US2902809A

US2902809A - Container sealing machine

Info

Publication number: US2902809A
Application number: US617407A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wysocki Kazmier
Original assignee: Pfizer Inc
Current assignee: Pfizer Inc
Priority date: 1956-10-22
Filing date: 1956-10-22
Publication date: 1959-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-08

Description

Sept. 8, 1959 K. WYSOCKI 2,902,809

CONTAINER SEALING MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 O nfa\\m 7l IIII/ h u |IIIIII/ fl Z I. o n 7 Z I H Ill a 1 Ill m kw 0 W H fl 6 6 J INVENTOR.

132112101 fi ymckz A 717' am Sept. 8, 1959 K. WYSOCKI 2,902,809

CONTAINER SEALING MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

fig Z1121?! u yamkz' M/ ATTORNEY. v

Sept. 8, 1959 K. WYSOCKI CONTAINER SEALING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 22, 1956 INVENTOR. Kizzmzer BY WJoaki M WNW ATTORNEY.

2,902,809 CONTAINER SEALING MACHINE Kazmier Wysocki, Maywood, N..l., assignor to- Chasi Pfizer & C'o., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corp'oratlon of Delaware Application October 22, lssaserialNo. 617,401 13 Claims. (31. 53-429 This invention relates to a machine for sealing caps to containers, and more particularly to a machine for sealing caps of deformable material to containers having protruding lips.

Bottles or containers having protruding lipsar'e extensively used, for example, in the pharmaceuticalindustry for packaginga multitude of liquid, powder andsolid preparations. to as vials. These vials are conventionally sealed by means of a rubber stopper and closure'member orcap'. The lower edge of the skirt of the cap is crimpe'cl or rolled under the lip of the vial to securely seal the vial and protect its contents from contamination. These caps are usually made of a' ductile metal, suchasalumin um, to provide advantageous sealing characteristics.

For rapid production automatic means must beiusd for sealing these vials. This automatic machinery should provide reliable sealing regardless'of slight variations'in bottle or cap structure, minimum space occupancy, rapid operation, adaptability for efiicient positioning'wit'h'respect to material handling facilities, and a structure which facilitates adjustment, maintenance'and repair. J I i H Various sealing machines employing spinning heads have been proposed; In the spinning-head type machine, however, the speed of operation is limited-by structural complications, and it is diflicult to provide means for ac,- commodating variations in vial and cap structures A type of machine has been proposed in which bottle's and caps are grasped between rotating spindles mounted on a turntable, and thereby carried against a forming shoe. A closing machine of this type is illustrated in US. Letters Patent 1,227,244 issued May 22, 1917. In this known machine the upper spindles are continuously rotatedby virtue of engagementof attached-spur gears with acircular internal ring gear. Continuous rotation of these spin"- dles complicates pick up and release of the bottles and the nited States PatefitO These containers are" commonlyre'ferred 2,962,809 I Patented Sept. 8, 1959 aiid'for receiving the containers after the spindles have traversed the forming blade. The containers accordingly have an exceedingly short path of substantially straightline travel through the machine which facilitates pick-up anddelivery as well as promoting a convenient straightline arrangement of the conveyors.

Since the spindles are rotated only in a short segment of their circle of travel and do not rotate when the containers are grasped and released, the device for positioningthe vials on the turntable and the delivery and receiving arrangements are highly simplified. The locating device, for example, may be provided in the form of simple pockets which receive and position the vials delivered by one conveyor and allow them to be easily picked off by the receiving conveyor.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the'accompanying drawings in which:

Fig; 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partially broken away of the embodiment shown in Fig. l;

Fig.1 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the embodiment 'shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig. 3

' a ong; the lines 4 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; v I

Fig. 5 across-sectional view taken through Fig. 3 along the lines 55 and looking in the direction of the I arrow continuous ring gear is expensive to manufacture and difficult to adjust. I E v v Among the objects of this invention 'is'to provide a simple machine for sealing caps upon containers-which has a simple, efiicient and'compact structure and is capable of operating"atexceptionally high-speeds.--

provided having a relatively short forming blade which lies adjacent the path of travel of a turntable holding rotatable spindles which grasp and carrythecontainers. As the turntable rotates, containers and caps are forced into contact with the forming blade. The caps roll along the blade to be sealed. I Auxiliary means may be utilized to prevent slippage between the forming blade and caps. These-means may be incorporated in the cap and forming blade themselves or may be provided by means respectively attached to the spindles and stationary portion of the machine. v H Conveyor means are disposed adjacentthe '{p'ath'j of travel of the spindles for delivering'containersfto be grasped before the spindles traversethe forming blade I, Fig. 6is anenlarged cross-sectional view taken through Fig.12 along the lines 6-6 and looking in the direction of th'e arrows;

Fig.- 7 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig; 1 along; the line 7-7 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

' Fig; 8 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig. 7 alongjthe line 8-8 and looking in the direction of the Q S;

Fig-. 9 is a plan view of a portion of another embodiment-of this invention; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the forming blade of another embodiment of this invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the overall configuration ofa container sealing machine 10 which is a typical embodiment'lof the present invention. The main portions of this machine are the base or cabinet 12, the split turntable '14-and the forming blade support 16. A bonnet 18-cove'rs' and rotates with the upper portion of the sealing machine which is dominated by a handwheel 20 for adjusting the height of the turntable 14 in a manner later described in detail.

' .The-split turntable 14 includes an upper half 22 and a lower half 24 (clearly shown in Fig. 6) which respectively I I carrythe cooperating

halves

26 and 28 of spindles29. In accordance with this invention, a ,sealing machinei is Vials 30"are picked up by spindles 29 before they traverse the forming blade and are released after they pass the forming blade which is supported in structure 16.

A delivery conveyor 32 is positioned adjacent the path of travel of the spindles 29 for delivering containers to these spindles immediately before they traverse the forming bl'ade'assembly 34 installed in structure 16. An auxiliary means 36, a curved rack, for example, for preventing slippage between the cap and forming blade is also inchided 'in structure 16. A receiving conveyor 38 is disposed inline with the delivery conveyor 32 and joins the path of travel of the spindles 29 substantially immediately after they have traversed the forming blade structure 34.

Fig. 2 illustrates how the path of travel of the containers 30 through this sealing machine occupies a relatively small arc of the 360 arc of travel of the turntable 14. The conveyors are accordingly arranged in a straight line which greately simplifies the delivery and pick-up'of' containers by and from the spindles 29 as well as facilitating the material handling problem.- This substantially straight-line movement avoids the application of severe radial forces to the vials which would unduly complicate their pick-up and delivery at the high rotational speeds of the turntable which are desirable to yield high production rates.

Conveyor 32 includes a conveyor belt 40 a conventional structure, and conveyor 38 includes a conveyor belt 42 and other appurtenances also of conventional structure. A star wheel 44 is provided for transferring vials 30 from delivery conveyor 32 to the pockets or recesses 47 provided in locating ring 46 which positions the vials between

halves

26 and 28 of the spindles 29.

This star wheel 44 is rotated by conventional synj .spindle26 and the rotatable plate 92 of the lower spindle chronizing means, for example, a geared transmission, represented by block 200, which synchronizes rotation of the star wheel with the rotation of the turntable 14 carrying locating ring 46 so that a vial is positioned in each The blade 72 is free to move in a radial direction relative to the turntable by virtue of the elongated mounting holes 74 provided in the forming blade structure through which vertical supporting sleeves 76 are inserted. The blade 72 is resiliently restrained in the radial direction by means of spring loaded shock absorbers 78 anchored in a stationary vertical member 80 of the mount 16, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The shock absorbers 78 are shown as spring loaded studs but may be of any conventional shock absorbing resilient type. '7 i Fig. 4 shows the manner in which the forming blade is resiliently mounted by means of spring 82. A stud and nut assembly 84 supports the spring 82, the blade assembly 34 and sleeve 76. Fig. 4 also illustrates the pocket, notch or recess 47 of the locating ring by the v star Wheel 44 and associated curved guide rail 48.

Vials 30 are delivered to.the lower halves 28 of'the spindles 29 at the lowermost point of the path of mo:

tionof these spindles. These lower spindle halves 28 are raised by cam and follower means (later described in detail) to raise the vials with their capped necks firmly inserted within the upper spindle portions 26. Vials are accordingly firmly grasped and carried into contact with the forming blade by spindles 29.

Upper spindle halves 26 carry auxiliary means, spur table portion 24 may be, for example, an aluminum castgears 50, for example, for preventing slippage between the caps and forming blade. Spur gears 50 are installed on the shaft of spindle halves 26 at a common level, above the turntable portion 22, for example. These spur gears engage a curved rack 52, incorporated within structure 1 6. The vials 30 are accordingly rotated with their caps in contact with the forming blade 34 which effectively rolls or crirnps the lower portion of the skirt of the cap beneath the protruding lips of the vial (see Fig. 4). After the vial has been sealed by rolling in contact with the forming blade, the lower half 28 of the spindle drops to its lowermost position and the vials 30 are taken off from the spindle by curved rail 54'on receiving conveyor '38. These auxiliary means are not absolutely essential and may be modified or dispensed with, as is later de 7,

scribed in conjunction with Figs. 9 and 10.

The stationary mount 16 provides adjustment in an upward and 'downwarddirection by manipulation of hand wheel 56 and lever 57. The adjustable structure of mount 16 is later described in detail in conjunction with Figs. 7 and 8. An electric motor 58, which may be of the gear reduction type, is ring mounted, for example, to base plate structure 60 within the cabinet 12. This motor 58 drives a shaft 62 to which the turntable 14 and bonnet 18 are aflixed. Cabinet 12 issupported operative position in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3 a segment of the lower half of the turntable 24 and the notched ring 46 are shown as they respectively carry and position a pair of vials 30 into operative sealing contact with the working edge 70 of the forming blade 72. The vials 30 are position of the working edge of the forming blade 72 as it crimps the lower portion 86 of the skirt of deformable cap 88 under the protruding lip 90 of a vial 30. The vial is shownas it is grasped between the upper Fig. 6 shows the details of the turntable and spindle assembly, particularly the operative portions of the spindle 29. Referring -to Fig. 6 the shaft 62 passes through the plate of cabinet 12 separating the motor portion of, the cabinet from the operative portion of the machine. "The bearing assembly 68 is bolted to the upper" portion of plate 100. Bearing 68 is a self-aligning'ball bearing including a grease fitting 102. A sleeve 104 is secured by set screw 105, for example, about shaft 62 and provides a suitable groove 106 for receiving steel balls 108 of 'theself-aligning ball bearing 68.

" The lower turntable portion'24 is supported on shaft 62 by the upper edge vofsleeve 104. The lower turning. The lowerturnta ble portion 24 is anchored to the shaft 62', for example, by a key 110 and a suitable keyway'112. Turntable 24 is maintained in firm contact with the upper half of sleeve 104 ,by means of a suitable retaining'ring114 and groove 116 in shaft 62. The upper turntableportion 22 is adjustably vertically positioned upon shaft 62,by means of a screw 118 engaged within a threaded bushing 122 extending through hole in the center of *the 'top of shaft 62. A handwheel 20 is secured to the top of adjusting screw 118 by means of a pin 126. The handwheel hub 128 and collar 124 of the adjusting screw118 support between them a plate 130. Theupper shaft 132 of the adjusting screw is free to turn through a hole 134 placed in the center of the plate 130." The plate 130, therefore, does not rotate as thehandwheel is rotated to raise or lower the bonnet assembly and plate 130.

This-plate in turn supports the upper turntable 22 by means of stud and nut assemblies 136 which are anchored in plate 130 and threaded into holes 138 in the upper' hub 1400f turntable 22. Movement of the handwheel 20 and adjusting screw 118 upward and downward, therefore,--raises and lowers turntable 22 and bonnet 18 which is further secured to the web 142 of turnon adjustable legs 66. 'A bearmg structure for shaft 62 turntable 22. The lower portion of the shaft 146 is supcarried between an upper spindle 26 (not shown) and a lower spindle 28. The forming blade 72 is resiliently mounted in two directions as indicated by Figs. 3 and 4.

ported within a ball bearing 154 inserted within a recess in the lower portion of hole 150. The lower portion of shaft 146 extends through ball bearing 154 and is anchored' to the inverted cup 156 which includes a recess 158 for receiving the top portion of the capped vial 30. vThe base ofthe vial 30 rests onrotatable plate 92 of the lower rotatable spindle assembly 28. Plate 92 is rotatably supported on the topof shaft 160 which is rotatably supported by. ball bearing 162 and sleeve bearing164. The rotatable shaft 160 is supported within a vertically movable sleeve assembly 166 which is assembled i Q.- to include a compression spring170'. This incorporated spring 170' allows the sleeve assembly 166 to resiliently compress approximately This provides a shockabsorbing action to prevent severe forces from being applied to a vial 30 supported thereon.

An outer sleeve 172-retainss1eeve assembly 166 by means of an internal retaining ring 174 which anchors ball bearing 162 and sleeve assembly 166 against the force of spring 170 which bears-in turn against-plug 175 which seals the lower end of the sleeve 172. The outer sleeve 172 is urged in a downward vertical direction by means of compression spring 176 which bears against the lower surface 178 of the peripheral flange 180 of lower turntable 24. The force ofspring 176 is transferred to sleeve 172 by means of'retaining ring 182' provided in the lower portion of sleeve 172.

A horizontal shaft 184' is supported in the lower half of sleeve 172 for rotatably supporting a cam follower or" roller provided, for example, by 'ball bearing 186. This ball bearing 186 rides against a cam surface 188supported on base plate 100. Cam 188 allows the lower spindle 28 to depress to receivethe vial and raises it as the vial transverses the forming blade areaito firmly grasp the vial between the upper and lower spindle halves.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate details of the adjustable mount 16. Referring to Fig. 7 the operativeportion of auxiliary means 36 is provided, for example, by a segment of a curved gear-toothed -rack 52 which may also be termed a curved rack 52. Gear teeth-2tl2are cut upon the-surface rack 52 adjacent spur gears 50 of spindles 26. Spindle gears 50 accordingly engage gear teeth 202 as the spindles traverse forming blade area. This rotates the bottle caps in contact with the forming blade for a period at least equal to the full circumference of the cap. The lower skirt or flange of the cap is accordingly crimped or rolled under the projecting lip of the vial. The extent of rolling Contact may, therefore, be restricted to that amount of travel which is required to seal the cap. The period of time the vials spend within the machine is thereby considerably conserved and restricted to a short path of substantially straight-line motion. Handwheel 5s provides means for raising and lowering blade 72, and lever 57 provides means for raising and lowering rack 52.

Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which the mount 16 is firmly secured to a stationary portion of the base cabinet 12 and how the handwheel 56 and attached lead screw 210 may move the attached assembly upward or downward a small amount.

The operative cycle of this machine is simple and straightforward which is concomitant with its advantageous simplicity of structure. The vials 30 are fed to the machine through conveyor 32 with the caps 88 loosely applied over the protruding lips. Starwheel 44 receives the vials fed by the conveyor 32 within a corresponding recessed pocket 45. Starwheel 44 is rotated in synchronism with the turntable 14 by means of a conventional transmission schematically represented by a rectangle 209. Star-wheel 44 includes upper and lower plates 4% and 51 which lie above and below the notched ring 46 so that the vials are evenly guided to rest upon plates 92 of the lower rotatable spindle assembly 28. Cam 188 is shaped to position the spindles 28 in their lower position as they pick up vials 38 from conveyor 32. Since vials 38 and spindles 29 are not rotating when the vials 30 are picked up, vials 38 may be consistently accurately positioned for pick up by means of pockets 47 in plate 46. As the vials are carried towards the forming blade, they are raised by a higher portion of cam 188 which raises the vial lip and cap into firm engagement within the recess 158 within the inverted cup member 156 of upper spindle 26. Spring 170 absorbs some of the force of contact and provides firm yet resilient retention of vials 30.

As spindles 29 and the vials approach the forming blade area, spur gears 50 engage the stationary rack 52 toassist the forming blade in rotating the spindles; When thegrasped vial 'contacts the forming blade, the skirt ofthe cap rolls along the edge of the forming'blade and is rolled, deformed or crimped under the protruding lipof vials 30 to securely" seal them.

When the caps and lips have rolled along the formingblade a distance suflicient to seal the containers, spindles 29 and vials 30 leave the forming" blade area and spur gears 50 disengage from stationary gear means 52. Cam 188 then slopes downward to drop; spindle portions 28 whose downward motion'is limited by'means of retaining rings 204. Since vials30are disengaged from the upper spindles 26 and the lower spindles 28 when-neither is positively rotated, there is no shock applied which might require the provision of'complex'retention'means.

Pockets or notches 47 of ring-46 facilitate simple-transfer of vials 30 to the conveyor "38 for removal to the next processing area, the packing area, for'example: Curved rail 54 of conveyor 38hooks each vial 30 at is approaches and guides the vials on to conveyor38; The'substantialstraight-line motion of the'vials through a short arc of travel through the machinegreatlyfacilitates delivery of the vials to the machine'and pick up therefrom. Radial forces on the vials a'reaccordingly minimized to the point of substantial elimination which is a decided advantage.

In Fig. 9 is shown aportion of another embodiment of this inventionwhere' auxiliary'means for preventing slippage are provided by knurled discs 230 mounted'o'n' spindles 26a. These knurled discs 238 roll on a resilient shoe 232, of rubber for example, which may be mounted on a curved solid braking member, of steel for example. Shoe element 232 is accordingly curved to correspond to the arc of travel of disc 230.

Auxiliary means for rolling the caps may also be provided by the caps 88 and forming blade structure themselves, as shown in Fig. 10. A forming blade 72b includes a roughened working edge 70b. This roughened working edge 7 db includes, for example, a series of short sharp teeth 228. These teeth 220 engage caps 88 and cause them to rotate as they pass along the forming blade 72b to roll the skirts 86 of caps 88 under the protruding lips 90 of container 30. Auxiliary means for preventing slippage may be dispensed with to provide an extremely simple sealing machine. It has been found that the caps are satisfactorily rolled along a forming blade by pure contact therewith even when the blade is not serrated.

Other modifications and embodiments may be made within the spirit and in accordance with this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for sealing caps upon containers having protruding lips comprising a turntable, axially aligned pairs of spindles freely rotatably mounted about the periphery of said turntable, cam means operatively associated with said pairs of spindles for moving them together to permit pick-up of said containers and apart to permit delivery of said containers, a stationary forming blade resiliently mounted in the path of travel of said lips of said containers, said forming blade being constructed and arranged to promote rotation of said spindles in response to contact of said caps along the edge of said blade to seal said caps upon said containers entirely around their peripheries, said blade being of limited length to free said spindles from enforced rotation for a substantial distance before and after it, said limited length being short enough to make the path of travel of said containers with their caps in contact with said blade substantially straight line, conveyor means disposed adjacent the path of travel of said spindles a short distance before and after said blade for respectively delivering containers to be grasped by said spindles before traversal of said forming blade and for receiving containers from said spindles after traversal of said forming blade while said spindles are not being rotated by contact of said caps along said blade and said conveyor means being disposed close enough to 7 both ends of said blade to permit the entire path of travel of said containers while on said turntable to be substantially straight line.

2. A' machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein auxiliary means are provided for preventing slippage when said caps roll along said blade.

3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein'said aux-' ilary means is comprised of means incorporated in said forming blade for engaging said caps.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said auxiliary means are comprised of rotatable means incorporated in said spindles and stationary engaging means mounted adjacent the path of travel of said rotatable means.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said rotatable means is comprised of spur gears and said stationary engaging means is comprised of a curved rack.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said rotatable means are comprised of knurled discs and said stationary engaging means is comprised of a shoe. 7. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein a locating ring istmounted on said turntable, and said locating ring includes open pockets for receiving said containers from said conveyor and for maintaining said containers in position to be grasped by said spindles and to be picked off by said conveyor.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said forming blade is resiliently mounted upon a structure adjustably secured to said machine.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ma-, chine includes an operating shaft and said turntable is comprised of upper and lower portions, said upper portion being secured to the top of said operatingshaft by means of a vertically adjustable coupling to permit the distance between said upper and lower portions to be conveniently varied.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said conveyor includes a starwheel, said starwheel includes paral-' lel upper and lower plates, and said locating ring is disposed between said upper and lower plates of said star- Wheel.

11. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blade includes a short relatively smooth arcuate portion peripherally disposed about said turntable.

12. A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said blade includes limited straight portions disposed on both sides of said arcuate portion and tangential to the path of travel of said spindles about the periphery of said turntable.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveyors are disposed substantially in a straight line and aligned with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS