US1721254A - Apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1929. J. M. M CLATCHIE 3 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THHLIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5Sheets-Sheet 1 y 16, 1929' J. M. M CLATCHIE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THE LIKE 5 Shets-Sheet 2 w v v /\//////////////////////////////////W///////////wV/// r//\// ow v i 2 32 w w m 1% a l 3 2w ,3 I i II 1 2 Q 3 3 MM .Nm E

J ly 1929- J. M. M CLATCHIE 7 L APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet #5 xl f k \\\\\\\\\\x v July 16, 1929.

J. M. M CLATCHIE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 16, 1929. J. M. M CLATCHIE 7 L APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CAPS FOR CANS AND-THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1927 5 Sheets-Shee t 5 Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITE YES JOHN M. MCCLATOHIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BURDEN COMIIEAIN'Y, 0 NEW YORK, N. Y., A COREORATION NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING GAPS FOB CANS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 6,

The invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for separating promiscuously mixed container closures and feeding or delivering them in proper position to a predetermined point. More particularly the invention constitutes, an improvement in apparatus for separating and feeding into a chute leading to the point of delivery the relatively small metal caps commonly used for closing the opening in the tops of tin cans adapted to contain condensed milk or other food products. The object of the invention is to eifect'the delivery of a greater number of caps in a given time to the can capping or other machine than can be effected with apparatus of equal size as heretofore constructed. To the accomplishment of this object the invention consists'in the improved can cap feeding apparatus hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a top plan of the-improved cap feeding apparatus; Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections taken along the median section line in Fig. 1, looking in the directions, respectively, of the arrow points 22 and 33; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrowpoints; Fig. 5 is asection similar to Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow points 5-45; Fig. 6 is an end elevation, partly in section, looking from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail plan of a section of the interior of the drum; and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7. I 7

The improved can cap feeding apparatus illustrated in the drawings comprises in general a rotating drum10, a hopper 11 through which the can caps promiscuously mixed are introduced into the interior of the drum, and a chute 12 into which the drum feeds the caps and by which the caps are all delivered in the same relative position to the predetermined point, such as a can capping machine.

The caps handled in the apparatus are of usual form and consist of ,a disk-shaped, cylindrical body portion 14 having on its upper open end a fiat annular flange 15. The rotating drum 10 acts on the promiscuously mixed mass of caps in its interior to separate 1927. Serial No. 203,763.

them one from another and deliver, them all .in the same relative position into the chute so that they will slide down through the chute and be in proper position to be inserted in the holes in the tops of the cans which they serve to close and seal.

The rotating drum 10 is a cylindricalshell supported from a'hub 16 journaled on a stationary shaft 17 fixed at one end in an up-. right 18 rising from the table or platform 19 and at its other end in an upright 20 on which. the hopper 11 is supported. The connection between the shell of the drum 10 and the hub 16 consists of an annular plate 21 secured to the left hand end of theshell, facing Fig. 2, and a flange or disk 22 extending radially from the left hand end of the hub 16 and lying in the plane of the annular plate 21. The disk 22 and the plate 21 are held in fixed relation separated by the space 23 by means of four U-shaped arms 24 extending inwardly into the interior of the drum 10. The drum is rotated by means of a belt-25 which passes over a band 26. fixed on the left hand end of the drum. The right hand end of the drum 10, facing Fig. 2, is provided with a central opening 27 which registers with an opening 28 in thehopper. 11 andthrough these openings the cancaps are'introduced into the interior of the rotating drum.

The means by which the caps are separated from one another and introduced in the same relative position into the chute 12 consists of a series of channels 30 spirally arranged on the interior surface of the drum 10 and 6X7 tending longitudinally thereof. Each chan- The left hand or delivery endsof the channels 30 abut the annular plate 21 and the passageway through each channel 30 registers' witha corresponding opening 31 in the plate 21. Through tl ieseopenings 31 the caps pass into the interior82 of the chute 12. The passageway through the channels 80, the openings 31, and the passageway 32 inf the chute 12, are all of substantially the same dimenr sions'and are slightly wider and deeper, re-

spectively, than the width and depth of the caps. Thus the caps are permitted to slide nel consists of an'outer wall constituted b311 the adjacent part of the drumlO and of inner. walls which form an enclosed passageway through which the caps are, adapted to slide.

pass through the openings 31 and down through the chute 12. In the arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings the caps are delivered into the chute 12 in such manner that the cylindrical parts 14 thereof will point in a general downward direction as the caps pass through the discharge part 33 of the chute, as shown in Fig. 6.

The caps are introduced into the channels 30 through the holes 35 cut in the front or advancing faces of the channels. The holes 35 are of such conformation that the caps can enter the holes only with their cylindrical portion 14 pointed towards the interior surface of the drum 10. For this purpose the holes 35 are contracted at the points 36 at which the sides of the channels contact with the interior surface of the drum and are widened at the point 37 to accommodate the flange-like part 15 of the caps. The spirally arranged channels are so located relatively to the direction of rotation of the drum that the right hand ends of the channels. viewing Figs. 2 and 1, are in advance of the left hand ends of'the channels and consequently as the channels travel upwardly, viewing right hand side of Fig. 6, any caps which have. entered through the holes 35 into the channels slide through the channels towards the chute 12 and pass into the chute through the respective hole 31 connected with each channel. This mode of operation will be clear from a con- 'sideration of Fig. 3, the left hand ends of the channels 30 in Fig. 3 being the advance ends. The channels 30 are spaced apart slightly less than the diameter of the caps so that the caps may not fall flange side down between the channels and become wedged there.

The caps enter through the openings 35 of the channels 30 in the following manner For the sake of illustration we shall follow only a single cap. The cap is tossed about in I the hopper until by chance it falls in such position-that one edge of the flangelike part 15 thereof rests momentarily on the rear edge of a channel opposite an opening 35 and the opposite edge of the flange 15 of the cap enters I the enlarged upper part 3 7 of the opening 35.

This occurs while the two adjacent channels are substantially at the bottom of the hopper.

As the channels begin to travel upwardly with V the ascending-side of the hopper the entering edge of the flange of the cap will enter the enlargement 37 of the opening 35 far enough to permit the opposite edge of the flange of the cap to fall free of the rear side of the adjacent channel, permitting the dish-shaped end of the cap to contact with the interior surface of the portion of the hopper 10 between the two channels. The cap is now in position to pass through the opening 35an-d enters fully into the channel as the latter travels upwardly. Since there are hundreds of caps being tossed about at one time in the bottom of the hopper, and each one of the plurality of channels is provided with several openings 35 it will be obvious that the feed of the caps into the chute 12 is sufficiently rapid to supply a constant stream of caps to a capping machine running at high S130G(l.- As the mass of unseparated caps is tumbled about in the hopper the greater part of them will occupy only the lower portion of the hopper, but some of them will be carried up on the ascending side of the hopper by the channels 30 and will fall back into the bottom of the hopper. It is because the caps are thus tumbled about that some of them assume such positions relatively to the openings 35 in the advancing sides of the channels that they pass therethrough and into the channels, as indicated by the caps shown in dotted lines 38 in Fig. 7. c

The chute 12 into which the channels 30 deliver the caps comprises the arcuate portion 40 secured by the brackets 41 to the upright 13 and to the sleeve like part 42 thereof. The whole inner face of the arcuate portion 40 of the chute 12 in contact with the outer face of the plate 21 is open in order that the caps passing through the openings 31 in alinement with the channels 30 may freely pass into the chute. At about the point where the lower end 33 of the chute 12 leaves the plate 21, the chute is closed on its four sides so that the caps may be properly conveyed to the point of delivery.

If the channels 30 pick up the caps and attempt to deliver them into the chute in greater number thanthey are being used at the point of delivery so that the caps back up in the chute and completely fill it at the point at which the channels deliver the caps into the chute, the caps passing through the discharge openings 31 connected with the channels 30 will engage with the caps in the upper part of the chute and discharge them through the open end 43 of the chute and into a hopper 44 supported from a plate 45 covering the annular opening 23 and the openings 31 on the descending side of the drum and fixed by the brackets 41 to the chute and to upright 18. The passageways through the channels are close-d at the other end of the drum by the annular flange 47. Thesurplus caps received within the hopper 44 pass through the annular opening 23 into the interior of the drum 10. The U-shaped arms or supports 24 are of such shape and arrangement as-not to interfere with the passage of the caps from the hopper 44 into the drum.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is 1. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a cylindrical drum,

means for rotating the drum, means for introducing caps into the drum, a chute for conveying the caps away from the drum, a series of spirally formed channels on the interior surface of the drum, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps, connections bet-ween the discharge ends of the channels and the chute whereby the caps pass from the channels into the chute, there being a series of openings conforming to the shape of the caps in the front or advancing sides of the channels to direct the caps into the channels.

2. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a rotatable cylindrical drum, means for introducing caps into the interior of the drum, a series of spirally arranged channels on the interior surface of the drum, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps, there being cap receiving openings formed in the front or advancing faces of the channels, said channels being arranged relatively to the direction of rotation of the drum so that as the caps pass through the openings into the channels they will travel through the channels, and a chute located at the discharge ends of the channels to receive the caps discharged therethrough.

3. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a rotatable cylindrical drum, means for introducing caps into the interior of the drum, a series of spirally arranged channels on the interior surface of the drum spaced apart less than the diameter of the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing faces of the channels, and a chute for receiving the caps discharged through the channels.

4. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a horizontally-arranged cylindrical drum, means for rotating the drum, a hopper located at one end of the drum through which caps are introduced into the interior surface of the drum, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels, said channels being so located relatively to the chute that as the channels move upwardly the caps therein pass down into the chute.

5. An apparatus for feeding caps forcans and the like comprising, a rotatable shell, a series of channels on the interior surface of the shell arranged spirally and longitudinally of the axis of the shell, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels, means for introducing the caps into the interior of the shell, and means for receiving the caps which pass through the channels.

'6. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a rotatable shell, a 4

series of channels spirally arrangedon the interior surface of the shell, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels, means for and the like comprising, a rotatable cylindri cal drum, a hopper located at one end of the drum through which caps are introduced into the interior of the drum, an open faced chute located adjacent one end of the rising side of the drum, a series of channels spirally and longitudinally arranged on the interior surface of the drum, each channel consisting of walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing sides of the channels, the channels being arranged to discharge the caps passing through them into the open face of the chute.

8. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a horizontally arranged cylindrical drum, means for rotating the drum, a hopper located at one end of the drum through which the caps are introduced into the interior of the drum, a chute located at the other end of the drum and having an arcuate section with an open face positioned adjacent the rising side of the drum, a series of spirally and longitudinally arranged channels on the inner surface of the drum spaced apart less than the diameter of the caps, there being a series of cap receiving openings cut in the front or advancing faces of the channels, the channels being arranged to discharge the caps passing through them into the open face of the chute, and means located under the upper end of the chute to receive the surplus caps from the chute and reintroduce them into the drum.

9. An apparatus for feeding caps for cans and the like comprising, a drum rotating on a horizontal axis, means for feeding caps into the drum, a series of spirally formed channels on the interior surface of the drum and arranged obliquely of the axis of the sides of the channels, said openings all hava ing the same relative position, and a chute for receiving the caps from the channels.

5 channels on the interior surface of the drum and arranged obliquely of the axis of the drum, each channel consisting of Walls forming an enclosed passageway for the caps,

there being a series of openings conforming to the shape of the caps in the front or 10 advancing sides of the channels, all said openings having the same relative pos1t1on, with the narrower part of the opening adjacent the interior surface of the drum, and a chute for receiving the caps from the channels.

JOHN M. MGCLATCHIE.

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