US2135212A - Crown rest for bottle crowning machines - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 1, 1938. J KANTQR I 2,135,212

CROWN REST FOR BOTTLE CROWNING MACHINES Filed 001;. 11, ,1935

26 INVENTOR. James" Hazzar,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES CROWN REST FOR BCOTTLE CROWNING MACHINES James Kantor, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 11, 1935, Serial No. 44,528

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in capping machines and one of the objects thereof is to provide a capping machine for applying caps to receptacles having comparatively short necks, such for instance, as short-necked bottles and cans.

The present commercial type of bottle capping machines is adapted to apply the crown or cap to a bottle which ordinarily has a comparatively long neck and is therefore of such construction that the neck of the bottle may pass well through the crown support and the cap be engaged by the crimper.

The present tendency in certain commercial lines is'to use a receptacle in the form of a bottle having a comparatively short neck or to use a receptacle which takes the form of a can and which necessarily is provided with a comparatively short neck. As a result, the neck .of such a receptacle is not long enough to pass completely through the crown support of the capper and into a position to permit the crimping mechanism to engage and crimp the sides of the crown.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a receptacle capper which will accommodate the short neck type of receptacle.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated an embodiment thereof, in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a crowner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken in a different plane from the section shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, of the top, of a receptacle adapted to be crowned by a structure embodying my present invention.

In the structure disclosed, the crowning mechanism is adapted to be reciprocated for the purpose of holding the crown in position on the top of the neck of the receptacle and to crimp the edges of the crown on the bead of the neck of the receptacle.

In operation, the receptacles are fed beneath the crowner, in any suitable manner, and after being placed beneath the crowner the crowner is adapted to descend for crimping the crown in place. To this end I provide a yoke I which has at its upper end a roller 2 adapted to operate in a suitable stationary cam track, not shown, for the purpose of moving the crowner up and down as the mechanism rotates about a vertical axis during the crowning operation. This yoke carries at its lower end a hollow cylindrical housing 3 having mounted therein a hollow sleeve or plunger 4, reciprccably mounted within the housing and carrying at its lower end a crimping or crowning head 5. This crimping head 5 is provided with an annular flange 6 adapted to screw-thread on the end of the cylinder G and carries within a bottom flange l the crimping mechanism. This crimping mechanism preferably comprises a plurality of segmental crimpers 8 having inclined outer faces cooperating with the inclined faces of segmental wedging members 9. The wedging members are clamped around the crimpers by a suitable clamping coiled spring l0. i

The sleeve 4 is biased in a projected position by a coiled spring I l interposed between an annular flange I2 on the sleeve and a pair of ring members l3 arranged in the upper end of the housing 3 and prevented against vertical upward movement by a shoulder 14 formed in the housing.

This sleeve is provided with a plurality of dogs l5 operating in slots 16 in the wall of the sleeve and pivoted as at l! in the slots. The noses it of the dogs, in normal position, engage in notches l9 formed between the edges of the rings it and these dogs are maintained in their locking position by a stem 21 forming a part of a plunger 2! in turn operating in the hollow plunger or sleeve 6. This stem or head 29, in normal position of the parts, is positioned between the dogs at their upper ends, as illustrated, and prevents the dogs from moving out of engagement with the notches. The head or stem is connected by a restricted portion or neck 22 with the plunger 2! and the lower end of the head 20 at the point where it joins the neck is provided with cam surfaces 23. A similar cam surface 24 is provided at the upper end of the plunger 2!, at the point where the neck 22 joins the plunger.

This plunger'zl is biased in its projected position by a coiled spring 25 interposed between a shoulder 26 on the plunger and a shoulder 2'! on the sleeve or plunger 4.

The above construction is adapted to descend upon the receptacle to be crowned, the plunger 2! first engaging the crown and holding it seated upon the top of the receptacle and the sleeve 4 with its associated crimpers being adapted to continue downwardly to cause the crimpers to embrace the sides of the crown and crimp the same around the bead of the receptacle. In order to receive and maintain the crown in a position to be placed upon the top of the receptacle as the crowner descends and in order to guide the neck of the receptacle into a position to receive the crown, I provide a crown rest 28. This crown rest 28 is provided with a central opening 29 which is enlarged at its top toprovide a crown rest shoulder 30 on which the crown to be positioned is adapted to rest while the neck of the receptacle passes through the opening 29. In addition to the opening the crown rest is provided with an annular .side skirt having a bell mouth 3| adapted to engage and center and guide the receptacle, such as a can 32 and the under face of the crown rest is also provided with a flaring portion 33, also adapted to engage and center and guide the neck of the receptacle. In such receptacles as cans, if for any reason the top of the neck of the can be struck or crushed to any extent, it will be thrown so out of alinement that the proper placing and crimping of the crown in position will be prevented. Therefore, in using the crowner with cans I prefer to guide thecan by what is known as the upper seam 34 of the can body instead of relying upon the throat or neck proper of the can.

The crimper head is provided, on each side thereof, with a pair of wings or extensions 35 and these wings or extensions, are provided with vertical pin-receiving openings 36 to receive supporting pins 31 projecting upwardly from the crown rest 28. These pins are preferably socketed in openings 38 extending into extension wings 39 on the crown rest and transverse pins 40 extending through the walls of the wings secure the pins-in position. These pins are surrounded by coiled springs M which bear upon the bottom of the pin-receiving sockets on the crown rest and shoulders formed by enlarged openings in the wings 35 of the head 5. These pins 36, at their uper ends, are provided with reduced necks 42 to receive slots on suitable latches for holding the pins in position. These latches preferablycomprise flat plates 43 operating in horizontally disposed slots in the wings 35 and pivoted in these slots by pins 44. Intermediate of the ends of the pins the latches are provided with notches 45 adapted to embrace the necks 42 of the pins and thereby maintain the pins in position. The'latches are maintained in their latching position by spring-pressed pins 46 adapted to engage in small recesses on the under face of the latch when the latch is swung into closed position. Due to the interposition of the coiled springs 4| between the crimper head and the crown support, the crown support is biased in its projected position but may move against the pressure tension of these springs toward the crimper head. The latch mechanism, of course,

' provides a ready mechanism to permit the r moval of the crown rest in event of jamming of crowns in the crimper or for the purpose of inis adapted to rest upon the throat or neck 48 of the receptacle. A continued downward movement of the crowner causes the plunger 2| tov engage the top of the crown holding it firmly seated on the neck or throat of the receptacle and. a' continued downward movement moves the crimpers 8 down around the sides of the crown crimping the same around the bead on the throat or neck of the receptacle. In view of the fact that the crown rest has a certain amount of relative movement with respect to the crowning head 5, even though the neck of the receptacle is comparatively short, the head may be moved downwardly to the full extent of its movement to engage the crimper with the sides of the crown; the relative movement taking place between the crown support and the crimping head after the crown support has more or less seated itself, in the case of the can, as illustrated, on the bead'34 thereof. This insures a suflicient projection of the throat of the can through the crown support to permit it to fully enter the crimping head.

I claim as .my invention:

1. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a reciprocating crimper, of a plunger'associated with said crimper movable with and relatively thereto for initially engaging the crown and holding the same in position upon the receptacle, and a crown rest adapted to receive and support a crown below said plunger and crimper and movable relatively to said crimper by engagement with the receptacle to be crowned.

' 2. Ina receptacle crowner of the type adapted to embrace and be crimped on the neck of a receptacle, the combination with a crimper adapted to reciprocate relativelyto the receptacle to be crowned, comprising a crowning throat receiving the crown and of such diameter as to reduce'the diameter of at least a portion of the crown, a crown rest associated therewith mov able relatively to the receptacle with the crimper for at least a portion of the stroke of the crimper and having an opening therein smaller than an uncrimped crown but greater than the neck of the receptacle and normally spaced from the crimping throat a sufiicient distance to support a crown between said throat and the rest, and a mounting for said rest to permit the rest to move with the receptacle towards the throat after the neck of the receptacle has been projected through the opening in said rest and intothe crown a suificient distance for the throat to embrace the crown and crimp the same. V

3. In a receptacle crowner for applyinga crown of the type adapted to embrace and be crimped over the neck of a receptacle, the combination with a crimper adapted to reciprocate relatively to the receptacle to be crowned and including a crowning throat receiving the crown and of such a diameter as to reduce at least aportion of the crown as the crown is projected therein, a crown rest spaced apart from said throat a sufficient distance to receive a crown between said throat and rest and having an opening therein smaller in diameter than an uncrimped crown but greater than the neck of the receptacle, said crown rest being carried by and movable with the throat to project the neck of the receptacle through said opening and into the crown supported thereby and movable axially relatively to the throat by engagement with the receptacle to be crowned to project the crown into the throat for crimping the crown.

4. In a receptacle crowner for applying a crown of the type adapted to embrace and be crimped over the neck of a receptacle, the combination with a crimper movable relatively to the receptacle to be crowned and comprising a crowning throat receiving the crown and. of such diameter as to reduce the diameter of at least a portion of the crown, a crown rest spaced apart from the throat a suflicient distance to support a crown between the throat and rest and having an opening therein of a smaller diameter than an uncrimped crown and of a greater diameter than the neck of the receptacle and having a portion engaging the body of the receptacle for centering the neck of the receptacle with respect to said opening, said rest being mounted to move with the throat for the purpose of applying a crown to the neck of the bottle and relatively to the throat for the purpose of moving the crown into said throat to be crimped.

5. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a crimper adapted for reciprocating movement relatively to the receptacle to be crowned, of a plunger associated with said crimper for initially engaging the crown and maintaining the same in position upon the neck of the receptacle and a crown rest adapted to receive and support a crown below said plunger and crimper and having a movement relatively to said crimper and having an opening for receiving the neck of the receptacle, an annular shoulder on said rest engaging the body of the receptacle to cause the rest to move with said receptacle and a flaring flange on said rest projecting below said rest a suflicient distance to engage the body of the receptacle and guide the neck of the receptacle into the opening of the crown rest.

6. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a head having a crowning throat, a pair of supporting pins carried by said head and projecting from the bottom thereof, a crown rest supported on said pins to move axially relatively to said head, and means for biasing said rest in a projected position 7. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a crowning head having a crown throat therein and having a plurality of pin-receiving sockets parallel with the axis of said throat, a crown rest, a plurality of pins secured to said crown rest and received in said sockets, and means for latching said pins in said sockets to permit a relative movement between said crown rest and said head.

8. In a receptacle crowner, the combination with a head having a crowning throat, of a plunger movable with and relatively to said head, a plurality of supporting pins axially slidable in said head, a crown rest carried by said pins below said head and means interposed between said head and crown rest for biasing said rest away from said head.

JAMES KANTOR.

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