IMPROVEMENTS IN FILLING BOTTLES WITH CARBONATED LIQUIDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Barrett, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Newspaper Proprietor, and William Bruce, of Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Mineral Water Manufacturer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FILLING BOTTLES WITH CARBONATED LIQUIDS, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Barrett and
William Bruce at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th
February 1880.
FREDERIC BARRETT, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Newspaper
Proprietor, and WILLIAM BRUCE, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Mineral
Water Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILLING BOTTLES WITH CARBONATED
LIQUIDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR"
This Invention relates to improvements in filling bottles with carbonated liquids,
and in apparatus therefor.
By our Invention bottles are filled with carbonated liquids (that is, liquids
charged with carbonic acid gas under pressure, such for example as soda water) so
that atmospheric air is entirely excluded from the bottle. From this several
advantages are obtained, as, for instance, improved quality. By our Invention
there is also economy of material.
We will first describe our Invention as applied to fill under pressure bottles with
internal stoppers. The bottles having been first washed are put into a suitable
trough or receptacle, which is always kept nearly full of water. They are thus
made to fill completely with water, and are taken out mouth downwards. In this
way each stopper will have fallen to the orifice of the bottle, and will prevent the
outflow of the water while the bottle is being conveyed to the filling machine.
The filling machine is so constructed as that the bottle shall be placed for filling in
an inverted position (ie., mouth downwards) on a suitable mouthpiece. A tube is
then passed up through the mouth of the bottle, and by suitable pipes and valves a
supply of carbonic acid gas is passed through it into the bottle and allowed to take
the place of the water, which latter passes out from the mouth of the bottle through
a suitable valve. The bottle being now full of gas the communication with the
source of the gas is shut off, and the carbonated liquid under pressure is let into

page_text: the bottle through the mouth by suitable valve arrangement. The liquid at onco
takes the place of the gas, any excess of the latter escaping by means of the said
tube and communications to any place desired; or instead of being wasted is made
to pass back into the gasometer which originally holds it.
In expelling the water from the bottle as described the carbonic acid gas can be
taken either from the gasometer or from the top of the condenser of the soda water
machine.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention, which relates to filling bottles
without internal stoppers, that is, those corked in the ordinary way, some of the
details of the machine have to be reversed; for instance, as there are no internal
stoppers the bottles must when being removed from the trough or receptacle be
kept mouth upwards. In order to fill these bottles with carbonic acid gas a tube
must be passed down into the bottle, and not upwards, as in the other case. The
gas is then admitted by a suitable contrivance through the mouth of the bottle,
and the water is expelled through the tube. This, it will be seen, is the reverse of
the method of filling patent or internal stoppered bottles where the gas is admitted
through the tube, and the water expelled through the mouth of the bottle.
As soon as the bottle is filled to the required height by sniffing off the surplus
gas the tube is withdrawn, and tho bottle is then corked in the ordinary way.
Instead of removing the bottle as described, and thus driving in the cork with a
mallet, as in "knee-bottling," the bottle is sometimes instantaneously removed or
altered in position by a simple arrangement of framework and socket joint to or
under a known form of bottling rack, and the cork is then driven into the bottle
by a lever in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederic Barrett and William Bruce in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th August 1880.
FREDERIC BARRETT, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Newspaper
Proprictor, and WILLIAM BRUCE, of Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Mineral
Water Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FILLING BOTTLES WITH CARBONATED
LIQUIDS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention relates to improvements in filling bottles with carbonated liquids,
and in apparatus therefor.
By our Invention bottles are filled with carbonated liquids (that is, liquids
charged with carbonic acid gas under pressure, such for example as soda water) so
that atmospheric air is entirely excluded from the bottle. From this several advan-
tages are obtained, as, for instance, improved quality. By our Invention there is
also economy of material.
We will first describe our Invention as applied to fill under pressure bottles
with internal stoppers. The bottles having been first washed are put into a
suitable trough or receptacle, which is always kept uearly full of water. They are
thus made to fill completely with water, and are taken out mouth downwards. In
this way each stopper will have fallen to the orifice of the neck of the bottle, and
will prevent the outflow of the water while the bottle is being conveyed to the
filling machine. The filling machine is so constructed as that in the ordinary way
the bottle shall be placed for filling in an inverted position (that is, mouth down-
.wards) on a suitable mouth piece of the character well known in such machines.
A tube is then passed upwards through the mouth piece into and nearly to the top
of the bottle, and by suitable pipes and valves in connection therewith a supply of
carbonic acid gas under moderate pressure is passed through it into the bottle and
replaces the water, which latter is caused to pass out from, he mouth of the bottlo
through a suitable valve provided in the mouth piece on hich it rests, a pipe in
connection therewith conveying the water to where desired. The bottle being now
full of gas the communication with the source of the gas is shut off, and the
carbonated liquid under pressure then let into the bottle through a valve in the
mouth piece. The liquid at once takes the place of the gas, any excess of the
latter escaping by means of the said tube and communications to any place desired,
and instead of being wasted is made to pass back into the gasometer which
originally held it. In expelling the water from the bottle, as described, the carbonic
acid gas can be taken either from the gasometer or from the top of the condenser of
the soda water machine. In the event of the pressure in the gasometer being
insufficient any intermediate apparatus may be employed to force the gas into the
bottles, as, for example, a pump or a pair of bellows, which might be worked either
by the hand or foot of the operator. Instead of the gas being passed into tho
bottles after they have been placed on the machine for filling, this may be done at
the trough whero they are filled with water to empty them of the air. For this
purpose the trough is provided a little below the surface of the water with one or
more rows of seatings for tho bottles to be placed on mouth downwards. Through
oach of these seatings rises a small vertical tube communicating by a doublo
bend at right angles with another vertical tubo rising above the level of the
water, and in communication with the source of gas supply. All these vertical
tubes may be in a row, and communicate with the one tube. Each of these vertical
tubes is provided with a gas tight cock, and these may be so arranged that they
may all be opened or shut by one movement of a lever to which they are all
attached. The bottles filled with water are one by one inverted, and with their
mouths still under placed each on a seating. The cocks are then all opened
by one movement, when the gas passes into the bottles, driving out and replacing

page_text: the water. The cocks are then all closed by one movement, and the bottles may
then be taken out, charged with 'gas, and be conveyed thus to the filling machine,
whence the gas is passed back into the gasholder, as described.
The pump or
bellows may be used with this tank to force the gas into the bottles.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention, which relates to filling bottles
without internal stoppers, that is, those corked in the ordinary way, some of the details
of the process have to be reversed; for instance, as there are no internal stoppers, tho
bottles must when being removed from the trough or receptacle in which they have
been filled with water be kept mouth upwards. In order to fill them with carbonic
acid gas a tube must be passed down into each bottle, and not upwards, as in the
other case.
The gas is then admitted by a suitable contrivance through the mouth
of the bottle, and the water is expelled through the tube. This, it will be seen, is
the reverse of the method of filling patent or internal stoppered bottles where the
gas is admitted through the tube and the water expelled through the mouth of the
bottle. As soon as the bottle is filled to the required height by sniffing off
the surplus gas, the tube is withdrawn, and the bottle is then corked in the
ordinary way.
We claim as our Invention to be secured by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent,-
1. The improvements in filling bottles with carbonated liquids, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. The trough for charging the bottles with carbonic acid gas, substantially as
hereinbofore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Barrett, on behalf of myself and the
said William Bruce, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty.
FRED. BARRETT. (L.S.)