GB801370A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for testing aerosol valve units - Google Patents

Abstract

801,370. Testing valves before putting into service. ABPLANALP, R. H. Jan. 12, 1956 [Jan. 21, 1955], No. 1096/56. Class 135. Apparatus for testing the valve units of aerosol dispensers before putting into service, comprises a rotary disc 24, Fig. 2, carrying a number of radial arms 26 pivotally mounted on brackets 25, Fig. 3. Each arm is formed with a cam roller 27 urged into engagement with a fixed cam-plate 21 by a spring 28 and carries a valve unit holder 36 mounting a permanent magnet 37, Fig. 6. Each arm also carries a spring- loaded, bell-crank lever 30 mounting a cam roller 31 engageable fixed with cam-plates 32, 33 on rotation of the disc. Each holder 26 is associated with a spring - loaded plunger 39 engageable on rotation of the disc by a fixed cam 44 to depress the head u<1> of the valve unit U to unseat its valve. Beneath each bracket 26 and carried by the disc 24 is a suction device comprising a pair of tandem cylinders 45, 46 slidably mounting interconnected pistons connected by a lever 53 to a guided arm 55 carrying a cam roller 56 engageable with a fixed cam-plate 19. The cylinder 46 communicates with and carries a head 57 on which the valve unit is held by suction. On clockwise rotation of the disc 24 through worm gearing 7, 8 each arm 26 in turn is raised by the cam 21 and picks up a valve unit by its magnet 37 from a delivery shoot 60. In sequence, an arm is pressed down by a rise in the cam-plate 21 so that the unit carried thereby is pressed against the head 57 and the pistons in the cylinders 45, 46 are moved radially inwards by the cam 19 to supply vacuum to the head 57 to hold the unit thereon. Thence a depression in the cam 21 allows the arm 26 to rise. If the unit leaks it is held by the magnet 37 and carried upwardly by the arm 26, the lever 30 now depressed by the cam 32 dislodging it from the holder 36, the unit being finally swept aside by a kicker 65 driven by a flexible drive 17 and planet gearing 15, 16 into a reject shoot 64. If the unit does not leak it is still held by suction on the head 57 and unaffected by the depressed lever 30. The cam 21 again lowers the arm 26 which passes beneath the cam 44 to depress the plunger 39 to unseat the valve. If the valve opens satisfactorily on the arm 26 again being raised by the cam 21 the vacuum seal is broken and the unit is moved upwards by the magnet to be dislodged from the holder 36 by the lever 30 on being depressed by the cam 33 and finally swept aside by a kicker 67 into a serviceable valve shoot 66. Should the valve fail to open it is later removed from the head 57 by compressed air delivered through a duct 68. Specification 680,067 is referred to.