US2625312A - Apparatus for sealing containers while crowning under vacuum - Google Patents

Description

J. KANTOR Jan. 13, 1953 APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS WHILE CROWNING UNDER VACUUM 2 SHEETSSHEET l .6 .Nllu

M3 1 1 35. m? I Filed Nov. 14, 1949 I N V EN TOR.

JJQNE'S 627N702? 7 ATTOF/KEK J. KANTOR Jan. 13, 1953 APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS WHILE CROWNING UNDER VACUUM 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed NOV. 14, 1949 4/11/51? WWW/Zia Patented Jan. 13, 1953 APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS WHILE CROWNING UNDER VACUUM James Kantor, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 14, 1949, Serial No. 127,197

Claims. (01. 226-82) The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for applying crowns or caps to filled containers while the containers are being subjected to a vacuum or partial vacuum for the and 2 Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

In the structure illustrated a preferably hollow support l is rotatably mounted on a center post purpose of exhausting such air that remains in 6 2. This hollow support I carries a plurality of the top of the container after being filled. crowners 3, only on of which is partially dis- In the filling of beverage containers after the closed in the drawings. Each of these crowners container has been filled to the desired level, a comprises a housing 4 which has mounted therepocket of air is left at the top of the container in a cylindrical guide 5, which receives a cylinin that portion thereof which remains unfilled. drical housing 5 of a crowning head. This cylin- This small pocket of air when the crown is apdrical housing 6 receives a hollow sleeve 1 which plied to the container is sealed therein and has is biased in a downward direction through the a deteriorating effect on the contents of the conmedium of the coiled spring 8, the lower end tainer particularly where such contents is in the of which bears upon the top of a cylinder collar nature of carbonated beverages h as b r l5 9 screw threaded to the lower end of said sleeve and non-alcoholic beverages. 1. Within this sleeve there is provided a plunger In my co-pending application, filed May 11, Ill which is biased in a downward direction 1949 and bearing Serial No. 92,546 I have ilt rou h the medium f coi ed spri lustrated a structure wherein the container is The collar 9 at its lower end is P ded Wit adapted to be projected through a throat and in a crowning throat and to this end the lower a position to receive a crown. Means ar proend of the collar is provided with a cylindrical vided for sealing this throat around the neck of throat or chamber which contains a P f the container and after this sealing is effected wedge shaped rings l2 and I3, the ring l3 being and prior to the time the crown is crimped on formed of a plu y of separate se ments which the container a vacuum is created which exare adapted to be contracted about the side of hausts the air at the top of the container. My the lip of the crown. The contracting ring l2 invention more specifically relates to means for is forced downwardly by a cupe ember sealing the neck of the bottle in the throat of M which receives the lower end l5 of the plunger such structure as are illustrated in my above Ill and in turn is moved downwardly by the identified application, although it will be undownward movement of the plun er n, which derstood that my invention is applicable to struchas a flange It in turn enga in n inturned tures other than the specific structure illustratflange I! at the bottom of the sleeve 1. For ed in the above application. sealing the crowning throat or chamber a suit- It is a further object of my invention to proable gasket or grommet l8 surrounds the lower vide a simplified means for drawing a vacuum end 15 of the plunger II]. from above the top of the container in the At the side of the collar 9 I provide a slot sufstructure disclosed in said above identified applificiently wide to permit the insertion therecation. through of a crown adapted to be placed on the For the purpose of disclosing my invention I container. have illustrated an embodiment thereof in the Hereafter for the purpose of clearness the conaccompanying drawings in which: tainer will be referred to as a bottle.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of so The crown is delivered into position through much of the crowning mechanism as is necessary this slot from a crown chute l9 disposed at the for illustrating my invention; side of the crowner.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the crowning This receiving slot for the crown is closed, after throat and accompanying parts illustrated in the crown has been placed in position, through Fig, 1; the medium of a closure member being prefer- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line ably a rubber stopper 20 mounted on the face 3-3 of Fig. 2; of the arm 2| pivoted on a pivot pin 22. Coil Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line springs 23 bias the arm in a position to move 4-4 of Fig. 1; the stopper into sealing position and the arm Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line is maintained in its open position through the 5-5 of Fig. 1; medium of a suitable roller 24 mounted on a Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively detailed sectional stem carried on the arm 2|. This roller conviews taken on the lines 6-6 and 1-1 of Fig. 4, tacts a suitable cam member 25 during the portion of the travel of the crowning mechanism.

For a more detailed description of the construction and operation of the above parts reference may be had to my co-pending application filed May 11, 1949, hearing Serial No. 92,546 heretofore referred to.

Supported, beneath the crowning throat is a crown rest 26 which is supported from the crown throat by means of suitable supporting pins 2! extending through lugs in the crown rest and locked in the ears 28 on the crown throat by means of screw threads. The lower ends of these pins 21 are keyed, as at 27, to suitably support the crown rest and the upper surface of the top wall of this crown, rest has sealing engagement with the crowning throat through the medium of a sealing gasket29, The top wall of the crown rest is provided with a crown support 39 on which the crown is: adapted to be deposited by insertion through the slot in the crown throat. The crown. rest is provided with a centering bell 3| having. a tapered throat. The centering bell takes the form of an annular ring reciprocally mounted within the crown rest and held in position by athreaded collar 32 threaded into the crown rest andprovided with a shoulder 33 adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 34 on the bell. The bell Si is biased in a downward direction by a coiled spring 35 and interposed between this vertically movable bell 38 and the bottom base of the top wall of the crown rest is a sealing ring 36 which is substantially U shape in cross section and which, when contracted, sealingly engages the neck of the bottle projecting therethrough and into a position to receive a crown supported on the crown support as.

When a bottle is projected through the ring 36 and into a position to receive a crown supported on the crown support 39, a vaccum is drawn in the crown rest chamber, accommodat ing the sealing ring 35, through a suitable port 37 and which tends to raise the bell 3i compressing-the sealing ring 35and contracting the same into sealing engagement. with the neck of the bottle. At the same time a vacuum is drawn in the crown throat chamber through a port 38, which throat chamber has previously been sealed b the stopper 2d, so that immediately before the engagement of the lower end i of the plunger with the crown, to hold the same upon the top of the bottle, all air Within the crown throat chamber is exhausted and such air as iscontained in the top, of the bottle is likewise exhausted. Upon the descent Of the plunger It the crimping ring 13 crimps the lip of the crown about the neck of the bottle and the bottle is thoroughly, sealed While still under a vacuum.

Immediately upon the crimping of the crown the vacuum, operating upon the ring 38, is released thereby releasing the neck of the bottle and immediately thereafter the vacuum in the crowning throat chamber is released, by placing the same in communication with the atmosphere. Before the bottle is removed from, the throat, however, compressed air is momentarily introduced into the throat for blowing out any particles which may have occurred therein and also into the sealing ring 35 to tend to expand the same and force the tapered throat 3! downwardly.

For controlling the drawing of a vacuum in-the crown throat chamber and in chamber accommodating the sealing ring 36 and the release thereof and the admission of air under pressure thereto, I provide what may be termed a slide valve, this slide valve consists of a non-rotatable valve ring 39 surrounding the hollow support I and supported upon a clamping ring 40. This ring 39 is provided with an inlet stem 4| connected by a suitable conduit 42 leading to a source of vacuum. The stem 4| is vconnectedthrough a suitable conduit43 with anannular groove 44 formed in the top face of the ring. The ring also is provided with an annular groove 45 which in turn is connected by a suitable coupling 46 with a conduit ll leading to a source of air under pressure. Cooperating with this ring 39 and disposed above the same, is a second ring valve 48 which is provided with'a port 49 extending to the face thereof'and in turn communicating through a conduit 50 with the port 31 leading to the sealing ring 35. This ringvalve 48 is also provided with a port 5! extending to the face of the ring valve 48 to which port 5| is connected by a conduit 52 with the port 38 leading to the crown throat chamber. Thering valve 58 lies face to face with the ring valve 39, but rotates relatively thereto and with the crowner.

As the crowner and with it the ring valve 48 rotates, the port 49 is first placed in communication with the groove 44 and accordingly a vacuum is drawn in the sealing ring 36 to seal the neck of the bottle. Immediately thereafter, however, the port 51 moves into communication with the groove 44 and the crown throat chamber is placed in communication with the source of vacuum, thus drawing a vacuum in the crown throat chamber. As the parts continue to rotate, the crown is sealed onto the bottle and immediately thereafter the port 49 moves into communication with groove 53 in the face of the valve ring 39. This groove, through a suitable port 54, communicates with the atmosphere so that as the port 49 moves out ofcommunication with the groove ldand into communication with the groove 53, the source of vacuum isshut oil and the sealing ring is placed in communication with the atmosphere-thereby relieving the sealing pressure of the sealing ring on the neck of the bottle. Almost immediately thereafter, the port 51 moves out of communication with the groove 44 and into communication with groove 53 and therefore in communication with the atmosphere so that the vacuum is releasedin the crowning throat chamber.

During the continued rotation of the parts, both ports 49 and 5| move in continued communication with the groove 45 in the ring 39 which, it is to be noted; is placed in communication with a source ofair under pressure, which air will tend to blow out of the crown. throat chamber any'foam, which may have been drawn therein, and any foreign particles. Likewise the air under pressure will tend to assist the coil spring 35 in moving in throat 3| back to its initial. position.

While I have shown one set of ports 49 and 5| in the valve ring 48, it will be understood; that there are as many of these sets of ports as there are provided crowning heads of which I have illustrated in the drawings only one.

It will also be understood that the crowning heads are adapted to rotate about the center post 2 in an orbit and during such rotation the crowning operation takes place.

I claim:

1. In combination, a crowning head having a crowning throat provided with a crown receiving aperture in its side wall and a crown rest disposed beneath and having a sealed connection with said throat and having an opening in the top side thereof through which a container neck is adapted to be projected, a crown support on the top wall of said rest surrounding said opening, a reciprocally mounted centering bell sealingly mounted in said rest and havin an opening coinciding with the opening in said top wall, the top wall of said crown rest and the top of said centering bell being spaced to provide a space therebetween, a sealing ring disposed in said space for sealing engagement with the neck of the container and means for drawing a vacuum in said space to move said bell toward the top wall of said rest and collapse said sealing ring to contract its side walls into engagement with the neck of the container surrounded by said ring.

2. In combination, a crowning head having a crowning throat provided with a crown receiving aperture in its side wall and a crown rest disposed beneath and having a sealing connection with said throat and having an opening in the top wall thereof through which a container neck is adapted to be projected, a crown seat on the top of said wall surrounding said opening, a reciprocally mounted centering bell sealingly mounted in said rest and having an opening coinciding with the opening in said crown rest, the top wall of said crown rest and the top of said centering bell being spaced to provide a chamber therebetween, a sealing ring substantially U shape in cross section disposed in said chamber and sealingly engaging the face of the top wall of said rest and the face of said centering bell and means for producing vacuum in said chamber to move said bell toward the top of said rest and collapse said sealing ring to contract its side walls into engagement with the neck of the container surrounded by said ring.

3. In combination, a crowning head having a crowning throat provided with a crown receiving aperture in its side wall and a crown rest disposed beneath and having a sealing connection with said throat and having an opening in the top wall thereof through which a container neck is adapted to be projected, a crown support on the top wall of said rest surrounding said opening, a centering bell sealingly and reciprocally mounted in said crown rest and providing a closure plug for the bottom portion of said crown rest, the top of said centering bell being spaced apart from the top wall of said crown rest to provide a chamber therein, a collapsible sealing ring disposed in said space sealingly engaging the face of the top wall of said rest and the top face of said centering bell and providing a closure for one side of said chamber, said centering bell being movable toward the top of said rest to thereby collapse the top and bottom walls of said sealing ring to contract the ring about the walls of the container that may be projected therethrough.

4. In combination, a crowning head rotating in a fixed orbit and having a crown throat provided with a crown receiving aperture in its side wall, a crown rest disposed beneath and having a sealing connection with said throat, means for closing said aperture after a crown has been de posited on said crown rest and a container has been positioned in said rest to thereby provide a sealed chamber in said crown throat, a centering bell reciprocally and sealingly mounted in said crown rest and formin with the top wall of said crown rest, a crown rest chamber, a sealing ring disposed between the top wall of said rest and the top of said centering bell providing a closure member for said crown rest chamber and means for substantially simultaneously drawing a vacuum in said crown rest chamber for contracting said sealing rin about the neck of a container to seal said first mentioned chamber against the atmosphere and drawing a vacuum in said chamber within said crown throat for exhausting the air therefrom.

5. In combination, a crowning head rotating in a fixed path of travel and having a crown throat provided with a crown receiving aperture in its side wall, a crown rest disposed beneath and having a sealing connection with said throat, a centering bell reciprocally and sealingly mounted in said rest and spaced apart from the top wall of said rest to provide between said top wall and the top of the centering bell a crown rest chamber, a sealing ring disposed in said crown rest chamber, said crown throat having a chamber formed therein, means for closin said aperture to seal said crown throat chamber after a crown has been deposited on said crown rest and a container has been positioned in said rest, a valve for controlling the admission of vacuum to said crown rest chamber, said valve comprising a relatively stationary ring having a groove in the face thereof adapted for communication with the source of supply and a second groove in the face thereof communicating with the atmosphere, a rotatable controlling ring having a port connected with said crown rest chamber and a second port connected with said crown throat chamber, said ports extending to the face of said ring and communicating during the rotation of said ring first with said vacuum groove in said stationary ring and then with said atmosphere groove in the face of said ring.

JAMES KANTOR.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,252,881 Calleson Jan. 8, 1918 2,279,266 Kantor Apr. 7, 1942

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