Bottling and Bottling Machines. Attention to bottling is of importance not only for the fluids we drink, but also for medical preparations, perfumes, and other liquid bodies, where a porous cork permitting volatile substances to escape, or air to enter, often leaves the contents of the bottle quite worthless. To clean bottles thoroughly they should be left in warm water, containing soda, long enough for any dry films to soften, and then everything adhering to the sides should be removed with a bottle brush. After several rinsings they should be quite filled with clean water before being left to drain. Shaking up with vitriol removes petroleum and paraffin oil.
From many varieties of machines in use for bottling Aerated Waters (q.v.) we select one (Codd's) for description which is reported to be very serviceable, and which will be easily understood from the annexed cuts—one a front and the other a side view partly sectional. Its important parts are the valve, V, for controlling the admission of the aerated water (it does more than this), the lever, L, and slide, S, with their connecting link, which raise the bottle into position and lower it a little for removal when filled. As aerated waters require to be kept under pressure, there is a metal cap at C, supplied internally with an india-rubber ring or washer, against which the bottle is pressed to prevent the escape of gas. This form of machine is only suitable for bottles with glass ball stoppers. The attendant has just to raise the bottle into position by the lever, and open the valve by the handle, when the aerated water rushes into the bottle, and, as it fills, lifts the glass stopper into its place. He then lowers the bottle, removes it, and repeats the operation with others. The valve, V, is so designed that while it admits aerated water from the pipe, W, it at the same time lets the displaced air in the bottle escape at the pipe, A.
When it is used for lemonade or any similar sweet drink, the proper quantity of sirup is put into the bottle before it is filled with the aerated water. Another form of this machine has a sirup pump attached to it, in which case the same handle works the valves to admit both sirup and aerated water.
A very simple and efficient kind of bottling apparatus for beer consists of a small wooden trough fed from a barrel, and of sufficient capacity to hold as much liquid as will keep a constant flow through six siphon tubes. The machine is set agoing by the operator sucking the air out of the siphon tubes. He removes a bottle from each of these as fast as it is filled.
For corking-machines, see CORK.