VOLUME VARIATION OF BOTTLED FOODS. 5 



that machine patents are now expiring, emphasizes the necessity for 

 giving consideration to the smaller variations which may occur in 

 machine-blown bottles. 



BOTTLE FILLING. 



The accuracy in bottle filling is affected by every operation of 

 the bottler from the time he places his order for bottles until they 

 are sealed and labeled. In placing the order the bottler has in mind, 

 and sometimes states in his contract, the capacity which he desires. 

 Upon receipt of the bottles the correctness of their capacity is ascer- 

 tained by actual measurement, or else it is assumed that the manu- 

 facturer has delivered bottles having the capacity designated in the 

 contract. According to the tests made the bottles are rejected or 

 suitable arrangements are made for their use with respect to a proper 

 declaration of quantity of contents. In a survey it was found that 

 10 of 16 bottling factories made tests on every lot of bottles received 

 from the factories, and also that 10 of these bottlers did not specify 

 in their contracts with the glass factories the capacities which they 

 desired for their bottles. The transparent nature of the bottle 

 compels the bottler to cater to a popular demand that the pack- 

 ages be reasonably full, which requires filling to a somewhat uniform 

 height, leaving sufficient head space. 



The liquid food is filled into the bottle by machines of various de- 

 grees of complexity. A general study of the catalogues of bottle- 

 filler manufacturers has shown these fillers to fall into three general 

 types. The first is practically a hand filler. It is equipped with a 

 filling nozzle and a lever cut-off operated by hand. When bottles 

 are filled to the desired filling point, as estimated by the eye or by 

 comparison with a properly filled sample, the flow is cut off and the 

 bottle corked. This tj^pe represents the simplest method of filling. 

 The second type of filler works upon the siphon principle. The bot- 

 tle is filled from a siphon tube connected with a constant level tank. 

 As soon as the liquid in the bottle has reached the level of the liquid 

 in the tank the flow ceases. The height of fill is adjusted by raising 

 or lowering either the bottle or the delivery tube. The third type 

 is a development of the second type in which the liquid runs into a 

 measuring chamber of adjustable dimensions before delivery to the 

 bottle. A uniform volume is thereby delivered into each bottle. 



Of these types of fillers the second is most common. The third is 

 used more generally for filling cans which are not transparent. 

 Regardless of the type of machine used, the bottler is impelled to fill 

 his bottles to a definite height in order that they may make a satis- 

 factory appearance as a commercial article. It was found during 

 the inspection of a number of factories that even where machines 

 which measured the quantity to be delivered were used, continual 



