US2641398A

US2641398A - Bottle capping machine

Info

Publication number: US2641398A
Application number: US80146A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter A Barrett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-03-08
Filing date: 1949-03-08
Publication date: 1953-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-09

Description

u 9, 1953 w. A. BARRETT 2,

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE I; Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed March a, 1949 WALTER A. BARRETT INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY lllllllllllll June 9, 1953 BARRETT 2,641,398

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I9 27 F\ 3 j 2 Fig as I I lf n l ill I l 2 l T 58 l 6 ".55 Iv 5 9 PF 57 l 53 5b 49 i I I, 5 I 49 I I l I 3 5 WA LTE R H. Bmaefi' IN V EN TOR.

BYWA%% HTTORNEY June 9, 1953 w. A. BARRETT 2,641,398

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE Filed March 8-, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet s I I9 Fl 4 a7 3| I as F a I I 11 al 58 H I we L I I I -i 65., l l ,9:

WALTER A-BmzrecTT INVENTOR.

BY W

HTTORNEY Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CAPBIN G MACHINE Walter A. Barrett, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Application March 8, 1949, Serial No. 80,146

4 Claims. 22692) This invention relates to a bottle capping machine. More specifically it relates to a machine for applying a coverall type of cap to a milk bottle.

It is an object of the invention to provide means conditioned by the bottle capping operation to actuate a mechanism for positioning a new cap for the subsequent capping operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for retarding the operation of the cap positioning mechanism to permit removal of the capped bottle prior to positioning of the next cap.

It is another object of the invention to provide a capper which is smooth and relatively silent in operation.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a capper which is positive in operation.

, These and other objects will become apparent from a study of this specification and the drawings which are attached hereto and made a part hereof and in which:

. Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the capper supporting means.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the capper with the bottle starting to rise to capping position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 except that the bottle is in the full capping position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the bottle descending and cap positioning slide returning toward the Figure 2 posi tion.

Figure 5 is a top View of the capping machine.

Figure 6 is an elevation in section of the dashpot piston.

Referring to Figure l, the numeral l refers to the table which rotates with shaft 3 on suitable bearings (not shown). A sleeve 5 is fixed to the table, extends upwardly therefrom and. is internally threaded to receive a height adjusting screw 7.

The capper support 9 is fixed to the upper end of the screw and carries a locking sleeve I l which telescopes over sleeve 5 to which it is attached by a locating screw I3 which enters a slot l5 in sleeve 5 and a clamping screw IT.

The support 9 has diametrically opposed pairs of arms l92|, 2325 which are perforated to receive slidable capper shafts 21. Since both cappers. are constructed alike only one will be described and the same numerals will indicate similar parts of each.

. The portion of shaft 2'! between arms i92i is encircled by a compression spring 29. A collar 31 is fixed to the shaft between the bottom 'of 2 the spring 29 and arm 2| by means of pin 33.

A piston or plunger 35 is formed on the lower end of the shaft and, as shown particularly in Figure 6 it is provided with a bleeder port 31 which passes axially through it.

A second bore 39 is formed axially through the piston and is counterbored at 4|. A ball valve 43 is seated in the counterbore and urged by a spring 45 to close the bore. A ring 41 is pressed in the counterbore to hold the spring in place.

The cylinder body 49 is provided with a cylinder bore 5| to receive the piston and with an elongated sleeve 53 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 21. An annular ring 54 riding in an annular groove 56 in sleeve 53 prevents leakage between the shaft and sleeve. A compression spring 58 encircles shaft 21 between the lower side of arm 2| and the end of sleeve 53. The sleeve is provided with elongated slots which provide clearance for a pin 51 which projects through the shaft 21.

A head 59 is fixed to the cylinder body to close the cylinder and has a cap magazine tube fil' fixed to it.

A circular cap pressing groove 63 is formed in the head opposite the piston.

The magazine tube BI is provided with a bore 65 of a size to receive the caps 6'! and a counterbore 69 which is adapted to receive a cap packaging tube H.

A guide is mounted on the head 59 and comprises a guide plate and a boss 15 provided with a bore 11 which is aligned with groove 63. The upper and lower sides of the bore are countersunk. The guide plate 19 extends from the bore laterally under and beyond the magazine.

The cap positioning slide 8! is mounted for reciprocation on the guide plate between a position as shown in Figure 3 where it is retracted to receive a cap from the magazine and the position of Figure 2 in which it has positioned the cap in place over bore l! where the cap will be held by fingers 83.

Said fingers are pivotally mounted at on the body 49 and have projections 8'! which enter holes 89 in the guide 13. A spring 9| urges the fingers toward cap supporting position.

As shown in Figure 1, the projections are inclined upwardly so as to be cammed away from the cap by the bead of the bottle.

The slide is provided with a stub shaft 93 on each side. A link 95 is rotatably mounted at one end on each shaft and at the other end on a bell crank 91 which is pivoted on shaft 99 supported in a boss H)! on the magazine. The other arm Operation As shown in Figure 5, the bottles.- enter the.

capping machine in the direction of the arrow A and mount the platforms I which are in axial alignment with guide bores TE- and cap grooves 63. The platforms revolve about'the axis of shaft 1 at the same velocity as the cappers and, assuming that a cap 6? is held positioned over-the bottle as shown in Figure 2, as the roller H-I- rides. up on the cam H39, the bead ofthe bottle will enter the guide bore Ti, spreadv fingers 81, pick up the cap and. press it into the groove 53 on the head 59 and over the beadof the bottle to attach it thereto.

As the roller continues to ride up the cam,

the entire capper mechanism slides-upwardly on.

the shaft 2-? and piston 35 which are held fixed.

As the cylinder 5] is displaced relative to the piston, the liquid which fills the cylinder below the piston is pressurized and opens valve 43 so that. it canpass through the piston into the expanding chamber onthe. other side thereof. valve. port is large enough to permit a rapid passage of the liquid in this direction.

The spring. 58 is compressed, reaching its maximum when the high point of the cam is reached by the roller as shown in Figure 3.

It will be seen that during the movement of the parts from the Figure 2 to the Figure 3 position, the pivot pin 99 of the bell crank 91 has been raised relative to the fixed pin 51. This rotates the crank clockwise and thrusts the links 5- and slide 8! to. the left beyond the caps in the magazine so that anew cap may drop down on the guide 19.

As the roller HI rides down the cam H19; the capped bottle will move away from the head 59 which moves downwardly under the action of;

spring 58 but is restrained by the liquid which is pressurized in the upper chamber and which can escape to the expanding lower chamber only through the restricted port 31.

Thus the return of the slide with the new cap from the Figure 3 to the Figure 2 position is retarded until the capped bottle has fallen below the level of the position to be occupied by the. new cap.

At the completion of the stroke, that-is when the parts again occupy the Figure 2 position, it will be seen that the new cap will be. in-position onthe fingers 81 in alignment. with the guide bore '5? and groove 63 ready for the next bottle.

The capped bottle leaves the capping machine along the line of the arrow B.

The rate of return of the cylinder under the action of the spring 58 depends upon the viscosity of the oil used in the cylinder and the size of.

the port 3! and may therefor be regulated to suit the requirements. of the machine. the action may be accelerated by opening the port if the machine speed requires it, The ime portant point is that the slide must notbe re- That.- is,

4 turned so rapidly that the new cap will be forced against that on the newly capped bottle, otherwise the new cap may be distorted so that it will not receive the next bottle or the bottle just capped may have the cap partly removed or both. It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desire to' be l'imi tedrto the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarily forpurposes of illustration; but instead, he desires protection falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

What-t consider to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States of America i's'z.

1. A bott1e capper comprising a fixed shaft, a sleeve slidable up and down thereon to and from a bottomposition, resilient means for urging the sleeve to the down position, cap presser means on: the sleeve, a cap: magazine: mounted onthe sleeve, means mounted onlthe'sleeve for abstract in; a cap. from theimaga'zine and positioning it in alignment with the presser means, means for reciprocating a bottle towardfiand away from the presser means to actuate the'sl'eeve and install the cap" onthe bottlei'and 'means connecting said shaft. sleeve, the positioning means for actuating the latter to cap abstracting position whenthe sleeve is up and to cap-aligning position when the sleeve is down and dashpot means for redu'cingthe. rate of restoration-of thesleeve" below that of the withdrawal of the bottle to pre"-' vent interference between -thebottle" and the cap being positioned.

2. A bottle capper comprising a fixed shaft, 2. piston-on the shaft, a sleeveslidably mounted" on the shaft and having a fluid filledcylinder for the piston, a spring disposed to urge said sleeve and cylinder downwardly with respect to the shaft and piston, a restrictedport in the piston,

a valve controlled larger portin' the piston, means forming' a passage for the-iiuid from'th'e" lower side of the piston through the-larger port, means for preventing the return of liquid through the the shaft and piston, a restricted port in the" piston, a valve controlled l'argerport in the piston",

meansf'orming' a passagefor the liquid from the lower side of the piston through the larger port, means for preventingthe return of liquid through the passage, cap presser means, a cap magazine andcap' shifting means all mountedon the sleeve and means connecting said shaft sleeve and shifting means for operating the latter to move a cap from the magazine and position it in'alignmentwith the presser means 'on the down stroke of the sleeve and to position the shifting means to-receive another cap from the magazine on the upstroke: of the sleeve.

4. A bottle capper comprisingafixed sliaft", a piston onthezshaftg-a sleeve slidably 'mcunted on-xthe shafti an'dvhavingzaz fluid filled cylinder:

for the piston, means-for" passing iluid slowly' from one side of the piston to the other, a spring disposed to urge the sleeve downwardly, cap presser means for the sleeve, a cap magazine and cap shifting means mounted on the sleeve, said shifting means comprising a guide, a slide mounted for movement on the guide from a position below and at one side of the magazine to a position below and at one side of the presser means whereby to abstract a cap from the magazine and position it in alignment with the presser means, a lever pivotally mounted on the sleeve, a pin on the shaft engaging one end of the lever, and link means connecting the other end of the lever with the slide, and means for reciprocating a bottle toward and away from the presser means to lift the sleeve and install the cap on the bottle.

WALTER A. BARRETT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Maw Aug. 11, 1925 Pinkerton Aug. 25, 1925 Rieck Jan. 15, 1929 Kl'oss Mar. 25, 1930 Swift, Jr. Nov. 11, 1930 Fagan et al Feb. 26, 1935 Petersen Aug. 11, 1936 Daniels Jan. 19, 1937 Taylor Apr. 20, 1937 Riemer Oct. 26, 1937 Baum Feb. 13, 1940 Stewart et a1. Feb. 23, 1943 Stewart et a1. Sept. 4, 1945 Naccarato et a1. Feb. 21, 1950