US1212209A - Machine for applying bottle-stoppers. - Google Patents

Description

J. H. GRUVER.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING BOTTLE STOPPERS.

` APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. |914. 1,212,209. Patented 131.1111917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. H. GRUVER.

MACHINE FOR APPLYzNG BOTTLE sToPPERS.

APPLICACHON` FILED APR. I3, 1914.

Patented Jan.16,191?,

1,212,209. 2 ET H 2 ,I Z, 55 a 55 16 u i a I 16 1,'6 r U 16 y I UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOSEPH HARRY GRU'VER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMPLEX PROTECTIVE STOEPER CO., 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARY- LAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed April 13, 1914. Serial No. 831,549.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HARRY GRUVER, citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Applying Bottle-Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to machines for applying protective bottle Stoppers to bottles, and is yparticularly adapted for applying Stoppers of the Vclass disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States of J. H. A

Graver, July 21, 1911, #1,104,420.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine for applying protective bottle Stoppers to bottles vin vwhich the bottle having the outer stopper shell inserted in its neck is placed on the machine, and brought under compression into .contact with a nonrotating member which engages and holds the stopper firmly in place against rotation while a second rotating member carrying the spinning mechanism is actuated to spin the fiange of the stopper into a groove formed in the bottle neck.

Among others, this invention has forits object to provide a machine of the above type, the parts of which can be suitably adjusted for the purpose of applying Stoppers to bottles of different heights.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, more fully set forth in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more specilicallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings z-Figure l is a side elevation of the complete machine with a bottle in place. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the spinning head with parts in their initial position, the lbottle neck with the stopper therein being shown in dotted lines. Fig?) is a similar view, but with the parts shown in position at the completion of the spinning operation. Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of Vparts shown n in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. Gis an enlarged detail of one of the spinning dogs. Fig. 7 is .27.1.1 enlarged detail .93? en@ Aof inserire-ieg zgroove orv recess .o of the bottle.

disks detached; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the cap in engagement with the spinning disks.

In Fig. l of the drawings, the main upright frame of the machine is shown at 2 supported on the base l. A vertically adjustable bottle support 3 is carried on shaft 4, slidably guided in the brackets 5 extending from the main frame 2. The stopper applying mechanism and spinning means are carried in a supporting bracket 6, of the frame work located near its upper end. As shown a suitable table 7, upon which the motor 9 is carried, may be connected to the machine frame and supported thereto by the bracket 8.

In order that clear understanding of the functions of the several parts of the spinning mechanism may be'had reference is here made to the detail of the bottle neck shown in Fig. 2 with the outer shell of the stopper inserted in position for-spinning. It will be noted that.- the bottle neck is formed with a small inner shoulder a. The restricted diameter of the 'neck' widens above `this point and this widened portion is provided with a Small annular groove or recess b. The outer metallic shell of the bottle stopperhas a main cylindrical portion c corresponding to the inner diameter of the restricted portion of the' bottle neck and a shoulder d adapted to rest on the inner shoulder a of the bottle having a small upstanding vertical flange e. The purpose of the present machine is to firmly grip the stopper shell after it has been placed in position in the bottle neck, hold it against rotation and spin the metal flange e into the A small washer f of cork or other suitable material is shown interposed between the shoulder a lof the bottle neck and the corresponding shoulder d of the stopper to form an air' tight seat at this point.

. The shaft 4, upon the upper end of which is carried the cup-shaped bottle support 3, is formed with an upper and a lower part 4a and 41J respectively, which are coupled together by means of a sleeve l0 pinned to the lower part and having a lock nut 11 coper- A18.* formed with an annular flange 30 intermebottle when in position on its support. This arm is laterally adjustable to accommodate different sized bottles.

The supporting bracket 6 is made with a central recess 15, leaving the two journal bearings 16 and 17 each of semi-circular cross-section. These bearing members are lprovided with detachable caps 16a and 17a respectively. A vertical hollow shaft 18 is carried in these journal bearings and is provided with4 a` driving pulley 19 slidably keyed thereon and interposed between the parts 16 and 17 in the recess 15. 'lhe twisted driving belt 20 passes over the guide pulleys 21 thence tothe motor 9. `A vertically adjustable stop collar 22.iscarried-on the upper end of the shaft 18 and its bearing against the upper surface of the journal bracket l-determines the exact normal position of the shaft. A cylindrical cam ring 23 having a central inverted cup-shaped opening 27 surrounds the lower end of the shaft 18 and is rigidly clamped to the lower surfaces of the parts 17 and 17a-` by `means of ,two semi-circular washer plates 24 which fit into an annular groove and are fastened thereto by the screws 25 into depending lug pieces 26. l

A cylindrical extension or rotating sleeve 28, havinga central bore, is screw threaded upon the reduced lower end 29 of the shaft This extension member or sleeve yis diate of its length. The lower portion of the sleeve 28 is bifurcated having a transverse' slot 31 which passes diametrically through from side to side and extends vertically from the upper edgeof the flange 30 to the lower end of sleeve 28, forming a pair of depending arms 32 of substantially semicircular cross-section.

A small central shaft 33 extends Vthrough the bore of the shaft 18 and is provided at its upper end with a squared nut-shaped portion 34 having a bearing against the upper end of the shaft 18. The forked end of Y a spring 35, extending from the upper end -of the machine frame, engages grooves formedon two opposite faces of the nut 34 Y and serves the double purpose of holding the shaft 33 firmly against rotation and of normally pressing theshafts 33 and 18 both into their lowerniost positions. A plunger stein 36 is screw threaded into an internally formed thread in the lower end of the central shaft 33 and extends downtension 28, tapering at its lower end and having formed thereon a cup-sliaped head 37 which normally extends slightly below the ends of the depending arms 32. Pivotally mounted at 39 in the slot 31 between the arms 32, are a pair of spinning dogs 38. These dogs are formed with a pair of integral arms disposed in substantially a straight angle with respect to each other and are pivoted about a central axis. r1he upper arm of each dog has fastened to its outer edge a heavy spring finger 40, carrying a button or anti-frictional ball Ll1 at its free end, which latter is adapted to bear upon the inner curved surface of the cup-shaped wall 27 formed in the rigid cam ring In order to maintain the upper arms of the dogs in a normally distended position, coiled springs 42 are interposed in sockets formed in the member 28 adapted to bear against the inner surface of the arms as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The ends of the lower arms are each provided with a spinning disk -l3 formed with a stem lll which extends within a` recess in the lower end of the arm and is held in position by a pin 4G coperating with a grooved head 45 of the stein. These spinning disks can rotate freely within their bearings.

The operation of the machine is a follows: The motor may be considered as running and through the belt 20 and driving pulley 19 rotating the shaft 18, and the spinning mechanism carried by the rotating sleeve extension at its lower end. The various parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. The bottle having the stopper shell inserted within its neck is placed on the bottle support 3, the neck being guided in the V- shaped yoke 14:. The operator then depresses the foot treadle 12, bringing the bottle into contact with the depending spinning mechanism. The desired degree of compression can be determined by the pressure exerted on the foot lever. The cupshaped yplunger 37 first seats itself on the inner shoulder d of the stopper and forms a closed seal over the opening in the stopper and bears snugly against the upstanding stopper flange, thus preventing any oil,

dust or dirt made by the spinning operation from falling through into the contents of the bottle. As the upward movement of' the bottle 'continues the plunger stem and ceni tral shaft 33, which are held against rotation but are capable of vertically sliding within the shaft 18 against the action of the spring 35, rise until the upper surface ofthe cup plunger contacts with the lower surface of the depending lugs 32. A continued upward pressure causes the shafts 33 and 18 to move in unison, distending the spring 35 as shown in Fig. 3. lAs the parts carried Y, Wardly through the bore of the sleeve exon the lower end of the rotating shaft 18 ascend the buttons of the spring lingersV on the upper arms of the spinning dogs travel inward along the curved surfaces of the fixed cup-shaped wall 27, moving the dogs about their aXes and thrwing the lower arms carrying the spinning disks outward into the position shown in Fig. 3, during which action the metal rim or flange e of the stopper is spun into the groove b in the bottle neck. When the operation is complete by releasing the pressure on the foot treadle, the parts will be returned to their normal position and the bottle lowered so that it can be removed and replaced by another.

By having the shaft 18 carrying the rotating spinning sleeve 28 vertically adjustable by means of the stop collar 2Q, the position of the spring lingers l-O of the spinning dogs can be moved with respect to the curved surface 2T of the fixed cup plate 23, hence the outward throw of the spinning dogs regulated to accommodate various sized bottle necks.

Another advantage gained by the particular form of plunger used in the present machine is that the cup-shaped member 37 does not touch the inner member of the bottle stopper and hence protects same against scratching.

By using two spinning disks the process of spinning is made easier and more rapid and the spinning tends to harden the metal of the stopper at this point Without taking off the plating, and makes it impossible to get the stopper out of the bottle neck, without serious damage, or destroying of the bottle. The ends of the dogs may however, be provided with specially formed feet which would actin a somewhat similar manner to the rotating disks above described.

The machine above described can easily be operated and all its movements controlled by one man, the foot treadle being the principal member by which the various parts are caused to perform their various and several functions. l

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. In combination a non-rotary plunger having an enlarged head at its lower end to press on the bottle stopper, a rotating sleeve surrounding said plunger, both said plunger and sleeve being vertically movable, the latter being movable upwardly by contact of the head therewith when raised by the bottle, a spring exerting downward pressure on the plunger, a spinning member mounted on the sleeve intermediate of its length and having a spinning tool at its lower end, to be moved radially outward for its spinning action when the upper end of said member is moved radially inward, and means for moving said upper end inwardly and holdlthe spinning member bears,

ing thesleeve with its spinning member to its work, consisting of an overhanging cam on the inner side of which the upper end of described.

2. In combination in amachine for seating within a bottle mouth a stopper having an upstanding portion and an interior cover portion with a shoulder between. said cover portion and said upstanding portion, and in combination a plunger having an inverted cup-shaped head at its lower end, the rim of which is adapted to bear on the shoulder of the stopper between the cover portion and the upstanding portion, means for yieldingly holding said plunger with its cup-shaped head to their work, a vertically movable sleeve rotatable about the plunger, a spinning member pivotally mounted on said sleeve normally overlying the inverted cup-shaped head, and a cam for operating the spinning member outwardly in respect to thel cup-shaped head as the sleeve rises, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a machine for setting bottle stoppers in place, a non-rotating plunger having a head at its lower end to bear on the bottle stopper and a rotating sleeve surrounding the said plunger, a spinning member pivotally mounted at the lower end of the sleeve, a cam for operating said spinning member, said sleeve with the spinning member being vertically movable, and said inner plunger being vertically movable independently of the sleeve to bring its head in contact with the sleeve and thereafter rise with the same, means for yieldingly pressing the plunger downwardly, and adjustable stop means for changing the vertical position of the sleeve in relation to the plunger and its head, substantially as described. l. In combination a plunger, a spinning tool, a rotary carrier for the spinning tool rotatable about the plunger, a ycup-shaped member carried by the plunger and having a rim reaching downward therefrom, the said spinning tool overlying the cup-shaped member close to the plunger when in inoperative position and an inverted cup-shaped cam, the said spinning tool having a portion bearing on the inner side of said cup-shaped cam to be operated thereby, the said rotary carrier having vertical movementl in respect to said cam, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a journal bearing extending therefrom, a rotating shaft slidably journaled therein and carrying a spinning sleeve on its lower end, a central shaft slidably mounted within said rotating shaft and having a plunger at its lower end extending below said spinning sleeve, an adjustable collar on the Vupper part of said rotating shaft adapted to limit the downward movement of substantially as said shaft n its bearing, and a vspring hav- In testimony whereof, Ifalx myfsignature lng one end secured to sacl frame and the n lpresence of two Witnesses.

other engafinn .the upper end ofssaicl oen- T, t

tml shaft tto 2llold '1t against rotation and JOSEPH HARR GRUVER adapted to holcl the two shafts normally in lVtnesses:

their respective lowermost positions, sub- J. XVM. SHEFFER,

stantally as described.v E. A. MAGPARLAND.

`Gopies of this patent ma;r be obtained `for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D .6.

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