US2352761A - Apparatus for sealing containers - Google Patents

Description

y 1944- Q w. D. BELL I 2,352,761

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed April 8, 1959 e Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jul 4, 1944. w D. BELL 2,352,761

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed April 8, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR VV/Y/ium D. Be/l ATTORNEYS y 4, 1944- w. D. BELL 2,352,761

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS 4 Filed April 8, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 m W 5 w w 4 mm H w 7 5 4 fl M w J m 6 W 0 Mm VI. MW E w y Ma my .a E r M m l 3 W N 4 /2 x 5 m p. I 7 fi g m. m 3 \u\ M w 0M MW. EMMA M w ///w/////A////// w W w 2 w w Q. lw/l n H r? N 1 F -1 y// AT TORNEYS July 4, 1944. w. D, BELL 2,352,761

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS /03 O 941, Wl/fiam 0 56/] 944/ 17 .10 BY lO/a J AT TORNEYS July 4, 1944. w. b. BELL 2,352,761

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS FiIed April 8, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR %&

ATTORNEYS July 4, 1944. w. D. BELL APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS Filed April 8, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 6 R5 0. TD N m a m M W ATTORNEYS Patented July 4,1944

APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS William D. Bell, Columbus, Ohio, assignor. to

Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Iancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 8, 1939, seriai No.2 6 ,9 13

' i 18 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for sealing containers. It has to do, more particularly, with apparatus for applying closures to" containers, such as food containers and including jars, bottles, cans, et. cetera, and sealing them on the containers and for producing a partial vacuum in the upper ends of the containers.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a greatly simplified apparatus? for applying and sealing closures on containers and. for creating an effective vacuum in the space at the upper end of the container between the closure and the contents of the container which will aid in preventing spoilage of the contents and will also aid in keeping the closure in position on the container.

Another object of my invention .is' to provide apparatus of the type indicated which is of such a nature that the closure and upper end of the container and the head space between the contents and the closure will be sterilized during the sealing operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the type indicated which will vacuumize and seal the container quickly and effectively.

Another object of my inventionis to provide a machine of the type indicated which is 01' a very simple structure and, therefore, can be built at a relatively low cost, which will occupy a small amount of space, and which is composed of a minimum number of parts tending'to wear or become inoperative.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the type indicated which may be readily adjusted to operate upon containers of various sizes. y

' Another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the type indicated which will automatically adjust itself to containers varying in height to a limited degree. I

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine which will be continuous in operation and which will perform its operations during movement of the containers and without handling of the containers by an operator.

In its preferred form my invention contemplates the provision of apparatus. for applying closures to and sealing them onvarious containers such as jars, bottles, cans et cetera. According to my invention, the filled containers are I placed indiscriminately on a continuous moving conveyor. During the movement of the containers by the conveyor, caps or other closures are loos ly positioned on the upper ends of the conmovement of the container.

tainers. The containers arerthen moved to devices which will center themon the conveyor and also space then uniformly along the conveyor. They are then moved to a sealing head. This sealing head will operate on the containers during their progressive movement. It is provided with means which will automatically lift the cap irom the upper end of each container,

withdraw air from the head space at the upper 10 end of each container, inject steam into such space, and then force the cap into permanent engagement with the upper end of the container,

all or these operations being performed substan-' tially simultaneously and during the progressive After the cap is sealed on the container, the steam previously injected into the head space of the container will condense, creating an effective vacuum within the container which will aid in holding'the cap in position and will also aid in preventing spoilage of the contents oi the container.

Various other objects and advantageswill be apparent from the following description. J

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar'characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

' Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section illustrating a machineso constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1. p

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, showing the cap-feeding and applying means and the sealing head unit.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through the sealing head unit and operating means associated therewith.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken through the sealing head proper and showing the upper end of a jar and a cap in position therein.

Figure 7 is a detail in perspective, p'artly broken away, of. the sealing .head unit and operating parts associated therewith.

I Figure 8 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section illustrating the driving mechanism of my machine.

Figure 9 is a detail in perspective illustrating means which may be provided for spacing the containers equal distances along the conveyor.

Figure 10 is a plan view of a modified form of my device for equally spacing the containers 66 on the conveyor.

. 1e a bl maunbedfih d v smembexs f- 1 v as oizar s- '1" I, an feedingzand ap b gdi hicngitvpmnu mustrdted most' gap: will be held:

w ,byithe .y'spt'ingli 1 i These dis d The col- H mostcontacfiwitfithe fe'alrbortion offthe cap as extend forwardlyperallefwith-the c he ex xdc thez eofi lmred zthisqs pro'cket;

round a} sprocket I g; hute are it leaves the chute. However, it, will not contact 7 are secured at 8 8 to a plate 89 which is disposcfl in parallel relationship to the passage of a container.

mally tending I to keep conveyor and above the conveyor. The mannerin which thi plate 99 is supported will be described later. a

It will be apparent. that the cap-feeding and applying means will apply the caps to the upper ends of the containers in such a manner that they will merely rest loosely thereon. It will also be apparent that as the containers pass to the cap-applying means, the fingers 42 properly center ther'n relative to the cap-applying means. Furthermore, it'will be apparent that when the containers leave the cap-applying'means, they are still indiscriminately spaced on the conveyor. Therefore, before the containers reach the sealing head unit 4 it is desirable that they be spaced uniformly at predetermined distances on the conveyor.

For accomplishing this I provide the structure illustrated best in Figures 3 and 9. This structure comprises a pair of fingers 90 which extend inwardly towards the center of the conveyor belt and towards each other and which also extend in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. The inner ends of these fingers are normally moved towards each other sufficiently to prevent a container from passing therebetween. However, at regular intervals the fingers are 'spreadapart to permit The fingers 90 arekeyed to the upper ends of vertically disposed shaft 9| rotatably mounted at each side of the conveyor belt on the top of the table I. Each of these shafts 9I has a lever 92 keyed to its lower end. Oneof the levers 92 is pivoted at 93 to one end of a rod 94. The other lever 92 is pivoted at 95 to a link 96 which is also pivotally connected to the rod 94 as at 91. The opposite end of the rod 94 is pivoted at, 98 to the end or a plunger 99 mounted for reciprocation in a sleeve I which is securedto the inner surface of the top plate of the table... A'spring IN is associated with this plunger 99 and is of the compression type nor the plunger in its outermost position. The plunger at its outer end carries a roller or cam follower I02 which bears against the edge of a cam I03 keyed to the vertical shaft 30 previously referred to. As previ- 90 is driven by the Thus,

ously explained, the shaft same means which drives the conveyor.

the cam I03 will be rotated in timed relationship P with the movement of the conveyor. The cam member I03 is provided with a cam portion I04 adapted to contact at regular intervals with the' This "will force the plunger 99 in- 94 longitudinally in the (Figure 9) and causing follower I02. wardly moving the rod direction of the arrow the fingers 90 to swing away from each other thereby allowing the containers to pass.

It will be apparent that as the containers are moved away from the cap-applying unit, each of ,them will come in contact with the fingers 90. The conveyor will continue to move but the container will remain stationary, merely sliding relative to the surface of the belt. However, after the container is prevented from moving with the conveyor for a predetermined length of time to properly space successive containers on the conveyor, the fingers 90 will be spread apart permitting the container to continue its movement along with the .conveyor. The cam portion I04 is so shaped that the fingers will quickly return to their original position to prevent passage of two containers simultaneously. I

In Figure 10, I have illustrated slightly different means for accomplishing this. In this in- 94a to swing which swings stance, at each side of the conveyor I provide vertical shafts 9Ia which have keyed on their upper disposed at the center thereof. The two arms 9011 form a channel between which the containers carried by the conveyor will pass. Each arm is provided with a series of inwardly directed lugs b of progressively increasing size. The

arms 90a are swung away from each other at regular intervals by means of a lever 940 which has one end rigidly secured to a rotatable disk 94b and the other end connected by a pin-andslot connection 940 to one of the arms 90a. A lever 94d is also rigidly secured to the disk 94b and has a roller I02a on its outer end engaging a cam I03a. It will be apparent that when the cam I03a rotates the lever 94d will be swung as indicated in Figure 10. A spring IOIa main tains the roller in engagement with the cam; Swinging of the lever 94d also causes the lever the arm 90a, to which it is connected, outwardly. In order to simultaneously swing the other arm 90a outwardly to the same extent, each of the shafts has an inwardly extending lever 92a keyed to the lower end thereof and which have their inner ends connected together by pin-and-slot connections 93a. These levers 92a are disposed below the conveyor belt. It will be'appare'nt that movement of the arm 90a connected to lever 94a is also transmitted to the other arm 90a.

In the operation of this device, the containers will be moved between the arms 90a. Each container will strike at least one pair of the lugs 00b. If it happens that the first pair of lugs are spaced] apart and the container misses these lugs, it will be engaged by the succeeding pair of lugs. The

successive lugs 90b project inwardly increasing.

distances to compensate for the difference in the extent to which they are moved by swinging of the arms 90a. Thus, it will be apparentthat with this device there will be no danger of the containers being moved through the spacing device without contacting therewith.

After the containers are properly spaced on the conveyor, they are moved to the sealing head unit 4 which is adapted to seal the caps on the containers but to vacuumize and sterilize the head space and sterilize the can before the sealing operation. This sealing head unit. 4 is illus trated best in Figures 1 to '7, inclusive. The sealing head unit is supported above the conveyor belt by the plate 99. The plate 99 is supported on vertically disposed posts I05. I have shown three of these posts but any suitable number may be provided. These posts extend through the top of the table on opposite sides of the conveyor belt and are suitably mounted in the openings in the top of the table for vertical sliding movement relative thereto. The lower ends of these posts I05 are threaded as at I06. Cooperating with the threaded portion I06 of each of the posts is a sprocket I01 provided with a threaded opening through which the threaded portion of the post passes. Each of these sprockets is rotatably mounted but is supported on the table in such a manner that it will not move vertically by taneously' eitherxup or'down. This will move the supporting plate; 89' up or. down. In order to rotate all the sprockets I simultaneously they are connected together by a sprocket chain I08.

The chain I08. may be moved manually by means of a horizontally disposed rotatable shaft I09 which maybe rotated by a handwheel IIO disposed outside of the housing 6. The shaft I09 is provided: with a: worm III meshing with a wormgear' I-IIZ freely rotatable on one of the posts I This wormgear H2 is connected by a sleeve II'2'a, which is freely rotatable on post I 05, to one of! the sprockets I01. Thus, by merely rotating theihandwheel IIO the plate 89 may be raised. or lowered.

It will. be apparent that raising or lowering theplate 89; will cause the cap-feeding and applying unit 3' to be raised or lowered bodily. will also cause the sealing head unit 4 to be raisedor' lowered bodily. Thus, by merely rotating the handwheel II 0, the apparatus may be quickly adjusted toaccommodate containers of different heights.

The sealing head. unit 4 comprises a hollow guidemember I. I3 of substantially rectangular cross section which is upwardly and rearwardly inclined relative to the plate 89 and which extends downwardly through the plate. The memher I I3 may be suitably secured to the plate and .is disposed in alignment with the center line of the conveyor belt. This member I I3 has reciprocably mounted therei-na member I I4 which may be termeda plunger; This member II 4 carries the sealing: head proper II 5;on its lower end. The head proper H5 is removable andmay be replaced'with different sized heads. The plunger member H4 is adapted. to be moved downwardly at regular intervals. For this purpose a cam member H6 is provided at the upper end of the plunger. This cam member II 6 is keyed to a transversely extending shaft I I! which extends through upwardly projecting portions N8. of member I I3 and is rotatably' mounted in bearings disposed therein. The cam H6 is provided with a cam portion I I9 which will engage a roller I20 on. the upper end of the plunger H4 at regul'ar intervals and force the plunger I I4 and head '5' downwardly; A pair of tension springs I2I are provided which have their lower ends secured to the plunger II4 as at I22 and their upper ends secured to the guide member II3 as at I23. These springs I2I serveto draw the plunger II4 upwardly to its original position within member I I3. after the cam portion II9 passes beyond the roller I20,

The shaft I I 1 that carries the cam I I6 is driven by the same means that drives the conveyor and is rotated. in timed relationship to the movement of the conveyor. Thus, the shaft III carries at one end a bevel gear I24 which is keyed thereto. This bevel gear I24 meshes with a bevel gear I25 keyed on a horizontal shaft I26 rotatably supported. in bearings formed on the upper end of a support I21. This support I21 may be formed in egral with the plate 89. The shaft I26 also has a bevel gear I28 keyed thereon. This bevel gear I28 meshes: with a bevel. gear I29 (Figure 4) which is keyed on the upper end of the vertically" disposed shaft 30. Thus, the shaft 30" drives the shaft I I"! and causes movement of the plunger 4-. The shaft also drives the conveyor unit. The shaft. II! is. provided with a sprocket I30 on its opposite end which drives the sprocket chain 86.

drives the roller 14 disposed adjacent the lower Thus,.the shaft 30 alsoend of the cap chute. A balance flywheel I 3| is also keyed on the end of shaft III.

The sealing head proper is shown best in Figures 3,- 4 and 6. It comprises an inverted channel-like structure which is open at both ends as at I32 and I33 so that the containers with the caps thereon may pass through the channel formation as they are carried along by the belt conveyor. ,The sealing head proper is closed at its sides I34 and I35 and is provided with a steam channel I36 on its interior which extends over the top of the head and downwardly into each side thereof as indicated in Figure 6. A

steam discharge port I31 is provided at the threaded into its outer end. A flexible steam.

conduit I42 is connected to the tube I4I. Member H3 is provided with slot 'I4I' through which member I 4| projects. The inner end of the passageway I40 is normally closed by a valve stem I43. This valve stem is slidably mounted in a bore formed in the member H4 and which is a continuation of the passageway I39. The stem I43 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced annular grooves I44 which serve as steam traps to prevent leakage. A compression spring I45 surrounds the upper end of the stem I 43 and cooperates with an enlargement I46 thereon to normally move the stem from over the end of the-passageway I 40. However, the stem is moved downwardly against the force of this spring at regular. intervals by means of a lever I41 bearing against the upper end thereof. This lever is pivoted as at I 48 to the upper portion of member II4. Intermediate its ends it is provvided with a roller I49 engaged by a cam I50. The cam I50 is provided with a notched cam portion I 5| which will be engaged by the roller I49 at regular intervals. The cam I50 is also keyed on the shaft II I. The cam portion I SI of cam I50 is located circumferentially at about the same position as the cam portion II9 of cam II6. It is desirable for the steam valve to close at about the same time as the cam II6 operates to force the plunger II4 downwardly.

It will be apparent that the.seallng head is substantially parallel with the conveyor. When it is moved downwardly by the cam I IE, it will follow a path which is inclined downwardly and forwardly so that when the sealing head is actually in contact with the cap on the jar, it is traveling with a downward and forward motion whose component is substantially the same as the rate of travel of the conveyor belt. When the livered from jets I38 may'more readily enter into the container as indicated in Figure 6. Apparently the jet I 31 rarefles the air above the center of the cap. Moreover, flowing'of the steam out of the open ends I32 and I33 of the sealing head creates a zone of reduced pressure adjacent thereto which withdraws air from the head space at the upper end of the container which is immediately replaced by steam being delivered from the ports I38. I preferably employ low velocity steam jets to prevent entraining of air.

While steam is thus being introduced beneath the cap and into the container, the sealing head moves downward until it reaches its lowermost position and forces the cap down onto the container. At about the same instant the steam is cut off automatically by cam portion ll forcing the valve stem I43 downwardly. The forcing of the rubber gasket over the upper end of the container produces a sealed closure which, of itself, serves to hold the cap on the container. Since the container is sealed substantially simultaneously with the injection of steam thereinto, the steam will not escape from the container before sealing. However, the condensation of the steam trapped in the head space in the container beneath the cap, which occurs immediately, produces a partial vacuum which is the main force serving to hold the cap on the jar and which also aids in preventing spoilage of the contents of the container. Immediately after the sealing action, the sealing head is automatically withdrawn upwardly and rearwardly. It will be apparent that the steam jet will also serve to sterilize the head space at the upper end of the container, the upper portion of the container and the cap applied thereto.

It will be noted from Figure 6, that when the steam jets lift the cap into contact with the sealing head, the skirt ll! of the cap still extends downwardly to a point below the upper edge of the container. As a result of this, even after the cap is lifted, the skirt of the cap will serve to confine the steam, injected into the container, during the continuous movement of the container and will, therefore, produce a more effective vacuum.

Due to manufacturing dimculties, the containers usually vary slightly in height. Therefore, it is desirable to provide some means in association with the sealing head unit to prevent injury to the upper ends of any containers which are of slightly greater height than the containers for which the sealing head unit is set to operate upon. For this purpose the roller I20 engaged by the cam H5 is carried by a cylindrical member I52 which is slidably mounted within the hollow upper portion of the Plunger Ill. A compression spring I53 is interposed between the inner end of the member I52 and the lower end of the socket in the member Ill in which it is disposed. The member I52 is provided at its inner end with a reduced centering portion I54 which extends into the spring I53. It will be apparent that if the sealing head proper ll5 bears against the upper end of the container with too much force, the spring I53 will be compressed and, thereby, injury to the upper end of the container will be prevented. The sealing head unit can be so positioned that the sealing head will bear against the upper ends of all the containers with a resilient force.

From the preceding description the operation of the entire machinewill be well understood. The conveyor will be continuously driven and the sealing head unit l and cap-feeding and applying unit 3 will be properly adjusted to accommodate the containers and caps to be used. The

conveyor which will first carry them between the fingers l2. The fingers l2 will center the containers on the conveyor so that they will be in alignment with the lower end of the cap chute. The containers will then be moved along and as they pass beneath the cap chute will withdraw caps therefrom as previously described. Then the articles will be'moved into contact with the fingers 90 which will be moved apart at intervals to allow the containers to pass. This will cause the containers to be uniformly spaced along the conveyor loelt. The containers with the caps loosely thereon will then be moved beneath the sealing head unit. The sealing head will be moved downwardly and also in the direction of movement of the conveyor at regular predetermined intervals so that the sealing head will contact with the caps of the successive containers. As previously explained the sealing head will vacuumize, sterilize and seal the caps on the containers.

In Figure 13, I show a slightly diirerent form of cap-feeding means. In this form the member 56a which is similar to member 56 of Figure 11 is continued downwardly and is curved the same as the members 5l of the chute. The roller Ila in this instance is not positively driven and is mounted on member 'I'Ia similar to member ll of Figure 11. This structure will operate substantially the same as that of Figure 11 with the exception that the container will withdraw member MM is substantially the same as the member I I3 but is provided with a removable cap ll3b. The plunger Illa is reciprocable in the member ll3a and carries the sealing head proper "5 which is exactly the same as previously described. The plunger Illa is hollow and has a chamber I55 formed therein which is containers will be placed indiscriminately on the of cylindrical form. A piston I56 is disposed within this chamber. The plunger Illa can reciprocate relative to the piston I56 but packing I5'I is provided for preventing leakage of hydraulic fluid in chamber I55 past the piston. The piston I56 is provided with a tubular extension l58 which is threaded into the cap I III: as at I59. This extension I56 has a central passageway I60 extending therethrough. It will be apparent that when fluid is forced through the passageway I60 into the chamber I55, the plunger Illa will be moved downwardly relative to the piston I56 performing the capping operation in the manner which will be apparent. For moving the plunger I Ila upwardly a compression spring l2la is provided. This spring bears against a cap ll lb provided at the upper end of member Illa and against the upper surface of the piston I56. When the plunger Illa is moved downwardly, this spring Illa will be compressed and as soon as the hydraulic pressure is released, the spring l2 in will return theplunger Illa to its upper position.

A valve stem ll3a is provided in the member I Ila as before. This valve stem controls passage of steam through the passageway lllla which is substantially the same as the passageway Ill. The other steam passageways in the member I Ila and the head proper are the same as previously described with reference to the mechanically operated sealing head unit. The spring ll5a at the upper end of stem 3a normally tends to expand to move valve stem 3a to open position permitting steam to passthrough passageway a.; However, when the plunger llla is in its upper?- most position as illustrated in Figure 14, the upper end of the stem will bear against the cap II3b forcing the stem I43a into a position where passageway 0a is closed. However, as soon as.

plunger Illa moves downwardly the passageway 0a will be opened.

The extension I58 of piston I56 is connected by a conduit IN to a unit I6. which will supply hydrau ic fluid under pressure to the chamber I55 in the sealing head unit. This unit I62 is preferably enclosed in a housing 6a formed as a part of the table I. This unit I62 embodies a fluid-tight housing having a chamber I63 which may be filled with hydraulic fluid through a plugged opening I64. Extending horizontally within the chamber I63 is a cylinder I65. This cylinder has a small inlet opening I66 through which fluid may pass from chamber I63 into the interior of the cylinder. The cylinder I65 is threaded into an extension I61 of the housing of unit I62 and to which the conduit I6l is connected. The cylinder I65 has a piston I68 movable therein. A compression spring I68 within the cylinder I65 tends to keep the piston I68 in the position indicated in Figure 14. In this position the plunger H411 and the capping head II will be in their uppermost positions. However, a cam lever I10 is provided for forcing the piston I68 to the right (Figure 14) at regular intervals. This lever I10 is keyed on a horizontal shaft I1I which extends through one of the side walls of the unit I62. The lower end of this lever bearsagainst piston I68 as at "2. The shaft "I may be rotated from a point outside the housing by an upstanding lever I13 which has a roller I14 that engages a cam 611.

The cam II6a may be driven from the electric motor in a manner similar to that by which the cam H6 is driven. The cam II6a is provided with cam portions 61) and I I6c.

In the operation of this hydraulic device, when the cam II6a is rotated, the portion I I6b will engage roller I14 swinging lever I10 about its pivot forcing piston I68 to the right. This closes the inlet opening I66 and forces fluid from the cylinder I65 through conduit I6I into chamber I55. The cam portion II6b causes the piston I68 to move sufficiently to cause sufficient downward movement of plunger Illa to permit movement of the valve stem H311 to open passageway 0a and allow steam to flow therethrough. The portion I I6c of the cam then engages roller I14 causing lever I10 to move piston I68 a sufficient distance to force plunger I I Ia down to its lowermost position. The inlet opening I66 will serve as a means to supply hydraulic fluid from the chamber I63 to all the other portions of the system to compensate for leakage-or contraction of the fluid in the system.

As previously described with reference to the mechanically operated-jcapping head, the containers usually vary somewhat in height. Therefore,

it is desirable to provide'a safety means which will prevent too much pressure being applied by the capping head to the upper end of a container which is of a greater height than that for which the sealing head is adjusted. For this purpose,

in the hydraulic system I provide a by-pass I15 leading directly from line I6I into chamber I63 above the point where the line I6I is connected mention by a spring I 11.

to cylinder I65. ,This by-pass is under the control of;.a relief valve I16 normally held in closed 7 e A setscrew I18 will vary the resistance of the spring. It will be apparent that the relief valve can be set to limit the pressure exerted by the capping head to a maximum. When this pressuree is exceeded, the relief valve will open allowing the fluid to flow directly from line I6I into the chamber I63.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a greatly simplified apparatus for applying and sealing closures on containers. The caps are first positioned on the containers loosely, are then lifted and the upper portion of the containers vacuumized and sterilized and. simultaneously the caps are sterilized, and then the caps are forced into sealing en-v gagement with the container. The containers will be vacuumized and sealed quickly and effectively. The machine is very simple and can be built at a comparatively low cost. It may be readily adjusted to operate upon containers of various sizes. Furthermore, means is provided tainers even though they vary in height.

Many other advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawings and the following claims.

Having thus described my claim is: p

1. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, means associated with the conveyor for centering the containers transversely of the conveyor, a cap-applying meansdisposed in superimposed relationship to the conveyor substantially midway between the side edges thereof for positioning caps loosely on the containers as they are moved therebeneath, means associated with the conveyor for uniformly spacing the containers previously disposed on the conveyor as they are moved along, and a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having steam jets associated therewith which will lift the caps from the containers and will simultaneously inject steam into the upper ends of the containers, and means for moving the sealing head downwardly to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor.

2. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers which loosely rest thereon, means for continuously moving the conveyor, means associated with the conveyor for centering the containers transversely of the conveyor, a cap-feeding and applying means disposed in superimposed relationship to the conveyor substantially midway between the side edges th eof for' positioning the caps loosely on the containers as they are moved thereinvention, what I beneath. said means embodyinga device for feedbeneath, means for uniformly spacing the containers on the conveyor as they are moved along, and a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having 'steam jets associated therewith which will lift the caps from the containers and will simultaneously inject steaminto the upper ends of the containers, and means for moving the sealing head downwardly atregular intervals to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor. and means for supplying steam to the steam jet at regular intervals so timed relative to the movement of the sealing head that the steam will be injected into the containers before the caps are sealed thereon.

3. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, means asso-- ciated with the conveyor for centering the containers transversely of the conveyor, a cap-applying means disposed in superimposed relationship to the conveyor substantially midway between the side edges thereof for positioning the caps loosely on the containers as they are moved therebeneath, means associated with the conveyor for uniformly spacing the containers previously disposed on the conveyor as they are moved along, and a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper, and means for moving sad sealing head downwardly at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor so that the sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor.

4. In apparatus of the type described, a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, and a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor and adapted to force caps previously applied to the containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit emb'odying a sealing head adapted to engage the caps, and means for reciprocating said sealing head in a path at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor, said means serving to move the head downwardly at intervals so that the sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor.

5. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for moving the conveyor, a sealing head unit associated with the conveyor for forcing caps previously applied to containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head of channel shape to permit movement of the upper ends of the containers therethrough, said sealing head having steam jets associated therewith, and means for moving the sealing head relative to the containers in such a manner that it will force thecaps into sealing engagement with the containers.

6. In apparatus of the type described, a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor and adapted to force the caps previously applied to the containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head adapted to engage the caps, means for reciprocating said sealing head in a path at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor, said means serving to move the head downwardly at intervals so that the sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and means associated with said sealing head unit "to prevent the sealing head from exerting a force on the upper ends of the containers in excessv of a preselected maximum.

7. In apparatus of the type described, a conveyor for supporting containers, meansfor continuously moving the conveyor, a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor and adapted to force .the caps previously applied to the containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head adapted to engage the caps, means for reciprocating said sealing head in a a path at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor, said means serving to move the head,

downwardly at intervals so that the sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, said last-named means including a hydraulic system.

8. In apparatus of the type described, a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor and adapted to force the caps previously applied to the containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head adapted to engage the caps, means for reciprocating said sealing head in a path at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor, said means serving to move the head downwardly at intervals so that the sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, said lastnamed means including a hydraulic system, and means associated with said hydraulic system for preventing the sealing head from exerting a force in excess of a preselected maximum on the upper ends of the containers.

9. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, a cap-applying unit disposed in association with the conveyor for positioning caps loosely on the containersias they are moved past said unit, means associated with the conveyor for uniformly spacing the com tainers previously disposed on the conveyor as they are moved along, and a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having means associated therewith for lifting the caps from the containers and for simultaneously injecting steam into the upper ends of the containers, means for'moving the sealing head downwardly to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and control means for actuating said steam injecting means and said sealing head moving means substantially simultaneously.

10. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, 5. cap-apply- -and for simultaneously injecting steam into the upper ends of the containers, means for moving the sealing head downwardly to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and control means for actuating said steam injecting means;

conveyor for uniformly spacing the containers previously disposed thereon as they are moved along, and a sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having means associated therewith for lifting the caps from the containers and simultaneously injecting steam into the upper end of the containers, means for moving the sealing head downwardly to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the coveyor, and control means for actuating' said steam injecting means and said sealing head moving means substantially simultaneously.

12. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers having caps loosely applied thereto, and a sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having means associated therewith for lifting the caps from the containers and simultaneously injecting steam into the upper end of the containers, means for moving the sealing head downwardly to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and 'control means for actuating said steam injecting means and said sealing head moving means substantially simultaneously. v

13. In apparatus for sealing containers having caps loosely applied thereto, a sealing head, said sealing head embodying a fiat plate disposed above the cap, said plate being provided with a jet opening disposed centrally relative to the cap through which steam is forced and which will serve to lift the cap from the container, said sealing head being also provided with upwardly directed steam jet openings adapted to supply steam between the cap and the upper end of the container.

v von sa head prope beneath, means for uniformly spacing the containers on theconveyor, a sealing head unit disposed'in superimposed relationship to said consealing'-'h'ead unit embodying a sealing r' having steam jets associated therewith which will lift the caps from the containers and will simultaneously inject steam into the upper ends of the containers, means for moving the sealing head downwardly at regular intervals to force the caps into position on the containers'during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and means for supplying steam to the steam jets at regular intervals so timed relative to the movement of the sealing head that the steam will be injected into the containers before the caps are sealed thereon.

16. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, having caps loosely applied thereto, in uniformly spaced relationship, a sealing head unit disposed in super imposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper having steam jets associated therewith which will lift the caps from the containers and will simultaneously inject steam into the upper ends of the containers, means for moving the sealing head downwardly at regular intervals to force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor, and means for supplying steam to the steam jets at regular intervals so timed relative to the movement of the sealing head that the steam will be injected into the containers before the caps are sealedthereon. 17. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for loosely supporting v containers, means for continuously moving the conveyor, means associated with the conveyor for uniformly-spacing .the containers previously disposed on the conveyor as they are moved along, said means including members adapted to be projected over the conveyor at regular intervals to interrupt 14. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, means for continuously moving theconveyor, a sealing head unit associated with the conveyor forforcing caps previously applied to containers into sealing engagement therewith, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head of channel shape to permitmovement of the upper ends of the containers therethrough, said sealing head having steam jets associated therewith, and means for moving the sealing head relative to the containers in such a manner that it will force the caps into sealing engagement with the containers during their movement with the conveyor.

15. Apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor for supporting containers, a cap feeding and applying means disposed in superimposed relationship to the conveyor for positioning caps loosely on the containers as they are moved theremovement of the containers with the conveyor, a sealing head unit disposed in superimposed relationship to said conveyor, said sealing head unit embodying a sealing head proper, and means for reciprocating said sealing head in a path at an angle to the path of movement of the conveyor,

said means serving to move the head downwardly at intervals so that the. sealing head will have a component of motion corresponding to that of the conveyor and will force the caps into position on the containers during movement of the containers by the conveyor.

18. In apparatus for sealing containers having caps loosely applied thereto, a sealing head, said sealing head embodying a flat plate disposed above the cap, said plate being provided with a jet opening disposed centrally relative to the cap through which steam is forced and which will serve to lift the cap from the container, said sealing head being provided with additional steam jet openings adapted to direct steam between the cap and the upper end of the container.

WILLIAM D. BELL

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