US3086805A - Devices for gripping bottles and the like - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1963 E. J. M. DARDAINE. ETAL 3,086,805

DEVICES FOR GRIFPING BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Shem: 1

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DEVICES FOR GRIPPING BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofi 3,086,805 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 ice 3,086,805 DEVICES FOR GRIPPING BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Edgar Jean Marcel Dardaine, Poissy, and Rene Malibeaux, Paris, France, assignors to E. P. Remy et Cie,

Poissy, Seine-et-Oise, France Filed Jan. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 710,540 13 Claims. (Cl. 294-27) The present invention relates essentially to gripping devices and has specific reference to gripping devices or heads adapted more particularly to seize bottles, tubes and like containers provided with beads on their necks.

It is the essential object of this invention to provide a particularly simple gripping device, head or member in view of reducing to a minimum the movements and control actions required for example in devices or apparatus for transferring bottles which are equipped with this device.

This gripping device is remarkable notably in that it consists, on the one hand, of a supporting member formed with an aperture of adequate size adapted to fit on the neck of the bottle or like container to be gripped, and, on the other hand, of one or more members fitted in this aperture to form therein an orifice, cavity or passage of a section slightly smaller than that of the neck of the bottle or like container to be gripped, at least some portions of the member or members which form the inner edge of the aforesaid orifice, cavity or passage being resiliently deformable.

From the foregoing, it will be readily understood that by simply threading or forcing the aforesaid gripping device on the neck of the bottle or like container and exerting a moderate downward pressure thereon, the resiliently deformable portions of the device are caused to retract slightly as they clear the uppermost bead usually formed on top of the neck, and to subsequently engage the peripheral groove or one of the peripheral grooves usually provided beneath this bead.

In practice, the gripping member may consist simply of two parts, that is, a support having a substantially the shape of a hollow cylindrical mandrel, and a washer mounted in this mandrel. The washer may be made from any suitable resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber, plastic, etc.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating schematically by way of example a few embodiments of the inventio In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an axial section illustrating a gripping device constructed according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the inner ring thereof after it has been compressed to clamp the top of a bottle neck;

FIGURE 3 is a plane view from above of the gripping device of FIGURE 1, showing the elements of the locking device;

FIGURE 4 is an axial section showing a modified embodiment of the gripping device according to this inventron;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the gripping device in its clamping position;

FIGURE 6 is an axial section illustrating another modification of the gripping device;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing a gripping device according to a further modified embodiment of this invention which constitutes a multiple-head system, and

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal section taken along the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7.

According to the example illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, a hollow cylindrical body or support 16 of the gripping device comprises an inner member 17 of deformable resilient material, for example a rubber or plastic ring or sleeve having the shape of a V-grooved pulley, the smallest inner diameter d of this element being slightly greater than the diameter of the neck of a bottle 18 or like container to be gripped. The member 17 normally engages with its lower edge a flange 19 formed inside the lower edge of the support '16 and projecting slightly to the inside. Overlying the ring or sleeve member 17 is a movable disk or plate 20 of a diameter substantially equal to that of the largest section of the ring member 17; this disk 20 is secured to the lower end of a control rod 21 slidably mounted relative to the support 16. 'I'his rod 21 extends through an orifice 22 formed in a top cover 23' secured, for example by screwing, in the upper portion of the support 16.

The ring member 17 may be either simply supported by the flange 19 of the support 16 or, if desired, secured to the upper portion thereof beneath the movable disk or plate 20.

It will be seen that after the gripping member has been brought above the neck of a bottle 18 or like container having a neck formed with a bead, by simply Iowering the movable disk 20 by means of the rod 21 the resilient ring member 17 will be compressed and caused to clamp the neck under the bead, as shown more particularly in FIGURE 6. Of course, this compression of the ring member 17 cannot take place unless a relative movement is produced between the plate 20 and the support 16, the latter being to this end either fixed or caused to bear on any suitable fixed surface. Furthermore, any other suitable device for connecting the support 16 to the rod 21 associated with the disk 20 may be devised to permit the relative axial movement of these two parts.

If desired, a locking device for holding the resilient member 17 and the movable disk 20 in the position shown in FIGURE 2, for example during the time necessary for transferring the bottle by means of this gripping device, may be used. A locking device of this character (best seen in FIG. 3) may consist of a simple pawl 24 pivoted at one end through a pin 25 on the cover 23 of support 16 and actuated at the other end by means of a control wire 26, a return spring 27 constantly urging this pawl to its rod-engaging position. The pawl 24 engaging the outer surface of the rod 21 is adapted to drop into a notch 28 formed in this surface when the rod 21 is lowered to the extent necessary for clamping a bottle neck and causing said notch to register with the pawl 24. To release the bottle neck, the user simply has to pull the wire 26 to free the pawl 24 from the notch 28, the rod 21 being thus allowed to move upwards together with the disk 20, this upward force being supplied by the inherent resiliency of the expanding ring member 17.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 4 and S, a pair of superposed frusto-conical annular members 17a, 17b are substituted for the member 17 of the preceding embodiment. The first annular member 17a rests on the lower flange 19 of the support 16 and the upper annular member 17b is secured for example under the movable disk 20 actuated as in the preceding case by a rod 21.

The operation of this gripping device is similar to that of the device illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the downward movement of the disk 20 causing both members 17a and 17b to be squeezed as shown in FIGURE 9. The bottle neck'is clamped at the level of the joint between the 'two annular members 17a and 17b, as shown by an arrow 29, these members contacting each other at their smallest diameters.

In another modification of the gripping device illustrated in FIGURE 6, a single frustoconical member is used;

this member, also made of resiliently deformable material, is mounted within the support 16 and secured for example under the movable disk so that its lower and smaller edge extends somewhat through an orifice defined by the inwardly projecting flange 19a of the support 16. When the user causes the disk 20 to move downwards inside the support 16, the annular member 170 is squeezed and therefore compressed to take the position and shape in which it is shown in dots and dashes at 17'c.

Of course, a locking device of the type illustrated in FIGURES l to 3 or any other suitable locking device may be associated, if desired, with both the modified embodiments of FIGURES 4-5 and 6.

In a further modified embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 11 and 12, a plurality of resilient deformable ring members 17', 17", 17" of a shape similar to that of ring 17 (FIGURES 7 and 8) are mounted between two parallel plates 31, 32 superposed and adapted to move toward and away from each other. These rings overlie corresponding orifices 33, 33", 33" formed in the lower plate 31 and adapted to fit over a corresponding number of bottle necks; it is evident that when the plates 31, 32 are moved toward each other, the ring members 17', 17", 17" clamp the bottle necks and thus a plurality of bottles can be gripped simultaneously.

The relative movement of the plates may be obtained for example by providing a rod 34 having its lower end secured substantially to the centre of the lower plate 31 and a portion slidably fitted in a sleeve member 35 secured on the other hand to the upper plate 32. Thus, the upper plate 32 can be lowered by exerting a downward pressure on the sleeve 35 for simultaneously squeezing all the resilient ring members disposed between the plates, this movement being attended by a perfact guiding action exerted on the two plates relative to each other, due to the sliding fit of the central rod 34 in the sleeve 35. Of course, this device is also adapted to be provided with locking means for example of the type disclosed hereabove in connection with FIGURES l to 3 for holding the plates 31, 32 in the bottle-clamping position.

Of course, resilient deformable annular members may be provided between the plates 31, 32 having a shape other than the V-grooved pulley shape illustrated for members 17' etc.; thus, annular members of the type illustrated in FIGURES 4, 5 or 6 may be used.

According to the principle shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, multiple gripping members may be provided for transporting any desired number of bottles or like containers.

It will be readily understood that the resilient deformable ring members of the device forming the subjectmatter of this invention may be given other shapes than those illustrated and described herein, without departing from the purpose of the invention; thus, their shape may be substantially spherical or elliptical; besides, these resilient deformable ring members may be used either separately as in the case of the frusto-conical ring mem ber17c of FIGURE 10, or in combination with another ring member of corresponding shape but disposed upside down, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Furthermore, inner members having resiliently deformable wall portions only at the lever of the central orifice may be provided, instead of fully resilient inner members.

From the foregoing, it will be readily understood by anybody conversant with the art that the invention is not limited to the few embodiments shown and described herein, and many modifications may be imagined without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set We claim:

I claim:

1. A gripping head for containers having a grooved neck portion, comprising an outer hollow frame member having a wall portion forming a ledge adjacent one end thereof, a resilient ring member having interior walls converging from both end faces to a substantially central narrow portion of smallest dimension, said ring member being positioned in said frame member with one of said end faces engaging said ledge, a plunger member reciprocably mounted in the region of the other end of said frame member and including portions contacting one of said end faces of the ring member and being effective, upon movement of said plunger member towards said one end face, to compress said ring member and to cause the inner walls of said narrow portion to move closer together for gripping said neck portion of the container, locking means for positively keying said plunger member to said frame member in the compressed position of said ring member, biasing means secured to said other end for urging said pawl against said notch means, and manually operable release means for disengaging the interlocking of said pawl and said notch means.

2. A gripping device for a plurality of containers having grooved neck portions, comprising frame means including top and bottom wall portions substantially parallel with but spaced from each other, said wall portions defining each a plurality of substantially aligned apertures, said apertures of the bottom wall portion being adapted to be positioned above said containers to be grasped by the device, a plurality of resilient ring members positioned between said wall portions in each pair of aligned apertures, said ring members having interior walls converging from both end faces to substantially central narrow portions of smallest dimension, said apertures comprising interior ledges for engaging said ring members, a plunger member attached to said bottom wall portion and reciprocably traversing an opening in said top wall portion, and a sleeve secured to said top wall portion in the region of said opening for guiding said plunger member, so that the latter is reciprocable together with said bottom wall portion with respect to said top wall portion, compressing thereby said ring members upon movement of said bottom wall portion toward said top wall portion, for simultaneously gripping said neck portions by means of said central portions of the ring members.

3. A gripping device for a plurality of containers having constricted neck portions, comprising frame means including top and bottom wall portions substantially parallel with but spaced from each other, at least said bottom wall portions defining a plurality of apertures adapted to be positioned above said containers to be grasped by the device, a plurality of resilient ring members positioned between said wall portions above each of said apertures, said ring members having interior walls converging from their top faces towards their bottom faces of smallest diameter, said apertures of the bottom wall portion comprising interior ledges for engaging portions of said ring members intermediate said top and bottom faces but closer to said bottom faces, a plunger member attached to said bottom wall portion and reciprocably traversing an opening in said top wall portion, and a sleeve secured to said top wall portion in the region of said opening for guiding said plunger member, so that the latter is reciprocable together with said bottom wall portion while said top wall portion is held stationary, urging thereby said intermediate portions of the ring members in frictional engagement with said ledges, and said bottom faces of the ring members into grasping engagement with the constricted neck portions of all the containers to be gripped by the device.

4. A gripping device for containers having constricted neck portions, comprising a frame member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an aperture in said lower surface, a hollow resilient gripping sleeve of inverted frusto-conical cross-section adapted to fit over container necks, positioned within said frame member over said aperture and supported from said lower surface,

means to compress said sleeve to cause its smaller diameter to constrict and thereby grip the container necks, and

locking means comprising a pawl pivotally mounted on said upper surface of the frame member and notch means provided in said compressing means for interlocking engagement with said pawl, adapted for positively keying said compressing means to said frame member in the compressed position of said gripping sleeve.

5. A gripping device for containers having constricted neck portions, comprising a frame member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an aperture in said lower surface, a hollow resilient gripping sleeve of double frusto-conical cross-section adapted to fit over container necks, positioned within said frame member over said aperture and supported from said lower surface, means to compress said sieevc to cause its substantially centrally located smaller diameter to construct and thereby grip the container necks, and locking means comprising a pawl pivotally mounted on said upper surface of the frame member and notch means provided in said compressing means for interlocking engagement with said pawl, adapted for positively keying said compressing means to said frame member in the compressed position of said gripping sleeve.

6. A gripping device for containers having constricted neck portions, comprising a frame member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an aperture in said lower surface, a hollow resilient gripping sleeve positioned within said frame member over said aperture and consisting of two members, one member having an upright frusto-conical cross-section and the other member having an inverted frustoconical cross-section adapted to fit over container necks and supported from said lower surface, both of said members having a portion of smaller diameter in contact with each other at a substantially central location within said frame, means to compress said sleeve to cause the smaller diameters of said members to constrict and thereby grip the container necks, and locking means comprising a pawl pivotally mounted on said upper surface of the frame member and notch means provided in said compressing means for interlocking engagement with said pawl, adapted for positively keying said com pressing means to said frame member in the compressed position of said gripping sleeve.

7. A gripping device for containers having constricted neck portions, comprising a frame member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an aperture in said lower surface and an internal ledge surrounding said aperture, a hollow resilient gripping sleeve of inverted frusto-conical cross-section adapted to fit over container necks and positioned within said frame member, said ledge engaging said sleeve in the region of its smaller diameter, means to compress said sleeve to cause said smaller diameter to constrict and thereby grip the container necks, and locking means comprising a pawl pivotally mounted on said upper surface of the frame memher and notch means provided in said compressing means for interlocking engagement with said pawl, adapted for positively keying said compressing means to said frame member in the compressed position of said gripping sleeve.

8. A gripping device for containers having constricted neck portions, comprising a frame member having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of apertures in said lower surface, a hollow resilient gripping sleeve of inverted frustoconical cross-section adapted to fit over container necks, positioned within said frame over each of said apertures and supported from said lower surface, and means to compress said sleeves to cause their smaller diameters to constrict and thereby to grip simultaneously a plurality of container necks.

9. A gripping device for containers having a neck with a constricted portion thcrearound, comprising a hollow frame member having two end portions, one of said end portions having an inner annular ledge, a pair of ring members positioned within said frame with one ring member contacting said ledge, each of said ring members having an interior wall converging from one of their end faces to a substantially narrowed portion of smallest dimension, a plunger member rcciprocably mounted adjaccnt the other of said end portions and having portions contacting said one end face of one ring and effective to move said ring members towards said annular ledge, whereby the ring members are compressed and the opposite inner walls of said narrowed portions are made to approach each other for frictionally gripping the constricted portion of the container neck placed in the frame member, and locking means for positively keying said plunger member to said frame member in the compressed position of said ring member.

if). A container gripping head for bottle necks. comprising a substantially c3lindrical hollow mandrel having an inwardly flanged lower end forming an interior ledge, 21 ring member located in said mandrel and having lower, upright and upper, inverted frustoconical portions disposed so as to meet at their central narrowed edges of substantially identical small inner diameter, a cover member closing the top of said mandrel and including an opening and including portions within said mandrel contacting the top of said upper ring-member portion and effective, upon downward movement, to deform said ring memher and to cause said central narrowed edges to become reduced in diameter, whereby to grip the neck of a bottle positioned inside said mandrel, locking means comprising a pawl pivotally mounted on said cover member and notch means provided in said plunger member for interlocking engagement with said pawl, whereby the plunger member may be positively keyed to the mandrel in the compressed position of the ring member.

11. A container gripping head according to claim 10, wherein said cover member is removably threaded onto said top of the mandrel.

12. A container gripping head according to claim 10, wherein said plunger member includes a rod portion which extends through said opening in the cover memher and a disc portion inside said mandrel which bears against said top of the upper ring-member portion.

13. A container gripping head according to claim 10, further comprising biasing means secured to said cover member for urging said pawl against said notch means, and manually operable release means for disengaging the interlocking of said pawl and said notch means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 685,527 Picken Oct. 29, 1901 1,777,102 Mooney Sept. 30, 1930 2,192,415 Sehwarzenzer Mar. 5, 1940 2,308,209 Schmutzer Jan. 12, 1943 2,317,046 Fleming Apr. 20, 1943 2,695,190 lvleierjohau Nov. 23, 1954 2,738,114 Kahlan Mar. 13, 1956 2,759,756 Sikora Aug. 21, 1956 2,774,502 Novak Dec. 18, 1956 2,793,901 Johnson May 28, 1957 2,818,987 Krupp et al. Jan. 7, 1958 2,873,996 McHugh Feb. 17, 1959 2,899,232 Walter Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 710,775 Great Britain June 16, 1954 747,138 Great Britain of 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,086,805 April 23. I963 ,Edg'efFi ean Marcel 'Ba rdaine Let. a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered petent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 5, line 15, for "construct" readcoast-riot column 6, line 17, for "member" read members line 26, before and including" insert therein, a plunger member reciprocab'le in said opening Signed and sealed this 26th day of November 1963.

(SEAL) Attest: EDWIN L, REYNOLDS ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer AC g Commissioner of Patents

Claims (1)

1. A GRIPPING HEAD FOR CONTAINERS HAVING A GROOVED NECK PORTION, COMPRISING AN OUTER HOLLOW FRAME MEMBER HAVING A WALL PORTION FORMING A LEDGE ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF, A RESILIENT RING MEMBER HAVING INTERIOR WALLS CONVERGING FROM BOTH END FACES TO A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL NARROW PORTION OF SMALLEST DIMENSION, SAID RING MEMBER BEING POSITIONED IN SAID FRAME MEMBER WITH ONE OF SAID END FACES ENGAGING SAID LEDGE, A PLUNGER MEMBER RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN THE REGION OF THE OTHER END OF SAID FRAME MEMBER AND INCLUDING PORTIONS CONTACTING ONE OF SAID END FACES OF THE RING MEMBER AND BEING EFFECTIVE, UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER MEMBER TOWARDS SAID ONE END FACE, TO COMPRESS SAID RING MEMBER AND TO CAUSE THE INNER WALLS OF SAID NARROW PORTION TO MOVE CLOSER TOGETHER FOR GRIPPING SAID NECK PORTION OF THE CONTAINER, LOCKING MEANS FOR POSITIVELY KEYING SAID PLUNGER MEMBER TO SAID FRAME MEMBER IN THE COMPRESSED POSITION OF SAID RING MEMBER, BIASING MEANS SECURED TO SAID OTHER END FOR URGING SAID PAWL AGAINST SAID NOTCH MEANS, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE RELEASE MEANS FOR DISENGAGING THE INTERLOCKING OF SAID PAWL AND SAID NOTCH MEANS.

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