US1981111A - Method of and machine for applying caps to the openings of receptacles such as bottles - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1934. R. LANDAU 1,931,111

METHOD OF AND MAC HINE FOR 'APPLYING CAPS TO THE OPENINGS 0F RECEPTACLBS SUCH AS BOTTLES Filed Feb. 12. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 20, 1934. R. LANDAU 1,981,111

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR APPLYING CAPS TO THE OPENINGS 0F RECEPTACLES SUCH AS BOTTLES Filed Feb. 12. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 20, 1934. R LANDAU 1,981,111

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR APPLYING CAPS TO THE OPENINGS OF RECEPTACLES SUCH AS BOTTLES Filed Feb. 12, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 I20 125 722 I23 I24 2/ 3 7 .-L/ 12 I2 ,2 I w 10/ 1/1 1/ l 1 /0 49/ #2 i i 123 2.5 I22 jig 10; 720 my f/z/ 72 9 525% w W 6 k 1- n I I v W4 l k 10.9 I 47 2 725 1; I24

' l L W s 4m W 5M Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert Landau, Vienna, Austria Application February 12, 1930, Serial No. 427,899 In Austria February 28, 1929 8 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of and means for applying caps to the openings of receptacles such as bottles, and has for its object to provide a particularly simple and effective method of and device for crimping such caps into position on the mouths of bottles and other receptacles in such a manner as to effect a reliably gas-tight closure. The invention relates broadly to the method of capping by which 10 the rim of the cap is forced, by means of a die or the like, over the mouth of the receptacle to be closed, after which a plurality of pressing members having pressure faces disposed at a suitable distance below and co-axially to the said die are contracted or fed concentrically towards each other so as to bend inwards the cylindrical rim of the cap under the head at the mouth of the receptacle, and thereby to secure the cap to the neck of the receptacle. In the known machines working on this principle the movement of the pressure faces or pressure rollers, whether the latterbe attached to or otherwise associated with rigid or resilient op-'.

erating levers, is substantially at right angles to the middle axis of the receptacle or to the rim of the cap, since the pressing or operating members proper are either rigid or substantially straight, and are adapted to rock or pivot about points located above the level of the die in the pressure or sealing head. With these known machines, however, the rim of the cap, in view of its elasticity, is apt to yield slightly, e.g. to move outwards, after the crimping pressure is released, thus making a reliably gas-tight closure impossible. pressing members proper are rigid at least from the portion acted upon by the stop out to their free ends, and these members therefore cannot yield to unevennesses or irregularities in the mouth of the receptacle to be closed, with the result that such receptacles are apt to become broken in capping.

The described drawbacks are obviated in the method of and machine for applying caps in accordance with the present invention, by the arrangement that, after the placing of a cap upon the orifice of the vessel to be sealed, forces which act preferably obliquely downwards are brought to bear against the edge of the cap rim at points which are caused to be moved or shifted in a downward sense during the completion of the crimping operation. These forces produce a permanent gas-tight compression of the gasket or packing material inserted between the cap head and the edge of the orifice of the ves- Further, in these machines the sel by loading the rimof the cap in the direction of its longitudinal generatrices while at the same time pressing in the edge of the said rim. In order that the machine may be able to produce this effect the clearance between the pres-- sure faces of the pressing members (which effect the bending inwards of the edge of the cap rim) and the die which holds the cap in place, i.e. the extent to which the operative end surfaces of the pressing members project beyond the end of the die, is caused to become automatically increased in the course of the crimping operation. This result is obtained in a simple manner, in accordance with the present invention, by providing the pressure faces on the ends of resilient members which are so curved in their length and returned inwardly at their lower or outer end that, when these members are approached concentrically towards each other. they are stretched in such a manner that the 5 angle of inclination of their said inwardly returned portion to'the neck of the receptacle and to the rim of the cap is thereby altered in the required sense, i.e. -so as to be directed obliquely downwards, and at the same time the points of application of the operative'ends are moved or shifted downwards, i.e. away from the'pressingon die. A further feature of the invention is that the resilient pressing members do not end at the stop which effects their compression, and which according to the present invention is provided with a sharp edge adapted to act upon the said members, but project beyondthe same, thus enabling these members to yield to excess pressure independently of each other during the crimping operation.

Two forms of the device according to the present invention are shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 shows the pressure-head of the device in sectional elevation.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the pressurehead partly in section. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the lower part of the pressure-head, in the first form.

Fig. 4 is a section-on an enlarged scale of the lower part of the pressure-head adapted for use in connection with receptacles having a large orifice, likewise in the first form of construction.

Fig. 5 shows in section and part elevation the pressure-head'of a modified form of the capping machine.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the pressing elements of the modified form as set for use in connection with vessels of large diameter.

Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal section of the pressure-head in the modified form of construction as set for use in connection with vessels having an orifice of smaller diameter.

The machine for closing vessels with capshaped contrivances consists of a casing-shaped pressure-head 1 which, for instance by means of a nut 4, is secured to a rod 3, mounted axially slidable in a pillar 2. A prismatic extension 5 of the pressure-head is guided between projections 6 of the pillar 2, in order to prevent an unintended rotation of the pressure-head. A cylindric guide-sleeve '7 is disposed in the pressure-head 1 and provided at its bottom end with an enlarged stepped part 8. By means of a cupshaped guide-nut 9 of the pressure-head 1, the stepped part 8 is forced on to an inwardly extending fiange 10 of the latter and thereby the said guide-sleeve 7, 8 is immovably secured in position. A tubular ram 11 passes through a bore in the top end of the guide-sleeve '7 and at its bottom end is provided with or terminates in a permanent magnetic or electro-magnetic die 12 with a plane operating surface. The ram 11 is screw-threaded and a slide 14, closely fitted into said sleeve 7, is adjustably mounted on said ram and can be fixed in position by a nut 13. The slide 14 is provided with downwardly and oonically outwardly extending spring-tongues or plates 15 with thickened free ends, which extend into the bore of the nut 9 and each of which is provided with a pressure-face 16. The pressurefaces project forward so far as corresponds substantially to the outer diameter of the bottle and are of a size corresponding to the width of the rim of the cap 28, 29 which is to be bent inward. The pressure faces constitute a pressurering interrupted by the spaces between the individual faces. The inclined bottom faces 17 of the tongue-ends are adapted to the cap-shaped nut 9 and form an extension thereof. A slotted resilient ring 18 is arranged close above the pressure-faces 16 of the pressure-tongues 15 in order to increase the spring-action of the latter. The slide 14 and thus also the pressure-tongues 15 are under the influence of the action of a spring 19, which bears against the inner face of the top wall of the guide-sleeve 7 and against the nut 13. The force of the spring can be adjusted by a nut 20 screwed to that part of the ram 11, which extends out of the guide-sleeve 'I. An annular step 21, provided in the part 8 of the guide-sleeve '7, cooperates with the outside of the pressure-tongues 15 and causes the uniform approach or closure movement of the pressurefaces 16 during the upward shifting of the slide 14 and the tongues 15 against the action of the spring 19. A rod 22 passes through the tubular ram 11 and serves for ejecting unsuitable caps 28, 29. The upper end of the rod 22 passes through the screw-threaded hood 23 of the pressure-head 1 and is provided with a knob 24. The rod 22 is subjected to the action of two springs 25 and 26. The spring 25 is stronger than the spring 26 and a washer or pin 27, fixed to the rod 22, separates the two springs. The bottom end of the spring 25 rests on the ram 11 and this spring has the tendency to maintain the rod 22 in its withdrawn position. The spring 26, disposed between the washer 27 and the top end of the hood 23, acts as buffer-spring during the return movement of the rod 22.

The

manner:

Before starting the machine, the nut 9 is unscrewed and the guide-sleeve '7 with the parts connected thereto are pulled out of the pressurehead 1 and, after unscrewing the nut 20, the ram 11 with its slide 14 and pressure-tongues 15 are removed from the guide-sleeve 7. Now the distance between the die 12 and the pressurefaces 16 of the tongues 15 is regulated in such manner by adjusting the counter-nut 13 and the slide 14 on the screw-thread of the ram 11, that the rim of the cap 28, 29 placed on to the operating face of the die 12 closely rests on the bottom edge of the pressure-faces 16 (Fig. 3). Now all parts are placed into the machine in their order and the machine is in working condition. A vessel or receptacle, for instance a bottle, is placed onto the table of the machine located a suitable distance below the pressurehead 1 and, by operating the rod 3 by means of a suitable operating member, the pressurehead 1 is lowered whereby the rim of the bottle slides along the cap-shaped inside of the nut 9 and the faces 1'! and enters the flange 29 of the cap- shaped contrivance 28,29, which is prevented from falling down by the magnetic action of the die 12. During the further downward movement of the. pressure-head 1, the die 12 which is subjected to the action of the spring 19 at first subjects the bottom of the cap 28, 29 to a uniformly distributed pressure and thus fully moves the flange 29 over the thickened rim of the bottle. Whenever the counter-pressure, exerted by the cap-bottom 28 now resting on the bottle-mouth, passes beyond the force of the spring 19, the slide 14 together with the tongues 15 overcomes the force of the spring 19 in the guidesleeve 7 and moves upward whereby, however, the annular step 21 acts on the cone-shaped part of the tongues 15 and causes a concentric inward movement of their pressure-faces 16, which uniformly bend inward the rim of the flange 29 and force the said flangerim into close engagement with contracted part of the bottle just behind the said thickened bottle-rim. The pressure-tongues 15 are temporarily stretched during their operation, and therefore the resultant of the working pressure, exerted by the pressure-faces 16, is directed downward at an angle toward the edge of the flange 29, so that during the inward turning of its edge the cap 28, 29 is also subjected to the action of forces, which force the cap-bottom 28 and the packing members on to the bottle-mouthpiece and the flange 29 in the direction of its generatrix. In view thereof and owing to the great pressure the cork-disc of the cap 28, 29, bulged in the known manner, remains loaded also after the pressure operation is terminated. This is of great importance for the gas-tight closure of the bottle. All parts are returned into their initial position during the automatic return of the pressure-head 1 and finally the closed-receptacle is removed from the table. It is remarked that the machine can be used also for closing vessels, which are not of standard size and whereby the diameter of the mouth piece of the vessel varies between certain limits, because the pressure-faces 16 possess a greater range (if movement. However also vessels with a noncircular mouthpiece can be closed in view of the spring-action of the pressure-tongues 15. Further even deformed caps 28, 29 may be used, which at first are placed into proper shape by machine operates in the following radially adjustable.

the uniformly approaching pressure-faces 16. It is only necessary to force down the ejectorrod 22 by means of the knob 24 in order to eject a cap 28, 29 rendered useless but already disposed below the die 12.

In case vessels with a larger mouthpiece, for instance milk-bottles, have to be closed by means of the machine, the slide 14 with its pressuretongues 15 is replaced by a slide having pressure-tongues with pressure-faces of a correspondingly larger diameter. The enlarged ends of the pressure-tongues preferably rest closely against the inside face of the nut 9 adapted to outer diameterof the cap-shaped contrivance for closing the milk-bottle. The cone-shaped part of the pressure-tongues is shaped in the same way as the pressure-tongues 15, so that they are also operated by the annular step 21 of the stepped part 8 of the guide-sleeve 7.

The slide 14 shown in Fig. 4, is well adapted for closing jam-bottles. The pressure-tongues 15 provided with the pressure-faces 16", are bulged out to suit the outer diameter of the jam-bottle, and the cap-shaped nut 9 of the pressure-head 1 is provided with a suitable bore. The die 12 is'enlarged by a pressure-plate 40 screwed or otherwise secured to the end of the ram 12.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7 the pressing tongues together with their pressure faces are The pressure head 101 of the machine, the guide nut 109 which holds the sleeve 107 in position, and the pressing die 112 are all of a diameter corresponding to that of the largest receptacles to be capped, that is jam bottles. The pressure tongues 115 provided with the pressure faces 116 are rendered radially adjustable independently of each other by being attached at their upper end each to a plate 120 guided in themanner of a sliding shoe in a radial slot 121 in a disc 122 which is longitudinally adjustable on the ram rod 111 but at the same time locked against rotation. The plates 120 are each provided with a stud 123 adapted to engage in a spirally curved slot 124 in a disc 125 rotatably mounted above the disc 122. The disc 125 is provided in connection with its portion projecting beyond the periphery of the disc 122 with downwardly extending arc-shaped curved cams 129 the lower end surfaces 130 of which are inclined. The pressure tongues 115 are enclosed by a sleeve 126 which has a peripheral quide flange 127 which bears against the inner surface of the sleeve 1-07, and which is pressed upwards against the cams 129 by a spring 128 inserted between the flange 127 and the shoulder 106 on the sleeve 107. The pressure faces 116 are provided with a guiding extension 131 curved to correspond to the curvature of the inside surface of the guide nut 109.

For the capping of jam bottles all the parts assume the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in which the plates 120 of the pressure tongues 115 are in the outermost position in the slots 121, and the guiding portions 131 of the pressure faces 116 are in contact with the surface of the guide nut 109. When the pressure head is de: pressed the lower inner edge of the shoulder 106 acts as the stop which causes the pressure tongues 115 and the pressure faces 116 to be approached towards each other and moved relatively to the pressing die in the manner described.

If on the other hand a vessel with a smaller orifice is to be capped, the disc 125 is rotated in a clockwise direction, with the result that the plates 120 are moved inwards in their slots 1.21, in consequence of the engagement of their studs 123 in the spiral slots 124, and move the pressure tongues 115 inwards with them. This rotation of the disc 125 is continued until the pressure faces 116 of the pressure tongues 115 are at the required distance from each other. The rotation of the disc 125 at the same time causes the cams 129, which in the initial position projected into an arc-shaped slot 132 on the flange 127 of the sleeve 126, to be rotated relatively to the latter, with the result that the oblique surfaces 130 press against the flange 127 at the edge of their respective slots 132, and thereby depress the sleeve 126 against the action of the spring 128 (Fig. 7). The lower edge of the sleeve 126 thus brought within reach of the oblique portion of the pressure tongues 115 then acts, in place of the shoulder 106, as the stop which effects the approaching of the pressure tongues 115 for the purpose of crimping the cap rim. The guiding portions 131 of the pressure faces 116 facilitate the insertion of the closure cap in the pressure head and also the centering of the receptacle to be capped.

I claim- 1. A device for applying a cap-shaped contrivance to receptacles, comprising in combination a die, inwardly movable elements having pressure faces arranged concentrically around said die, and means for moving said elements inwardly to cause the pressure faces thereof to move'at a slope with respect to the axis of the receptacle to be closed, including a casing enclosing the die and pressure-faces, a nut securing said parts in said casing, a rod passing through said die for ejecting unsuitable capshaped contrivances, and two oppositely acting springs arranged on said rod, the springs being of difierent power, for the purpose specified.

2. The method of applying closure caps to the mouths of receptacles, such as bottles, having a head around the mouth consisting in forcing the rim of the cap over the said head, by bringing downwardly directed force to bear upon the head of the cap, until the head of the cap fits closely upon the mouth, causing obliquely downwardly directed converging forces to bear solely upon the lower marginal portion of the rim of the cap, causing the points of application of the said obliquely downwardly directed forces to move solely in the direction of force, until the said marginal portion of the cap rim has been brought into full contact with the neck of the receptacle, and further convergence of the said points of application thereby arrested, and then supplementarily displacing the said points of application in a direction away from the head of the cap, for the purpose of stressing the cap longitudinally of its rim.

3. A machine of the class described, comprising a framework, an arm vertically movable and guided in the said framework, a tubular casing attached to the said arm, an inwardly projecting collar in the lower part of the said casing, a sleeve located in the said casing and against the said collar, a screw threaded ram rod axially disposed in and guided by the said sleeve and projecting from the upper end thereof, a locking nut on the upper end of the said ram rod, a die on the lower end of the said ram rod, a slide screw threaded on the said ram rod and adapted to slide within the said sleeve, a plurality of leaf springs associated with and depending from the said slide concentrically about the said ram rod and die and extending beyond the operative surface of the said die, the said leaf springs having outwardly bent portions and inwardly returned outer ends, having pressure faces and a sharp edged stop associated with the lower portion of the said sleeve and adapted to cooperate with the said leaf springs intermediate their ends.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the said leaf springs are integrally attached to the said slide.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising a sleeve, a ram rod in the center of said sleeve, a disc mounted longitudinally adjustably and non-rotatably upon the said ram rod, and having radial slots, plates longitudinally slidable in the said slots, leaf springs severally attached to the said plates, and a slide comprising a disc rotatably seated upon and projecting beyond the periphery of the said first disc, and having spiral slots, studs on the said plates engaged in the said spiral slots, so that when the said second disc is rotated the said plates and the said leaf springs are moved radially, a cylindrical stop adapted to slide within the said sleeve, and having an outwardly extending flange on its upper end provided with are shaped slots, camming arcs having oblique outer end surfaces depending from the said projecting portion of the said second disc and adapted to engage in the said are shaped slots and, on rotation of the said second disc, to cooperate with the edge of said slots to depress said stop.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 3, including a resilient split ring placed within the said inwardly returned'outer portions of the said leaf springs, to accelerate the return movement of the said leaf springs.

'7. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the said ram rod has a longitudinal bore, and including a rod traversing the said bore, for the purpose of ejecting unsuitable caps.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which the said ram rod has a longitudinal bore, and including a rod traversing the said bore, for the purpose of ejecting unsuitable caps, and two oppositely acting springs arranged on said rod, said springs being of different power, for the purpose specified.

ROBERT LANDAU.

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