535,538. Capping bottles etc.; valves. ABBEY, A. (Crown Cork & Seal, Inc.). April 9, 1940, No. 6429. [Class 125 (ii)] [Also in Group XXIX] Relates to container closure applying mechanism, provided with a device for compensating variations in the height of the container. The invention is described as applied to a machine for bottling milk and closing the bottles with flat hat-shaped blanks C which are moulded about beads on the bottle mouths. The compensation is performed prior to the capping movement, so that each container is positioned at the proper height for being capped before the capping takes place. The filling machine comprises a rotatable reservoir 21 with filling heads 23 beneath which the bottles reciprocate on supports 22. Filled bottles are removed by a rotatable transfer dial carried on a vertical shaft 24 and placed upon platforms 25 for movement through the capping mechanism. This includes a stationary post 30 and a hollow column 31 with a gear 32 driven by a motor through a speed reduction device 33. At its upper end, the post 30 rotatably carries a capping head supporting structure 40, a depending sleeve 41 of which is keyed to the column 31. The upper end of the structure 40 comprises a flanged reinforced table 50 in vertical slots of which various types of capping heads can be received. Each head 69 is supported in a bracket 56 with freedom of radial movement and is held in place by vertical pins. The head 69 consists of a cylindrical body moveable in a vertical bore of the bracket and provided with vertical keys to hold it against rotation. A large central bore is occupied by a screwed block 82, a spring 83 and a spindle 85. The lower end of spindle 85 bears on the upper part 87 of a presser foot 72 which rests on and passes through a ring-like plate 88 supported on the upper edge of a spring throat ring 71. The plate 88 has pins 89 which extend upwardly through a flange in the head 69 and have a ring 90 secured to their upper ends. When the bottle mouth is inserted in the capping chamber 70 and pressed upwards to the position shown in Fig. 10, the head 69 is moved up until the ring 90 abuts against the lower surfaces of the bracket 56. Further upward movement causes the bottle mouth to enter the throat ring 71 where the cap is moulded into closing position, the parts 72, 87 and 85 rising with the bottle against the spring 83. The supply of cap blanks is supported upon feed devices 99 in a chamber 73 while the lowermost cap drops on to a pusher 75. The pusher is reciprocated in a slideway 74 by means of bellcranks 100 pivoted at 101 on the bracket 56. The short arm 102 of each bell-crank carries a roller positioned between lugs 103 on the chamber 73. The upward movement of the capping head and chamber 73 throws the bellcranks 101 and pusher 75 into the position shown. The lowest cap is fed forward on the reverse movement. When the capped bottle descends, the capping head 69 is held raised for a short time by the engagement of a roller 110 with a cam 111. This delay permits the next cap to be inserted below the presser foot. The bottle platforms 25 are mounted on sleeves 43 which carry rollers 26, running on a cam 120, and slide on posts 44. The parts 43, 44 may be rectangular in cross-section. An extension 126 of the cam 120 bears on a plunger stem 127 projecting from a cam control casing 128. The stem 127 extends through a cap 129, which closes the upper end of a bore 130 and is secured to a plunger 131 urged upwardly by a spring 132. The portion of the bore below the plunger opens to a valve chamber 135 which communicates with a reservoir 136. Flow of the liquid is controlled by a poppet valve 137, the stem 138 of which extends to the exterior of the casing 128. The inner end 140 of the stem is enlarged to have a sliding fit in the bore 141 extending between valve chamber and reservoir and is bored to provide a series of small ports 142, which by means of radial passages 146 and a circumferential groove 147, communicate with a central axial stub end bore 145. A seat 148 is formed in the outer end of the bore 145 on which a ball check valve 149 is held seated by a spring 150 located within a cage 151. The poppet valve 137 is urged to closed position by a coil spring 152 and is opened, as each roller 26 arrives on the dwell 120c, by a trip lever 160, the roller 163 of which, at this moment, passes under the post 44 of the preceding bottle platform. The compensating device then comes into play. Should the bottle arrived for capping be less than standard height, the plunger spring 132 forces the bottle mouth into close contact with the cap blank. Should, however, the bottle be slightly higher than standard, the weight of the capping head and the strength of spring 83 are sufficient to force cam 120 and plunger 131 downward against the action of spring 132 and the liquid in the plunger chamber 130. Liquid is thus forced out, through the open valve 137, into reservoir 136. Immediately before the roller moves on to the crowning rise 120d, the post 44 of the preceding platform 25 moves off the trip lever roller 163 to close the valve 137 and imprison the fluid in the plunger chamber 130. The plunger 131 and cam 120 are thus held in position during the crowning operation. Specification 535,537 is referred to.