Improvements in Bottle Cleaning Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
COMPLETE DICITIATION.
Improvements in Bottle Cleaning Machines.
We, ROBERT VOIGT, of Kaiser Wilhelm Platz, Dresden, Saxony, Machinery
Merchant, and ERNEST MAURICH, of Sebnitzer-Strasse, in the same city, Engineer,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
In the bottle cleaning machine of this invention, in which the bottle is cleaned
inside and outside by rotary brushes, an arrangement is provided for turning the
bottle around the spindle of the inside brush independently of the inside brush
itself and also of the outside brush. In bottle cleaning machines heretofore con-
structed the rotation of the bottles is effected by a band passing over several
pulleys or rollers, or by a band lowered to take against the bottle and assisted by
the weight of its pulley and of the pulley frame drive the bottle round, but
experience has shewn that this means is faulty because the shape of bottles is so
diverse that in many cases the grip or hold of the band against the bottle is
insufficient, and more especially with bottles of an entirely taper form such a
method is impracticable owing to the slipping or jamming of the band, further
the driving device, by reason of its having to be lowered to bear against the bottle,
interferes with the convenient placing in and removal of bottles from the machine.
In the machine of this invention the bottle driving device is suitable for bottles
of all shapes and does not in any way interfere with the convenient placing in
and removal of bottles from the machine.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine of this
invention. Fig. 2 a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 a section on line x-x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view of the means for driving the machine.
9
The machine as a whole is driven from the pulley_a. bare a pair of spur
wheels through which the upper or inside brush c and the lower or outside brush d
are rotated at about the same velocity. e is a bottle the rotary movement of which,
independent of the brushes, is brought about by the india rubber travelling bands
or rings f against which the bottom end of the bottle bears. These bands or rings
may be of considerably less width than the bands hitherto used for a like purpose.
They are carried on pulleys k, k¹ the former fixed on the shafts
which are
supported in bearings 1, 1, and are driven through spur wheels h and pinion i the
latter on the main, or inside brush, shaft although it might be placed on the outside
brush shaft. The bearings are adapted to be turned on the front machine part n
and the bearings 'round the standard m. The part n can be raised or lowered as
required in cleaning bottles of varying diameters and the above arrangement of
the bearings,, permits their adjustment to correspond with the position of the
part n.
o is the brush for the bottom of the bottle, said brush as in known bottle washing
machines, being adapted to turn up or down this being done automatically by
the bottle itself when it is placed in or removed from the machine.
The spindle p of the brush o has connected to it one or two bent arms q and at one
or both ends it is furnished with a weight p¹. When a bottle is placed in the

page_text: machine the arms q take up a position to engage against the same. Upon the
removal of the bottle the brush o and also the arms q are moved so that the latter
come somewhat above the front part of the machine.
Upon placing a bottle in the machine it strikes, at midway, against the arms q
turns them and thereby balances the brush o and the weights p¹. In this way
the brush passes automatically to the bottle bottom, therefore in placing or
removing a bottle a handle is all that is required for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A bottle cleaning machine in which the bottle is cleaned by an inside and
an outside brush and the movement of the bottle independent of both brushes is
obtained by means of travelling india rubber rings or bands located near the
bottom of the bottle, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In the bottle cleaning machine referred to, the means for driving the travelling
india rubber rings or bands which rotate the bottle, consisting in transmitting
movement from the upper or lower brush shaft to two shafts g carrying, at the
front end of the machine, pulleys k for the india rubber bottle driving rings or
bands which also pass over pulleys k¹, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1898.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
15, Tooks Court, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.