US2498193A - Warning signal for crowning machines - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1956 J. E. ANGLO WARNING SIGNAL FOR CROWNING MACHINES Filed Dec. 28, 1946 Patented Feb. 21 1950 WARNING SIGNAL- FOR (BROWNING MACHINES .zlamesfE. Anglo, -StzPaul, Minn, assignortofloca Cola Bottling Company "of Minnesota, Incorporated, 'Mi-nn'eapolis, Mimn, a corporation of Minnesota ApplicatiomDecemhcr 28, 1946,.Serial1Nn. 71931196 .9 "Claims. (Cl. 116-61.).

3.1- 'lihis; invention: relates: towarning or signal. apparatusxadapted to be associated with automatic or semi-automatic:machinery wherein a line of articles are 'moved in some; phase of the-opera.-

tioninabutment-andiadapted to warn an-attendi 1 ant or operator. when there is a :break in the 111161015 moving; articles.

While. applicable to a number of automatic or semi-automatic machines :in a production. or supply iline,;-my:invention hasz particula-r adaptability -.to commercial -.cr,owning.zand bottling systems. tor. carbonated or other beverages.

It is antobject of myinvention toyprovidea simple, inexpensive but nevertheless highly eificient'signal. apparatus adapted to :be. readily attached or to =bewconstructed1 as standard equipment in machines suchv as bottling and crowning machines'for beverages and having the. func 'tionof immediatelygiying a warning signal when a breakoccurs in. a moving line-of articles such as crowns. through temporary lack of supply or improper feeding :of thenarticles in their line of travel.

More specifically,, it:-is anaobiect toprovide in warning: apparatusrof the class; described.- azsource ofair supply under pressure with: means *for.

. directing the :same againstthe abutting articles in line of travel and having-combined therewith and at the other side of said line ofarticles-,. a

signal deviceresponsive to; saiddischarge of air only when abreak occurs in said. line-oi abutting articles.

. :In bottling apparatus which usually includes dispensing; or bottle: filling mechanism with automatic crowning mechanism, the crowns or caps movexcontinuously and at highSPeed inabutting,

side-.by-side relationship through. a chute. andare fed thereby progressively and at highspeed to" the bottle crowning mechanism .whichapplies the crown successively'and clinches. the same upon 1 upon a. break in. theline: oicrownsl being, fed. to: the crowning mechanism throughthe chute; a;

wazrmn-g signal. :isrgiven enabling. 'the-zatterrdarit or: operator to immediately :start the: line not crowns improper abutting relation.

Thesev and other. zobjectszands advantageszadf my invention willhemorerzapparent from th'e fioil'ow in g; description :mad'ezi-n .rconnectiom with therace companying drawings, 'iWhBIBiIlJ. :li-ke; .;refierence characters refer. :to rparts: throughout the several; views which:

i-Fig. L .is: a :irontv perspective: view showing: a typicalbottlewrowning. machinewithrmy apparatus attached thereto;

FigznZziS BiSidBYDEBSPBHtiVB uierwoitltheasamia Fig. 3.21s a;side;elevation.yiew showingathee'crowm chute with the. side :facethereof cut away .and: also showing; "the signal. device of: the: iwarnmgz apparatus in detail; and Fig; 4 is a: toprsection viewtaken substamtfally on-.-the-line; 4-4; of: .Fig. B sh-owing; ithe signalzzde viceof the warning apparatus. .Machinesarein widespread use today performa productive: operation. on;a-.:multiplicity of. .articles :moving im a supply line substantialhr abutting one another. *exam-ple: of such. a machine: is a. bottleecrowningmachin-e, such as the one-illustrated whichtis usedin. soft drink bottling; plants, breweries-and the. -.1il;ei These crowning. machines have .a: hopper fi whichi is adapted to hold .asupp'ly of crowns-21;. Crown selector. mechanism. including av rotary vane.- equipped -.disc 6a. is. associated with hopper iii to individually select the-crowns and-.icarry them to the outside. of the hopper and drop thesame in vertical position. for needing. rapidly rand-sue: cessively mhe crowns to the. uppertend-of alsupply chute-8.1. Said crown .chute..8,.has one endLfiXed; to: the: lower, diminished-portionro-f. the hopper 6 and chute 8 is disposed -.dcwnwardly therefrom and curvedeinwardly at the bottom portion to successively .feedthe. crowns 7 onto ,a crown. plat form. 9 disposed'fbeneath a crowningfhe'ad"|0.

' The machine shown has twelve crowning mechanisms, each including a. crown platform Band a crowning head 1.0", as s'hownnn' Fig; 1*; These crowning mechanismsrevolve so-that said =chute 8 feeds crowns '1 onto successivecrown p'laitfbrn'a's 9. The-outward face'of the chutefl 'is slotted so that the: crownsv arevpartiall y wi'sible as they pass downward. 'hhexlower cnrvenizpon tion" of saidichuteifl alsoihaszitsi miter'rfacezsihttedz.

A source of filtered-air"underwpressurevis vided..-andv supply line. H: has onewend connected with said source,- and the. other-end connectedttp. a master valve l2.v Ahtnbe l .3-.runs frcmisaidtvalwe up to theloottonmof.said;hopper.v SignaLtubeJA.

is connected in said line [3 and runs up to the top of the slot in the curved portion of said chute 8 where it terminates in nozzle I5. Signal valve I6 is provided to control the flow of air in signal tube [4. An elongated transverse slot I1 is cut in the ream-inward faceof said chute 8 directly opposed to nozzle IS. A signal device, such as a whistle I8 is mounted with an air-receiving element such as its mouthpiece abutting the portion of the rear inward wall of said chute 8 surrounding the elongated slot [1.

Supply line I l conducts the compressed air up to valve l2, and when saidfvalve' is open, the air flows into tube l3. Said tube I3 directs the air against the crowns 1 at the bottom of hopper B, to prevent clogging of the crowns I as they enter chute 8. The crowns l flowdownwardly in substantial abutment, one against the other. With signal valve l6 open, the air passes into signal tube l4 and flows out through nozzle 15 and is thereby directed against the line of crowns which are interposed between said nozzle l5 and the mouth of whistle IB mounted around slot ll. It will be seen. that as long as there isa constant flow of crowns l downward in chute 8, the compressed air stream .from nozzle will not im- 'pinge upon the mouth of whistle 18, but as soon as this stream is interrupted indicating a clogging of the crowns inthe hopper or lack of supply thereof, the air will enter the mouth of said whistle and saidwhistlewill give an alarm. An attendant may then quickly unclog the crown selector mechanism or see that the hopper is supplied with crowns as the case may be, or if an adjustment requiring some time is necessary, the machine may be shut off until the adjustment may be made.

With further reference to the air discharge nozzle l5 it will be noted that this nozzle is directed diagonally downwardly to assist rather than impede the normal progression of crowns or other articles down the feeding chute. Thus, an additional and important function is obtained through my apparatus in aiding and accelerating the force of gravity in the progressive feedingof the articles in abutting relationship. 5 The air supply for my discharge nozzle l5 as well as the crown dislodging jet [3a at the upper end of tube l3 may be derived from any suitable source. Several conventional types of bottling machines have a source of air supply connected therewith which is-utilized as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, at present to assist and accelerate the progressive discharge of crowns from the lower curved end So of the feeding chute. To this end, a tangential connection by a fitting with the lower end of chute 8a is made, the discharged air being projected against the edges of the respective crowns as they approach the end of the chute and positively forcing said crownsinto the socket of the crowning mecha- From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a simple,'highly efficient and economical signalling apparatus adapted to be readily installed in conventional automatic and semi automatic machinery such as crowners and bottlers andcapable of utilization in ;other machinery wherea line of articles progressively move in substantialabutment;

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be m'ade in the form,details, ar-- rangementand proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A signal apparatus to give a warning when a break occurs in a line of articles moving in a machine in substantial abutment, comprising a nozzle-forming-element adapted to be connected with a source of air supply under pressure, means for directing said nozzle-forming element against one side of the articles in travel and a signal deto said nozzle-forming element.

' 3. Signal apparatus adapted to give a warning when a break occurs in a line of articles moving in a machine in substantial'abutment; a nozzleforming element adapted to be connected with a source of air supply under pressure, means for directing said nozzle-forming element at an acute angle converging with the direction-of travel of said articles and against one side of the line of articles and a signal device having an air-receiving signal element mounted at the opposite side of said line of articles inopposed relation to said nozzle-forming element, said signal device being responsiveto the discharge of air to give a warning signal when no articles are interposed between said nozzle-forming element and said signal element. I I

4. A signal apparatus for bottle crowning machines adapted to give a warning when a break occurs in the moving line of abutted crowns being progressively fed, to the crowning mechanism, comprising a nozzle-forming element adapted to be connected with a source of air pressure, means for directing said nozzle-forming element against one'side of the line of crowns and an air-responsive signalling device having an air receiving element disposed at the opposite side of said moving line of crowns in opposition to said nozzle-forming element wherebyja' warning signal will begiven whenever the'space' between said nozzle element and said receiving element is unobstructed.

5. The structure set forth in claim4 wherein said nozzle-forming element directing "means maintains said nozzle element at an angle converging with the line of travel of said crowns to assist rather than restrict the travel of said crowns.

6. In combination with a machine adapted to perform a productive operation on a multiplicity of articles in travel, said articles movingin a line in substantial abutment, a warning apparatus comprising a source of fluid supplied underpressure, a nozzle'con'nected with'said sourceand directed against one side of' the abutting articles in travel, a signal device mounted at the opposite side of the line of articles and opposed to said nozzle and-responsive to the discharge of fluid therefrom to give a warning signal "when there are no articles interposed between said nozzle and said signal device. I

7. A warning apparatus "adapted to give an alarm or a break in aline ofarticles moving in abutment, comprising "a" source of air "supply under pressure, an air l'in e' connected with said air supply source, a nozzle connected with said source and directed against the abutting articles 76 in travel, a sounding-device disposed behind said 1 air supply source in opposed relation to said nozzle and responsive for operation to the discharge of air from said nozzle when the space between said nozzle and said sounding device is unobstructed.

8. In combination with a bottle crowning machine and a mechanism that discharges the crowns into a chute leading to a pressure-applying element, a warning apparatus comprising a source of air supplied under pressure, a jet connected to said air source, said jet directing a flow of air against a line of crowns moving in substantial abutment in said chute, a signal device mounted in spaced relation opposing said jet, said abutting crowns being interposed between said jet and said signal device, said signal being responsive for operation to the discharge of air from said jet when the space between said jet and said signal device is unobstructed.

9. In combination with a bottling crowning machine having a crown delivery chute with a slot or opening in the outer face thereof to expose one side of a line of crowns in travel, a sounding device mounted in fixed relation on the inner side of said chute and having an entrance extending through the opposite side of said chute, a source of air supplied under pressure, a jet connected to said air source and directed against a line of crowns moving in substantial abutment in said chute and disposed in directly opposed spaced relation to the entrance of said sounding device, whereby said crowns are interposed between said jet and said device, and whereby an audible signal will be given when a break in the line of crowns occurs in said chute between said jet and said entrance of the sounding device. JAMES E. ANGLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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