Assembly in Action: Automatic Dispenser Helps Seal Novelty Bottles
Gillet, a welding engineer from France, developed a method to cut the wine bottles. It worked, and the couple decided to make novelty “theme” bottles. The bottles could contain anything from fancy vinegar, fruits and vegetables, to golf balls and tees, tennis balls and T-shirts. They also put lamp oil in the bottles with fake fruits and vegetables. A wick is added on the end so it can be used as an oil lamp.
Once cut, sealing the bottles became a critical part of the operation. Two parts of the sealing operation were particularly difficult: finding the correct adhesive and how best to dispense it. The adhesive has to be food grade, because people might open the bottle and eat the food instead of using the bottles for decoration. In addition, many of the bottles contain vinegar. The adhesive has to withstand the vinegar’s acidity and not interact with it or the other contents of the bottle. Fifty different adhesives and epoxies were tried before finding the right product.