amount of liquid, the tubes being arranged in sets and the sets located in separate
compartments of the trough, valves located within the tubes, and a lever connected

page_text: with the valves, whereby they are operated, of reservoirs corresponding in number
to the compartments in the trough, each reservoir being adapted to contain sufficient
liquid to properly supply all of the tubes of a set, and a supply connection between
the compartments of the trough and the reservoirs, as and for the purpose set
forth.
1
151 1
1000
J. JACKSON,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.