AU752949B2

AU752949B2 - Foot-operated bottle sealing apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU752949B2
Application number: AU94142/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David J. Connelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-26
Filing date: 1998-11-26
Publication date: 2002-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2018-11-26
Also published as: AU9414298A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents ACt 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: DAVID J. CONNELLY DAVID J. CONNELLY Address for Service: CULLEN

CO.,

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: FOOT-OPERATED

APPARATUS

BOTTLE SEALING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 so The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for securing a seal onto an open end of a container and particularly relates to a foot-operated sealing apparatus.

Containers come in all manner of shapes and sizes, and can be sealed with a variety of sealing elements, including snap-on caps, corks, threaded caps and deformable flanged caps.

On a large commercial scale, containers can be sealed with high-throughput automated assemblies utilizing cap-feeding, container-feeding and containersealing machines. Such machines are impractical for the individual who needs to seal a small number of containers and manually operated sealing tools are used instead. For instance, hand-operated bottle cap crimping tools are used by individuals (such as home brewers) to seal bottle-shaped containers with a deformable flanged cap.

The bottle cap crimper secures the deformable flange edging of the cap (eg. crown cap) to a lip of the bottle- S 20 shaped container.

o00o It appears that all commercially available manually operated sealing tools are designed to be hand operated.

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Furthermore, these tools are designed to seal one particular type of sealing element onto one type of container, and the tools cannot readily accommodate different types of sealing elements for different types of containers.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention 30 to provide a foot-operated apparatus for securing a sealing element onto a container, and it is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus with greater flexibility as to the types of sealing elements and containers that can be sealed, and to provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for securing a sealing element to an open 3 end of a container, the apparatus having: a support for supporting the container to be sealed; a die carrier with a die, the die being arranged so that, in use, it is proximate to the container end to be sealed, said die carrier being guided by the support; an operative lever operable as a foot pedal; and an operative mechanism attaching the operative lever to the die carrier, enabling the die to secure the sealing element to the open end of the container when the foot pedal is depressed, wherein upon release of the foot pedal the die resumes its original position.

Preferably, the support has three legs to one of which the operative lever is pivotally mounted, the legs are connected to an upright member that guides the die carrier, the upright member is connected to a holder for the container.

Preferably, the operative lever is pivotally mounted to a hind leg of the support and the foot pedal extends outwardly between two front legs of the support. The S 20 foot pedal can be further modified to be better suited for use with a foot. For instance, the pedal can be e flattened or extended and material such as a rubber pad 0:69 can be attached.

2Preferably, the container holder resembles a rectangular platform with a flat topside and flat underside, with the container resting on the topside. The topside of the holder can be further modified by attaching a gripping surface such as a rubber mat.

Alternatively, the topside of the holder can be shaped to 30 complement the shape of the container. For instance, a shape matching the container's base could be carved into the holder if the holder were made of wood.

.s In a preferred embodiment, the die carrier consists *000 of two vertically extending arms, an upper end of each arm connecting to a first crosspiece to which is mounted the die, a lower end of each arm being threaded and adjustably connected to a second crosspiece, and this crosspiece is slideably guided by the upright member.

Preferably, the second crosspiece is partly located within a guiding slit of the upright member, the second crosspiece being slideable downwards relative to the upright member when the foot pedal is depressed and being slideable upwards when the foot pedal is released.

Preferably, the upright member is cylindrical in shape and has a vertical channel spanning the entire length and the guiding slit is located at the apical end. Each vertically extending arm can pass through an aperture in the container holder and these apertures can be located diametrically opposite each other.

The apical end of the upright member preferably has four radially projecting legs on the horizontal plane.

These legs can be glued to the underside of the container holder, or more preferably, each leg contains a bore through which a fastener such as a screw passes into the underside of the holder. The radially projecting legs can be spaced so as not to interfere with the sliding action of the second crosspiece of the die carrier.

In a preferred embodiment, the operative mechanism has: a pivot arm, an end of which is pivotally mounted to a member that connects the two front legs of the support above the pedal; a first link that is pivotally mounted to the pivot arm and to the operative lever; 0. a second link, an end of which is connected to the second crosspiece of the die carrier and to the pivot arm, with the second link passing along and more 30 preferably through the vertical channel of the upright member; and, a spring which connects the operative lever to the hind leg of the support above its pivotal mounting to the operative lever, and the spring being biased to return the die to its original position. The spring can be substituted for other materials that will return the die to the original position.

In a preferred embodiment, the second crosspiece is partly located within the guiding slit and is slidable downwards when the foot pedal is depressed and is slideable upwards relative to the upright member when the foot pedal is released.

Preferably, the second crosspiece of the die carrier has a bush on each end, the bushes located external to the guiding slit and adjustably connecting to the threaded lower ends of the arms, whereby each threaded arm end passes through a bush and is secured into position with nuts located at both ends of the bush. The arms can be readily shortened or lengthened in order to adjust the height of the die with respect to the position of the open end of the container by moving the nuts and bushes up or down the threaded arms.

In a preferred embodiment, the die is bell-shaped and has a central cavity that contains a ring-shaped insert. The die can be detached from the first crosspiece and replaced with other dies in order to seal a variety of container ends with a selection of sealing elements, 20 particularly sealing elements with deformable flanges and corking elements. The die can be replaced with a die similar in shape to a hollow cylinder for sealing the container with a cork or a snap-on cap.

25oPreferably, the type of container sealed by the apparatus is shaped as a bottle and the sealing element is a deformable flanged cap. The insert of the die can consist of rubber or plastic, and generally assists in releasing the die from the secured sealing element.

Preferably, the flanges of the cap secure over a lip of 30 the bottle.

a The apparatus can be constructed of metal, wood, plastic or of other rigid materials. The support members can be of hollow construction for lightweightiness, and the soles of the support legs can be fitted with caps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with the operative lever not being operated, the bottle-shaped 6 container and die insert are shown in phantom according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a front end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 without the bottle-shaped container; Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 with the operative lever being operated and the die engaging the container end. The die insert, the second link and the second crosspiece are partly shown in phantom; Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of a section of the second crosspiece and an arm of the die carrier, according to the present invention; Figure 5 is a top plan view of the holder for the container attached to the apical end of the upright member and the second crosspiece of the die carrier is shown in phantom, according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a front side perspective view of the apical end of the upright member without the four radial legs, and of the second crosspiece and arms of the die 20 carrier without the nuts, partly shown in phantom, according to the present invention; and, Figure 7 is an enlarged top side view perspective of the die insert, according to the present invention.

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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

In all of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is shown an 30 apparatus 1 for securing a sealing element 2 onto an open end of a container 3. From hereon in the container will be referred to as a bottle 3. The sealing apparatus 1 *'.consists of a support 5, 6, 7, 8, 18 for the bottle 3, a die carrier 13, 25, 26, 29, a die 38, an operative lever S 35 4 and an operative mechanism 9, 40, 41, 42, 43 connecting the operative lever 4 to the die carrier.

The bottle support consists of three groundcontacting legs 5, 6, 7 (see Figure 2) attached to a lower end of an upright member 8, and a bottle holder 18 attached to an apical end of the upright member 8. The support has a hind leg 7 and two front legs 5, 6, and an additional member 9 connects the two front legs 5, 6 at a position above the operative lever 4, best seen in Figure 2.

The upright member 8 contains a vertical channel that is best seen in Figure 6 and the apical end contains a slit 11, 12 that guides a second crosspiece 13 of the die carrier.

Referring to Figure 5, the apical end of the upright member 8 has four radially spaced legs 14, 15, 16, 17 for securing to the bottle holder 18. These legs 14, 15, 16 17 extend along the horizontal plane of the apical end of the upright member 8, as seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Each leg 14, 15, 16, 17 has a bore 19, 20, 21, 22 through which passes a fastener, such as a screw, into an underside of the holder 18.

The die carrier consists of two vertically extending 20 arms 25, 26 that are connected at an upper end by a first crosspiece 29 and are adjustably connected at a lower end to the second crosspiece 13 beneath the bottle holder 18.

The bottle holder 18 has two diametrically opposed apertures 23, 24 through which slide the arms 25, 26 of the die carrier. The apertures 23, 24 are of greater size than the arms 25, 26 and are best represented in Figure 5. The second crosspiece 13 can be wider than the bottle holder 18, in which case the apertures 23, 24 are not necessary.

30 An end of the operative lever 4 is pivotally connected 27 to the hind leg 7 of the support and an opposing end 28 projects outwardly between the two front legs 5, 6 of the support. This end 28 is operated as a pedal by a foot and the shape of the pedal 28 is best S 35 seen in Figure 2 Referring to Figures 4, 5 and 6, each end of the second crosspiece 13 has a bush 30, 31 that adjustably connects to the lower end of the vertically extending arm 26. The lower end of each arm 25, 26 is threaded 32, 33 and can be secured to the bush 30, 31 using two nuts 34, 35, 36, 37 (see Figures 3 and When sealing tall bottles 3, the length of the arms 25, 26 are adjusted by moving the nuts 34, 35, 36, 37 and bushes 30, 31, down the threaded arms 25, 26. Conversely, when sealing short bottles 3, the arms 25, 26 are shortened by moving the nuts 34, 35, 36, 37 and bushes 30, 31 up the threaded arms 25, 26.

The first crosspiece 29 of the die carrier has a centrally located and suspended die 38, and the arms 26 straddle the bottle 3. In a preferred embodiment, the die is shaped like a bell and contains a rubber ringshaped insert 39 within a central cavity. The insert assists in releasing the sealing element 2 from the die 38 after engagement. The die 38 can be detached from the first crosspiece 29 and replaced with another die, for instance, a hollow cylindrical die for sealing the bottle with a cork. Figure 1 shows an embodiment whereby the die S 20 is detachably mounted with a nut and bolt 44.

Figure 1 shows that when the operative lever 4 is not being operated the die 38 is proximate to the bottle end and the bottle 3 can be freely removed from the holder 18. Conversely, Figure 3 shows that when the die 38 engages the sealing element 2 on the bottle 3, the bottle cannot be removed from the holder 18.

~The operative mechanism consists of a pivot arm a first link 41, a second link 42, the member 9 that connects the two front legs 5, 6 of the support (see 30 Figure and a spring 43 that is biased to return the die 38 to its original position proximate to the bottle end 3 when the pedal 28 is no longer depressed. The spring 43 connects a hind region of the operative lever 4 *to an upper region of the hind support leg 7.

S 35 An end of the pivot arm 40 is pivotally mounted to the member 9 shown in Figure 2 and another end is pivotally mounted to an end of the first link 41. The first link member 41 has another end attached to the 9 operative lever 4.

The second link 42 has an end connected to the second crosspiece 13 of the die carrier near the apical end of the upright member 8, and another end emerges from the vertical channel 10 of the upright member 8 to pivotally connect to the pivot arm 40 (Figure 3).

Referring to Figure 6, the second crosspiece is partly located within the guiding slit 11, 12 of the upright member 8. When the pedal 28 is depressed with the foot, the second crosspiece 13 slides down the slit 11, 12 of the upright member 8, via the operative mechanism 41, 40, 9, 42, and the die 38 firmly engages the sealing element 2 on the end of the bottle 3. When the foot pedal 28 is released, the second crosspiece slides upwards within the slit 11, 12.

In a preferred embodiment, the sealing element is a deformable flanged cap 2. During engagement of the die 38 with the flanged cap 2, the cap 2 edge is secured over a lip of the bottle 3. When the foot is removed from the 20 pedal 28, the die 38 is returned to its original position see* via the operative connection 9, 42, 40, 41.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in 25 the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

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SS

Claims

2. The apparatus of claim i, wherein the support has three legs to one of which the operative lever is pivotally mounted, said legs are connected to an upright member that guides the die carrier, said upright member is connected to a holder for the container.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the die carrier has two vertically extending arms, an upper end of each arm connecting to a first crosspiece to which is mounted the die, a lower end of each arm being threaded S: 25 and adjustably connected to a second crosspiece, said second crosspiece being slideably guided by said upright *member.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the operative lever is pivotally mounted to a hind leg of the support and the foot pedal extends outwardly between two front legs of the support. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the 35 operative mechanism has: a pivot arm, an end of which is pivotally mounted to a member that connects the two front legs of the support above the pedal; 11 a first link that is pivotally mounted to the pivot arm and to the operative lever; a second link, an end of which is connected to the second crosspiece of the die carrier and to the pivot arm; and, a spring which connects the operative lever to the support above its pivotal mounting to the operative lever, said spring being biased to return the die to its original position when the foot pedal is released.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second crosspiece is partly located within a guiding slit of the upright member, said second crosspiece being slidable downwards relative to the upright member when the foot pedal is depressed and being slideable upwards when the foot pedal is released.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second crosspiece has a bush on each end, said bushes being 20 located external to the guiding slit and adjustably connecting to the threaded lower ends of the arms, whereby each threaded end passes through said bush and is secured into position with nuts. *000 *006
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the arms are shortened or lengthened in order to adjust the height of G 4 the die with respect to the position of the open end of the container, by moving the nuts and bushes up or down S"the threaded arms.
9. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the die is bell-shaped and has a central cavity that contains a ring-shaped insert. ""35 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sealing element is a deformable flanged cap, said die being adapted to secure the flange of the cap over a lip of the bottle, said insert assisting in releasing the cap from the die.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or in any one of the claims appended to claim 3, wherein the die is detachably mounted to said first crosspiece.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or in any one of the claims appended to claim 2, wherein the upright member has a vertical channel through which the second link passes.
13. An apparatus for securing a sealing element to an open end of a container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 26 th day of November 1998 DAVID J. CONNELLY By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. 4 0