US1094163A - Feeding mechanism for bottle-stoppers. - Google Patents

Description

T. A. NISSINEN & C. HARTWIG. FEEDING MECHANISM POR BOTTLE STOPPERS. APPLICATION FILED 11113.10, 1912.

T. A. NISSINEN 6: G. HISIRTWIG. FBEDING MBGHANISM POR BOTTLE STOPPERS. APPLICATION FILED IBB. 1o, 1912.'

I,@94,163 Patented A131121, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.UNiTED *STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ToIMI A. NIssINEN AND CHARLES HAETWIG, or NEW Yoan, N. Y., AssIGNoBs To FREDERICK G. zINssEE, or HAsTINos-UPoN-Hunson, NEW Yoan FEDING MECHAN'ISM FOR BOTVIJE-STOYPEBS.

vSpecification of I .etters Patent.-

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itkno'wn that we, ToiMI A. NissiNEN and CHARLES HABTWIG, subjects, respectively, ofthe Czar of Russia and the Emperor of Germany, said NissINEN being a legal resident of Helsingfors, Finland, Russia, but now residing at the city of New York, borough of Bronx, and said HARTWIG residing at the cit-y of New York, borough of .Manhattan, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Bottle-Stoppers and the like, of which the following is a Ifull, clear, and exact description.

Another object of our invention is to provide means whereby all possibility of interference between successive caps, when one of these is. being applied toa bottle, is eliminated.

Yet another object of our invention is to do away with the possible handling of the caps by the, in many instances, unclean hands ofthe operatives.

Still another object of our invention is to provide means in connection with the feed chute, whereby said chute .may not become choked or clogged, owing to the pressure of an excessive number of stoppers in the same.

These and other objects of our invention will be hereinafter referred to andthe 'novel elements and combinations of -elements whereby the same may be attained will be more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which form a part hereof A and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, we have exemplified a preferred embodiment of our invention; but it will be understood thatmany modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we hence desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. y f l Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a capping-machine with our feeding mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 1s a section of the feeding 'mechanism in combination with a ca ping head, the section being taken on line III--III of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a detail section of the same taken on linevIV-IV of Fig. 3.A Fig. 5 is a'stipplemental detail section of a portion of the device shown in Fig. -3 certain of the parts being, however, in different positions. Fig. v6 is a detail of the cap separating construction..

The apparatus` herein more particularly shown is intended to be usable in connection witha number of different types of bottle capping machines which are now commonly in use. Where changes are necessary before the feedin mechanism can be applied to such a Inac ine to which it is otherwise not perfectly adapted, such changes will', in most instances, involve' merely the use of ordinary mechanical skill.

In Fig. 1 wel have shown al portion of the standard 1 of a typical capping machine, a lug 2 projecting from one side of this standard, into which is threaded the stem 3 of a bottle supporting table 4.- This table may be provided, of course, with the usual resilient pad 5. Reciprocably mounted in the standard 1 is the usual upri ht shaft 6 which carries a capping head 7. n this particular instance the capping; headis adapted for usein connection wit a novel stopper which we have devised,- but which will not be\here in described, since it fo'rmsno part of the nated 7, comprises a casting 8, or the like, preferably of brass, which has laterally pro- )acting therefrom an extension or arm 9, the outer extremityof which isenlarged as at ,10, in the usual fashion, to adapt it for the reception of the extremity of the shaft 6. The part 10 is clamped upon this upper extremity ofthe shaft in the usual manner by means of a nut 1v1, or the like. The head is present invention.v AThe head, broadly desigpreferably hollow and is adapted toreceive cessed as at for the reception of the lower portion of the throat 12 and the block is further provided wit-h a laterally opening passage 16, through which the caps 17 may be delivered to the cap supporting ledge 18 -disposed substantially intermediate the recesses 14 and 15. In so far as the provision of blocks of this type, adapted to' retain a capping throat in posit-ion and provided with a feed passage, is concerned, there is nothing particularly novel in what has just been described, but it has been customary to either rotate this entire block for the p'urpose of securing the same by a threaded connection to the bottom of fa capping head, or to provide some form of' nut in connection therewith, adapted for this purpose. Where the nut has been separately provided, it has to the best. of our knowledge always been more or less loosely connected to the guide block, so that in use it is apt to become separated therefrom, as by being unserewed, and thereby is frequently lost or mislaid. Furthermore, the operatives for mechanisms of this character are not always high class mechanics and are apt therefore to inadvertently injure portions of the mechanism to which they may gain access, if nothing Worse; burring up threads, and the like. It is disadvantageous to form the nut and the guide block in one piece, in the manner previously referred to, owing to the fact that the cap feed passage in the block must be alined with the chute or the like through which the caps are delivered. We have overcome these diiculties and objectionable characteristics by providing a freely revoluble nut in connection with the guide block, which, moreover, is inseparable' therefrom. Referring more particularly toFig. 3, the nut 19 therein shown is adapted for threaded engagement with the lower extremity 20 of the casing or casting 8. It is further interiorly grooved as at 21 in the lower portion thereof; groove 21 being disposed in the annular wall of a recess into whichv the upper extremity of the guide block 13 extends. The exterior wall of this guide block is correspondingly recessed or grooved as at 22, the grooves 21 and 22 preferably exactly coinciding with each other when the parts are in assembledv relationship. The groove 22 is made of sufficient depth to receive a resilient expansion ring 23, so that the upmemes place therein may be pushed up into the ring 19, ,and when the grooves come into coincidence with each other the ring 23 will snap outwardly into `the groove 21, substantially half of the ring being then in the last mentioned groove, and half in the groove 22.

This construction renders it substantially impossible to separate the members 19 and 13 when they have once been assembled, while at the same time the ring or nut 19 is perfectly free to revolve with respect to the guide block 13. This permits the block to be drawn up firmly agalnst the lower end of the casing 8, with the passage 16 so directed as to be in aiinement with the channel 24, which extends through the channel frame 25. This latter depends from a slide box, 26, being secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 27. The channel may be covered by an arcuate plate 28, which latter preferably has apertures 29 therein to afford access to the interior' of the channel and to Tpermit inspection of the same without removal of said cover plate. The member 26 is secured by means ofa bolt 28 or the like to a bracket 30, which latter is mounted upon the upper extremity of the shaft 6; preferably ,immediately below the part 10 of the head. Bracket 30 is so constructed that it may readily be removed from shaft 6 when desired; and -to this end is held in position thereon by means of a cap 31 and bolts 32, or the like. The slide-box 26 is recessed substantially as shown in Fig. 3 for the reception of a slide 32; and further to forni a passage-way through which a cap urged laterally by means of this slide,

in the manner hereinafter described, may pass down into the channel 24. To afford access to this portion of the mechanism, the slide-box 26 may be provided with a separable cover plate 33, which may be secured to it in any suit-able manner, as by means of screws 34. Upwardly projecting from the cover plate 33 is la tubular structure 35, the hollow interior of which is in communication with the slide-way in the cross-member 26. The cylindrical aperture in the interior of the part 35 is preferably countersunk as at 36 for the reception of the extremity of a tube 37. This tube may be of paper, sheet metal, or any other suitable material, and is adapted to contain the Stoppers 17 which are delivered to the capping throat. In practice we contemplate providing a tube of suiiicicnt length to contain, let us say, one gross of Stoppers. The tubular part 36 is provided with a projection 38 upon one side thereof, from which-project ears 39, and a bell-lever 40 is pivotally mounted between these ears, as upon a pin 41. The longer arm of this lever extends downwardly toward and into engagement with the rearY extremity of the per extremity of the block with the ring in shall always be uppermost.

' swung slide 32, which in -this instance is recessed for the reception of the rounded nose or end 42 which constitutes the lower extremity of this arm. The short arm of the bell-lever is -laterally directed toward the spindle 43 which projects upwardly from the plunger 44 within the capping head, said short arm preferably having the extremity 45 thereof somewhat hooked to adapt it for engagement with the iange 46 of a nut 47, which is adjustably mounted upon the upper extremity of the spindle 43. The plunger 44 may be provided with a collar 48 which is prefera ly integral therewith, whereby its downward movement may be limited; collar 48 engaging an annular rib or ledge 49 within the casing 1 when in its downward Y position. Of course, the weight ofthe plunger will normallytend to hold it thus; but we prefer to provide a spring 50, preferably helical in character, around the stem or spindle 43, the lower extremit of this spring engaging the collar 48 and t e up er extremity bearing againstv a plug 5l, which is screwed into the upper end of the head. The plunger 44 is hence guided in its movements by the rib 49 and the-plug 5l through which the stem 43 projects. We are aware that it is old to provide lsprings in the interior of acapping head for the purpose of normally holding the plunger therein in its downmost or outermost position; but the spr-ing 50 has an additional function, in that it co-acts with' a portion of the stopper feed mechanism 1nthls embodiment of our invention. The slide 32 is preferably made of substantially the same thickness as the cap A, 17, and in the mechanism shown the upper ortion of this slide is dattened to form "a ta le or support for the cap 17 immediately thereabove, when the parts are disposed asshowir in c v,llt wlll'be noted also thatfthe ca 17, w

bears against slide 32 is invert I; andv it is our intention that all of thefeapswithin the tube 37 shall be directedl the same way, so that, in at least the herein more particularly described mechanism, the cap flanges after cap is removed from the bottom of the column of caps through the instrumentality of the slide 32 in the manner presently to be described, the caps will normally always present themselves to this slide with their danges uppermost. The slide 32 isA maintained in its column supporting position,

t. e. that shown in Fig. 3, by the action of the spring 50 vpreviously referred to; since the nut 47 is inltially screwed downwardly whenY the plunger is in its lowermost position until the lon er arm of the lever 40 has been lly to the right, as viewed in said figure, thereby pushing the slide beneath the cavity inthe member 36.` The slide 32, how- Thus as cap ever, is pressed toward 'its left hand position through the instrumentality of a spring 52. This spring may be a bowed flat spring, as shown, having a tendency to straighten itself out, and by reason of this action, tending to elevate the short arm of the bell-lever.

In the lower portion of the structure shown in Fig. 3,' is a linger 53,which is pivoted upon a short shaft or spindle 54, the extremity of the finger being movable through a slot in the under side of the lower extremity `of the channel 25. The function .of this Jlinger is as follows: It is evident that if but a single stopper be positionedin the lower end of the channel 24, such stopper would have practically no tendency to continue its movement around laterally Ninto aposition where it could properly be engaged by the head of a bottle. It is, therefore, desirable that a lurality of stoppers be disposed in saidci elfort to properly posit-ion the foremost cap in the manner' above' described. This provision of a channel for sto pers in connection with a guide-block or te like, is, as we Vhave previously indicated, old. Considerable ditliculty, however,` has .been encountered in practice owing to the fact that a sufficient clearance in the channel and stopper-passage must be provided to allow the stoppers or caps to move freely through said passages or channels. As the met-al of which the stopper is formed is usually quite light, there is a 'strong tendency for the flanges of adjacent Stoppers to overlap, and if, for example, the cap'behind that shown directly beneath the plunger 44 should so overlap said last mentioned cap, one or possibly both of these caps would be deformed whenthe first cap was applied to a bottle- Thev linger 53 provides a means for positively withdrawing the second ca out of contact with irst,yafter the first lies been properly positioned. This action will be ereinafter more full discussed in connecannel, in order that gravity may exert suiiicient lateralV tion with the operation of the mechanism as a whole. The spindle 54 upon which said finger is mounted, is adapted to be rotated by means of a pinion 56, which is disposed "upon the farther extremity of said spindle, -as-view'ed in Fig. 3, and upon the near exthe slide-box 26. Adjacent the upper extremity-of this rod, and secured thereon in any suitable manner, is a collar 61, against which bears a coil spring 62, the lower extremity of which pressesjagainst the plate'` 60. The rod 59 is hen-'ce normally Aheldin its uppermost position through ,theactionfof this spring 62. Adjacent the lower eXtremity of the rod, however, and immediatelyv above therack 57, fis a ylinger piece 63 which is rigidly secured to said rod in any suitable manner, and' the? extremity of this finger piece is intendedigtov be positioned directly beneath one of` the` vguiding ears 64-64",\

v the-latter hasbeen carried upwardlyby the *head to its uppermost `position. It is obvious, however,` ofcoursethat any suitable inger engaging means b.may be utilized in lieu-fof the ear 64, `andjwe do not wishY to be limited thereto, it being merely incorporated as a part of theffeed'mechanism in apreferred construction. -1

been urgedy upwardly into engagement with the lug 64,l while in fact the head has moved slightly farther upwardly. This action will lcompress thespring-621 and the rod 59 will be depressed with respect to the head; The spindle 54 will, throughthe action of the pinion 56 and rack 57 be rotated counter' clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3, which will swing the nger 53 around through the slot 55 inthe channel 25,v so that it no longer projects up into the channel. This permits the Stoppers to freely descend through channel 25 and the `foremost of them will be urged laterally until it is directly disposed beneath plunger 44. If now the table 4 has been properly adjusted, in` theusual manner, and a bottle has been placed thereon preparatory to capping same, and the head 7 is caused to descend'in 1a known manner, the first action oftligeiffeed mechanism proper will be a relative'movement between the rod 59 and the desoendinghead; this action being due t'o the spring62; `This results in an upward rot-ation of the finger 53,

the extremity thereof swinging-around into' the channel, and thereby engaging the stopper behind that directly beneath-ij'theI` 1unger. The continued movement ofthe "ger 53 positively pulls this stoppen.. together ,rhe loperation'of our novel mechanism isf; as follows: Assuming that the shaft 6 is in vits uppermostpositioni andthat thereby the y' head 7,bracket 30 :and attached. parts arer `correspondingly positioned. In such case the vfinger piece 63 upon `the rod 59 will have1 fof the bell-lever,

with the limited number of the same therebehind which are disposed in the channel,

vbackwardly and upwardly away from the -cap which is to be applied to the bottle;

and thereafter the spring 62 will hold the capsin channel 24 against downward movement until the rod 59 has again been depressed by the engagement of the finger piece 63 and lug 64, which latter action will not occur until the head is substantially aain in its uppermost position. By no possi llity therefore at any time can a second cap interfere with the rst when the latter is being applied to its bottle. Considering now that'the head'of the bottle has entered the conical guide-way 14 in the usual man ner and that the cap 17 thereabove has been positioned rmly uponthe bottle head through the instrumentality of the plunger 44. Thereafter the continued downward movement ofthe head will force t-he cap into the throat 12 in the usual manner, and the cap 1iange will be wiped or otherwise moved downwardly ,and around5 into engagement with the bead at the head of the bottle. While this operation is taking place, considerable relative vmovement is occurring between the plunger 44and its casing 8. a result, relative movement also occurs .between the nut 47 and the pivot pin 41 ,abo`ve referred to, again brin'gs the flange 46 of the nut 47 into engagement with the hook 45 of bell-lever 40. Thereafter the continued relative downward movement of the plunger with respect to said pivotal pin compresses'spring 52 and swings the slide 32 back into its position beneath the column of caps, sweeping the `cap which has previously fallen in front of the slide laterally with respect to said column, the ca falling down varound and into the channe 24. It will be 'observed that this substantially effects a" reversal of the cap, for whereas in the vtube the shive holding face or side of each" of the caps was uppermost, in the *lower portion of t-he channel the shives and l Y the nut 47 in this particu- 196 Ilar'form of the device, being practically stat1onary, while said pivot pin continues to' descend. The result of this movement is to `enable the spring 52 to rotate the bell-lever 40'about its pivotal axis, and Swing the eli-l Y tremity 42 of its longer arm into th'eposition in which it is shown in Fig.' 5. The column vof caps inthe tube 37 and member 35 descend under the act-ion of gravity a distance their surrounding, lia-nges are now down-A wardly faced to adapt them for engagement with the bottle head. Thus every time that a stopper or cap is removed from the chute by being applied to a bottle, a new cap is introduced into the top of the chute, and, hence, but few Stoppers need be `disposed at any oney time within the channel, the number preferably being only suchfasto insure `a proper feed into the guide block.` As a result of this arrangement there is no tenden cy for the capsto jam in the guide-way; as is the case where an extended column of caps is disposed therein. If byany chance one or more caps in a tube 37 should 'be reversed orimpro-perly positioned so that its flange is lowermost, such stopper `or'cap will v not be delivered to the channel 24, because two short guard pins 66, or the like, are placed one upon either side of the sloping entrance to the channel, which pins will permit a cap, if roperly positioned, to pass therebetween, t e flange of the cap passin over the pins. Said pins will, howeve're fectually stop any cap otherwise disposed. Immediately above the upper extremity of the channel 24 is an aperture 67, preferably' in the cover plate 33 of the cross-member 26,

whereby Stoppers or caps may be separately introduced into saidV channel, lfif desired. Here again, the shape of the a erture 67 is such that the Stoppers may on y be fed in when properly positioned.

lin order vto be able to romptly remo-vel any cap which has been elivered through the tubular member` 36 imprperly faced or directed, we provide openings 68 upon either side of the member-26, -which 'open into the slide-way therein so that any suitable flat implement may be inserted from one Side of the device through oneof said holes or apertures 68, whereby the improperly faced, or possibly deformed, `cap may be ejected through the other and corresponding opening 68. The fact'that the slide 32 yieldingly urges the stoppers toward the pathway is of considerable importance, in that it prevents the mutilation or deformation of the caps when they chance toy beim roperly faced ordirected in the manner a ove described; spring 52 of course being merely strong enough to dis lace a cap and not to defoim the same. e preferabl rovide a slot 69 upon one'side of the tuiiulhr member 36, so that when the tube 37 is inserted thereinto the Stoppers maybe held by 'the nger of the operator against inadvertentv reversal, until the bottom-most Stoppers have been allowed to 'enter well into the said tubular member; the short distance through which they may then fall, and es ciall when a column of Stoppers is there ehin -not affording an opportunity to said lowermost Stoppers to rotate or flip over. v

i means for moving necessity for the'fiiigers of the .operator tocome inte contact Awith the cork shives of @the Steppers, at'any 'Y time. We regard the provision of means, ag., the finger 53, for withdrawing the succeeding' stopper out of engagement with that about to be applied to, a bottle as of particularly great importance, while the desirability of maintaininfr but a very short column of Stoppers place edge to edge should not be overlooked. The

initial .cylindraceous arrangement of the caps in the tube, or the like, from which they are fed to the chute is also advantageous in that vthereby the sizeof a column containing, let us say, a gross of caps is not unduly extended as would be the case if such caps were disposed edge to edge rather than face to face, 'so to speak.

Having described our invention, we claim: l. A feeding and capping mechanism for l bottle Stoppers and-the like which'comprises a capping head having cap applying parts therein, a member stationary with respect to said head and containing a channel for conveying caps to a definite position with respect to said cap applying parts', and means for moving ya succeeding cap along said channel and away from a cap which has been operatively positioned with iespectto said cap applying parts, whereby to prevent' possible mutilation of one of said caps when the operatively positioned cap is applied to a receptacle.

2. A feeding and capping mechanism for bottle Stoppers and the like which comprises a capping head having cap applying parts therein, a member stationary with respect to said head and containinga channel for conveying caps toa definite position vwith respect to said cap applying parts and means for moving a succeeding cap along said channel and away from a cap which has been operatively positioned ywith respect to said cap .applying parts', said means includ-1 ing a movable part adapted for engagement with said succeedingl'cap.

3. A feedingand capping mechanismgfor bottle Stoppers and the like which comprises a capping head having vcap applying parts therein, a member stationary with respect to said head and containin a channel forv conveying caps to a' de nite position Ywith respect to4 said 'cap applying parts, and with respect to said cap applying parts, 'and a succee alon ing cap said channel and away from -a ca'p whic has been operatively positioned with respect to Said cap applying parts, ysaid means in* cluding a movable finger adapted for engagement with said succeeding cap and mechanism for moving said nger.

4. In a bottle capping machine, the com-` bination with a, capping head, of a chute fixed with respect to sai head and adapted to feed caps thereto, and a device adapted `10 to engage a cap in the chute and move it away from the capping head While another cap is being applied to a bottle.

In Witness whereof, We subscribe our signatures, 'in the presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses WALDo M. CHAPIN, WILLIAM C. LARY.

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