GB633349A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for filling or emptying tubular magazines, for example with stacked caps and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

633,349. Packing; feeding caps to bottlec a p pin g machines. AKTIEBOLAGET ALKA ALUMINIUMKAPSLAR. Sept. 12, 1946, No. 27488. Convention date, June 19. [Classes 94(i) and 125(ii)] [Also in Group II] Apparatus for emptying or filling tubular magazines of stacked caps or other - disc-shaped objects comprises a sleeve-like foot adapted to receive a magazine tube, and a connection sleeve adapted detachably to connect the magazine tube with the foot, the connection sleeve having stop means, e.g. a ring of pawls, for the caps which means, when the connection sleeve is located on the foot, is held out of the path of the caps so that the tube may be emptied or filled, but which, when the connection sleeve is separated from the foot, extends through holes in the sleeve wall into the sleeve, so as to prevent caps from falling out of the lower end of the magazine tube. In one embodiment, Fig. 2, for filling magazines, an empty magazine b is fitted into a connection sleeve c which is itself fitted into a sleeve foot a fixed to a capmaking machine. Caps formed by a punching and drawing tool K are blown by compressed air through a passage f into the foot a where they are raised by a plunger g past plate-springs h which support the stack of caps in tube b. When the magazine is filled the uppermost cap closes an electric contact to stop the tool K. The cover housing the electric contact is removed from the top of tube b and an outer cap placed thereon. Tube b together with sleeve c is then detached, and spring-pressed pawls d, previously pressed outwardly by engagement with members k, now project through openings d<SP>1</SP> to support the caps in tube b; the latter is inverted, sleeve c removed, and an outer cap placed on the tube. The foot a can be cleared of caps, e.g. when differently-marked caps are to be packed, by raising a plate i on the upper side of plunger g, by means of push rods i<SP>1</SP>. In another embodiment, Fig. 6, for emptying magazines and feeding the caps to a capping head, a sleeve c is fitted to the open end of a full magazine b, the pile of caps being supported by the spring- pressed pawls d. Sleeve c is then inserted in the sleeve foot a<SP>1</SP>, pawls d being pressed outwardly by engagement with an edge a<SP>11</SP> to release the pile of caps which fall on to and are supported by small contact edges o. A hollow plunger q, the central channel s of which communicates with a vacuum line, rises at intervals to contact the lowermost cap and draw it down, the cap flange being folded up in front of edges o to allow the cap to follow the plunger. In its lowest position, suction is cut off from the plunger to release the cap which is blown through a passage l by compressed air into a capping head m. When removing the magazine to replace it with another holding different caps, a ring u is raised by push rods to lift all the caps in sleeve c back into the magazine. Passage l may communicate with a single capping head, or successively with each of a number of heads rotating about a central axis. A set of feet a<SP>1</SP>, each with its respective sleeve c and magazine tube b may be arranged rotatably in a ring so that any discharge passage l may be set in a discharge position to a capping head when the magazine of the preceding foot and sleeve is emptied.