IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, of the City of Hamburg, Germany, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING MACHINES." A communication from Boldt and
Vogel, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix
Engel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th October
1881.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING MACHINES." A coin-
munication from Boldt and Vogel, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the mechanism
and moving-parts of the cork-press of corking machines, and also to improve-
ments in the mechanism of working an air-needle used for drawing the air from
the bottle during the process of corking.
The press, which consists in this case of three sliding parts compressing the cork
instead of one or two as have formerly been applied to and in use with corking
machines, produces a more uniform compression of the cork, and prevents the
formation of a gullet and overlapping of ends of same in the compressed cork,
such gullets causing hitherto very often leakage of and damage to the contents of
the bottles.
The improvements relating to the air-needle consist mainly of new mechanism
for catching and discharging the needle for the purpose of lifting and dropping the
same, and further in a new mode of guiding the needle on one central pin only.
The three sliding parts forming the press are composed of two side pieces with
plain smooth face, and with one piece with a semicircular opening of such size as
to fit the exact shape of the cork in its compressed state. The cork after being
placed in the machine is, by the side parts before mentioned, first compressed into
an oval shape with flat sides, of a width corresponding to the diameter of the cork
.

page_text: in fully compressed state. The third part of the press sliding between the side
parts then moves towards the cork and forces the same forward into a semicircular
opening of a fixed part of the press, compressing the cork by these means to a
full circle between two semicircular openings of the fixed part and of the sliding
part aforesaid. This circle corresponds in size to the desired diameter of the cork
in compressed state.
The bottle for reception of the cork is placed below the centre of the opening of
the fixed part of the press, and as soon as the cork arrives at this part a central
plunger or rod is by the action of the machine forced down upon the cork and
presses it into the mouth of the bottle.
The needle, which consists of a hollow circular or semicircular steel pin is by a
projection or side arm formed to the upper part of same guided on a rod fixed to
the frame or stand of the machine, and this needle enters the mouth of the bottle
by dropping a certain and adjustable distance or way after being released from a
holding catch. Through the hollow part of this fine needle air escapes from the
bottle while the cork is being forced in. The needle drops while the cork press is
open; it is then forced against the side of the bottle mouth by the cork, and is after
completion of the corking operation at its upper flattened end caught by a catch
formed of two hooks and is drawn from the bottle.
The movements of the press parts of the corking stamp or plunger and of the
needle catch are all automatically produced by the motion of a hand lever that
operates in guides of the frame a cast iron body piece in an up and down direction.
This cast iron body piece is at its upper end furnished with a curved slot by means
of which a horizontal inward and backward motion is applied to that part of the
press furnished with a semicircular opening, which part is in communication with
the slot through the aid of a friction roller or friction disc. The inward motion of
this part of the press is before the semicircular opening reaches the cork partly
transferred to the side parts of the press and moves these parts in a direction
towards each other, in consequence of which the cork placed between these parts is
compressed into an oval shape, as before described. In proceeding its inward
motion the semicircular press part then forces the cork forward into the fixed part
of the press and completes the rounding off into a circular shape, after which the
motion of the form parts come to a standstill and the downward motion of the
pressure plunger (corking stamp) begins, which plunger is fixed to an arm of
the cast iron body piece moved by the hand lever.
Together with this downward motion of the plunger the needle catch attached
to same moves downward and as soon as the plunger has forced the cork into the
mouth of the bottle and has reached its lowest position the catch mechanism has
got hold of the needle, and by afterwards lifting the body and arm the needle is
drawn from the bottle. During the upward motion of the body piece and arm the
press form opens, and when the body piece has arrived at its highest position the
catch is released from the needle by fixed arins opening the catch and the needle
drops again into the mouth of another bottle placed on the foot or stand of the
machine after the corked bottle has been removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th April 1882.
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, in the
City of Hamburg, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING MACHINES." A com-
munication from Boldt and Vogel, of Hamburg, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and mechanism of
the cork-press of corking machines.
The essential part of this Invention relates to improvements in mechanism of
corking machines constructed for compressing the cork from its original size to the
diameter required for forcing it into the mouth of the bottle. Such compression
of the corks was formerly executed by either forcing the cork in its longitudinal
axis through a hopper like metal mould, or by compressing it between two
sliding parts of a metal press moved in horizontal direction.
The improved mechanism used for compressing the cork consists of three sliding
parts and one fixed part, composing when closed a mould showing a central
cylindrical opening corresponding to the ultimate shape and size of the cork in its
compressed state. Of these four parts forming the press one is a fixture, whilst
three are movable, the fixed part having at its front end a semicircular aperture
of the same radius as that of the cork in compressed state. Opposite this fixed
part is arranged one of the sliding parts of the press, which part has at that side
directed towards the fixed part a semicircular aperture of exactly same size as that
of the fixed part. The two other parts of the press which have flat plain working
sides are arranged sideway of the before mentioned parts, and are moved at right
angles towards those former parts. The action of the press parts is as follows:-
A cork placed between the opened press parts is first compressed into an oval
shape by the two side parts moving in direction towards each other, which parts
are arrested in their movements at the point where the distance apart from each
other is equal to the diameter to which the cork has to be compressed. The
flattened cork is then, by the third sliding part which moves towards the fixed
part of the press compressed between the two apertures composing a cylindrical
opening corresponding in size to that of the compressed cork.
The cork compressed in such manner is, by means of the presser or corking
stamp of the machine forced downward into the mouth of the bottle.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is represented a corking-machine
furnished with this improved press. Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine; Figs. 2
and 4 are side views; Fig. 3 is a view from back of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7,
are details showing the cork press in different acting positions.
a is a fixed part of the press with the semicircular aperture r; and 6 is the
opposite sliding part containing the equivalent aperture r'; c and c¹ are the two
sliding parts working at right angles towards the parts a and b.
Fig. 5 shows the press parts in open position with the cork n of original size;
Fig. 6 shows the cork after being compressed into an oval shape by the parts c
and c'; and Fig. 7 represents the final size and position of the cork after being
forced into the aperture of part a.
The forward motion of part b is produced by means of the curved slot D of
body S of the machine, which body is moved up and down by hand lever H and
friction roller o. The inward movements of parts c and c¹ are secured by the
projecting ribs vand v³ of part b, which ribs act against friction rollers i, i',
pivoted to parts c, c', whilst its return motions are produced by ribs e, e', and
projections u

page_text: After the compression of the cork into its final shape has been completed, as
shown by Fig. 7, the stamp P which is attached to body S forces the cork from the
press into the mouth of a bottle placed underneath the press, and which bottle is
supported by an adjustable rest R.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim,―
The construction of the cork-press of corking machines of three sliding parts, of
which two opposite parts with flat acting sides compress the cork from its original
into an oval shape, whilst the third sliding part furnished in front with a semi-
circular aperture presses the oval cork forward into an equivalent aperture of the
fixed part, thus reducing the cork to the required size, the said parts being
combined and operating as and for the purpose herein set forth and described in
reference to the Figures of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.