US1417874A - Bottle-capping machine - Google Patents

Description

G. E. WHITNEY. BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, I921.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Ill W 1| m I? 1 w 1% N a N. vI

INVENTOR GE BREE E. WHITNEY ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Application filed September 6, 1921.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle- Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for capping bottles being particularly designed for capping bottles of varying sizes by manual operation.

For this purpose the bottle to be capped is placed on a support, a cap placed thereon, and a crimping die is pressed against the cap to crimp it over the top of the bottle. In order to apply sufficient pressure to the die without undue exertion on the part of the operator, a lever mechanism may be employed, one construction of which comprises a vertical rack bar adjacent which the bottle is supported, a yoke frame carrying the crimping die slidably mounted thereon, and a hand lever pivoted to the yoke and carrying a gear segment meshing with the teeth of the rack bar. lVith this construction the die moves in a vertical path of definite amplitude for the range of movement of the lever. In order, however, to provide for capping bottles of varying heights it is often necessary to change the position of the stroke of the die lengthwise of the rack.

This invention provides a construction by which this adjustment may be readily effected when desired, and which once effected will remain in the same condition until a differentadjustment is desired, so that once having been adjusted for a particular size of bottles it will continue to be in correct position for the same sized bottles without further attention from the operator and without danger of becoming out of adjustment during operation of the machine.

For a more complete understanding of this invention. together with further objects and advantageous details of construction and combination of parts reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing the die at the lower limit of its stroke in one position of adjustment,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the die at its upper limit of motion,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Serial No. 498,710.

Fig. 3 is rear elevation of the machine, and

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the parts in position where the stroke may be adjusted.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a base board on which the bottle is placed. A rack bar 2 having rack teeth 3 formed on its forward face has a depending stirrup shaped foot 1 between the sides of which the board 1 passes, a cross bar of the portion 4 shown in dotted lines at 5 in Fig. 1 extending through a lateral slot in base 1, one or more screws as 6 serving to fasten these parts rigidly with the rack bar 2 8X tending vertically. At 7 is shown a yoke frame having spacedsleeve portions 8 and 9 slidably engaging the rack bar 2, this yoke frame carrying fixed to or integral therewith the crimping die 10. Pivoted at the point 11 between the sides of the member 7 is a hand lever 12 having a segmental gear portion 13 arranged to mesh with the rack teeth 3. Lever 12 is preferably formed with one or both side faces channeled as shown at 14, and made fast at 15 within the channel on one face is one end of a leaf spring 16 the free end of this spring normally extending outwardly beyond the side walls of the channel 14: and terminating in an abutment 17 When lever 12 is raised the portion 17 normally abuts against a portion 18 of the yoke frame '7 and limits the extent of upward movement of the lever, a lug or pinl9 fixed to or integral with the lever 12 engaging the opposite side edge of spring 16 and receiving the side thrust imparted by pressure from the abutment 18. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 2. The lower limit of motion of the lever 12, as shown in Fig. 1 is determined by the engagement of the lever against the top forward edge of the die 10. Throughout the entire range of this normal movement of the lever 12 segment 13 is in mesh with the rack teeth 3 and consequently die 10 is given a downward and upward movement with the lowering and raising movement of the lever in a path of constant amplitude and at a fixed distance from the base board 1. If the stroke of the die is correctly positioned for a certain size of bottles the machine may be used as long as desired on bottles of this size without danger of variation of the stroke.

The bottle to be capped is placed on the board 1 and a cap placed in position thereon beneath the die. The operator then depresses the lever 12 whereupon the die is forced downwardly against the cap which it crimps around the mouth of the bottle. On raising the lever, the die is raised thus freeing the capped bottle for removal from the machine which is now ready for a subsequent operation on an uncapped bottle. When it is desired'to change the position of the stroke of the die relative to the base board as when bottles of a, different size than that for which the machine is set are to be capped, this may be readily effected by depressingthe free end of the spring 16 within the channel 14 so that the abutment 17 is out of the plane of the abutment 18 and raising the lever .12 into the position shown in Fig. 4 with the free end or spring 16 between the sides of the yoke member 7. In this position of the parts the segment 7 has been turned till it is out of mesh with the rack teeth 3 though remaining in the same plane therewith, whereupon member 7 with the die 10 and lever 12 maybe moved freely vertically on the rack bar 2. When these parts have been moved to the position desired lever 12 is depressed bringing segment? back into engagement with theteeth 3 in a new relation. As the lever moves downwardly the free end of spring 16 movesforwardly from the member 7 and on clearing the same it springs outwardly in position to bring abutment 17 into the plane of abutment 18 thus preventing lever 12 from being raised sufliciently on a subsequent operation to bring the segment out of mesh with the rack bar and so retaining the parts in their new position of adjustment as long as may be desired. i

From the above description it is seen that a construction has been provided by which the machine may be readily adjusted for capping any size bottle desired and will maintain this adjustment in operation as long as may be. required.

Having thus described one embodiment of this invention itshould be recognized that many changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a bottle support, bar positioned perpendicularly relative to said support, a die slidable on said bar toward and from said support, means actuable to move said die, and means normally limiting the movement of said actuatingmeans'to produce a movement of said die of definite amplitude, actuable to permit an abnormal movement thereof in which the position of said normal path of members.

3. In a device of the class described, a bottle support, a bar extending therefrom, a die slidably supported on said bar, a lever pivoted to said die and normally engaging said bar, and means to normally limit the movement of said lever but'opera ble to permit movement of said lever beyond said limit and out of engagement with said bar. 7

4. In a device of the class described, a bottle support, a rack bar carried thereby, a yoke frame slidable on said bar to and from said support, a capping die carried by said yoke frame, a lever pivoted to said yoke frame, a gear segment carried by said lever and normally engaging the teeth of saidrack bar, an abutment on said yoke frame, an abutment carried by said lever in cooperative relation to said yoke frame abutment to limit the swing ofsaid lever in one direction within the limits of engagement of said segment and rack bar, and means whereby said lever abutment may be moved out of cooperative relation to said yoke frame abutment to permit further swing of said lever to bring said segment out of engagement with said rack bar."

5. n a device of the class described, a rack bar, a die movable on said rack bar, a gear segment engaging said rack bar and normally controlling the motion of said die thereon, and means for normally preventing disengagement of said segment and bar actuable at will to permit such disengagement.

'6. Ina device of the class described, a bar, a die movable on said bar, a lever carried by said die and normally engaging said bar for controlling the motion of the die thereon, and means including a spring for normally preventing disengagement of said lever and bar but on movement of said spring permitting such disengagement.

7. In a device of the class described, a bottle support, a rack bar carried-thereby, a yoke frame slidable on said bar toward and from said support, a capping die carried by said yoke frame, alever pivoted to said yoke frame and having a channel therein, a gear segment carried by said lever and normally engaging said rack bar, an abutment on said yoke frame, and a leaf spring fixed at one end in said channel and having its other end projecting outwardly therefrom to contact with said abutment on swinging of said lever in one direction to limit such swing to the range of engagement of said segment and rack bar, said spring being depressible into said channel and out of cooperative relation to said abutment to permit said lever to be swung sufliciently to move said segment out of engagement with said rack bar.

8. In a device of the class described, a rack bar, a die slidable on said rack bar, a gear segment carried by said die and normally meshing with said rack bar and means normally preventing disengagement of said segment and rack bar and actuable to per mit said gear segment while in the same plane with said rack bar to be moved out of mesh therewith.

9. In a device of the class described, a support for a bottle, a rack bar extending from said support, a die member slidable on said bar toward and from said support, a gear segment pivoted on said member and meshing With said rack bar, means to turn said gear segment within limits of engagement with said rack bar to reciprocate said member, and means defining one of said limits operable to permit further turning of said gear segment out of mesh with said rack bar to permit the position of the path of motion of said member on said bar to be adjusted.

10. In a device of the class described, a rack bar, adie member slidable on said rack bar, a gear segment pivoted on said rack bar and means normally limiting the pivotal movement of said gear segment to maintain it in mesh with said rack bar said means including an element actuable to permit said segment to be turned out of mesh with said rack bar to permit adjustment of said die thereon.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

GEORGE E. WHITNEY.

Images