A pronged clamp apparatus for attaching a soda bottle to a home use carbonation machine, the apparatus includes a pronged clamp to receive the bottle, at a non-upright position prior to carbonation, the bottle having a neck ring, to attach the bottle to the carbonation machine when a user moves said bottle towards an upright position; a locking mechanism to lock the bottle to the carbonation machine via the neck ring in the upright position during carbonation; and an interlock operative within the locking mechanism utilizing the downward movement of the bottle under pressure to prevent the unlocking of the locking mechanism when there is excess pressure in the bottle.