ES290941A1 - Apparatus for capsuling bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

A capsuling apparatus of the kind including at least one capsuling head having a liquid containing chamber which is disposed between a flexible diaphragm 4 and a body part 2 and into which liquid under pressure is supplied to deform the diaphragm and thereby compress the capsule on to a bottle neck inserted into the cavity defined by the diaphragm, has one valve 10 associated with each head the valve being opened by the actuation of an associated member, e.g. plunger 12, in the head when the bottle neck is inserted, and means operative independently of the member to provide for closing of the valve and opening of the chamber outlet when the capsule has been compressed on the bottle neck. The apparatus may comprise a plurality of heads 19 vertically slidable on a platform 18 rotating about a shaft 10, the heads being pressurized from a single pump 37 receiving liquid from a reservoir 38. In each head a plunger 26 is slidably mounted to move upwards and actuate a lever 63 and so close a microswitch 62 when a bottle is inserted into the head by a ram mounted on a table beneath the platform. A solenoid-operated three-way valve 28 is located above and rotates with each head and electric current for energizing each solenoid is supplied through the normally open micro-switches and through a slip ring arrangement 61. The slip ring arrangement comprises carbon brushes 78 which rotate with the heads, all but one being in contact with an interrupted slip ring 73, and the remaining brush being in contact with an uninterrupted ring 72 and providing a common connection for all the valves. The brushes are arranged to be in contact with ring 73 when the bottles are inserted into the heads to effect energization of the solenoids and thus apply liquid pressure from chamber 29 through pipes 50 and hoses 52 to the liquid chambers 3. Each solenoid is de-energized upon its brush moving off the ring, valve 28 then shutting off the liquid supply and connecting each hose to a pipe 55 which directs the liquid into an annular trough 56 from where it is delivered to the reservoir 38.