US3623292A - Capping machine - Google Patents

Abstract

THE DISCLOSURE RELATES TO A CAPPING MACHINE FOR APPLYING SCREW CAPS TO CONTAINERS. A PRINCIPAL FEATURE OF THE CAPPING MACHINE IS THE ADAPTABILITY THEREOF TO A CONVENTIONAL CONVEYOR SYSTEM WHEREIN THE GUIDE PORTION OF THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM IS UTILIZED TO HOLD THE CONTAINER AGAINST ROTATION WHILE THE CAPPING MACHINE APPLIES A CAP THERETO THE CAPPING MACHINE IS MOUNTED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CONVEYOR AND IS ADJUSTABLE SO AS TO ALIGN THE SAME WITH THE CONVEYOR AND PROPERLY VERTICALLY POSITION THE SAME IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CONTAINER NECK. THE CAPPING MACHINE INCLUDES A CAPPING MECHANISM HAVING A PLURALITY OF CAP ROTATION MEMBERS WHICH ARE INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTABLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF BOTH ACCOMMODATING CAPS OF DIFFERENT DIAMETERS AND VARYING THE PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT OF THE CAP ROTATING MEMBERS WITH CAPS.

Description

C. O. BARNES Nov. 30, 1971 CAPPING MACHINE 2 Sh0etsSho0t 1 Filed May 16, 1969 DHCHDRGE FILLED 8 EQPPED DTTLES CAPPER ENTER BDTTLES FILLER INVENTOR EHQRLES U. BARNES United States Patent 3,623,292 CAPPING MACHINE Charles 0. Barnes, Silver Spring, Md assignor to The Eastern Cap and Closure Company, Baltimore, Md. Filed May 16, 1969, Ser. No. 825,304 Int. Cl. B65!) 7/28 U.S. Cl. 53331.5 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a capping machine for applying screw caps to containers. A principal feature of the capping machine is the adaptability thereof to a conventional conveyor system wherein the guide portion of the conveyor system is utilized to hold the container against rotation while the capping machine applies a cap thereto. The capping machine is mounted independently of the conveyor and is adjustable so as to align the same with the conveyor and properly vertically position the same in alignment with the container neck. The capping machine includes a capping mechanism having a plurality of cap rotating members which are individually adjustable for the purpose of both accommodating caps of different diameters and varying the pressure engagement of the cap rotating members with caps.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in capping machines, and more particularly to a capping machine for applying screw caps to con- I tainers.

A primary feature of this invention is to provide a capping machine which may be readily mounted with respect to an existing conveyor for conveying filled containers wherein the conveyor includes a guide which is cooperable with a filled container to prevent rotation thereof, the capping machine being readily mountable adjacent the existing conveyor and having a capping mechanism overlying the path of movement of containers for applying screw caps to the containers While they are being conveyed by the conveyor and held against rotation by the associated guide means.

A principal feature of the capping machine is the mounting thereof which includes an upright having a vertically adjustable coupling at the upper end thereof with the capping mechanism being carried by one half of the coupling, and there being means provided for con necting the upper portion of the upright to an existing conveyor so as to transversely position the capping mechanism in overlying relation to the conveyor.

Still another feature of this invention is the provision of a novel capping mechanism which is adapted to overlie a path of movement of containers and to apply screw caps to the containers, which containers are fixed against rotation while moving along the predetermined path. The capping mechanism includes a plurality of cap rotating units, each of which includes a pair of opposed cap rotating members disposed in spaced relation on opposite sides of the path of movement of a container cap for engaging the same and rotating the cap to screw it onto a container. The individual cap rotating members are transversely adjustable so as to accommodate various size caps and at the same time so as to adjust the pressure engagement of the cap rotating members with caps.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of a simple drive for the cap rotating members whereby the cap rotating members at each side of a path of cap travel may all be simultaneously driven from a single drive unit and still permit individual transverse adjustment of the cap rotating members, all of the cap rotating members being driven by an endless drive member having associated therewith a slack take up mechanism so as to compensate for variations in positions of cap rotating members.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a container filling and capping mechanism employing the capping machine of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the capping machine with the top wall of the housing of the capping mechanism being partially broken away to show the specific internal details of the capping mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and shows specifically the relationship of the capping mechanism to containers being capped.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3 and shows further the specific details of the capping mechanism as well as the specific details of the support for the capping mech anism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in FIG. 1 the over-all arrangement of a container filling and capping mechanism, which mechanism is generally identified by the numeral 10. The mechanism 10 includes a combined guiding and conveying assembly which is generally identified by the numeral 11 for moving containers along a predetermined path. The combined guiding and conveying assembly 11 is particularly adapted to handle containers which are rectangular or square in cross section, such as the containers 12.

The containers 12 are delivered by the mechanism 11 into a conventional type of filler, which is identified by the numeral 13, wherein the containers 12 are automatically filled. After the containers 12 are filled, it is desired that the containers be immediately capped. Accordingly, they first pass beneath the feed chute 14 of the conventional cap orienting and feeding mechanism which is generally identified by the numeral 15. As a cap, which is identified by the numeral 16, is seated on a container 12, the container 12 passes beneath the capping machine, which capping machine is the subject of this invention and is generally identified by the numeral 17. The capping machine 17 automatically presses the cap 16 down on the container and rotates the cap to screw the cap to a container closing position.

Referring now to FIG. 4 in particular, it will be seen that the combined guiding and conveying mechanism 11 includes a lower conveyor mechanism 18 and an upper guide unit 20. The conveyor mechanism 18 may be of any construction although at a minimum, it requires an endless conveyor belt 21 which passes around a pair of supporting rollers 22 at the opopsite ends of its travel. In addition, in the vicinity of the capping machine 17, the upper run of the conveyor belt 21 must be supported by a suitable support member which is identified by the numeral 23. The illustrated support member is of an inverted channel configuration and desirably may extend the full length of the conveyor assembly 18.

The guide unit 20 is preferably of an extremely simple form and may consist of rods 24 which are preferably arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the intended path of movement of the containers 12. The pairs of rods 24 are transversely spaced a distance substantially equal to the width of the container 12 and since the container 12 is rectangular in cross section, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1, the guide rods 24 restrict the rotation of the container 12 to a very small angle during the application of a cap 16 thereto.

At this time it is pointed out that the illustrated container 12 is in the form of a milk bottle or other liquid container and has a reduced diameter neck portion 25 to which the cap 16 is applied. However, the exact configuration of the container 12 is immaterial as far as this invention is concerned except that it must be generally rectangular in outline so that the guide unit 20 prevents the same from rotating when the cap is being applied thereto and at the same time the conveyor assembly 18 can freely move the container along the predetermined path during the application of the cap 16 thereto. EX- ceptions to the foregoing are round containers having enough weight to withstand the torque required to tighten the cap. For example, one gallon round glass containers.

At this time it is pointed out that normally the filler 13 and the combined guiding and conveying assembly 11 are already a part of a filling line. In accordance with this invention, it is proposed to utilize the combined gui ing and conveying assembly 11 both for the purpose of supporting a container during the capping thereof and for holding the container being capped against rotation during the application of the cap thereto.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 wherein the specific details of the capping machine 17 are shown. The capping machine 17 basically includes a support, which is identified by the numeral 30, and a capping mechanism which is identified by the numeral 31. The support 30 is intended to be fixedly mounted adjacent the existing combined guiding and conveying mechanism 11 and includes an upright 32 which has the lower end thereof mounted in any desired manner such as by means of a base 29.

At the upper end of the upright 32 there is a vertically adjustable coupling, which is identified by the numeral 33, which coupling supports the capping mechanism 31 from the upright 32.

The coupling 33 includes a lower support plate 34 and an upper support plate 35 which are rigidly secured to the upper portion of the upright 32 and extend horizontally therefrom. The support plates 34 and 35 are coupled together by a vertical support plate 36 which extends above the upper support plate 35.

A vertically adjustable support plate 37 is mounted in face-to-face engagement with the fixed support plate 36 and is clamped thereagainst in a vertically adjusted position by a pair of clamp bolts 38 which are releasably carried by the support plate 36 and which extend through vertical slots 40 (FIG. 3) in the support plate 37. The upper end of the support plate 37 is provided with a flange 41 to which a housing 42 of the capping mechanism 31 is secured.

The adjustable support plate 37 is provided with a nut element 42 which projects towards the upright 32 through a vertical slot 43 in the support plate 36. The nut element 42 has threadedly engaged therein and passing therethrough an adjusting screw 44 which is suitably carried by the plates 34 and 35 and which ex tends materially thereabove and terminates in a gripping element 45 to facilitate the rotation thereof. When it is desired to vertically adjust the capping mechanism 31, the bolts 38 are slightly loosened and the support 37 vertically adjusted by turning the screw 44.

At this time it is pointed out that the capping mechanism 31 is retained in transverse alignment with the combined guiding and conveying mechanism 18 by means of adjustable connecting strap assemblies 46 which extend betweeen the coupling 33 and the conveyor assembly 18. The strap assemblies 46 include first and second slotted straps 47 and 48 which are adjustably connected together by a bolt 50. The strap 48, in turn, is vertically adjustably secured to the frame member 23 by means of a bolt 51.

It is to be noted that the housing 42 of the capping mechanism 31 is generally rectangular in outline and includes a bottom wall 52, a pair of longitudinal walls 53 and 54, a pair of end walls 55 and 56 and a removable cover 57.

The bottom wall 52 is provided with a central longitudinal opening 58 therethrough through which a cap depressing belt 60 depends. The belt 68, as is best shown in FIG. 2, is supported by a drive roll 61 and an idler roll 62 which are suitably supported on the bottom wall 52. The drive roll 61 is driven by a suitable electric motor 63 through a coupling 64 so that the rate of movement of the belt 60 is substantially the same as that of the conveyor belt 21 to support the upper end of a container 12.

The capping mechanism 31 also includes a plurality of cap rotating units which are spaced longitudinally of the housing 42. Each cap rotating unit includes two cap rotating members 66 and 67 which are disposed in opposed relation on opposite sides of the path of travel of the caps 16 and lying in the general plane of the cap, as is best shown in FIG. 4. Each of the cap rotating members 66 and 67 is carried by a spindle 68 which is rotatably mounted within a housing 69 and has secured to the upper end thereof a drive sprocket 70. Each housing 63 includes a slide block 71 fixedly attached thereto and mounted Within a housing 72 carried by the bottom wall 52 for transverse sliding movement. Each slide block 71 has coupled thereto an adjusting screw 73 which is rotatably carried by the respective side wall of the housing 42 and which is provided with an exposed knob 74 to facilitate the rotation thereof to adjust the relative position of the associated cap rotating members 66 or 67.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that the individual cap rotating members 66 and 67 may be adjusted so as to accommodate between opposed cap rotating members 66 and 67 various sizes of caps 16. In addition, the cap rotating members 66 and 67 may be transversely adjusted so as to vary the pressure engagement thereof with a cap.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 in particular, it will be seen that all of the sprockets 70 of the cap rotating members 66 are simultaneously rotated at the same speed through a drive chain 75 which is driven by a sprocket 76. The sprocket 76 is, in turn, carried by and rotated by a motor 77 which is mounted on the side wall 53 of the housing 42. It is to be noted that the cap rotating members 66 rotate in a counterclockwise direction so as to spin a cap engaged therewith in a clockwise direction.

It is also to be noted that all of the cap rotating members 67 are simultaneously driven by means of a chain 78 which is engaged with the driving sprockets 70 thereof. The chain 78 is driven by means of a drive sprocket 80 carried by and driven by an electric motor 82 which is mounted on the side wall 54 of the housing 42. The chain 78 moves in a direction to rotate the cap rotating members 67 in a counterclockwise direction so as to effect the clockwise rotation of a cap engaged thereby.

At this time it is pointed out that in order to compensate for the transverse adjustment of the cap rotating members 66 and 67, each of the chains '75 and 78 has associated therewith a slack take up sprocket 83 which is mounted on a swinging arm 84 and urged to a chain tensioning position by means of a spring 85.

OPERATION It will be readily apparent that after a container 12 has been filled by means of the :filler 13, it is moved longitudinally along the combined guiding and conveying assembly 11 to a position whereat it passes under the exit end of the sheet 14 from the cap feeding mechanism 15. A properly oriented cap 16 is automatically picked up by the container 12 with the cap being spun slightly by the first set of cap rotating members 66 and 67 so as to be loosely, but squarely positioned on the container 12.

As the container 12 moves to the right, as viewed in FIG. 3, it passes beneath the cap depressing belt 60 which also serves the function of cooperating with the conveyor 21 so as to stabilize the container 12 against overturning in a longitudinal direction. With the container 12 so stabilized, the cap 16 is progressively turned and tightened by engagement with the others of the cap rotating members 66, 67. It is to be understood that the material of the cap rotating members 66, 67 may be varied so as to provide for varied gripping engagement with the cap. Also, the spacing between transversely adjacent cap rotating members 66 and 6'7 may be varied so as to produce difierent gripping eflects on the caps 16 and thereby to provide for the exact degree of tightness of the caps 16.

It will be readily apparent that inasmuch as the container 12 is prevented from rotating by the guide rods 24 and is prevented from transversely overturning by these same guide rods and since the conveyor belt 21 and the cap depressing belt '61 cooperates to prevent overturning of the container in a longitudinal direction, the container 12 is automatically firmly supported during the application of the caps 16 thereto.

Although it is the primary intention of this invention to provide a capping machine which may be readily associated with an existing combined guiding and conveying assembly, it is also to be understood that the combined guiding and conveying assembly 11 may be furnished with the capping machine.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the capping machine has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a conveyor assembly having a moving conveying member for supporting and transporting containers along a predetermined path, and fixed guide means on opposite sides of said container path for slidable engagement by containers and for preventing rotation of containers conveyed by said conveying member; a free standing cap-per removably mounted adjacent said conveyor assembly and having capping mechanism overlying said moving conveying member; said capping mechanism including cap rotating means for rotating screw-on caps on containers while the containers are being moved by. said conveyor assembly and held against rotation thereby, an upstanding support separate and apart from said conveyor assembly and means mounting said cap rotating means on said support for selective vertical positioning relative to said moving conveyor member and said fixed guide means; and said cap rotating means including a plurality of cap rotating units for engaging and sequentially rotating a cap to screw such cap onto an associated container, each cap rotating unit including a pair of cap rotating members positioned in spaced opposed relation on opposite sides ot the intended path of movement of caps, and means for rotating the cap rotating members of each pair in the same direction for cooperation to turn a cap passing therebeween.

2. A capper particularly adapted for use in combination with an existing combined container guiding and conveying mechanism of the type operable to move containers along a predetermined path While preventing rotation of the containers, said capper being of the type to apply screw-on caps and comprising a support adapted to be fixedly positioned relative to a container guiding and conveying mechanism and substantially independently, thereof, and a capping mechanism carried by said support for overlying a container guiding and conveying mechanism for tightening previously positioned caps on containers, said capping mechanism comprising a cap depresser for engaging a cap and urging the cap down onto a container in a level position at all times while the cap is being rotationally applied, and a plurality of cap rotating units for engaging and sequentially rotating a cap to screw such cap onto an associated container, each cap rotating unit including pair of cap rotating members positioned in spaced opposed relation on opposite sides of the intended path of movement of caps, and means for rotating the cap rotating members of each pair in the same direction for cooperation to turn a cap passing therebetween, means for individually transversely positioning each of said cap rotating members to vary the spacing between cap rotating members of each cap rotating unit both to adjust for variations in cap size and to adjust the pressure engagement of said cap rotating members with a cap.

3. The capper of claim 2 wherein all cap rotating members disposed on each side of the path of cap movement are simultaneously driven from a single drive unit, said drive unit including a fixedly mounted power unit, an endless drive member and an automatic slack take-up mechanism for compensating for variations in the positions of said cap rotating members relative to each other and to the respective power unit.

4. The capper of claim 2 wherein said capper includes a housing having a bottom wall, and said means for individually transversely positioning each of said cap rotating members includes a slide block supporting each cap rotating member, said slide block being seated on said housing bottom wall for transverse sliding movement and a separate adjusting screw carried by said housing for each slide block connected to the respective slide block for both adjusting the relative position of the respective cap rotating member and maintaining the adjusted position thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,460,312 8/1969 Stover 53317 X 2,942,394 6/1960 Bjering et a1. 533l7 X 3,054,234 9/1962 Stover 53317 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 53315, 317

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