US1386131A - Bottle-capping device - Google Patents

Description

A. C. MASSIE.

BOTTLE CAPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 10. I920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- a7 lllllll llnnrn mr INVENTOR.

flaMafijz'a.

g ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES ARNOLD CRAWFORD MASSIE, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-CAPPING nnvron.

Application filed June 10, 1920.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD C. MASSIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle- Capping Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bottle capping devices; and it relates more particularly to manually operable bottle capping devices of a type best suited to operation on a small scale, as for domestic purposes and the like.

The invention has to do especially with devices for applying crown cap closures to bottles, jars and the like. In order to apply such closures effectively, it is necessary that the crown cap first he placed and held in position on the bottle or jar mouth, with the cork or other sealing disk preliminarily compressed a predetermined amount, the skirt of the crown cap so held being then criinped over the bead provided for that purpose on the neck of the bottle or jar.

In prior machines the cap was seated on the bottle and the skirt crimped by mechanism which would compress or yield, when the pressure on. the bottle exceeded a predetermined amount, in order to prevent breakage of the container. This was necessary because of the fact that commercially available bottles of a given capacity, such as pints or quarts, differ considerably in height owing to imperfections in manufacture, a variation of from threeeighths to one and one-half inches being fairly common in both pint and quart bottles of the type commonly used to contain beverages, etc. I

In the numerous capping machines heretofore devised the capping of the bottle occurs first, and then follows the functioning of the means which are provided to allow for the variation in the height of the bottles. Furthermore, such machines have been mostly of complicated character and adapted for more or less automatic operation on a large scale. v V I It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive bottle capping tool which can be readily set up and used in the ordinary kitchen,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Serial No. 388,027.

which is of solid and durable construction and which can be operated even by an unskilled person with the certainty that the bottle will be capped and sealed effectively, regardless of such variations in height as ordinarily characterize bottles of the usual type. In this tool, the functioning of the mechanism for allowing for or compensating for the variation in height of the bottle takes place first, so that the top surface of each and every bottle-neck or mouth is brought into apredetermined relation to the capping mechanism at the outset. That is to say, the bottle is first accurately gaged betweenvthe bottle support and the capping head. Then, with a substantially fixed or predetermined stroke of the compression foot, the cork or other disk is compressed a definite distance sufficient to insure a minimum necessary sealing pressure regardless of the hardness or softness of the cork disk, and thereafter the capping throat device, which crimps the skirt of the crown, is given a predetermined stroke which is substantially uniform for all bottles. Of course the absolute magnitude of the pressure produced by thus seating the cap will depend on the hard or soft nature of the cork; but it is always great enough to give a perfect seal although never sufficient to break a bottle. So also the pressure of crimping the skirt depends upon the tin, but is not sufficient to break the bottle.

Briefly described, bottle capping apparatus embodying the present invention comprises three principal parts or members, namely, a table or base for supporting the bottle, a compression foot whereby, in cooperation with said table the requisite pressure on the cap is obtained, and a cappingthroat or crimping device which serves to lock the bottle cap around the locking bead with which the bottle neck or mouth is provided. In the simple form of the invention, complexity is avoided and other advantages are attained by making these three parts or members independently operable by manual means in a manner to be more fully hereinafter described, and, broadly speaking they cooperate thus: The bottle support or table is provided with actuating means whereby its position may be adjusted quickly in the direction of the bottle length in such manner as to thrust the mouth of the bottle upward, so that the cap with which it is preliminarily provided will contact with the compression root, the amount of the pressure of this contact being somewhat variable but in general inappreciable and only about sufficient to prevent accidental displacement of the bottle from this position,which may be termed the holding position. Correspondingly, the pressure in this position may be termed the holding pressure. By means of this preliminary manipulation, allowance is made at the out set for variations in the bottle length, it being easily possible to attain approximately the same degree of initial or holding pres sure regardless of whether the bottle be long or short. The bottle having been placed in this holding position and thereby exactly gaged, the support or table is locked rigidly in position and the compression foot can then be operated to force the cap down on the bottle to compress the cork disk in the cap to the required extent, which is readily controllable. This cap-seating pres sure can be attained by means of a screw or other suitable mechanical movement; and, if desired, by means of an indicating scale or stop means of any appropriate nature the distance through which the manual operating means for applying the cap seating pressure should be moved may be indicated or positively fixed so as to insure attairiing the necessarily minimum cap-seating pressure with a given or predetermined movement of the compression foot, thereby avoiding any danger of attaining a crushmg pressure.

The cap-seating pressure having been thus applied, so that the cork or other elastic packing of the disk is properly compressed to a predetermined amount, the capping throat or crimping device is then actuated to lock the cap to the bottle by a predeten mined amount of movement.

The nature of the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a typical embodiment oi": the invention in a simple form which I have found to be especially advantageous in practice. In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine or device,

F 2 is a similar view with the principal. operating parts shown in central vertical section, V

Fig. 8 is an elevation viewed at right angles to Fig. 1; and

Fig. l is a top plan of the capping throat.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is asub stantially upright standard or bracket. adapted to firmly support the various operating parts of the device, said standard be ing provided with a base 11 adapted to stand squarely on a table or the like, said base vbeing provided. with a stud 12 shown as adapted to project through the table and screw-threaded at its lower end to rccei a wing nut 13, whereby the device may be firmly clamped in position on the table. 'J-it 1&- is a bracket which can be rigidly secured to the standard 10 at various heights thereon according to what general capacity or"; bottles is to be capped, that is, quarts, pints, or other sizes. Any convenient means of eiitecting this attachment of the bracket may be adopted. As here shown, said. bracket has spaced projections or lugs 15 at the rear cooperating with the vertical guide surface 101 provided at the front edge of standard 10 and grooved on opposite sides as indicated at 16 to receive the ends 01 adjustable set screws 17, which extend through bosses 18 on the bracket lugs. Additional means may be provided to insure solid mounting of the bracket on the stanoard at any selected position, such means CODVGI1 iojutlj taking the term of a clamping screw 19 extending through a depending lug 24? on the bracket 14 and bearing against the \"e: ical standard, any turning movement of the bracket about a horizontal. axis being thus resisted and accurate leveling adjustment being facilitated.

The bracket 1% serves as a mounting b se for the table or .bottle support 21. tdani table is so carried on the bracket as to be ra :lly shittable vertically to such dijfi erent positions as are necessary to compensate for variations in length of bottles of a given capacity as they ordinarily run in commercial lots; and means for effecting this coinpensating shift and also for convei'iiently locking the table in any such compensating position are accordingly provided. in the construction illustrated, the table 21 is provided on its under side with shirt or z-innulus 253, iaving its lower surface formed a double cam 23. The cam surfaces 23 bear. respectively, against diametrically opposite eam-abutments 24, carried on the upper side or" the bracket 14;. The table is secured to an axially disposed post which slidably and rotatably through a c ar sleeve 26 formed on said bracket. xiv this construction, when the table is rotated about its vertical axis, it is elevated or depressed. As here shown. the table is provided with stop-lug 211 which engages the standard 10 when the full throw of the cam has been reached. The sleeve 26 as here shown is split at 27, suitable clamping means being provided to clamp the sleeve firmly around the post 25, and thus to lock the table 21 at any adjusted position thereof. In the construction illustrated, the clamping bolt 28, having an operating handle 29, extends through cooperating lugs 26]. of the split sleeve and threads into a nut 281 held stationary in any adjusted position, by a lock mg pm 282 .l or turning the table abonjt vertical axis, a handle 30 may be provided. As shown in the figures, the table is resting on the highest points of the double cam The overhanging portion or head 31 of the upright standard 10 carries the compression foot 32 and the capping throat device 33 before referred to, together with the necessary operating mechanism therefor. The compression foot is carried at the lower end of a spindle 3%, working within a nut or hearing sleeve 35 extending through the head 31, the lower part of said spindle being provid d with screw threads 36 working in the internally threaded portion of the sleeve 35. Suitably secured to the upper end of said spindle is an operating handle 37 where by said spindle may be rotated and thus screwed downward or upward according to the direction of movement of the handle 37. The annular capping-throat device 33 is internally coned to flare downwardly as indicated at 38, and is suitably carried by a holding member 39, vertically slidable on sleeve In the present example, screws ll, threading into tapped bosses e2 on opposite sides of the carrier 39, have washers 4:11 which marginally engage the under face of the capping throat and enable it to be clamped securely into place in the carrier by turning the screws home. In order to permit ready insertion or removal of the capping throat, it may be provided with peripheral notches 40 of such depth that when the throat is turned so that the notches register with washers the throat will just clear them. Suitable means are provided to force the holder 39 and the throat device 33 downward to effect the skirt-crimping operation, and to return the same upward after the operation is completed. In the present ex ample. a capping cam device comprising a disk 43 revoluble on bushing 35 is provided with a cylindrical skirt or flange 4-5 to which is secured an operating handle 44, fitting in a socket l l-l. The lower edge 46 ot flange L5 is formed to provide a double cam surface, as shown, bearing against the upper surfaces of lugs or shoulders a? with which the carrier 39 is provided. In the drawings, the parts are shown in an intermediate position, the handles 37 and 44 having been swung approximately 90 clockwise from starting position.

Coiled spring &8, surrounding spindle 3st and confined between the compression foot and the carrier 39 yieldingly resists downward movement of the capping throat as the capping cam is turned in one direction, and serves to return the same upward to inoperative position when the capping cam device is turned in the opposite direction. The carrier member 39 of the capping throat may be held against rotative movement by means of a forked projection 49 embracing a vertical guide 50 on the upright standard.

The method 0t employing the bottle capping device of: the invention is sutliciently obvious from the foregoing description, but will be summarized for convenience. Assume all the parts to be in starting position, as follows: The compression foot 32 and capping throat 33 are in their uppermost positions; that is, handle 37 is turned approximately 90 counter-clockwise from the position which it occupies in the drawings, or until the lug 371 engages stop 372. Similarly handle l-l is swung approximately 90 counter-cloclnvise to its stop or starting position. The table support 14: is rigidly secured by means of the set screws 17 at the proper adjusted height on the upright standard 19 for the particular size or height of bottle or jar that is to be capped, and the table support is further secured and properly leveled in position by means of the clamping screw 19. The table clamp handle 29 is in down position, the spindle 25 being therefore tree to turn and to move longitudinally in the sleeve 26. The table itselt is in its lowermost position which is attained by swinging the handle 30 clockwise substan tially 189 from the position shown in Fig. 3. The operator new places the bottle on the table pad and places a crown cap on the bottle top. The table handle is then swung counter-clockwise to turn the table and thereby elevate it until the crown cap enters the capping throat and engages the compression foot 32 with a slight pressure, which is felt by the hand of the operator and the ex tent ot' which the operator can thereby judge with suilicient accuracy. As the table is being elevated, the operator may turn the bottle slightly on its base to insure its seating flat on the table pad. lVith the table held in its elevated position, the operator then pulls the table clamp handle 29 firmly up with his free hand, locking the table in position. The bottle is now exactly gaged between the table and the capping head and is ready to be capped. The operator now grasps the handle 37 and swings it cl0cl wise through a predetermined angle until the lug 37!. a ain engages stop 372. This operation moves the compression foot 32 down through an exactly predeterminable distance,.thus compressing the cork sealing disk of the crown cap to the necessary extent. The operator next grasps the handle tland swings it clockwise until the capping cam has forced the carrier 39 and capping throat 33 down suliiciently far to properly crimp the skirt of the crown over the bead provided on the bottle throat. The throw of the capping cam may be limited to any predetermined distance found to be desirable. For example, a stop screw 52 carried by the capping cam device may be arranged to engage the standard 10 when the capping throat has been forced down a sufiicient distance. The position of this stop screw 52 may be varied, if desired, and to this end one or more additional tapped holes 53 may be provided on the cylindrical portion 45 of the capping cam device to enable setting the stop screw at different angular positions thereon. This arrangement is convenient because it enables adjustment for greater downward movement of the capping throat when the latter becomes badly worn after lon use.

The operations above described complete the capping of the bottle or jar. To release the capped bottle or jar, handles 37 and 4st are successively swung counterclockwise into their starting positions. The operator then grasps the bottle near its base with one hand, and at the same time loosens the table clamp by pushing down on handle 29. The table thus released will return to its lowest position by gravity, and the capped bottle or air may then be removed from the table.

As the bearing surfaces on the capping cam and throat carrier wear, the distance relation between the compression foot and the throat may after long use change suiticiently to require adjustment of the parts. In order to restore the original distance relation, the set screw 373 in the handle casting 37% is first loosened. The handle casting is then turned counter-clockwise from the position shown in the drawings until the lug 371 is against the stop 372, and the casting is raised about one-eighth of an inch above the upper surface oi the head 31 of the frame casting, in which position it may be held. temporarily in any suitable manner as by means oi:- thin pieces of wood or cardboard inserted between the casting and the head. The compression screw spindle 3 is then turned slightly in the proper direction to raise the compression toot a trifle. This may be conveniently accomplished by means oi. a screw driver engaging screw 321 which holds the compression foot to the compression screw. An unused crown cap is next pushed into the sealing throat, and if it does not seat on the crimping surface of the throat, the compression screw should be turned back still fart-her in the same direction as before. When proper seating of the cap in the capping throat is finally accomplished, the handle casting is clamped to the screw spindle Set by tightening set screw 373, and the cardboard or other temporary spacing means is removed. with the crown cap held properly seated against the capping throat edge, the handle casting 37 i is turned clockwise until the compression foot just touches the top 01. the crown. Keeping the handle casting in this position, the crown cap is then removed, the compression screw is held against movement by means of a screw driver, and set screw 87 3 is again loosened, and the handle casting turned back counter-cloclnvise into starting position. The handel casting is then raised about oneeighth of an inch, and the set screw 373 tightened to clamp the same securely to the compression screw. The capping tool is now adjusted to compress the cork of a crown the same amount as when the tool was new, and this is the only adjustment required.

l vhile the invention'has been described more particularly in connection with bottle capping devices designed especially for domestic use, certain novel features or" the construction disclosed are applicable to ma shines adapted for operation on a larger scale, and the scope of the invention is to be understood as correspondingly broad.

Since, by the construction shown, the bottles, notwithstanding deviations from standard size always have their tops brought to a predetermined position relative to the capping mechanism, the latter, comprising the compression foot and the capping-throat device, may have always the same amount of downward movement, thus insuring the same amount of compression of the cork and the same amount of crimping of the skirt oi": thecrown. This is not the case where springs are relied on, since these change with use.

Since a large part of the construction herein disclosed is in the form of simple castings requiring substantially no machine work in finishing and assembling, such work being limited to a few parts, the machine is economical in construction, yet durable and rel able. The absence of springs for determining the capping pressure is an especiallv desirable characteristic.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In bottle capping apparatus, the combination, with a standard and means for securing the same to a support, of a reciprocable compression feet, a reciprocable cappingthroat device, both supported by said standard, separate manually operable means for actuating said compression foot and capping-throat device independently, a bottle support carried by said standard in fixed alinement with said compression foot, and manually operable means for moving said bottle support toward and away from said compression foot and for rigidly holding said bottle support against movement.

2. In bottle capping apparatus, the combination, with a mounting pedestal having an overhanging upper portion, and means for securing said pedestal to a suitable support, of an internally threaded bushing supported by said overhanging portion of the pedestal, a compression foot havino a spindle threaded to work in said bushing, a handle for turning said spindle, a cappingthroat device vertically slidable on said bushing, a cam device rotatable on said bush- Cir ing to force said capping-throat device downwardly, a handle for rotating said cam device, a bracket adapted for rigid attachment to said pedestal at different heights thereon, a bottle supporting table mounted on said b acket in fixed alinement with said compression foot but movable on said bracket toward and from said foot, manually operated cam means for effecting such movement or the table, and means for locking the table in any adjusted position on said bracket.

In bottle capping apparatus, the com- Tination, with a compression foot, a cap- -throat device, and means angularly ble to impart positive predetermined thrust movement to said compression foot and capping-throat devic separately, of a bottle support independently movable toward and away from said compression foot and capping-throat device, anu means for holding said bottle support in adjusted position.

Bottle capping apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including stop means to limit the operative movements of said compression root and capping-throat device.

5. Bottle capping apparatus comprising, in combination, a bottle support and a capping head relatively movable bodily toward and away from each other to preliminarily gage between them a bottle surmounted by a cap, and means whereby relative separating movement of said support and capping head after such preliminary adjustment is rigidly opposed, said capping head comprising a compression foot arranged to engage the cap on said bottle in such preliminary gaging position, means for imparting to said compression foot a cap-compressing stroke of predetermined length, and a cappingthroat device operable independently of said compression foot to force the cap skirt into locking engagement with the bottle while the cap is so held under compression.

6. Bottle capping apparatus comprising, in combination, a rectilinearly movable compression toot, a bottle support adjustable toward and away therefrom, means operable to hold said support rigidly in adjusted po sition, a capping-throat device encirclin said compression foot and movable parallel therewith but independently thereof, means operable to impart a positive non-yielding cap-compressing stroke to said compression foot, and separate means for actuating said capping-throat device.

T. Bottle capping apparatus as set forth in claim (3 further characterized by the provision. of spring means acting upon said capping throat device and tending to move it out of operative position.

in testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. 7

ARNOLD CRAWFORD MASSIE.

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