US3334467A

US3334467A - Vacuum sealing machine

Info

Publication number: US3334467A
Application number: US383055A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bjering Olav; Jack M Wheaton
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1964-07-16
Filing date: 1964-07-16
Publication date: 1967-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-08

Description

Aug. 8, 1967 o. BJERING ETAL VACUUM SEALING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1964 w M I',

INVENTOR. @LAV BJI-:RING BY JACK M WHEATON (-Z? z Ca2,Q dd.

Aug. 8, 1967 o, BJERlNG ETAL y 3,334,467

VACUUM SEALING MACHINE Filed July l5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet @LAV BJERING 4 JACK mwHEAToN BYCZZF' MGP@ 4 2lb/M the open end of containers to United States Patent O 3,334,467 VACUUM SEALING MACHINE Olav Bjering and Jack M. Wheaton, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to @Wens-Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed .luly 16, 1964, Ser. No. 383,055 8 Claims. (Cl. 53-88) This invention relates to apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing containers. More particularly, it relates to sealing said containers in a chamber during vacuumizing.

While the apparatus of the present invention may be utilized to seal a wide variety of container shapes during vacuumizing, it is particularly adapted to seal shoulderless containers having substantially vertical wall portions. It can be readily appreciated that where the container to be vacuumized has an enlarged shoulder, the task of sealing it preparatory to vacuumizing may be accomplished with relative simplicity. On the other hand, however, considerable diiculty is frequently encountered in sealing shoulderless containers preparatory to vacuum- 12mg.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum head adapted to seal shoulderless jars preparatory to vacuumizing.

In the typical vacuumizing operation, a jar, bottle or other container is positioned with its upper open end in a vacuum head and its lower end supported on a supporting member. Where the container has a shoulder below the open end of the container, the lower end of the vacuum head may seat on such shoulder to seal olf such open end. A complete description of this type of vacuum sealing machine may be had by reference to United States Patent No. 2,338,852 or 2,510,457, both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

While the attempts which have been made to seal shoulderless containers preparatory to vacuumizing have met with some success and have proved to be workable, the machines which were ultimately adopted were relatively complicated and expensive. One example of such machine is described in United States Patent No. 2,694,516 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

It is another object of tln's invention to provide an inexpensive and yet eicient vacuum head characterized by the provision of a resilient annular sealing ring adapted to be mechanically urged radially inwardly into sealing engagement with the wall of the container.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings on which:

FIGURE l is a sectional perspective view of the vacuum head of the present invention showing a container positioned therein just prior to sealing.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section showing the relationship between the sealing ring, the camming member which urges it inwardly, and the container prior to sealing.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE l but showing the vacuum head in sealing position.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 vbut showing the ring after it has been urged into sealing engagement with the container.

In brief, the present invention comprises a vacuum head having upper and lower sections adapted to receive be vacuumized and sealed. Secured to one of the sections, preferably the lower, is an annular resilient ring having a free standing leg portion formed integrally with the main 4body portion. The other section has an outwardly flaring camming surface adapted to engage the outer surface of the resilient ring free standing portion to urge the same inwardly into seal- 3,334,467 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 ing engagement with the container upon movement of the respective sections towards each other.

Referring now to the drawings,lthe vacuum head of the present invention is adapted to receive a jar 10 which is introduced in the lower end thereof by means of a pedestal 12 supported on a shaft 14 which moves with the vacuum head in rotating about a central spindle (not shown) in a manner shown in either of the above-referenced patents. The shaft 14 moves upwardly or downwardly in relationship to the vacuum head. Such movement is well known in the art as shown in the above-referenced patents and requires no further description here.

The vacuum head comprises a lower supporting structure generally designated 20l and an upper supporting structure generally designated 40. For purposes of clarity, the lower supporting structure 20 has been sectioned with relatively widely spaced section lines while the upper supporting structure 40 has been sectioned with closely spaced section lines. As will become clear from the following detailed description, the upper and lower supporting structures are axially movable relative to one another. Additionally, there is provided a closure applying structure generally designated 60 which is adapted to secure a closure 16 to the container 10 while the upper and lower supporting structures arein vacuumizing position, such vacuumizing position being when the upper and lower structures co-act in the manner to be described to seal the jar 10 from the atmosphere.

The lower supporting structure includes a bell-shaped member genelrlally designated 21 which has a lower annular ange 22 and an upper annular flange 23. The upper annular flange is formed with a cylindrical -bore 24. The bell-shaped member 21 is supported on an arm 25 projecting radially outwardly from and rotating about the central spindle. It is secured to the arm 25 by any preferred means, as by machine screws 19. Secured to the lower annular flange 22 of the bell-shaped member 21 is a sealing member support 26. While the sealing member support 26 may be secured to such lower annular ange 22 in any desired manner, in the present embodiment it is shown as being secured by cooperating threads 27. Supported from the innermost portion of the sealing member support 26 is a sealing member or resilient ring 30. The sealing member support includes an annular groove 28 adapted to receive the sealin-g member or resilient ring 30. The lower portion of the annular groove is defined by a radially inwardly extending flange 29 which renders support for the ring 30. Additionally, there may be provided an upwardly and inwardly flaring wall 31 extending from said flange which serve-s to prevent the ring 30 from being snapped out of the groove 28 upon its inward urging as will be described presently.

The ring 30 includes a body portion 32 seated in the annular groove 28 and an integrally formed free standing leg 33 which extends upwardly from the inner segment of the body portion 32. As may be seen most clearly in FIGURE 2, the free standing leg 33 is maintained in spaced relationship to the sealing member support 26 with an annular gap or groove 34 lying therebetween.

The resilient ring 30 is sized to receive the jar 10 with the inner surface of the free standing leg 33 being in closely spaced relationship to the exterior surface of said jar. As a result of such close spacing, inward urging of such leg 33 in the manner hereinafter described will cause such leg to sealingly engage the exterior wall of the jar 10.

The upper supporting structure 40 includes a sleeve 41 snugly received in the cylindrical bore 24 and maintained in axially slidable relationship with the bell-shaped member upper flange 23. The sleeve 41 is supported on a pin 42 which carries a cam wheel 43 on one end thereof. The cam wheel rotates in a cam track 46 of a .stationary cam member 44 as the vacuum head rotates around the central spindle. The cam member ad may be supported by any fixed means as by being secured to a stationary plate 45 by means of bolts 53. The cam track follows an up and down path around the periphery of the cam member 44. As a result, the sleeve 41 will be in a lowered position during a portion of its rotational cycle around the central spindle and will be in a raised position during other portions of its rotational cycle.

Secured to the sleeve 41 is a cylindrical member d'7 terminating at its lower end in a camming element 48, the lower end of which is sized to be received in the annular gap or groove 34 between the sealing member support 26 and the free standing leg 33 upon the downward movement of the sleeve 41. The camming element 48 includes an end face 49 which is smaller in breadth than the annular gap or -groove 34. Tapering upwardly and inwardly from the end face 49 is a camming face 50. The breadth of the camming element @i8 at the upper end of the cammin'g face 59 is substantially greater than the annular gap or groove 34. As a result of such configuration and sizing, it can be readily seen that downward movement of the camming element 48 causes the camming face 50 thereof to engage the upper edge of the free standing leg 33 adjacent the annular gap or groove 34- and to urge such free standing' leg inwardly into sealing enga-gement with the exterior wall of the jar 10.

Additionally, there is provided a vacuum supply line 51 communicating with the interior of the cylindrical member 47 to vacuumize the Space between such member and the open end `of the jar itl during the interval that the sealing member or resilient ring 3i? is cammed into sealing engagement with the jar itl. An elongated slot 52 is provided in the bell shaped member lower annular iiange 22 to permit the vacuum supply line 51 to move relative thereto during the up and down movements of the upper' supporting structure 40.

The closure applying structure 66 includes an annular sleeve 61 concentric with and slidable in the upper supporting structure sleeve 41. Positioned between the upper supporting structure sleeve d1 and the closure applying structure sleeve 61 is a bushing 62. Additionally, there is provided packing rings 63 between the

respective sleeves

41 and 61. Any preferred means (not shown) may be provided to power the up and down movement of the sleeve 61. Concentric with and rotatable in the sleeve 61 is a rotatable shaft 64 having secured to its lower end a closure engaging head 65. The rotatable shaft 64 is mounted for up and down movement with the closure applying structure sleeve 61. Between the rotatable shaft 64 and the sleeve 61 is a bushing 66 and packing elements 67.

The closure engaging head 65 includes an annular resilient friction member 68 secured thereto in any desired manner, as by a cooperating bead and groove 69. A series of pins 70 are provided to prevent rotation of the friction member 68 with respect to the closure engaging head 65. The friction member 63 has an annular configuration and is sized to engage the closure top panel near the periphery thereof. The center of the closure engaging head 65 carries a magnet 71 which attracts and thus retains the metal closure 16. The lower surface of the magnet 71 is in a slightly higher plane than that of the lower surface of the annular friction member 68 to prevent engagement between the magnet and the closure 16 with the resultant marring of such closure.

in operation, the jar is positioned on the pedestal 12 as it rotates about the spindle. During such rotation, the pedestal i2 is raised by the shaft 14 to the position illustrated in FGURE 1. The closure 16 has previously been grasped by the closure engaging head 65 which also is rotating with the vacuum head about the spindle. During such rotation, the cam wheel 43 rotates in the cam track 46. As may be seen in a comparison between FIGURES 1 and 3, the cam track 46 of FIGURE 3 is in a lower position than that of FIGURE 1. The cam wheel 43 following such lowered cam track causes the upper supporting structure it? to slide axially downwardly with respect to the lower supporting structure 26. Such downward movement causes the camming face 5@ of the camming element 48 to push downwardly and inwardly against the free standing leg 33 of the resilient sealing ring 36 to urge it inwardly, thereby causing it to sealingly engage the wall of the container 1i). During such engagement, vacuum is drawn through the vacuum supply line 51 to thereby vacuumize the open-topped container itil. While such vacuum is maintained, the sleeve 61 is caused to move axially downwardly `with the rotatable shaft 64 to thereby seat the closure 16 on top of the container 16. Rotation of the rotatable shaft 64 in a clockwise direction will cause the thus seated closure 16 to become threadedly engaged with the jar 10. The resilient friction member 68 permits the closure to be applied with the desired degree of torque without marring the closure top panel. Thereafter, the sleeve 61 is raised carrying the rotatabie shaft 64 with it. The vacuum is then released, and the upper supporting structure lil is raised to remove the camming element 43 from engagement with the free standing leg 33 ofthe sealing member Siti.

It can be readily seen that the foregoing invention provides a novel, extremely efficient, and very economical means of sealing preparatory to vacuumizing, containers having no shoulder portions below the finish. Obviously, however, it is not limited to such containers but may be used with containers having a wide variety of shapes. More importantly, it provides a structure which is designated to operate in a trouble free fashion at all times.

Numerous modications will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the sealing member or resilient ring 3@ could be secured to the upper supporting structure itl rather than the lower supporting structure E@ as described. Similarly, the head could be designed so that the upper supporting structure 4d remains in an axially iixed position and with the lower supporting structure Ztl subjected to the up and do-wn movements. It makes no difference which if the upper or lower supporting structure moves so long as there is relative movement to urge the free standing leg of the sealing member 30 into sealing engagement with the jar 10.

Other changes and modifications may be made in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

We claim:

1. ln apparatus for sealing and vacuumizing containers wherein a container is positioned in a vacuum head, a vacuum is drawn, and a closure applied to said container, improved means on said vacuum head for sealing said container from the atmosphere comprising axially aligned upper and lower annular members, one of said members having an annular resilient ring encircling said container in close relation to the sidewall thereof, said resilient ring comprising a free standing portion having an inner face adapted to sealingly engage said sidewall and an outer camming face, the other of said members having a camming element adapted to engage said outer camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly, and means for moving one of said members axially toward the other member to engage the camming element with said camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly into sealing engagement with said container sidewall.

2. In a vacuum head for sealing and vacuumizing containers wherein a container is positioned therein7 a vacuum is drawn and a closure is applied to said vacuumized container, improved means for sealing said container dur'- ing vacuumizing comprising an annular resilient ring positioned to encircle said container at the sidewall thereof, and means for mechanically urging Said ring into sealing engagement with said sidewall, said ring having a bocilI portion and. a free standing portion integrally formed therewith, and said means for mechanically urging said fing H'EO Sealing engagement with said sidewall including a Cammng ltmtrli adapted. to urge said free standing portion radially inwardly upon engagement therewith and axial movement thereagainst, and means for imparting relative axial movement between said camming element and resilient ring.

3. In a vacuum head for sealing and vacuumizing containers wherein a container is positioned in said vacuum head, air is withdrawn therefrom and a closure is affixed to said container, improved means for sealing said container during vacuumizing comprising an annular resilient ring positioned to encircle said container at the sidewall thereof, said ring including a free standing7 portion having an inner face adapted to sealingly engage said container sidewall and an outer camming face, a cam element adapted to engage said outer camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly, and means for moving said cam element into engagement with said outer camming face to urge said free standing portion into sealing engagement with said container sidewall.

4. In a vacuum head for sealing and vacuumizing containers wherein a container is positioned in said vacuum head, air is withdrawn therefrom and a closure is aflixed to said container, improved means for sealing said container during vacuumizing comprising an annular resilient ring positioned to encircle said container at the sidewall thereof, said ring including a free standing portion having an inner face adapted to sealingly engage said container sidewall and an outer camming face, a cam element adapted to engage said outer camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly, and means for varying the relative axial positioning of said ring and said cam element to urge said free standing portion from an unsealed to a sealed position with said container sidewall.

5. Apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing containers comprising a vacuum chamber having upper and lower sections adapted to receive the open end of said containers, a pedestal spaced below said chamber for supporting a container, means for imparting relative movement between said chamber and said pedestal to introduce said container into said chamber, camming means on one of said sections, and sealing means on the other of said sections for sealingly engaging the wall of said container, said sealing means including an annular resilient ring having a free standing portion formed integrally therewith, said free standing portion having an outer surface adapted to be engaged by said camming means and an inner surface sized to receive said containers therethrough and adapted to sealingly engage said container at the sidewall thereof upon inward urging, means for axially moving one of said sections relative to the other to engage said camming means with said outer surface to urge said free standing portion inwardly into sealing engagement with said container wall, means for exhausting air from said vacuum chamber while said container is sealingly engaged therein, and means for applying a closure to said container while said container is sealed in the chamber.

6. Apparatus for sealing and vacuumizing containers comprising support means for said containers, a vacuum head for receiving the open end of one of said containers, said vacuum head including axially aligned upper and lower annular members, said upper member having a downwardly and outwardly flaring camming surface terminating in an end face, said lower member having an annular resilient ring secured thereto, said ring having a body portion and an integrally formed free standing portion extending generally upwardly therefrom, the inner surface of said upstanding portion being sized to receive containers in close relation thereto, said free standing portion adapted to be urged inwardly into sealing engagement with said container upon the axial movement of said camming surface thereagainst, means for axially moving at least one of said annular members relative to the other, means for drawing vacuum during said sealing engagement, and means for applying a closure to said container while maintaining vacuum therein..

7. In apparatus for sealing and vacuumizing containers wherein a container is positioned in a vacuum head, a vacuum is drawn, and a closure applied to said container, improved means on said vacuum head for sealing said container from the atmosphere comprising axially aligned upper and lower annular members7 an annular resilient ring on said lower member encircling said container in close relation to the sidewall thereof, said resilient ring comprising a free standing portion adapted to sealingly engage said sidewall and an outer camming face, a camming element on said upper member having a downwardly and outwardly flaring camming surface adapted to engage said outer camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly, and means for moving one of said members axially toward the other member to engage the camming element with said camming face to urge said free standing portion inwardly into sealing engagement with said container sidewall.

3. Apparatus for vacuumizing and sealing containers comprising a vacuum chamber having upper and lower sections adapted to receive the open end of said containers, a pedestal spaced below said chamber for supporting a container, means for imparting relative movement between said cham-ber and said pedestal to introduce said container into said chamber, camming means on said upper section, sealing means on said lower section for sealingly engaging the wall of said container, said sealing means including an annular resilient ring having a free standing portion having an outer surface adapted to be engaged by said camming means and an inner surface sized to receive said containers therethrough and adapted to sealingly engage said container at the sidewall thereof upon inward urging, means for axially moving one of said sections relative to the other to engage said camming means with said outer surface to urge said free standing portion inwardly into sealing engagement with said container wall, means for exhausting air from said vacuum chamber while said container is sealingly engaged therein, and means for applying a closure to said container while said container is sealed in the chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN APPARATUS FOR SEALING AND VACUUMIZING CONTAINERS WHEREIN A CONTAINER IS POSITIONED IN A VACUUM HEAD, A VACUUM IS DRAWN, AND A CLOSURE APPLIED TO SAID CONTAINER, IMPROVED MEANS ON SAID VACUUM HEAD FOR SEALING SAID CONTAINER FROM THE ATMOSPHERE COMPRISING AXIALLY ALIGNED UPPER AND LOWER ANNULAR MEMBERS, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN ANNULAR RESILIENT RING ENCIRCLING SAID CONTAINER IN CLOSE RELATION TO THE SIDEWALL THEREOF, SAID RESILIENT RING COMPRISING A FREE STANDING PORTION HAVING AN INNER FACE ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE SAID SIDEWALL AND AN OUTER CAMMING FACE, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A CAM-