US2349555A - Capping apparatus - Google Patents

Description

y 1944 J. J. KITTESS CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q INVENTOR. JJ /ress MW 3, J. J. KITTESS CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

JJ." lTTESS y ,1 .J. J. KITTESS 2,349,555

CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1942 3 Sheets-SheetG Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a bottle capping apparatus.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for placing and securing a closure member upon a container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle capping apparatus including a novel means for threading a cap upon a bottle.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a bottle capping apparatus embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in line 3--3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation with parts in section showing the bottle cap turning mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section showing the cap holding station;

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram; and

Fig. '7 is a section taken in line I'I, Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown my invention as embodied in a bottle capping apparatus which is indicated generally at I6. The apparatus shown and described is arranged to place screw caps upon the necks of bottles, but it will be understood that this reference to screw caps and bottles is for the purpose of illustration only and that the apparatus is adapted to place various types of closures upon different types of containers.

As shown the apparatus includes a base Il mounted on suitable legs I2 and with reinforcing braces I3 employed to secure rigidity.

The bottles I4 which are to receive caps I4 are transported to the capping station upon a belt conveyor I5 which at one end is supported on a pulley I6 and at the other end is supported by a similar pulley, not shown. The pulley I6 is mounted on a shaft I! on which a sprocket I8 is secured. The shaft I? is driven by a motor I8 so that the belt moves in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 2.

A drive chain I6 passes over the sprocket l8 and passes over a second sprocket 26 mounted on a shaft 2!. The shaft includes a bevel gear 22 (Fig. 2), which drives a bevel gear 23 (Fig. 1) on a shaft 24 supported in bearings 25 mounted on a frame 26 which is supported on the base I I.

The upper end of the shaft 24 has a sprocket 21 thereon which is engaged by a chain 28. The chain 28 engages a sprocket 29 mounted on a shaft 36 and an idler sprocket 3| mounted on a shaft 32. The chain 28 also engages a sprocket 33 mounted on a shaft 34. The construction is such that the sprockets 29 and 33 and. their respective shafts 36 and 34 rotate in opposite directions and since the sprockets 33 and 29 are of the same diameter they rotate at the same speed.

The shaft 36 (Fig. 3) drives a pulley 35 over which a supporting belt 36 passes. The belt 36 also passes over a pulley 31 mounted on a shaft 38. The shaft 34 supports a pulley 39 which is engaged by a supporting belt 46 which also engages a pulley 4I mounted on a shaft 42.

The supporting belts 36 and 46 are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced apart slightly less than the diameter of the bottles I4 which are intended to be capped. The supporting belts are slackly arranged over the pulleys 31 and 36 and are tensioned'by outer leaf springs 43 mounted on members 44 on the frame members II. Inner leaf springs 45 are mounted on plates 26' secured upon vertical members 26" of the frame 26. As shown in Fig. 3, the springs 43 and 45 engage the inner and outer reaches of the belt.

When bottles I4 are conveyed between the belts 36 and 66 by the conveyor I5, they engage the supporting belts and are advanced with their outer opposed sides engaged by the belts 36 and 46 so that the bottles are'held against turning. As the bottles advance the springs 45 are forced outwardly thus tending to lessen the tension on the belt. To take care of this lessened tension the springs 43 act inwardly so that uniform tension is maintained and the belt is properly driven.

In order to secure the threaded cap upon the threaded bottle neck I provide a cap turning apparatus which includes a pair of vertical shafts 56 and 5I which are disposed at each side of the conveyor I5. On each of the shafts 56 and 5| I mount a wheel 52. These wheels include rims 53 which are preferably grooved to receive resilient rubber tires 54. The shafts 56 and 5I are so disposed that the tires are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the exterior diameter of the bottle cap so that the bottles are conveyed by belts I5, 36 and 46 with the necks of the bottles I4 disposed between the tires 54 so that the tires will grip the caps upon the bottle necks.

The shaft 56 is provided with a sprocket 55 and the shaft 5I is provided with a sprocket 56. A chain 51 passes over the sprockets 55 and 56 and also engages an idler sprocket 58 mounted on the frame member 26a. The sprocket 56 is of less diameter than the sprocket 55 so that one of the tires 54 will be driven faster than the adjacent tire and in a direction reverse to that of the adjacent tire whereby a twisting action will be given to the bottle cap engaged by the tires 5 The shaft 50 is provided with a sprocket 59 which is engaged by a chain 60. The chain 50 passes over a sprocket 6| mounted on a shaft 62. The shaft 82 includes a bevelled gear 63 which is driven by a bevel gear 64 on a shaft 65. The shaft 65 is in turn driven througha suitable change speed'mechani'sm 66 from a shaft 61 which is driven by an electric motor 58.

In order to supply caps to the capping apparatus I provide a bottle cap hopper which is indicated at 15. The hopper is supported withits axis inclined as shown in Fig. 1, and the hopper includes a base 16 (Fig. 1) which is shown as round and is surrounded by a side wall 11. The side wall 11 is of greater lengthen the lower side of the hopper so that the caps will not fall out. Within the hopper I arrange a disk 18'which is mounted on the shaft 19. The shaft 19 extends downwardly as shown in Fig. 1 and the shaft and hopper are supported in a frame portion 80 which extends upwardly from the base II previously mentioned.

The shaft 19 has a sprocket BI thereon which is engaged by a chain 82. The chain 82 passes over a sprocket 83 mounted on the armature, shaft 84 of a motor 85. The construction is such that when the motor 85 isoperating the disk 18 will be rotated. The disk 18 on the upper surface thereof is provided with agitating members 85 which are shown as arranged in cruciform shape and which stir the bottle caps which rest upon the disk 18 so that the caps gradually move downwardly in the hopper 15.

In order to control operation of the motor 85 I provide photoelectric means including alight sensitive photoelectric cell 81 mounted in the housing 88 and a source of light mounted in" a housing 90. As shown in Fig. 6 the light source 89 is in the circuit 9| to the motor I8 so that when the motor I8 operates the light 89 will be i1- luminated. The light from source 89 passes across the conveyor belt and when uninterrupted energizes the cell 81 which through a magnet 92 opens a switch 93 to the motor 85. When light from the source 09 is interrupted bythe presence of a bottle on the conveyor the electro-magnet. 92 releases the switch 93 and a. spring 94 pulls the switch to on position so that the motor 85 will operate. v

The hopper 15 has a discharge chute I 02 which twists through 90 and is provided with a main portion I06and a by-pass portion I01. The portions I05 and I51 merge into a delivery chute I09 which is continued as at I I4 and is provided with an exit portion H5. On each side of the exit portion a leaf spring H6 is mounted. These springs H6 are normally spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the body of the cap so that the springs retain the cap in the position shown in Fig. 5.

Below the chute H4 I provide a guide member Which includes depending walls H1. The walls H1 are flared outwardly as at H8 so that bottles advancing on the conveyor I5 if they are at one side or the other of their correct posi tion will be moved by the flaring portion H8 to correct position so that they will pass between the sides H1.

The bottom of the chute portion H4 is cut away at H9 so that a bottle advancing will be in a position to engage the lowermost cap in the chute H4 as shown in Fig. 5.

A long flexible leaf spring I 20 has one end attached at I2I to the lower end of the chute I l 4 and the other end of the spring is secured at I22 to a bar I23 mounted on the frame 26. The spring I20 rests lightly upon caps I4 after they have left the chute H4 and thus prevents accidental removal of the caps prior to their engagement with the wheels.

Leaf springs I23 in the path of a cap held on a bottle neck by the spring I20 serve to slightly spin the caps before they pass between the twisting Wheels. 52.

In the operation of my invention a supply of bottle caps is placed in the hopper 15 and bottles are suitably placed on the conveyor I5. The

motors I8, 68 and H3 are placed in operation.

The bottles passing across the path of light from the exciter 89 to the photoelectric cell 81 causes themotor 35 to operate so that the hopper-is rotated. v

The bottle caps are discharged into the chute I02 whence they pass to the chutes I06 and I01 and are delivered into the delivery chute I09. The threaded necks of the bottles, as shown in Fig. 5, engage'the inclined caps and pull the.

caps away from the springs H6. The-bottles are guided into the proper position for engaging the caps by the flaring portions I I8 of the guide member walls I I1. As the caps advance upon the bottles, the flexible leaf spring I20 gently presses down upon the caps and holds them in position as they advance to the cap twisting wheels 52.

As the bottles advance, they move into engagementwith the supporting belts 35 and 40 and thus are held against axial rotation while they advance with the belt I5. As the bottles and caps advance, the caps engage the springs I23 and their turning motion is startedby these light springs and the caps then pass between the tires 55 on the wheels 52 and are engaged by these tires. The wheel 52 rotate in opposite directions and preferably at different speeds.

" The engagement of the tires upon the caps thus turns the caps threading them securely upon the bottle. The resiliency of the springs 43 and 45 is such that the belts continue to move and supportthe bottle, but they are of such construction that they leave the bottles free to turn slightly after the bottle cap has been fully threaded upon the bottle neck, so that the bottle cap will not be mutilated.

From the foregoing description it will be .apparent that I have invented a novel capping apparatus which can be economically manufac-. tured and which is highly efiicient for its intended purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bottle capping apparatus, bottle conveying means, means to support a bottle on said conveying means, a bottle cap delivery chute in-. cluding a discharge portion having means thereon for supporting a cap in the path of the neck of a bottle on said conveyor whereby the bottle removes the cap from the supporting means and an elongated, vertically movable means in the path of a cap beyond the cap supporting means for holding a cap on the bottle, and a plurality of leaf springs at one side of, the conveying means and having free ends in the path of a cap to spin the caps as they advance.

2. In a bottle capping apparatus, bottle conveying means, means to support a bottle on said conveying means, a bottle cap delivery chute including a discharge portion having means thereon for supporting a cap in the path of the neck of a bottle on said conveyor whereby the bottle removes the cap from the supporting means, and an elongated, vertically movable, resilient member in the path of a cap beyond the cap supporting means and mounted independent of the cap supporting means and slidably engageable by a cap being advanced on a bottle to hold the cap on the bottle, and a plurality of leaf springs at one side of the conveying means and having free ends in the path of a cap to engage the rotate the caps as they advance.

3. In a bottle capping apparatus, bottle conveying means, means to support a bottle on said conveying means, a bottle cap delivery chute including a discharge portion having means thereon for supporting a cap in the path of the neck of a bottle on said conveyor whereby the bottle removes the cap from the supporting means, means slidably engageable by a cap being advanced on a bottle to hold the cap on abottle, and a leaf spring at one side of the conveying means and having a free end in the path of a cap on a bottle to engage and rotate a cap as it advances.

JASON J. KITTESS.

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