US3037407A

US3037407A - Bottle opening apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3037407A
Application number: US99838A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maclaren Colin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-31
Filing date: 1961-03-31
Publication date: 1962-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1979-06-05

Description

June 5, 1962' 'c. MacLAREN I06 IOc INVENTOR COLIN MAC LAREN Unite States Patent 3,637,407 BUTTLE OPENENG APPARATUS Colin MacLai-en, 12 Wellington St. 8., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,838 Claims. (Cl. 81-32) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for removing crown corks from the necks of bottles of the kind commonly used in the brewing and soft drink industries for the packaging of aerated beverages.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicient apparatus for removing such crown corks, the apparatus being especially adaptable for incorporation in a small housing as a self-contained unit, or for incorporation in the body of an automatic or manual bottle dispensing machines.

Apparatus for this purpose previously has been proposed. However, due to a common fault that a kick is imparted to the bottle as the crown cork is removed, such apparatus has not received commercial acceptance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for removing crown corks from bottles, in which the tendency of the bottle to kick as the crown cork is removed is mitigated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation corresponding to FIGURE 1, but showing the parts of the mechanism in the attitude they assume as the crown cork is being removed from a bottle; and,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

The apparatus includes an external casing which conveniently may be formed from sheet metal pressings. The casing 10 provides a stationary structural member for the support of the various elements of the mechanism, and is comprised by a member 16a providing rear and side walls, a detachable cover member 1917, a front Wall 10c, and a hinged bottom wall 10d.

Mounted within the casing 11 is a solenoid 13 having an armature 14 which is drawn upwardly into the body of the solenoid when the solenoid winding is energized. The lower end of the armature 14 carries a pin 15 which is enlarged at its lower end 15:: and which is surrounded by a helical spring 16. The pin passes through an arm 17 of a yoke, indicated generally at 18, the pin 15 being freely slidable through an aperture 17a of the arm 17.

The arm 17 is an integral part of a bridging portion 19 of the yoke 18, the bridging portion 19 having an edge 19:: (see FIGURES 1 and 3) which is adapted to engage under a skirt of crown cork 20 attached to a bottle 260. At each side of the bridging portion 19 is an

arm

21, 22, the

arms

21, 22 at their free end having a slot 210., 22a through which a pin 23 is passed. The pin 23 is fast with a lever 24 which extends between the

anns

21, 22.

At its end remote from the

arms

21, 22, the lever 24 is mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft 25, the shaft 25 being journalled between a pair of

plates

26, 27 which are supported against movement relatively to each other, and at its end which lies between the

arms

21, 22, the lever 24 is formed as an anvil having its surface presented to the top of the crown cork formed with a convex surface which extends substantially diametrically of the crown cork.

The

plates

26, 27, at their lower end, are turned towards each other to define a slot into which the neck of the bottle can be passed, the inturned ends 26a, 27a of the

plates

26, 27 engaging the commonly provided bulbous portion of the neck, and providing a positive support for the bottle.

Pivotally mounted on the front wall is a chute 31 which is biassed outwardly of the casing by a spring 31. The chute 30 has an outwardly turned flange 30a at each of its sides. The flanges 30a engage behind the wall liic to limit the extent to which the chute may be displaced outwardly of the casing. One of the outwardly turned flanges is aligned with a switch 31 mounted within the casing, the switch being in the electrical supply circuit to the solenoid 13.

Mounted on the casing portion 10b is a bifurcated leaf spring 32, for a purpose hereinafter described.

in operation, the neck of a bottle bearing a crown cork is inserted between the inwardly turned flanges 26a, 27a, and the bottle is moved in a horizontal direction towards the body of the apparatus. The horizontal movement of the bottle causes the pivotally mounted chute 30 to be pivoted to the left in FIGURE 1 of the drawings for the outwardly turned flange of the chute to approach the switch 31.

During this movement, the bifurcated spring 32 is flexed upwardly and rides over the top of the crown cork, the spring 32 subsequently clearing the crown cork and returning to its position shown in the drawings.

The horizontal movement of the bottle causes the crown cork to ride under the lever 24 for the anvil portoin to lie substantially diametrically of the crown cork, and for the skirt of the crown cork to be engaged over the edge 1% of the bridging portion 19. The position of the switch 31 is adjusted so that it will be actuated immediately after the skirt of the crown cork has become positioned over the edge 19a.

When the supply of electricity to the solenoid is established, the armature moves upwardly, and initially a gripping force is applied to the yoke and lever 24 by compression of the spring 16. During this time the armature accelerates, and subsequently delivers a cushioned impact to the arm 17.

When the impact is delivered to the arm 17, the anvil portion of the lever 24 is forced into the crown cork to indent it diametrically, and the skirt of the crown cork subsequently is lifted by the edge 19a of the yoke 18 to' stretch the skirt and free it from the neck of the bottle.

At this time the crown cork is loose from the neck of the bottle, but is still loosely positioned thereon. During removal of the bottle from the apparatus, the skirt of the crown cork is engaged by the arms of the bifurcated spring 32 and is lifted off the neck of the bottle,,the spacing between the arms 32a of the spring 32 being sufficient to permit the neck of the bottle passed between them, but being insuflicient to permit the skirt of the crown cork to pass between them.

As the bottle is moved out of the apparatus, the chute 30 is biassed towards its initial position to disestablish the electrical circuit of the solenoid 13 and permit the armature 14 to drop under its own weight. At the same time, the arms 32a of the bifurcated spring 32 lift the crown cork off the neck of the bottle, and permit it to drop into the chute and into the bottom of the casing. The crown corks collected within the casing can be removed at the bottom of the casing by opening the hinged bottom wall 10b.

The purpose of the slots 21a, 22a of the

arms

21, 22 of the yoke is to accommodate limited movement of the yoke with respect to the lever 24 and the pin of the armature, and to accommodate movement of the yoke radially of the vertical axis of the bottle as the skirt of the crown cork is stretched.

It will be observed that during operation of the mechanism, an upward force is exerted by the edge 19a, and a corresponding downward force is exerted by the edge of the anvil portion of the lever 24. Thus, there is no force acting to lift the bottle in a manner such as to cause it to kick upwardly. There is a very minor force which tends to swing the bottle about its neck portion, but, due to the inertia of the bottle, that force is largely dampened out.

As readily will be appreciated, the mechanism described above, instead of being mounted in a casing such as the casing 10 may be mounted directly in the body of commonly known automatic or manual bottle dispensing machines.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including a structural member, a lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other of its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork affixed to a bottle, the anvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convex surface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yoke having two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridging portion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and the said other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engage under a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated means mounted on the structural member and including a movable member, and a connection between the movable member and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the electrically operated means is energized.

2. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including a structural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other of its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork afiixed to a bottle, the anvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convex surface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yoke having two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridging portion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and the said other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engage under a skirt of the crown cork, a solenoid mounted on the structural member, a movable armature on the solenoid, a connection between the armature and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the solenoid is energized.

3. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including a structural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other of its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork aifixed to a bottle, the anvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork, the convex surface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yoke having two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridging portion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and the said other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engage under a skirt of the crown cork, a solenoid mounted on the structural member, a movable armature on the solenoid, and a lost motion connection between the armature and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the solenoid is energized, the lost motion connection between the armature and the yoke permitting acceleration of the armature prior to the raising of the yoke.

4. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including a structural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other of its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork applied to a bottle, the anvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork. the convex surface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yoke having two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridging portion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and the said other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engage under a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated means including a movable member, switch means for establishing a supply of electricity to the electrically operated means, said switch means being arranged to be operated by a bottle when the bottle is inserted fully into the apparatus, and a connection between the movable member and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the electrically operated means is energized.

5. Apparatus for removing a crown cork from a bottle, including a structural member, a first lever pivotally mounted at one of its ends on the structural member, an anvil carried by the first lever at the other of its ends and adapted to overlie a crown cork afiixed to a bottle, the anvil having a convex surface which extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the lever and which is directed towards the crown cork. the convex surface extending substantially diametrically of the crown cork, a yoke having two arms interconnected at one of their ends by a bridging portion, a pivotal connection between the other ends of the arms and the said other end of the first lever, an edge of the yoke adapted to engage engage under a skirt of the crown cork, electrically operated means including a movable member, a connection between the movable member and the yoke whereby the yoke is raised when the electrically operated means is energized, and an ejector spring adapted to ride over the crown cork as the bottle is inserted into the apparatus for the spring to engage under the skirt of the crown cork, the engagement of the spring with said skirt acting to withdraw the crown cork from the bottle as the bottle is removed from the apparatus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,065 Packer et al Sept. 30, 1952 2,709,936 Brennan June 7, 1955 2,732,741 Muller-Strobel Jan. 31, 1956 2,747,443 Vandre May 29, 1956 2,913,937 Benson Nov. 24, 1959