US1159251A

US1159251A - Bottle-capping machine.

Info

Publication number: US1159251A
Application number: US1754115A
Authority: US
Inventors: Friederich Mueller
Original assignee: AMERICAN DAN STOPPER Co
Current assignee: AMERICAN DAN STOPPER Co
Priority date: 1915-03-27
Filing date: 1915-03-27
Publication date: 1915-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1932-11-02

Description

F. MULLER.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE., APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4.1912. RENEWED MMT. 27. 1915.

1,159,251 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

' 3 s'HEETs-SHEET l. Figl.

l 1 n l F. MULLER. BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE. lAPPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. |912. RENEWED MAR. 27.4915.

1,1 59,25 1 Putented Nov. 2, .1915. y I Q 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. MULLER.

BOTTLE cAPPlNG MACHINE". APPLICATION FILEDNOV.4,1912. RENEWED MAR. 27.1915.

1,159,251. Patented N01. 2, 1915.

l l M Ein l? `w Q TED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

FRIEDERIGH MLLER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE AMERICAN DAN STOPPEB COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Specicationv of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed November 4, 1912, Serial No. 729,283. Renewed March 27, 1915. Serial No. 17,541.

ed new and useful Improvements in Bottlel Capping Machines, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to. bottle capping machines andthe object thereof is to so construct a machine of this class as to automatically adapt it to operate on bottles whose length may be variable without danger of breaking the bottles in the capping operation, and to this end the invention consists inthe construction and arrangement of devices having these ends in view; and it further consists in various improvements pertaining to bottle' capping machines, embodied lin the above referred to construction and fully described yin the following specification, and clearly summarized in the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the assembled machine with the parts in position for crimping the cap around the end of the bottle. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine with the parts in the reverseposition from that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a part of the vertically operable head member showing the operating collar having frictional engagement therewith. Fig. et is-a vertical sect1onal View of the vertically operable head-member with the parts in the same position as in Fig. 3that is, before a bottle is inserted to be capped. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the machine. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line A-B of Fig. l.

Considered as a whole the machine, in the embodiment thereof chosen for purposes of illustration consists of a frame A in which is mounted a driving shaft a, the bearings b and b1 of which, as shown in the drawing,

' allow the shaft and its worm gear to be thrown into and out of operative position by means of the lever mechanism c, as fol-` lows: The worm gear al fixed on shaft a meshes with a driven gear a2 on the rotatable barrel e, which is mounted on the Vertical shaft d in the main frame (see Fig. 1),the shaft being continuously rotated in any well known manner.

Means are provided for locking the shaft t with the worm geara1 in mesh with the gear a2 by the provision of a stud l extending through an opening in the top of the bearing b, which, when the shaft a is moved to bring the worm into mesh with its gear will engage with the latch lever i pivotally supported on said bearing Z2, said latch being actuated by a spring 2. One end of this latch lever extends into the path of a cam project-ion el on the barrel e and is tripped by said projection at the end of the capping operation, and when so tripped the spiral spring c1 which is compressed by the movement of the shaft to bring said worm gear into mesh will throw the worm out of engagement with its gear as clearly understood by referring to the drawings. To permit this movement of the shaft a, the bearing b1 is made to swivel and the bearing bis in the form of a journal box which has a sliding movement within the frame toward and from the barrel e. Thus, to effect the rotation of the barrel and thus provide for the various movements necessary in the capping operation, the handle of the lever mechanism c (as shown in Fig. 2) is depressed and at the end of the capping operation this mechanism is tripped automatically as described to stop the rotation of the barrel.

In the frame of the machine is mounted the vertical sliding member VS which,4 as shown in Fig. 5, is dove-tailed in the frame. This member has a stud 7threaded into it as at 71, its opposite end being provided with a roller 72 which extends into a cam slot e3 in the barrel e, a vertical slot 6 being provided in the frame for the movement of this stud. Said member 8 is substantially T- shaped in'cross section, as shown in Fig. 1, one arm thereof extending at right angles to the axis of the barrel e, and being bored out to receive the cylindrical heada which is fianged at its upper end to limit its downward movement. This head tis frictionally supported in the .member 8. A preferred manner of applying said friction be- .the head 7c thus supported if in its downward movement it meets with any resistance which is greater. than the frictional resistance above described, the head will come to a stop and the member 8 sliding thereon will continue its downward movement, and this is precisely what will take place if a bottle 3 is inserted in the machine for capping and proves to be a little longer than the bottles for which the machine is adjusted. Such movement of the plunger 7c relative to its support would, therefore, result in a shortened downward movement of the head 7c if .means were not provided to readjust said head in its support, which means are provided by screwing the flanged plug w into the lower end of said head c, which, when the member-8 moves 'upward will come to a bearing against the underside of the frame and thus permit the member 8 to slide upward thereon to tli'e same extent that the head if: was displaced in said member by the contact with the longer bottle, as described. In this way the head' will become automatically7 re-adjusted to operate on bottlesof the length to which it was originally adjusted.

The capping devices proper are all mounted in the head c. These capping devices consist of a plunger t having a head p. thereon located in a cylindrical recess o3, bored into the lower end of the stem o, a spiral spring q being located in said recess and bearing against the head 79 to normally force the plunger downward. This plunger comes to a bearing against the top of the metal cap 5 placed over the beaded end of a bottle when the head 7c moves downward and when further movement is imparted to the stem o in a manner to be described further. The capping devices are those usually em'- ployed in crimping or constricting a relatively light metalcap over thebeaded endy of the bottle to close the same, these dee vices comprising a ring y of rubber orsimilar material which is located in the plug w, the opening through the head of this plug being provided with an inwardly extendingflange, as shown in Fig. 1, to support said ring y, the end of the stem o and the head p of the plunger coming down simultaneously on top of the cap and against the ring y serving to compress said ring and crimp the cap over the mouth of the bottle in a manner vwell known in this art. When the head k is moved downward to bring the capping devices into proper relation to the end of the bottle, as just described, i-t is necessary' to hold the head 7c against further movement during the capping operation, and two devices are shown for restraining the moveyment of the head during the capping opera- 121911, one of these devices being adapted to ji-'ositively lock the head and the other one -being adapted to apply additional fric- 35 tional resistance to the head and hold it stationary. rfhe frictional device comprises a lever 13 (see Figs. 1 and 4) pivotally supported on the frame at 12, and having a bearing roller 11 in its upper end which comes in contact with a projection 81 on the member 8 as the latter moves downward. The lower end of the lever 13 which will thus be swung in toward the frame is provided with a screw 15 extending through said lever and adjusted to come to a bearing against a plug 16 in the frame which, by the movement of the lever, may be forced against the surface of the head Ic at the proper time to hold it stationary during the capping operation. The other device comprises a pair. of toggle levers 17 and 18 which are operated by the arm 19 which eX- tends upward through the frame and has an engagement with the cam slot 20 in the barrel e, which cam slot is so laid out that at the moment the head is in its proper position at the end of its downward movement,

the toggle levers will be swung upward into 1 alinement, forcing the serrated stud 21 `to effect the compression of the ring y, as

described, which movement is impartedthereto by the shaft n having a screwthreaded engagement nl with said head, a pinion 7' being fixed on the upper end of the shaft n and the latter having a posit-ive swiveled engagement with the upper end of the stem o, by means of the flanged stud n2 entering a LT-shaped slot milled across the head of the said stem. fWhen the shaft n is rotated in one direction. it forces the stem o downward, and-in the opposite direction raises the stem, thus withdrawing-the capping devices inwardly relative to the lower end of the head. The rotation of the shaft n, therefore, must be intermittently effected in opposite directions to accomplish this end. This rotation is effected by means of a segmental gear s, mounted on the'upper end of the devicevto swing in a plane at right angles to the axis of the shaft n, the arm s1 of said gear having a stud thereon entering the cam slot e2 in the upper end of the barrel e, whereby the proper intermittent movements of the shaft n in .opposite directions are effected, the pinion 1 being made of such length as to permit the necand the shaft n without becoming disengaged from the segmental gear. To prevent the rotation of the head L in its support and to prevent the rotation of the stem 0 in the head, these two members have a spline and grooved connection, the one with the frame and the `other with the head as shown in Fig. G, o2 representing lthe spline between the frame and the head and o1 that between the stem 0 and the head. l

By referring to -l and comparing same with Fig. l, it will be seen that the compressible ring y, when the stem o is drawn up into the head 71'., will, in its expanded state, have an opening therein large enough to receive the end of a bottle with its cap positioned thereon. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the head 7c may have a vertical movement of such extent as to adapt the machine vto operate on bottles whose length may vary considerably, and if the machine is adjusted to the shortest bottles, it will cap those which may be longer, without danger of breaking the same, owing to the sliding connection between the head and its support and the backing up of the plunger t with the compresl sible spring q. `Obviously the resistance of the spring l] to compression is greater than the amount of friotional resistance ofthe head c in its supporting member 8, the said spring being stiff enough to rmly hold the cap 5 in position while the depending border of the latter is constricted around the beaded end of the bottle mouth.

What I claim is 1. In a bottle capping machine, the com" bination with a bottle support, of a member to receive the upper end of the bottle to be capped, a device movable within the member to exert a pressure upon the upper end of the bottle, actuating means for said member and said device, and a device to lock said member in fixed stationary relation to the bottle during the capping operation.

2. In a bottle capping machine, the. combination with a suitable fixed support for -the bottle, of a movable member to permit the engagement of bottles of diierent lengths to be capped, actuating means for said member, and a device to lock said member in fixed stationary relation to the 'bottle in bottle capping position, said movable member comprising a relatively movable yieldable'member to exert pressure upon the upper end of the bottle. v

3. In a bottle capping machine'.` the combination with a suitable fixed 'support for the bottle to rest on 'while being capped, of

a movable member to engage the upper end of the bottle to be capped, actuating means to cause said member to move into engagement with the upper end of the bottle, and a device to lock said member in fixed sta- 55 tionary relation to the bottle in such capping position, said movable member comprising a relatlvely movable yieldable member movable to exert pressure upon the upper end of the bottle.

-within said member and arranged to directly.

engage the yupper end of the bottle, and means to cause said yieldable plunger device to be moved in opposite directions, a device to lock the head member against movement during the capping operation, and means to retain said member and plunger device against rotary movement.

In a bottle capping machine.l the combination with a reciprocable member to receive bottles of different lengths, a device to lock said member, a member having a threaded` engagement with said member, and located within said reciprocable member, and means for operating said threaded membe'i in opposite directions to exert a pressure upon the upper end of the bottle.

G. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a bottle clamping member, a reciprocable plunger member located within the clamping member to exert a yielding pressure upon the upper end of the bottle, means for causing the bottle clamping member to exert a definite pressure during the capping operation, and means for locking the bottle clamping member comprising a clamping lever operable from the support in which the bottle clamping member is located.

7. In a bottle capping machine, the combination, a movable clamping member to receive bottles of different lengths, a yieldable plunger device located therein to engage the uppermost end of the bottle, means to operate said device and means to retain the clamping member against movement during the operation of the plunger device, comprising a cam wheel, a toggle operated therefrom and arranged to engage' the movable clamping member.

8. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a bottle engaging member adapted to engage the upper end of the bottle, and means for locking it in fixed stationary relation to the bottle during such engagement, of operative means having a yielding connection with said bottle engaging member for communicating thereto movements upon the bottle, variable in extent and adapted for positively actuating said locking member to retain the bottle engaging member in operative relation with said bottle.

9. A bottle capping machine comprising a member having reciprocating movementa4 actuating means therefor, a head slidablj-i supported in said member in axial alinea with a bottle to be capped; bottle capping devices carried in said head,the head vhaving an opening in the end thereof to admit the mouth of a bottle to be capped; a locking device to hold the head temporarily against endwise movement, and mechanism to actuate the capping devices-against the resistance of said head While the head is held stationary by said locking device.

l0. A bottle capping machine comprising a member havingva lreciprocating movement in a vertical plane, a head slidably supported in said member in axial alinement with a bottle to be capped, said head having an opening in the end thereof to admit the mouth of a bottle and capping devices Within the head, the movement of the latter in one directionservi/Iign to position the capping devices inoperative lrelation to the mouth of the bottle when the latter enters the opening in the en d of the head, said head supporting member being slidable on the head when the movement of the head is arrested by contact of the capping devices With the bottle; together With-means to actuate the4 head supporting member and means to actuate the capping devices at'the proper time. 1

11. A bottle capping machine comprising a member reciprocally movable in a vertical plane, and mechanism to effect said movement, a head slidably supported in said member, and capping devices carried in said head, there being an opening in the lower end of said head to admit the mouth of a bottle; a shaft in the upper end of the head havingascrew threaded engagement .With the latter and adapted to operate the capping devices endwise of the head in opposite directions; a pinion on said shaft, and a segmental gear in mesh with the pinion to rotate the latter in opposite directions, said pinion having a sliding engagement with the segmental gear during the vertical movements of the head, together with meansI to move said reciprocally movable head supporting member and means to actuate said segmental gear.

12. In a bottle capping machine,the combination With a bottle support; of bottle engaging means for engaging the upper end of the bottle to be capped, means yieldingly` connected to said bottle engaging means for advancing it toward the bottle, and means for locking said bottle engaging means in bottle engaging'position against further actuation by its yieldingly connected advancing means.

13. In a bottlecapping machine, the combination with a bottle support; of bottle engaging means for engagingthe upper end of the bottle to be capped, means yieldingly' connected to saidbottle engaging means for advancing it toward the bottle, and means for locking said bottle engaging means in fixed Astationary relation to the bottle, in bottle engaging position.

14. In a bottle capping machine, the combination with a bottle support; of a bottle clamping member for holding theupper end of the bottle actuating means having frictional engagement With said clamping member for moving the same toward and away from the' bottle and means for locking `the clamping member, against movement, in bottle clamping position.

f FltlEDERlCl-ll MULLER.

Witnesses:

U. U. MLLER,

W. N. DAVIS.