US2597852A - Bottle-filling machine with conveyer for conveying bottles to an elevator and pusher for pushing bottles from elevator to filling position - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1952 L. T. COOKSON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR T0 FILLING POSITION Filed March 2, 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ZEa /HRD 7. Coo/($0M y 1952 T cooKsoN 2,597,852

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR TO FILLING POSITION .7

' 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1946 Lsomn T COOKSON y 1952 L. T. COOKSON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR To FILLING POSITION 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2, 1946 l NV ENTOR LEONARD T COOKSOZV BY W TORN EY y 1952 L. 1'. COOKSON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR To FILLING POSITION 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 2, 1946 7 ,sa az INVENTOR LEomo ZCaomsozv 27, 1952 1'. COOKSON 2,597,352

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FDR CQNVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR TO FILLING POSITION Filed March 2, 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 .5.f 7 Q 5a 44 I 7 19. 8 54 INVENTOR LEOMARD T CO0K80N May 27, 1952 T. cooKsoN BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR TO FILLING POSITION 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 2, 1946 l N V E NTO R flan/mp0 T Cools-0A! ATTORNEY y 1952 'r. cooKsoN BOTTLE FILLING MAC IINE WITH CONVEYER FUR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR TO FILLING POSITION 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 2, 1946 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. LEO/W780 7. Coo/(501v May 27, 1952 L. T. COOKSON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONVEYER FOR CONVEYING BOTTLES TO AN ELEVATOR AND PUSHER FOR PUSHING BOTTLES FROM ELEVATOR TO FILLING POSITION Filed March 2, 1946 Patented May 27, 1952 OFFICE Leonard T. Cookson, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignor to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Miclrz; a

corporation of Michigan Application March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,551

13 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for filling containers and particularly contemplates a. machine for placing a measured amount of dry material, such as medicinal capsules, into a small bottle.

In providing machines for filling bottles, particularly small bottles, with a measured amount of material, particular diiiiculty has been experienced in providing satisfactory, automatic mechanism for delivering the bottles to filling position. While many forms of mechanism have been developed and employed for this purpose, there have remained certain problems which have not been satisfactorily solved. The bottles being handled in large numbers, it is desirable that they may be placed onto a feedin belt in only approximately predetermined positions, inasmuch as the placing of the bottles into definite receptacle or guiding means on the feeding belt requires from the operators more individual attention than is desirable. The magnitude-of this problem increases rapidly with the number of bottles which it is desired to fill simultaneously, and in a machine such as that hereinafter specifically described for illustrative purposes, where it is contemplated that ten units will be filled simultaneously, this placing problem becomes very great. v

On the other hand since the openings of these bottles are small, often of theorder of onequarter of an inch in diameter, they must reach and stop in a filling position under the mouth of a feeder with a high degree of accuracy, stay there long enough to be filled and then move on.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide automatic feeding mechanism for a machine for automatically filling small bottles in which the original placement of the bottles by the operator onto' a conveyor belt need be done with only approximate accuracy but the bottles will arrive and stop at the filling position with a high degree of accuracy, and it is desirable that such a mechanism be readily applicable to a large number of bottles simultaneously presented to fillin stations.

With the foregoing in mind a major object of my invention has beento provide a machine for filling small bottles with measured amounts of material in which the bottles may be placed upon the initial feeding means with only approximate accuracy but which will deliver the bottles to their filling position with a high degree of accuracy.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a machine as aforesaid which will handle a considerable plurality of bottles simultaneously without materially increasing the initial feeding problem and without loss in accuracy.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid of such construction that the design for any particular specific embodiment may be easily modified to provide a machine for handling a different number of bottles.

further object of my invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid having such a minimum of complexity and such ease of adjustment that the parts thereof will be simple to construct, assemble and to maintain in efficient operating condition.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid having a minimum of adjustments so that once a given machine is placed in operating condition with respect to a particular type of bottle it will continue in such condition over a long period of time without further adjustment, but when any is needed it can be readily effected.

A further object of my. invention is to provide a machine as aforesaid wherein the bottles will be moved by positive and definite action so that the likelihood of any bottles jamming and possible breaking in the machine is practically eliminated.

Other similar objects and purposes of my invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with equipment of this type upon examination of the accompanying drawings and reading of the following specification:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of the assembled machine.

Figure 2 is a partially broken side elevation showing particularly the mechanism for feeding and indexing the bottles.

Figure 3 is an elevation, taken from the righthand end of the machine as appearing in Figure 2, of the mechanism operating the feeding belt.

Figure 4 is an elevation taken from the righthand end as it appears in Figure 1 of the ram mechanism shown as separated from the rest of the parts.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of a portion of the machine showing the feed conveyor belt adjusting details.

Figure 6 is an end elevation taken from the right hand end as the same appears in Figure 2 of the elevator mechanism shown separated from the rest of the parts.

Figure 7 is a detailed side view of the mechanism operating the feeder belt.

Figure 8 is an end View of the mechanism operating the feeder belt taken from the lefthand end of the mechanism as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a partially broken side elevation showin the counting drum and a portion of the feeding hopper.

Figure 10 is a section taken on either of the line X-X of Figure 6 or on the line XX of Figure 11.

Figure 11 is a top view of a portion of the bottle stop and the elevator with which is cooperates.

Figure 12 is a side view of the ram and its operating mechanism.

Figure 13 is a top view of the ram.

Figure 14 is a semi-schematic, broken, fragmentary top view of the conveyor belt, elevator, filling platform, and parts directly associated therewith, with the frame driving structure and other conventional parts omitted for greater clarity in illustrating the operating parts comprising the invention.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary section taken on the line XV-XV of Figure 7 showing further the arrangement parts along the conveyor driving shaft.

Figure 16 is a broken, somewhat schematic, section taken on the line XVIXVI of Figure 14, showing only the bottle handling parts.

In providing a mechanism suitable to meet the objects and purposes above set forth it has been particularly important to provide a machine which will combine ease of feeding with accuracy of filling, simplicity of construction with ease of adjustment for adapting the design to models of different sizes and capacity, and speed of operation with ease of maintenance. All of these objectives have been kept in mind and have been accomplished in the machine of which a specific embodiment is shown for illustrative purposes in the drawings. It should be clearly understood, however, that the principles developed and herein illustrated are applicable to a substantial variation of structural details and that those herein particularly shown and described are illustrative only. It should also be understood that since much of my specific illustrative machine is conventional, certain parts of my drawings herewith are schematic, and/Or abbreviated, or even omit express showing of such parts as framework,

the driving motor, mounting shafts and bearings,

and similar parts, since these items can all be readily supplied by any skilled mechanic, but that all parts not conventional which are a part of, or necessary to, the operation of my machine are shown and described in full and complete detail. While it will be understood that the herein described machine may be advantageously used to fill a wide variety of containers, as indicated in the first paragraph herein it is designed primarily for filling bottles. Hen e, for illustrative purposes, reference to bottles will be used throughout the following description to denote the containers, and an illustration of an ordinary capsule bottle is used in the accompanying drawings to denote the containers which the machine is intended to handle.

My machine fulfills the objects and purposes above set forth in the following manner. Starting with a plurality of bottles irregularly placed onto a conveyor, a portion of them are delivered onto a vertically moving elongated member, or elevator. This being of depth in the direction parallel to the conveyor movement not greatly more than the diameter of any bottle with which a particular machine is designedto'operate, but

of width equal to the full width of the conveyor,

there will be formed on the elevator a single row of bottles in an approximately straight line. The conveyor then moves backward slightly to relieve the pressure imposed on the bottles on the ele' vator by the bottles following on the conveyor, whereupon the elevator moves down to a point in front of a pushing means, or ram, acting substantially horizontally. As the ram moves, it engages the bottles through a plurality of adjustable ram heads carried on the ram body and positioned with respect to each other to form the same pattern which it is desired that the bottles should assume, whether a straight line, a curve, staggered or otherwise. The ram heads engage the bottles and move them substantially horizontally to their desired positions and then withdraw, leaving the bottles in the relative positions with respect to each other as determined by the respective positioning, of the ram heads. The elevator then moves up to the conveyor level to repeat the cycle.

In my machine as generally shown in Figure 1, I provide a feeding mechanism 1 consisting of a hopper it; and a counting drum ll. This is mounted in a fixed spaced relation with a body part 2 containing the various driving elements for the several parts and supporting a conveyor 3. This conveyor receives the bottles on its rightward end as the same appears in Figure l and delivers them to indexing and feeding mechanism at s. Here the bottles, which may have been placed onto the conveyor with considerable irregularity, are aligned into straight lateral rows and then delivered precisely under the feeding funnels of the filling station at ,5. After filling, the bottles are moved leftward, still referring to the machine as appearing in Figure l, to a point near the discharge end '6 where they may be removed from the machine either by hand o by delivery to a further conveyor, or by other suitable means.

The machine is mounted (Figure 2) on a suitable base member l2 to which are fastened supporting plates, such as the plate 13, supporting individual units of the various moving parts within the body part 2 of the machine. Suitable Vertical supports at each corner, such as that partially indicated at [4, are provided and these may or may not as desired be connected by panels concealing the interior of the machine from view. At the upper and rearward part of the machine there is provided a rearwardly extending part 15 for supporting the rearwardmost part of the feeding conveyor as hereinafter explained in more detail. Other suitable framework is provided throughout the various parts of the machine supporting the several parts hereinafter described. These are suitably and preferably made from pieces of angle iron bolted or welded together, but may be of any conventional construction which will support the respective parts in the desired positions.

The feeding conveyor Near the rearward end of the supporting framework there is provided a plurality of idler rollers l6 (Figures 2, 5, 14 and 16). At the forward end of the conveyor are a plurality of drive rollers l8 Figures 8, 14 and 16 suitably mounted on a shaft [9. A plurality of conveyor belts I! each'extend around a drive roller and an idler roller. Suitably placed between the respective conveyor belts l! are the guide panels 20 and 20a Figures 5 and 14 which insure that the bottles will be properly aligned laterally to come under the proper filling funnels.

For holding the several conveyor belts at the proper tension there is provided a member 2| suitably mounted onto the general framework of the machine to which is pivoted at 22 a member 23 supporting at its outer end the idler Wheel 24. Screws 25 (Figures 2 and 5) held by the nut 26 onto the boss 2'! bear at 28 against the underside of said member 23. By suitably holding the nut 26 and turning the knurled head 29 the various conveyor belts can be quickly and individually adjusted to any desired tension.

The drive for the conveyor units operates through the mechanism indicated generally at 30 (Figure 2) by cam actuation of the lever 3|. These parts are shown in more detail in Figures '8, 7 and 8 and consist of the following described elements.

A substantially rectangular base element 32 (Figures 8 and 15) is mounted on a hub 32a and suitably keyed to the shaft I9. Also mounted on the shaft |9 but freely rotatable with respect to it is a ratchet 33 and a gear 34. The gear and the ratchet are fastened together. by any suitable means such as a pin 35. A pair of pawls 36 and 31 (Figure '7) are suitably pivoted near each end of the base member 32, as by the threaded pins 33, each held in place by a jam" nut 39. Any suitable spring supporting means, such as the curved segment 49, supports a spring 4| urging the pawl downwardly against the ratchet 33. The pawl 37 is similarly spring loaded to urge it also against the ratchet.

Another gear 42 is located on the shaft l9 adjacent the gear 34 and by its hub 43 is suitably held forrotation with said shaft by a suitable key or set screw. A major segmental gear 44 is held by its hub 45 on a suitable shaft 43, the said shaft 46 having integral with it a head 41 holding the hub 45 against a thrust washer 48 and the whole being held onto a frame member 49 by a suitable jam nut 50 which cooperates with a threaded extension 5| of the shaft 46. A minor segmental gear 52 encircles the hub 45 and is rotatable with respect thereto. A boss 53 extending from the major segmental gear 44 supports a screw 54 which is provided with a jam nut 55, for holding said screw in a selected position. movement in one direction of said minor segmental gear with respect to the major segmental gear. A similar assembly 56 determines the limit of relative movement of these parts in the other direction. Suitable cap screws 51 and 56 are threaded into the body of the major segmental gear and extend through the slots 59 and 69 of the minor segmental gear. When properly tightened these will hold the two segmental gears against relative movement with respect to each other and thus take the operat ing load off the more delicate adjusting elements. A link 6| is pivoted at 62 to the major segmental gear and reciprocates to give said major segmental gear an oscillating motion around its pivotal support.

The lever element 3| is mounted (Figure 2) by a pivot 63 to a lug 64 which is supported bythe base |3. A suitable cam 65 is mounted on a cam shaft 16 in any convenient manner for timed rotation and operates positively against a roller 3|a carried on said lever to give said lever an accurately timed oscillating motion. The upper end of said lever (Figure 7) is connected at the pivot point 66 to the link 6| and thus provides This screw determines the limit of 5 r rotate counterclockwise.

said link with a reciprocating motion. The link 6| is preferably made in two parts which are each threadedly inserted into an internally threaded connecting member 61. By suitable rotation of this member in the manner of a turnbuckle and the holding of it in any adjusted position by jam nuts 68 and 69, the length of the connecting link may be precisely adjusted to assist in the accurate timing of the feeding mechanism.

The operation of this portion of the mechanism will be readily understood. In the position shown in Figure 2 a bottle has been delivered to the filling position, the ram 98 is retracting and the elevator platform-l4 is about to rise, after which the machine will commence a feeding cycle. Reacting to the action of the cam 65 the upper end of the feed driving lever 3| (Figure 7) moves rightward, the two segmental gears are caused to move clockwise about their centers, and as they engage the gears 34 and 42 they cause said gears to move counterclockwise as they appear in Figure 7. However, insofar as the minor segmental gear will engage the gear 42 and cause it to move as stated, this merely duplicates the action of the large segmental gear and has no function of its own in this part of the feeding cycle. The major segmental gear, in causing the gear 34 to rotate counterclockwise, as the same appears in Figure 7,. causes said gear acting through the pin 35 to drive the ratchet 33 likewise in a counterclockwise direction. Said ratchet operating through the vpawls 36 and 31 causes the base member 32 and its hub 32a likewise to These elements being keyed to the shaft l9 cause said shaft and the conveyor drive rollers l8 likewise to rotate. This rotation causes the conveyor to move leftward,

v as the same appears in Figures 2 and 16, and to move a row of bottles onto the hereinafter described elevator.

As the first row of bottles moves off the conveyor belts it must be and is pushed by the succeeding row in order that said first row will move entirely onto said elevator.

A backing plate I56 (Figures 2, l1 and 16) will usually be used with the elevator to prevent any bottles which are ahead of the general row from going beyond the elevator, since there may be developed considerable pressure by the pushing bottles against a bottle on the elevator. In the absence of precautionary measures this pressure may be sufficient to prevent a bottle on the elevator from descending with said elevator by holding it against said backing plate. Further, the pushing bottle will sometimes follow the pushed bottle slightly onto the elevator and be under considerable pressure from the bottles following it. Thus when the elevator descends, even if the bottle on the elevator descends satisfactorily with it, the next succeeding bottle will be in a precarious position. It is thus desirable to relieve the pressure to which these bottles are subjected before the elevator starts to descend. This is done by a momentary backward movement of the conveyor immediately before the descent of the elevator. For this purpose the minor segmental gear 52 is provided.

When the feeding stroke is completed, the major segmental gear has moved its full distance clockwise. The minor segmental gear having moved along With it will now be found to the right of the gear 42 (Figure '7). The return stroke of the link 6| commences immediately. When it moves leftward the two segmental gears 7. engage the gears 34 and 42 asbefore. This/time, however, the gear 35 is driving the ratchet 33 in a clockwise direction so that the pawls are not engaged and the shaft I9 does not respondto this turning. However, the teeth of the minor segmental gear will engage the gear 42 and turn it through a few degrees of rotation in a clockwise direction. This gear through its hub 43 being keyed directly to the shaft [9 will accordingly turn said shaft through a few degrees of clockwise rotation and thereby move the conveyor belt rightward a short distance. This rightward motion of the conveyor belt moves the bottles backward sufficiently to relieve the pressure upon the bottles delivered to the elevator and thus leaves these latter free to move downward with it. The segmental gears then return to their extreme counterclockwise position and are ready tobegin the next cycle.

The elevator mechanism block I I supports the elevator base it onto which is mounted the elongated elevator platform 14.

This platform comprises a base M6, spacers M7 and I48 (Figures and 11) defining a chamber between themselves for the reception of the hereinafter mentioned slides, and a top. plate I49 having therein a plurality of openings I59. The slides l5! and I52 are positioned between said spacers and are suitably connected through the openings wt, to the several elevator partitions of which two are indicated at I53 and 154. The said slides being slightly thicker vertically than the spacers I41 and I43, tightening of the two knurled holding nuts M5 to urge said plate M9 toward the base i 28 will clamp the slides firmly in place therebetween. Thus, with said nuts m loosened, the elevator partitions may be easily adjusted according to the width of bottles being used, and then said nuts may be tightened to hold said partitions through said slides against movement.

The guide block H is caused to reciprocate vertically by a cam actuated linkage. A connecting member i5, including rods a and 75b and an adjusting mechanism Hi similar to that above described for the link 6|, is afiixed by a suitable pivot member "H to a cam actuated lever 18 (Figures 2 and 6). This lever is pivoted at 79 to a suitable mounting member 88 which is in any convenient manner mounted onto the general framework of the machine. This lever 18 is actuated by a cam follower 78a (Figure 4) running in the groove of a suitable cam I05 mounted and actuated in any conventional manner, and is thus caused to oscillate about its pivot point 19 in timed relationship with the rest of the mechanism. Thus there is secured a timed vertical reciprocation of the said connecting member 15 and the elevator.

On the side of the elevator platform opposite the conveyor belt there is placed a backing plate I56 (Figures 2, 11 and 16) which prevents bottles being fed onto said elevator from being pushed too far. This backing plate is supported by a pair of suitable posts I51, each of which is adjustably held in a selected position by tightening one or both of the knurled nuts I53 and [.52 against the holding platform I60. Said. holding platform is suitably mounted to any convenient part of the frame of the machine. The .endmem ber I61 (Figures 14- and 16) of the frame supporting the conveyor belts ll fills the gap between the said belts and the elevator.

By proper timing of the cam 105 with respect to the cam 65 the elevator is caused tofbein' its uppermost position as th conveyor commences moving the bottles leftward. Thus the first row of bottles across the several conveyor belts will move onto the elevator, which remains in said up,- per position until the minor segmental gear of the conveyor has operated as above described to cause the conveyor to move a short distance rightward. The elevator then comes downwardly to the level of the loading platform 10 and the ram mechanism operates to push the bottles. off the elevator and into the filling position.

The timing of the elevators operation will be by proper adjustment of its actuating cam I05, and precise adjustment of the vertical. stopping positions of the elevator may be determined by proper manipulation of the adjusting means [6;

The ram mechanism W a row of ot le h be n. wa ed er. the elevator to the lowermost position of said elevator, at which its upper surface is flush with the per surface of the loading platform 10, it is then necessary to move said bottles leftward as appearing inFigures l, 2 and 16 into the leading position indicated by the bottle shown at 1415 Figure 2. Further, it is necessary that thebottles which may be on the elevator in a stiil spine:- what irregular line be finally arranged intg a pre determined line, usually straight, in order that they may be placed accurately under the'various feeding funnels l2l.

The base platform or guide member, Q0, (Figure 4) is suitably mounted onto the frame of the machine and has cutout from its upper. surface the recess 9| for the reception of the slide 92 A pair of plates 93 and 93a are fastened to the top of the guide block to overlap somewhat the cut out part 9| for the better retention and guide ing of the said slide. An adjustable guide block it is provided to hold the slide in lateral justment. A slot 94 is cut into the underside of the guide block 99 for the accommod 9n of the actuating arm A connecting element Q6 eatends through a space between the two top plates 93 and 93a and connects the slide -92 with the ram base 91 (Figure 12) This ram base is a bar of substantially rectangular cross-section extending the full width of the machine and carries on it the rams 9 8 These rams are securely fastened to the ram base by any convenient means such as cap screws. They each carry on their respective forward ends a ram head gas which contacts a bottle and pushes it forward from the elevator into the filling position. suit able guides similar to the guides 2!! and 2011 (Fig-- ures 2 and 11) may be mounted on the filling plat:- form 10 for the lateral control of each of the re spective bottles while being so pushed.

The actuating arm 95 for said rams is mounted on a suitable hub it! (Figure 4) which is piyotally mounted one. pair of lugs 192 and 1]}; which in turn are mounted on a suitable base member I84 connected with the frame of the m h ni The op ratin em pag (if n conventional type and is conveniently the reyrse side of cam $5. In any event this camJike -the 19 other cams, is mounted for rotation in any convenient manner from any convenient source of power, such as by a cam shaft I56 driven by any suitable means.

As the cam rotates it will act through a cam follower 9512 on the arm 95 to cause an oscillating movement of said arm around the mounting pivot point I08 (Figure 2) and thereby cause a reciprocating motion of the upper end of said lever. This causes a reciprocating motion of the ram which is properly timed with the rest of the mechanism.

The ram is provided with any suitable means for adjusting its longitudinal position with respect to the arm 95, such as the means I59 (Figure 12) located between the top of the arm 95 and the depending ram driving lug I I6. By suitable adjustment of the means I09 the forward extent of the ram is controlled. Thus the ram may readily be adjusted for bottles of different sizes in order to bring their respective centers directly under the center of the fixed feeding funnels I21.

The counting and filling mechanism Insofar as the foregoing described mechanism is concerned the counting and filling mechanism may be of any conventional type which will operate accurately and which may be suitably timed to cooperate with the rest of the machine. In Figure 9 there is illustrated a type of counter which will be found advantageous.

Mounted upon a suitable pair of supporting side members of which one appears at I20 is a drum I I and a hopper Ill. The drum has a series of recesses I23 therein which receive capsules or other solid material from the hopper in a con ventional manner. The brush I24 serves to prevent the passage of extra capsules which might otherwise jam in the machine. A guide I25 is placed close to the surface of the drum to hold the capsules in their respective recesses until they reach the discharge point I26 at which they drop into the feeding funnel I27. By suitably determining the number of recesses I 23 in a given circumferential area of the drum, any desired number of capsules can be delivered into a feeding funnel in a single revolution of the drum. By placing these recesses in suitable rows and associating each row with a separate funnel, an appropriately supplied feeding funnel may be provided for each bottle which the rest of the machine delivers. The drum is driven by any suitable means from any suitable source, but preferably by shaft and gear means operating from the shaft I driving the cams already mentioned.

Operation In summarizing the operation of my machine it will be assumed that we are filling a three ounce cylindrical bottle with one hundred fifty capsules each, said capsules being of a substantially spherical shape and approximately threesixteenths of an inch in diameter. The machine as shown may be built to accommodate any convenient number of rows of bottles for simultaneous filling. The feeding drum has rows of capsule receiving recesses I23, in number equal to the number of conveyors with which the machine is provided, such as the four conveyors shown in the fragmentary illustration of Figure 14. It will be evident that the number of such recesses may be coordinated with the number of capsules to be placed in a given bottle as desired i0 and that the drum may, according to its size, be caused to fill a bottle on a partial revolution or in other cases it may be required to revolve two or more times to fill a given bottle. It is thus evident that for a given machine to handle a considerable variation and sizes of bottles it will not be necessary to have a separate drum for each specific operation but that a single drum will be able to cover a wide variety of conditions by proper timing thereof.

With the correct drum in place, the hopper I0 is supplied with capsules and assuming the proper adjustments have already been made the machine is started. As the drum revolves in a clockwise direction, as the same appears in Figure 9, the capsules contact the uppersurface I28 of the drum and by their being considerably tumbled about each of the recesses I23 will receive a capsule therein. The brush I24 assists. the 10- cating of one capsule in each recess and prevents partially recessed capsules from jamming in the 'mechanism. The capsules are carried around the righthand segment I29 of the drum and are held within the recesses of the drum by the guide plate I25. As the capsules reach the discharge point I26 of the drum they are dropped through a plurality of feeding funnels I21 into bottles which have been positioned below each of said funnels. Since a predetermined number of capsules will be in each group of capsules receiving recesses,'exactly that number of capsules will be discharged through the corresponding funnel into each of said bottles. After the last capsule has been dropped from the drum and this will be done substantially simultaneously with respect to each group of recesses across the drum, there follows a blank place in the drum from which no capsules are dropped. This permits the filled group of bottles to be moved away from beneaththe respective funnels and an unfilled row of bottles to be moved into place.

While the first row of bottles is being filled the lever I8 is moved upwardly, which places the elevator platform 14 in an upward position so that its top surface is flush with the top surface of the conveyor belts H. The cam 65 operates to move the upper end of the lever 3| rightward and thus operates the conveyor mechanism in the manner above described. The conveyor is accordingly moved leftward to bring up a row of bottles to be filled.

As the conveyor belts move leftward, they will push a row of bottles onto the elevator. When this row of bottles is fully onto the elevator, the conveyor belts are then reversed momentarily in the manner above described and moves rightward for a short distance to relieve the pressure on therow of bottles on the elevator by the row of bottles immediately following same. At this point the elevator cammoves past its high position and the lever 18 is allowed to move downwardly and thus lower the elevator to its lowermost position, at which the upper surface of its platform is flush with the upper surface of the loading platform 70.

It is at approximately this point that the filling of the preceding row of bottles from the'respective loading funnels is completed. The part of cam I65 operating with the ram actuating arm now brings its actuating point against the cam follower thereon and causes the said arm to move leftward as same is shown in Figures 2 and 13. This through the above described connecting mechanism causes the. rams 98 to move leftward and brings their several, ram. heads .99

against the row of bottleson the elevator :to push them leftward into loading position under the respective funnels. Astheymoveinto loading position the incoming .bottles ithemselves move the filled bottles leftward out of loading position.

As the next filling cycle commences the side of the cam I115 operating with the :ram actuating-arm1'95 comes to the end of its actuating position and the arm 95 immediately follows it rightward to withdraw the rams 98 rightward awayfromtheelevator. .As soon as said ram mechanism .is retracted, the elevator is moved upwardlylto its raised position. At this time the side of thecam Bioperating with the feed control leverfil .againreaches its actuating point .by which the lever 3| is moved rightward and the conveyor commences .to operate to repeat the cycle.

The various adjustments above described as provided for themoving partsof the machine willenable it to bekepteasily in operating condition and enable it :to be readily adjusted for bottles of various sizes. Particularly 'if .the upper'surface of the platform 10 'be'etched, or otherwise markedfto show'by a suitable-plurality of lines therearward extremity of bottles of different sizes when their respective centers are directly.underthecenters of "the feeding funnels, the rarmmaybeeasily :adjusted to terminate its travel .at whichever .of such points is desired. This may be doneby turning the machine'by hand until the ram is .in its'extreme leftward position,

as the same appears-in Figure 2, and then turning the adjustment )9 forwardly or backwardly as needed'to align the front surfaces .of theram heads 99 with the appropriate line.

In this machine,;once it has .been'properly adjusted 'and'placed :in operating condition, bottles maybe fed tothe receiving :end .ofthe conveyor by a relatively unskilled operator without particular attention to the placing of them in straight rows across the said feeder. However, as the bottles approach the discharge end of 'the feedconveyor the bottles, 'dueto thepressure of pushing a row .onto the elevator, will pack'them- 'selves'togetherrather tightlyat and near the discharge end of said conveyor. .A 'single row of bottles which is pushed onto the elevator will be located thereon in a substantially straight line. The final aligning comes when the ram pushes the bottles from the elevator into feeding position. Since the'pushing surfaces of the individual rams are on a straight line, within, of course, reasonable fabrication limits of tolerance, any remaining irregularity in the alignment of said bottles will be removed and they will be placed in position 'under the feeding funnels in a straight line ready to be filled. Any lateral displacement tendency is controlled by theseveral described lateral guides for each longitudinal row of bottles, such as guides 20 and 20a associated with the conveyor belt and the similar guides placed on the elevator and filling platform. Thus, each longitudinal row of bottles is properly held against lateral displacement throughout its travel.

Any other pattern for the final arrangement of said bottles 'may be provided by proper adjustment of the positions of the various ram heads with respect to each other, such as in a by'hand or they-may be permitted to accumulate 12 on a .suitable tray which may be removed periodically.

This machine will be found to be fast, accurate, easily shifted from one specific use toanother-and easy to maintain in accurate operating condition.

I claim:

'1. :In means for arranging a plurality of irregularly arranged fcontainers into predetermined relative positions for presentation to a plurality of other means, the combination comprising: a filling platform; a filling devicepositionedzabove said filling platform; a feeding conveyor zintermittently movable .in timed relationship to other hereinafter mentioned means; a vertically movable elevator adapted for receiving a plurality of said containers from said conveyor and means limiting the movement of said containers transversely of said elevator whereby said containers become arranged on said elevator in substantial conformity with the center line of said elevators; means effecting momentary reverse movement of said conveyor after said plurality of containers is placed on said elevator; means moving said elevator downwardly to another position; a reciprocable ram'located under said conveyor and movable horizontally when said elevator'reaches its said other position, which ram has a plurality of container engaging heads arranged insclected positions relative to each other, engaging said containers upon operation of said ram,

whereby said containers will be arranged into relative positions corresponding to the said relative positions "of said engaging heads; means located primarily .below said ram for reciprocating same in timed relation to said elevator and thereby pushing said containers from said elevator onto said filling platform and under said filling device.

2. In mechanism for simultaneously filling a plurality of containers, the combination 'comprising: a filling platform; a filling device positioned above said filling platform; a horizontally operable feeding conveyor of width suffi cient to accommodate a selected number of said containers, and means supporting same with respect to a frame; driving means intermittently advancing said conveyor in timed relation to hereinafter mentioned other parts of said machine; a vertically moving elevator of width at least as wide as the container carrying portion of said conveyor intermittently positionable for receiving containers from'said conveyor; a backing plate adjacent said elevator for limiting movement of a given group of said containers in response to the urging of containers following same on said conveyor; means automatically effecting sufficient reverse movement of said conveyor when the elevator is loaded to relieve all pressure between said containers on the elevator and those following same; means moving said elevator downwardly from its said loading position to an unloading position; a horizontally, reciprocably, moving ram positioned belowsaid conveyor and having container engaging means engaging said containers and moving them horizontally onto and along saidv filling platform into their respective filling positions under said filling means, whereby the lateral alignment of said containers is determined in response to the corresponding alignment of the container engaging means; means located primarily belowsaid ram for reciprocatingsame in timed relation to said elevator'and thereby push- 13 ing said containers from said elevator onto said filling platform and under said filling device.

3. In container filling mechanism, feeding means comprising the combination of a horizontally operable feeding conveyor, and means supporting same with respect to a frame including a driving roller; means intermittently rotating saiddriving roller in timed relation to the hereinafter mentioned other parts of said mechanism including a shaft supporting said roller and fastened thereto for rotating therewith; a pair of driving means on said shaft, a pair of segmental gears cooperating with said pair of driving means, the one of said driving means being related to said shaft for only uni-directional driving thereof and the other being connected to said shaft for driving thereof in either direction;

and means causing timed oscillation of said segmental gears; a vertically reciprocable elevator; a horizontally reciprocable feeding ram and a discharge platform; timed actuating means causing said elevator to be in an upward position while said container supporting portion of the conveyor belt moves toward it for a predetermined period and momentarily backward away from it, and then causing said elevator to move downward to a point on the same horizontal plane with the discharge platform and further means causing said ram to push a container from its position on said elevator onto said discharge platform.

4. In container filling mechanism the combination comprising: a horizontally operable feeding conveyor, and means supporting same with respect to a frame including a driving roller; means intermittently rotating said driving roller in timed relation to hereinafter mentioned other partsof said machine, including a shaft supporting said roller and fastened thereto for rotation therewith; a pair of actuating means on said shaft, a pair of inter-connected segmental gears cooperating with said pair of actuating means, one actuating means being related to said shaft for only uni-directional driving thereof and the other being connected to said shaft for the driving thereof in either direction and said segmental gear operating with said one actuating means being of greater circumferential length than said other segmental gear; means causing timed oscillation of said segmental gears; a timeable vertically reciprocable elevator; a timeable horizontally reciprocable feeding ram, and a feeding platform in cooperative relationship with intermittently operating timeable feeding means.

5. In container filling mechanism having an horizontal conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller supporting said conveyor belt in operative position and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position adjacent the discharge end of said feeding conveyor wherein a given container is pushed onto the conveyor receiving member by the pressure of containers following it on the conveyor and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last-named means comprising: a shaft supporting said driving roller and rotatable therewith; a plate rotatable with said shaft and supporting a pawl; a ratchet cooperating with said pawl mounted on said shaft but rotatable independently of it; a forward driving gear supported by said shaft but rotatable independently of it connected with said ratchet for rotation with said ratchet; a backward driving gear mounted on said shaft and connected to it for rotation with it; one segmental gear cooperating with the forward driving gear and another segmental gear cooperating with the backward driving gear; means pivotally supporting said segmental gears and means causing oscillation of said segmental gears; whereby oscillation of said segmental gears in one direction will operate through said forward driving gear and said ratchet to drive the conveyor in one direction and oscillation of said segmental gears in the other direction will operate through said backward driving gear to drive the conveyor in a reverse direction.

6. In container filling mechanism having a conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller supporting said conveyor belt in operative position, and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position adjacent the discharge end of said feeding conveyor wherein a given container is pushed onto the conveyor receiving member by the pressure of the containers following it on the conveyor and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last named means comprising: a shaft supporting said roller and fastened thereto for rotation therewith; a pair of actuating means on said shaft, a pair of inter-connected segmental gears respectively cooperating with said pair of actuating means; one actuating means related to said shaft for only uni-directional driving thereof and the other being connected to said shaft for the driving thereof in either direction, and said segmental gear operating with said one actuating means being of greater circumferential length than the other said segmental gear, and means selectably and simultaneously oscillating said segmental gears.

7. In a container filling machine, the combination comprising: a filling platform and a base platform co-planar therewith; counting and filling means mounted above said filling platform; a conveyor frame positioned above and spaced from said base platform and having belt-type conveyor means thereon, said conveyor means being of such width as to accommodate a plurality of transversely arranged containers and said conveyor means having its discharge end adjacent to said counting and filling means and spaced therefrom; a single elevator platform of sufficient width to span the entirety of said conveyor means adjacent to the discharge end of said conveyor and means raising and lowering said elevator platform; pushing means between said base platform and said conveyor means, and means actuating said pushing means when'said elevator platform is in its lowermost position to'move containers on said elevator platform toward said counting and filling means; guide means associated with said conveyor means defining parallel channels positioned parallel' to the direction of movement of said conveyor 'means, said guide means being spaced apart only sufficiently to permit easy passage of a container therebetween, and other guide means similarly spaced positioned on'the filling platform and providing passageways from the elevator platform to and beyond the point, on said filling platform which is below said filling and counting means; whereby an operator may watch from the same point of observation the containers on the conveyor, the bottles approaching the point of filling andthese portions of the filling means adjacent to the containers being filled 8. In a container filling mechanism having a fixed thereto for 15 horizontal conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller supporting saidconveyor belt in operative position and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position adjacent to the discharge end of said conveyor belt wherein a given container is pushed onto the conveyor receiving member by the pressure of containers following it on the conveyor, and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last named means comprising: a shaft support ing said driving roller and rotatable therewith; a pawl and means on said shaft supporting same for rotation therewith; a ratchet cooperating with said pawl mounted on said shaft but rotatable independently of it; a forward driving gear coaxial with said shaft, and connected with said ratchet for rotation therewith; a backward driving gear mounted on said shaft and connected to it for rotation therewith; a segmental gear cooperating with said forward driving gear and another segmental gear cooperating with the backward driving gear; means pivotally supporting said segmental gears and means causing oscillation of said segmental gears; whereby oscillation of said segmental gears in one direction will operate through said forward driving gears and said ratchet to drive the conveyor in one direction and oscillation of said segmental gears in the other direction will operate through said backward driving gear to drive the conveyor in the reverse direction.

9. In a container filling mechanism having a horizontal conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller supporting said conveyor belt in operative position and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position adjacent to the discharge end of said conveyor belt wherein a given container is pushed onto the conveyor receiving member if by the pressure of containers following it on the conveyor, and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last named means comprising: a shaft supporting said driving roller and rotatable therewith; a forward driving gear on said shaft and af uni-directional movement therewith; abackward driving gear mounted on said shaft and connected to it for rotation therewith in either direction; a segmental gear cooperating with the forward driving gear and another segmental gear cooperating with the backward driving gear; means pivotally supporting said segmental gears and means causing reciprocation thereof; whereby movement of said segmental gears in one direction will operate through said forward driving gear to drive the conveyor in one direction and movement of said segmental gears in the other'direction will operate through said backward driving gear to drive the'conveyor in the reverse direction.

10. In a container filling mechanism having a horizontal conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller for supporting said conveyor belt in an operative position and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position ad jacent to the discharge end of said conveyor belt wherein a given containe'ris pushed onto the conveyor receiving member by the pressure of the containers following it on the conveyor, and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last named means on said shaft and affixed thereto for uni-directional rotation therewith; a backward driving gear mounted on said shaft and connected to it for rotation therewith in either direction; a toothed element cooperating with the forward driving gear and another toothed element cooperating with the backward driving gear; means supporting said toothed elements and means causing reciprocation thereof; whereby movement of said toothed elements in one direction will operate through the forward driving gear to drive the conveyor in one direction and movement of said toothed elements in the other direction will operate through said backward driving gear to drive the conveyor in the reverse'direction.

11. In a container filling mechanism having a conveyor belt, and means including a driving roller supporting said conveyor belt in operative position, and a container receiving member intermittently positioned in a container receiving position adjacent to the discharge end of said conveyor belt wherein a given container is pushed onto the container receiving member by the pressure of the containers following it on the conveyor, and means actuating the roller driving said conveyor belt, the improvement in said last named means comprising; a shaft supporting said roller and fastened thereto for rotation therewith; a pair of tooth receiving members on said shaft, one of said tooth receiving members being related to said shaft for unidirectional driving thereof and the other tooth receiving member being connected to said shaft for the driving thereof in either direction; a pair of interconnected toothed elements respectively cooperating with said pair of tooth receiving members, said toothed element operating with said one tooth receiving member being of greater operative length than the other toothed'element; and means selectably and simultaneously reciprocating said toothed elements.

12. In a container filling machine, the combination comprising: filling platform; a base platform substantially co-planar therewith; filling means mounted above said filling platform; a conveyor supporting frame positioned above spaced from said base platform and a conveycr supported thereon, said conveyor having its discharge end adjacent to said filling means and spaced therefrom; an elevator platform adjacent to the discharge end of said conveyor and means for raising and lowering said elevator platform; pusher means between said base platform and said conveyor, and means horizontally actuating said pusher means when said elevator platform is in its lowermost position to move containers on said elevator platform toward and onto said filling platform; and means intermittently moving said conveyor, reciprocating said elevator platform and reciprocating said pusher means all in timed relation to each other for moving containers by said conveyor onto said elevator platform, lowering said containers by said elevator platform to a point substantially co-planar with said filling platform and thence pushing said containers from said elevator plat form onto said filling platform.

13. In a container filling machine, the combination comprising: a filling platform; 'a base platform; filling means mounted above said filling platform; a conveyor supporting framepositioned above and spaced from said base platform and a conveyor supported thereon; an elevator platform adjacent to the-discharge end of said conveyor and means for raising and lower-- ing said elevator platform; its upper position being substantially co-planar with said conveyor and its lower position being substantially coplanar with said filling platform; pusher means between said base platform and said conveyor and supported by said base platform; and means horizontally actuating said pusher means when said elevator platform is in its lowermost position to move containers on said elevator platform toward and onto said filling platform; and means intermittently moving said conveyor, reciprocating said elevator platform and reciprocating said pusher means all in timed relation to each other for moving containers by said conveyor onto said elevator platform, lowering said containers by said elevator platform to a point substantially co-planar with said filling platform and thence pushing said containers from said elevator platform onto said filling platform.

LEONARD T. COOKSON.

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

Number Re. 20,675 771,090 1,090,855 1,115,758 1,524,291 1,554,440 1,729,237 1,467,019 1,593,882 1,609,802 1,839,925 1,977,307 2,092,916 2,215,036 2,241,721

18 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rodd Mar. 22, 1938 Pugh Sept. 27, 1904 Jagenberg Mar. 24, 1914 Whitton Nov. 3, 1914 Dennis Jan. 27, 1925 Letort et a1 Sept. 22, 1925 Albertoli Sept. 24, 1929 Tzibides Sept. 4, 1923 Robinson July 27, 1926 Ekstrom et a1 Dec. 7, 1926 McKaig Jan. 5, 1932 Hayssen Oct. 16, 1934 Hildebrand Sept. 14, 1937 Hartman Sept. 17, 1940 Hoppe May 13, 1941 Hlavaty Nov. 10, 1942

Images