GB451464A - Improvements in or relating to bottle capping machines - Google Patents

Abstract

451,464. Bottle -capping machines. GAMMETER, J. R., 680, North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio, U.S.A. Aug. 17, 1935, No. 23192. [Class 125 (ii)]' A bottle - capping machine for applying elastic or yieldable caps, such as those described in Specification 451,465, having a substantially flat top portion and an integral skirt portion, normally extending in substantial parallelism with the top portion, and provided with an axial opening, to uncapped bottles or receptacles comprises means for supporting an uncapped bottle, means adapted to receive and support caps for application to said bottles, and cap applying means including means engageable with the inside of the skirt portion of the cap and movable to remove one cap from said cap supporting means and. to apply the same on the bottle, and means for moving said engageable means. The machine comprises a base 10, on castors 11 and carrying a pipe 15 slidably mounted in an opening 14 in an extension 13 on the base 10, and secured in the desired position by a set screw 16. A bracket 17 secured to the upper portion of the tube 15 has a portion 20 receiving the upper end of a tube 21, the lower end of which is exteriorly threaded to receive a cam member 23 having an outwardly extending circumferential cam surface 24, and a plurality of radially disposed slots 25 equally spaced about the peripheral portion beyond the cam surface. A sleeve 26 is slidably mounted on the tube 21 beneath the portion 20 of the bracket 17. The lower portion of sleeve 26 is provided with pairs of radial, integral spaced lugs 27, the spaces between which correspond with the slots 25 and receive the upper ends of fingers 28 offset portions 30 of which engage the cam surface 24. The free ends of the fingers 28 are bent U-shaped, the tips 31 projecting just into the lower end of tube 21 adjacent its axis. An elastic spring or band 32 normally keeps the fingers 28 in their closed position. The ends 34 of a fork member 33 are secured to the sleeve 26, the opposite end extending through a longitudinal slot in the tube 15 and finishing in a circular enlargement 36 slidably mounted in the tube. A rod 37 within the tube 15 has its upper end connected with the enlargement 36 by a pin 38, while its lower end extends through a plug 39 secured within the tube 15. A coiled spring 41 encircling the rod 37 exerts an upward force upon the enlargement 36 and maintains the fork 33 in its uppermost position. A bolt 44 in a fixed plug 42 limits the upper movement of the fork 33. The lower end of rod 37 is secured by a pin 45 to a circular enlargement 46 slidably mounted in the tube 15 and connected with a treadle member 47 extending through an opening in the tube 15. The bottle support comprises a sleeve 49 mounted on the tube 15 and having lateral shelves 50 at different heights to permit bottles of different sizes to be capped. A collar 51 on the tube 15 has a lug 53 which fits into grooves 54 in the sleeve 49 to hold the bottle support in a desired position. A magazine tube 57, Fig. 2, containing caps fits within the tube 21 a tongue 58 limiting its downward movement, and an annular flange 59 preventing accidental discharge of the caps. The caps are normally packed in cardboard containers adapted to fit within the tube 57, with the skirt portions of the caps downwards. In operation, the foot pedal 48 is depressed, and the sleeve 26 moved downwardly. The fingers 48 are moved axially and outwardly by engagement with the cam surface 24, and engage with the skirt portion of the lowermost cap to pull it from the tube 57 and downwardly over the mouth of the bottle to be capped, the fingers then continuing their downward movement to disengage with the cap which is left on the bottle, the skirt of the cap engaging the bead of the bottle by its own elasticity.