CA1228579A - Capping machines - Google Patents
Capping machinesInfo
- Publication number
- CA1228579A CA1228579A CA000488276A CA488276A CA1228579A CA 1228579 A CA1228579 A CA 1228579A CA 000488276 A CA000488276 A CA 000488276A CA 488276 A CA488276 A CA 488276A CA 1228579 A CA1228579 A CA 1228579A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sealing
- capping head
- machine according
- support post
- pivot
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Sealing Of Jars (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
CAPPING MACHINES
A capping machine for applying removable closures to bottles, jars or other containers has a capping head in which a sealing shoe is suspended by a pair of levers which permit the shoe to rock in a vertical plane.
CAPPING MACHINES
A capping machine for applying removable closures to bottles, jars or other containers has a capping head in which a sealing shoe is suspended by a pair of levers which permit the shoe to rock in a vertical plane.
Description
I
CAPPING MACHINES
his invention relates to capping machines, that is to say machines for applying, to a succession of containers, closure members which are usually in the form of removable caps of various kinds, and which for convenience will be referred to herein my the generic term "caps".
The containers may be for example in the Norm of bottles jars or cans, and may be manufactured from any suitable material such as glass, plastics paper board or metal. A's -to the caps, these may be of any suitable material and will typically eye of metal, though they may for example be of plastics material.
The invention is particularly concerned with capping machines capable of applying, at high speed, a succession of caps to a succession of respective containers, the caps being (by Jay of non limiting example) sucker cap, tipoff caps, "push-on twist-off" caps, or pry-off cups which are applied by a simple axial force. Many proxy are required to be vacuum packed, i.e. the filled connately yet uncapped, is paused into an enclosure in huh the air pressure is Lowry than the amount pressure.
The cap is secured to the container within Tulsa enclosure, so that on emerging from the enclosure the filled and cleated conSalner contains, above the product therein, a partial vacuum. Roy -term "vacuum", when used herein, it to ye under~too-l-to I mean such a partial vacuum.
A typical capping machine his cap-applying or capping head mounted above the Courier, the capping he'd hying arranged to plaice a Clue upon each container in turn at a feed or pic~~uEi:~tation~
I and to squealer or seal the cap to thy container at a I, 'ill ~.2~57~3 subsequent sealing station. To this end the capping head includes a capping head body, carrying a cap chute at the pick-up station and sealing means at the sealing station.
At the sealing station, the cap is secured to the container by sealing means which applies an axial force to the cap (with Of without any necessary rotational movement) according to the type of cap being applied.
lo The sealing means of the capping machine applies downward axial pressure on the cap which has been placed upon the container at the pick-up point, by means of a sealing shoe, which is biassed downwardly by a spring or springs to provide the necessary axial sealing force. The sealing shoe may also be provided with means for heating the shoe and consequently the cap if the latter is of a kind requiring such heating. Underlying the sealing shoe, and in contact with it, is a-t least one sealing welt in the form of an endless belt, which is driven at a predetermined speed, preferably deriving its motion from the same motor that drives the conveyor and side belts. the sealing belt assists the forward movement of the container, and ensures that the cap remains placed upon the latter until it has been moved axially downwards so that it can no Lionel be pushed off the container in a direction having a radial component. Where twisting action is also require in order to effect securing ox the cap upon the container (as is for example the case with a screw cap or a twist-off cap of the kind which is not adapted to be pushed on to the container by application of a simple axial force), two setline belts are provided The two sealing belts are driven at different speeds; and both engage the top of the ,.
I
cap simultaneously. Thus the cap is turned about its axis whilst being pushed down on the container.
Particularly in high-speed operation, it is desirable to ensure very smooth and accurately controlled vertical movement of' the sealing shoe, whilst a-t the same time preventing any Saudis or forward movement of the shoe in a horizontal plane.
According to the invention, a capping, machine for applying removable closures to containers comprises container-advancing means for moving the containers in succession in a generally-horizontal, longitudinal forward direction, means for delivering closure members in succession to place them upon the containers without securing them, and a capping head having a body and including sealing means for subsequently securing each closure member in turn to its container, the sealing means being adapted to apply downward sealing pressure upon each of a succession of the closure members previously placed upon a respective container, the sealing meats comprising a sealing shoe which is carried by a pair of suspension arms extending generally in said longitudinal direction and arranged one behind the other in that direction, each su3pen~ion arm being pivoted at one end to the cappirn~ head body and at the other end to the sealing Snow and being in addition suspended from the capping head ode they'll individual resilient load-applying mean connected so as to apply a substantially vertical load to the suspension arm at a point offset longitudinally from the pivot joining the arm to the sealing shoe, whereby the sealing shoe can lock lOn~itUdiTlally under the control o; the load-app:Lyin~ means.
Preferably each of the reliant; Lydia-applying means comprises a compression spring col~r~led it, Dug through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm, to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection Each of these compression springs can conveniently-be made separately adjustable as to spring pressure, thus enabling particularly sensitive adjustment of the pressure exerted by the sealing shoe on the cap to be effected. furthermore, this adjustment can be made without upsetting the position of the sealing shoe.
Due to the controlled rocking in a longitudinal plane which this arrangement permit -to the sealing shoe, the assembly of sealin~r7 shoe arid sealing belts tilts backwardly against the rearward sprinC~7 as an advancing container, carrying a cap, comes into initial engagement with the sealing belts.
The sealing operation is effected with the shoe and sealing belts horizontal, this being automatically ensured by the action of the two independent compression springs; and as the capped container reaches the forward end ox the shoe the assembly tilts forwardly to enable the container to be released smoothly. There are with this arrangement substantially no sudden forces applied to the cap or the container by the sealing means.
One embodiment of a capping machine:?
according to the invention -Jill now ye dissoluble, by way of example only, with reruns to -the dlawin~c;
of this specification) in which:-Err l it a much-simpli~ied, partly cut Allah, per3p~ctive vie showin~7-the front of the machine, Figure 2 is an enlarged version of part of Fig~lr? L, Sheehan in particular the capping head of the machine, still somewhat simplified for cllrit~J but i greclter detail than Figure it Figure 3 is a trarlsverse sectional elevation, taxes Jo on the line III-III in figure 9, showing how the capping head is mounted on a base ox the machine;
Figure 4 is a sampled view of the lower part of the cap chute of the same machine, showing a cap at the pick-up position;
Figure 5 is a very diagrammatic side elevation showing the lower part of the cap chute and sorter components associated therewith, and illustrating the placement of a cap upon a container;
~ig7ure 6 is a side elevation of the Lyle part of the cap chute in greater detail;
Figure 7 is a plan vow of the salve with certain parts omitted inure 8 is a simplified side elevation o -the capping head, illustrating in particular the mariner in -which the side belts of the capping machine are mounted and operated, the side belts being shorn in their lowermost position;
figure 9 is a vow corresponding to parts of Figure: 8 but shows the side belts in their uppermost pOSitiOI1, inure 10 is a simplified side elevation of the sealing. assembly of the coupon mizzen, shown during a sealing operation; and Figure 11 is similar to Figure 10 but is in two parts, viz. Figure aye and use 11(b), wherein Figure aye illustrates the attitude of tile sealing 3579~
assembly upon arrival of a container below it, whilst Figure 11(b) illustrates its attitude as the container reaches the downstream end of the assembly.
Referring to the drunks, -the capping machine illustrated therein is a vapor vacuum capping machine for the high-speed capping of jars, bottles and other containers using caps which may be of any suitable kind, the machine being adjustable (as will be seen) so that it can handle a wide variety of shapes and sizes of both containers and caps. However, in the particular application illustrated in Figures l and 2 and others of the Figures, the machine is in use for applying "twist-on, twist-off" metal caps to glass jars filled with a foodstuff.
The capping machine has a casing comprising a main frame 2 clad with outer paneling 4, to define a working chamber 6, which has a front access opening 8 and a rear access opening not shown. Each of these access opening has doors such as the door shown at lo The main frame 2 supports a conveyor assembly which extends through the capping machine from one side to the other. The conveyor assembly includes an endless conveyor 12 of the flat-plate type, having at one end a driving drum 14. The conveyor runs on a flat bed 16. At tot left hand and right-hand ends respectively (as seen in figure 1) of the machine casing, there are an inlet tunnel lo and an exit tunnel 20, thrill which the conveyor 12 passes. Below the convoys?- 12, within the casing, is a drive rotor 22, coupled to a main gearbox 24 which in turn is killed, through a conveyor drive shaft 26 having n pair of flexible ~.2;~5~
couplings, to the driving gearbox of the conveyor driving drum 14.
A capping head 28 is arranged within the working chamber 6, over the conveyor 12. The capping head 28 has an anodized aluminum body 30 which comprises a horizontal top portion 29, bent to form an apron portion 32 at the left-hand (inlet) end of the head. At the front and back of the body 30 at the right-hand (exit) end, a pair of integral wing portions, bent downwardly to form flanges 34 extend outwardly from the top portion 29. prom the rear of the top portion 29, an integral mounting bracket 31 extends downwardly.
Referring to figures 3 and 9, a fixed, upstanding capping head mounting post 38 is secured to the main frame 2 of the machine. A post housing 36 comprises a generally-cylindrical potion mounted coccal on the post 38 and slid able vertical on the latter. The post housing 36 also has an integral, forwardly, extending portion AYE; the mounting bracket 31 of the capping head body is rigidly secured to the portion AYE so that the head body 30 is cantilevered from the post housing I and supported thereby. This is the only means of support of the capping head body.
The facility folk sliding vertical movement of the post housing 36 on the post 38 it provided fC!`
the purpose of adjusting the head height, it the height at which the capping head 28 is positioned above the conveyor 12. This adjustment it made by means of a lead screw 41 which is mounted rotatable in an upper closure plate I of the post housing and which it rotatable by means of a Handel (figure 1) and shaft 42, through a head height adjusting so 357~
I, gearbox 40 mounted on the upper closure plate 37.
The shaft 42 is supported in a bearing (not shown) carried by the head body 30 behind the Handel.
The lead screw 41 engages in a threaded bush 39 secured in the top of the post 38.
The bore of the cylindrical portion of the post housing 36 is lined with sliding bearing rings 35 which engage -the post 38 itself. The entire static force due to the weight of the capping head lo 28 and any dynamic forces transmitted to the post 38 from the capping head during operation ox` the machine are supported by the post I partly via the bearing rings 35 and partly via the leadscre~ 41 and bush 39. However there it also provided a locking device mounted on the outside of the head housing 36 to prevent any vertical movement of the Capella head taking place due to accidental rotation of the lead screw 41 (which could for example occur as a result of either inadvertent operation o-f the Handel on the shaft 42, or mechanical violation).
The locking device comprise a long slender locking pin 44 which has a threaded pollution carried by a release nut 43 the latter being captive on the head housing 36. The pin 44 extends downwardly prom the nut 43 and carries at its Lowry end a -wedge member 45 having a vertical -face for frictional liken engagement it the post 38. The wedge rrember I
also has an inclined face engaging a fixed cam element AYE which it part of the post housing 36. The wedge member exterlds through a slot 36B furrowed in the sir of the pout housing. Rotation of the adjusting nut 43 such a to raise the locking pin I releases the wedge member from frictional locking enga~err.ent between -the cam elerr.~nt 45~ and post 3c3 tolls allowing the capping head 28 to be raised 0!' 57~3 lowered.
Mounted on the capping head body 30, at the inlet end, it a cap heating tunnel 54 provided with means, not shown, for preheating the caps before the latter are delivered to the containers to be closed.
An inclined cap feed chute extends downwardly trough the tunnel 54 from a suitable supply chute, not shown, which extends through an opening in a portion of the roof of the machine casing 4 that is cut away in figure 1. The lower part 46 of the cap feed chute comprises an assembly which is indicated diagrammatically in figure 1 and shown in more detail in figure 2 and Figures 4 to 7. This assembly 46 will be referred to hereinafter simply as the "cap chute". It will be described more fully hereinafter.
onward of the cap chute 46 is a sealing head assembly 48, carried by the capping head body 30. A pair of endless side belts 50 are carried, one either side of the capping he'd, by the sealing head assembly which will be described hereinafter.
During the capping operation, a vacuum aye hereinbe~ore explained) is maintained in the region below the capping head body 30 by suitable means being controllable by a main vacuum control valve 52, Figure 1, mounted on top OX the body 30. The VaCUUnl and the jeans lot creating and maintaining it can be conventional; they for no part of the prevent invention, and no further discussion\ ox these aspects will be undertaken herein.
In operation, fillet jars 56 are Charlie by the conveyor 12 through the inlet tunnel 18 into the working chamber G, in which each jar irrupt Russ a cap, placed upon it at the placement or pickup position 58 by the cap chute 46. The cap it then .11 I
--1 o secured and sealed upon the jet by the sealing head assembly 48, before being carried out of the working chamber through the exit tunnel 20. Each jar is centralized on the conveyor 12 by a pair of adjustable guides 60, Figure l, overlying the conveyor in the inlet tunnel 18. Immediately after this, the jets are engaged by the side belts 50 which maintain the jars in their straight central path throughout the capping process.
Referring now to Figures 4 to 7, the cap chute I comprises a pair of cap Support rails 62, of gradually decreasing inclination to the horizontal in the usual manner. Each cap support rail 62 has a wide wall 64 and a cap-supporting portion 65, the wide walls 64 being spaced apart by slightly more than the diameter of a cap. The final section AYE
of each of the cap-supportir.g portions 65 is narrower than the remainder of the portion 65 upstream of the section AYE, so as to provide a suitable gap vindicated at 66 in Figure 4) or the passage of the necks of the successive jars through the gap 66.
Referring particularly to figures 6 and 7, the cap chute is adjustable mounted on a portion 176 (Figure 6) of the capping body 70, in the felon manner. Secured by studs 174 to the body portion 176 is a mounting block 172 carrying a transverse pivot pin 17~ which passes through a bifurcated center beam 182 of the cap chute. In this way the latter is hunt from the mounting block 172. The pin 17~ carries a nut securing the cap chute to the block 172. Upon removal of the nut, the whole cap chute 46 can be withdrawn for maintenance, replacement or other purposes. The mounting block also includes a bracket 184 associated with an adjustment lever I which is fixed to the cap chute center beam 1~2. The I I
bracket 184 carries an adjusting screw 188 thereby the spacing between the lever 186 and bracket 1&4 maintained by a compression spring 190 is adjustable when the pivot yin nut 180 is loosened. In this manner the altitude ox the cap chute is adjustable to obtain the required angle of the cap chute section AYE to the horizontal or feeding the caps 76 to the jars.
The center beam has a ~lidth-adjusting shaft 192 mounted through the beam; the shaft 192 has opposed left- and rotund screw threaded portions each in screw-threaded engagement with a suitable bracket portion of a respective one of two cap chute side plates 194 so that when the shaft 192 is rotated the side plates are moved towards o-: aye from each other. A pair of stretchers 196 provide the main means for securing the side plates l94 together by means of clamping screws lo the latter being released to allow the width between the side plates to be altered when necessary.
Each cap support rail 62 is fixed to the adjacent one of the side plates 194. It can ye seen f20~ the foreign how the rails 62 are mounted so as to be readily adjustable both for transverse width between them so that the cap chute can be meet to accommodate caps of different diameters; an-l lot -the optimum altitude in a vertical plane.
Each support rail wide Allah 64 ha on it outer surface a mounting bracket 63 carrying R pivot 72 whereby the rear end of a cap stop roller arm or lever 70 is pivoted about a vertical axis. The roller arms 70 extend forwardly for some distance the forward end portion 71 ox each arm being directly inwardly through an aperture 67 in the isle wall at the free end of the end portion Al each roller ' ., :~.22~57~
-lo-arm carries a cap stop roller 74, which is freely rotatable about its own axis. The axes of the stop rollers 74 are so orientated as to lie parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the assay of a cap 76 when the latter is lying, as shown in figure 4, with its skirt engaging the two stop rollers. In this position, each cap in turn is arrested by the rollers 74 in its gravity-induced Swede down the cap chute in this position also, the cap becomes engaged by its jar 56 for the fort -time or the purpose of arresting the cap, the stop rollers 74 overlie the final ~3ection.65A of the cap-supporting rail portions 65, the rollers protruding through the apertures 67. They are biassed towards lo -tins normal pOSi.tiOII by tension springs 78 conl1ected between the respective roller arms 70 end the associated side rules 64. The springs I are mounted on top of the respective side Allah. 64. in an exposed position in Which they are readily available for inspection and, if necessary, replacement.
Attached by a spring clip 200 to -the mounting block bracket 184 is a pin 202 on which one end of a pair of arms 82 and 88 are freely pivoted.
The other end of the arm 82 is pivoted to ~.~ vertical push rod I carrying a rear prosier foot 80. The other end of the arm 88 carries a Forward prowar foot 86; the arm 88 is pivoted about half among iota length to a vertical pow rod 85. The prowl feet and their linkage are omitted for clarity from Figure 7.
The operation of placing a cap 76 upon a jay- 56 at the pick-up citation I icy illustrate-1 in figure 5, in which the cap icy indicated, in -the Amy post lion aye in Figure 4, by full line-. Behind it therm are indicated in phantom Lyon, C30me follo~irl 35~9 caps in the cap chute, awaiting their turn for placement. The cap 76 at the pick-up station is held down against the cap-supporting portions 65 of the rails 62 by the rear presser foot 80. The pressure exerted on the cap 76 by the presser foot 80 is adjustable, through the push rod I by means of an adjuster 92 (Figure 2) mounted on top of the body 30. When the jar 56 arrives below the cap 76 at the pick-up station (as indicated by phantom lines in figure 5), the leading portion 84 of the lip around the mouth of the jar engages the correspondirlg portion of the inner surface of the cap skirt in the usual way. Continued forward movement of the jar (caused by the conveyor 12 and the side belts 50, which are all moving at exactly the same forward speed) causes the jar to push the cap forward, the stop rollers 74 retracting away from each other against the tension springs 78. over, so long as some part of the cap skirt is interrupting -the transverse path of the stop rollers between their retracted and normal positions, the cylindrical faces of the rollers 74 roll upon, and apply pressure to, the cap skirt, so maintaining its axial orientation.
Thereafter, the rear portion of the cap skirt Allis on to the top of the jar Immediately after the cap has left the cap chute, it is restrained laterally by resilient side guides 8q carried by the cap ehutf?
side plates 194 (Figures 2, 6 and 7), arid Allah by -the forward presser shoe 86. The axial pressure exerted by the forward presser shoe 86 Spoil -the cap 76 is adjustable in the same manner as that exerted 'by the rear presser shoe 80, as described above, by a similar adjuster 90 (Figure 2) acting through the push rod 85.
Reference is now made to Figures 2, 8 Jo 2 9 and 9. whoosh endless side belt 50~ presenting a working or jar-engaging portion 94 and an outer OIL
idle portion 96 (figure 2) is carried by a pair of side belt pulleys 98,100, one at each extreme end of the capping head. The rear side belt pulleys I are freely rotatable, on vertical axes, at the ends of support arms 102 which are pivoted to a Claus-beam 104. The Support arms 102 are biassed by side belt tensioning springs 106. The cross-beam 104 is fixed at each of its ends to the rear end of a respective one of a pair of side belt frames O!`
support beams 108 extending along the capping head at either wide of the latter. Each support be 10~, carries a plurality of side belt locating shoes 110 along which the or kin portion 94 of the side belt runs.
In this example, there are two locating shoes 110 to each support beam 10~. The loch tin shoes 110 at each side of the capping head verve to maintain the working portion 94 of toe respective side belt in a straight configuration and at thy?
correct transverse distance from the working portion ox` the other belt 50. With this in Yo-yo, the transverse distance ox the locating shoes 110 reloan their wide belt support beams 10~ art:? adjustable by means of suitable adjuster 112, igloo!`" I
The leading side belt puller, 100 aye each carried by a respective side belt pulley elbow Al fixed to the runt end of: the correspondir~ uppc-lrt beam 108. The pulley gearboxes 114 are coupled together by a -transv f? rye final drive ha 116 which is driven by a chain drive 118 from a math driven shaft 120. The shaft 120 it cantilevered foe AL
~piral-bevel gearbox 122 mounted at thy bclck of the capping head body 30 The gearbox 122 it driven by ., ,.
I
a vertical main drive shaft 124 which is, in turn, driven by the main gearbox 24~ so that the driven shaft 120 and the side belts 50 are all driven, in synchronism with the conveyor 12, by the motor 22.
The manner in which the side belt support beams 108 are mounted in the capping head will no ox described. Mach beam 108 carries two pivots 126, one near each end ox the beam. These four pivots lie in a common horizontal plane which is parallel with the top of the conveyor 12. Pivoted at the pivots 126 to the beams 108, and thus connecting the latter together transversely, are two rigid cross-members 128,130. The rearward closs-membPr 128 has a transversely-extendin~ portion joining a pair of side crank portions 132,134, each of which carries the appropriate element of the respective pivot 126 and is also pivoted about a transverse axis (common to the pivots of both crank portions) to the capping head body 30 as indicated at 136. The rear crank portion 134 has an upstanding portion to which is pivoted one end of a horizontal tie bar 138.
The forward cross-memb~r 130 also comprises a transversely-extending portion joining a pair of side crank portions, each pivoted to the beam 10~ by the respective pivot 126 and also being pivoted tug the capping head body 30 about a transverse axis at 140. The axes 13~ and 140 lie in a common horizontal plane which it again aureole to the top of the conveyor 12.
The front end of the horizontal tie bar 13 is pivoted to the transverse portion of the forward cross-member 130. The tie bar 138 has a threaded portion 142, which passes tnrou~h R U-shaped racket 144 secured to the top of the capping, head body 30. An adjusting nut 146 is threaded on to the portion 142 and held captive in the bracket 144.
It Jill now be seen that the side belt support beams 10~ are carried in the capping head by a parallelogram type linkage comprising the beams themselves as lower horizontal members the tie 'bar 138 as the upper horizontal member and as the side members the cross members 128 and 1~0. my reference to figure 9 and comparison between Figures 8 and 9, it will also be readily seen that the vertical distance between the side belts 50 and the top of the conveyor 12 (the "side belt height") is infinitely adjustable within a predetermined range by simply turning the nut 146 by means ox a spanner so as to move the tie bar 138 to the right (as seen in iris 8 and 9) to lower the side belts and to the left in order to raise them.
The use of the chain drive llR enablefl this adjustment to be made without disturbing the motion of the side belts 50.
figures 8 and 9 show two containers of different shapes on the conveyor 12 each container having a cylindrical portion in a different position and the side belts being adjusted in each case to enrage that cylindrical portion.
Refrain no to figure 10 the staling head assembly comprises a pair of sealing belt drums 148~ 150 of slightly different diameters Cody ho the main driven shaft 120 alrecLdy described and therefore rotated continuously in synchronism with the conveyor 12 and thy side belts 50. A pair of`
endless sealing belts 152 154 extend around the respective drums 14~ 150 and around respective rearwardly-disposed idler pulleys 156. the pulleys 1S6 are carried my brackets 15'7 sure 2) .
which are carried, via a spring-tensioning device, not shown, to maintain tension in the belts 152 and 154, by a sealing shoe 158. The brackets 157 are omitted from figures 10 and 11 for clarity. The sealing shoe 158 extends generally horizontally and has a flat lower surface overlying, and in contact with, the lower runs of both ox the sealing belts 152 and 154.
The sealing shoe is pivoted to the forward end of each ox a forward suspension arm 160 and a rearward suspension arm 162. Roth o-f these suspension arms are pivoted, at their rear ends 164, to the capping head body 30. (These pivots are out of sight in Figure 2). To each of the suspension arms 160 and 162, adjacent to the pivot with the sealing shoe 158, there is pivoted a respective one of a pair of vertical Hun rods 1~6, each of which is suspended by its top end, Thor a compression sprint 168, from toe capping head body 30. The springs 168 cause the sealing shoe 1 to exert upon the caps 76, through the sealing belts 152 and l54, the axial force necessary to secure the caps to the jars 56. This force it adjustable by means of sprint adjusters 170 (Figure 2) incorporated in the mountirlgs of the compression springs 168~ At the same Tom buckles of the difference between the diameters of' -the sealing belt drums 148 and 150, the belts 152 and 154 are dliverl at di:ffel~erlt speeds, aloud BY impart a locational movement to the cap '76 in contact therewith. In this manner, whilst the axial downward force is exhorted by the sealing shoe 158, the caps 76 are secured sullenly to their jars 56.
Figure 11 pa) illustrates by a nervy arrow the upward reaction force, compt2ssirlg the fear ii 57~
spring 168, imposed upon the sealing head assembly when a container, carrying a cap, initially arrives under the sealing shoe; whilst Figure 11(b) illustrates by a similar arrow the reaction -force when the capped container is about to pass from below the sealing shoe. It should be noted that in both cases, it is assumed that no other container lies under -the sealing head assembly; such a case is however illustrated in Figure 10, in which both of the springs 168 are compressed. Thus the downward -tilt of the front or rear end of the sealing head assembly, evident in figures aye and (b) respectively, is absent from Figure 10.
CAPPING MACHINES
his invention relates to capping machines, that is to say machines for applying, to a succession of containers, closure members which are usually in the form of removable caps of various kinds, and which for convenience will be referred to herein my the generic term "caps".
The containers may be for example in the Norm of bottles jars or cans, and may be manufactured from any suitable material such as glass, plastics paper board or metal. A's -to the caps, these may be of any suitable material and will typically eye of metal, though they may for example be of plastics material.
The invention is particularly concerned with capping machines capable of applying, at high speed, a succession of caps to a succession of respective containers, the caps being (by Jay of non limiting example) sucker cap, tipoff caps, "push-on twist-off" caps, or pry-off cups which are applied by a simple axial force. Many proxy are required to be vacuum packed, i.e. the filled connately yet uncapped, is paused into an enclosure in huh the air pressure is Lowry than the amount pressure.
The cap is secured to the container within Tulsa enclosure, so that on emerging from the enclosure the filled and cleated conSalner contains, above the product therein, a partial vacuum. Roy -term "vacuum", when used herein, it to ye under~too-l-to I mean such a partial vacuum.
A typical capping machine his cap-applying or capping head mounted above the Courier, the capping he'd hying arranged to plaice a Clue upon each container in turn at a feed or pic~~uEi:~tation~
I and to squealer or seal the cap to thy container at a I, 'ill ~.2~57~3 subsequent sealing station. To this end the capping head includes a capping head body, carrying a cap chute at the pick-up station and sealing means at the sealing station.
At the sealing station, the cap is secured to the container by sealing means which applies an axial force to the cap (with Of without any necessary rotational movement) according to the type of cap being applied.
lo The sealing means of the capping machine applies downward axial pressure on the cap which has been placed upon the container at the pick-up point, by means of a sealing shoe, which is biassed downwardly by a spring or springs to provide the necessary axial sealing force. The sealing shoe may also be provided with means for heating the shoe and consequently the cap if the latter is of a kind requiring such heating. Underlying the sealing shoe, and in contact with it, is a-t least one sealing welt in the form of an endless belt, which is driven at a predetermined speed, preferably deriving its motion from the same motor that drives the conveyor and side belts. the sealing belt assists the forward movement of the container, and ensures that the cap remains placed upon the latter until it has been moved axially downwards so that it can no Lionel be pushed off the container in a direction having a radial component. Where twisting action is also require in order to effect securing ox the cap upon the container (as is for example the case with a screw cap or a twist-off cap of the kind which is not adapted to be pushed on to the container by application of a simple axial force), two setline belts are provided The two sealing belts are driven at different speeds; and both engage the top of the ,.
I
cap simultaneously. Thus the cap is turned about its axis whilst being pushed down on the container.
Particularly in high-speed operation, it is desirable to ensure very smooth and accurately controlled vertical movement of' the sealing shoe, whilst a-t the same time preventing any Saudis or forward movement of the shoe in a horizontal plane.
According to the invention, a capping, machine for applying removable closures to containers comprises container-advancing means for moving the containers in succession in a generally-horizontal, longitudinal forward direction, means for delivering closure members in succession to place them upon the containers without securing them, and a capping head having a body and including sealing means for subsequently securing each closure member in turn to its container, the sealing means being adapted to apply downward sealing pressure upon each of a succession of the closure members previously placed upon a respective container, the sealing meats comprising a sealing shoe which is carried by a pair of suspension arms extending generally in said longitudinal direction and arranged one behind the other in that direction, each su3pen~ion arm being pivoted at one end to the cappirn~ head body and at the other end to the sealing Snow and being in addition suspended from the capping head ode they'll individual resilient load-applying mean connected so as to apply a substantially vertical load to the suspension arm at a point offset longitudinally from the pivot joining the arm to the sealing shoe, whereby the sealing shoe can lock lOn~itUdiTlally under the control o; the load-app:Lyin~ means.
Preferably each of the reliant; Lydia-applying means comprises a compression spring col~r~led it, Dug through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm, to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection Each of these compression springs can conveniently-be made separately adjustable as to spring pressure, thus enabling particularly sensitive adjustment of the pressure exerted by the sealing shoe on the cap to be effected. furthermore, this adjustment can be made without upsetting the position of the sealing shoe.
Due to the controlled rocking in a longitudinal plane which this arrangement permit -to the sealing shoe, the assembly of sealin~r7 shoe arid sealing belts tilts backwardly against the rearward sprinC~7 as an advancing container, carrying a cap, comes into initial engagement with the sealing belts.
The sealing operation is effected with the shoe and sealing belts horizontal, this being automatically ensured by the action of the two independent compression springs; and as the capped container reaches the forward end ox the shoe the assembly tilts forwardly to enable the container to be released smoothly. There are with this arrangement substantially no sudden forces applied to the cap or the container by the sealing means.
One embodiment of a capping machine:?
according to the invention -Jill now ye dissoluble, by way of example only, with reruns to -the dlawin~c;
of this specification) in which:-Err l it a much-simpli~ied, partly cut Allah, per3p~ctive vie showin~7-the front of the machine, Figure 2 is an enlarged version of part of Fig~lr? L, Sheehan in particular the capping head of the machine, still somewhat simplified for cllrit~J but i greclter detail than Figure it Figure 3 is a trarlsverse sectional elevation, taxes Jo on the line III-III in figure 9, showing how the capping head is mounted on a base ox the machine;
Figure 4 is a sampled view of the lower part of the cap chute of the same machine, showing a cap at the pick-up position;
Figure 5 is a very diagrammatic side elevation showing the lower part of the cap chute and sorter components associated therewith, and illustrating the placement of a cap upon a container;
~ig7ure 6 is a side elevation of the Lyle part of the cap chute in greater detail;
Figure 7 is a plan vow of the salve with certain parts omitted inure 8 is a simplified side elevation o -the capping head, illustrating in particular the mariner in -which the side belts of the capping machine are mounted and operated, the side belts being shorn in their lowermost position;
figure 9 is a vow corresponding to parts of Figure: 8 but shows the side belts in their uppermost pOSitiOI1, inure 10 is a simplified side elevation of the sealing. assembly of the coupon mizzen, shown during a sealing operation; and Figure 11 is similar to Figure 10 but is in two parts, viz. Figure aye and use 11(b), wherein Figure aye illustrates the attitude of tile sealing 3579~
assembly upon arrival of a container below it, whilst Figure 11(b) illustrates its attitude as the container reaches the downstream end of the assembly.
Referring to the drunks, -the capping machine illustrated therein is a vapor vacuum capping machine for the high-speed capping of jars, bottles and other containers using caps which may be of any suitable kind, the machine being adjustable (as will be seen) so that it can handle a wide variety of shapes and sizes of both containers and caps. However, in the particular application illustrated in Figures l and 2 and others of the Figures, the machine is in use for applying "twist-on, twist-off" metal caps to glass jars filled with a foodstuff.
The capping machine has a casing comprising a main frame 2 clad with outer paneling 4, to define a working chamber 6, which has a front access opening 8 and a rear access opening not shown. Each of these access opening has doors such as the door shown at lo The main frame 2 supports a conveyor assembly which extends through the capping machine from one side to the other. The conveyor assembly includes an endless conveyor 12 of the flat-plate type, having at one end a driving drum 14. The conveyor runs on a flat bed 16. At tot left hand and right-hand ends respectively (as seen in figure 1) of the machine casing, there are an inlet tunnel lo and an exit tunnel 20, thrill which the conveyor 12 passes. Below the convoys?- 12, within the casing, is a drive rotor 22, coupled to a main gearbox 24 which in turn is killed, through a conveyor drive shaft 26 having n pair of flexible ~.2;~5~
couplings, to the driving gearbox of the conveyor driving drum 14.
A capping head 28 is arranged within the working chamber 6, over the conveyor 12. The capping head 28 has an anodized aluminum body 30 which comprises a horizontal top portion 29, bent to form an apron portion 32 at the left-hand (inlet) end of the head. At the front and back of the body 30 at the right-hand (exit) end, a pair of integral wing portions, bent downwardly to form flanges 34 extend outwardly from the top portion 29. prom the rear of the top portion 29, an integral mounting bracket 31 extends downwardly.
Referring to figures 3 and 9, a fixed, upstanding capping head mounting post 38 is secured to the main frame 2 of the machine. A post housing 36 comprises a generally-cylindrical potion mounted coccal on the post 38 and slid able vertical on the latter. The post housing 36 also has an integral, forwardly, extending portion AYE; the mounting bracket 31 of the capping head body is rigidly secured to the portion AYE so that the head body 30 is cantilevered from the post housing I and supported thereby. This is the only means of support of the capping head body.
The facility folk sliding vertical movement of the post housing 36 on the post 38 it provided fC!`
the purpose of adjusting the head height, it the height at which the capping head 28 is positioned above the conveyor 12. This adjustment it made by means of a lead screw 41 which is mounted rotatable in an upper closure plate I of the post housing and which it rotatable by means of a Handel (figure 1) and shaft 42, through a head height adjusting so 357~
I, gearbox 40 mounted on the upper closure plate 37.
The shaft 42 is supported in a bearing (not shown) carried by the head body 30 behind the Handel.
The lead screw 41 engages in a threaded bush 39 secured in the top of the post 38.
The bore of the cylindrical portion of the post housing 36 is lined with sliding bearing rings 35 which engage -the post 38 itself. The entire static force due to the weight of the capping head lo 28 and any dynamic forces transmitted to the post 38 from the capping head during operation ox` the machine are supported by the post I partly via the bearing rings 35 and partly via the leadscre~ 41 and bush 39. However there it also provided a locking device mounted on the outside of the head housing 36 to prevent any vertical movement of the Capella head taking place due to accidental rotation of the lead screw 41 (which could for example occur as a result of either inadvertent operation o-f the Handel on the shaft 42, or mechanical violation).
The locking device comprise a long slender locking pin 44 which has a threaded pollution carried by a release nut 43 the latter being captive on the head housing 36. The pin 44 extends downwardly prom the nut 43 and carries at its Lowry end a -wedge member 45 having a vertical -face for frictional liken engagement it the post 38. The wedge rrember I
also has an inclined face engaging a fixed cam element AYE which it part of the post housing 36. The wedge member exterlds through a slot 36B furrowed in the sir of the pout housing. Rotation of the adjusting nut 43 such a to raise the locking pin I releases the wedge member from frictional locking enga~err.ent between -the cam elerr.~nt 45~ and post 3c3 tolls allowing the capping head 28 to be raised 0!' 57~3 lowered.
Mounted on the capping head body 30, at the inlet end, it a cap heating tunnel 54 provided with means, not shown, for preheating the caps before the latter are delivered to the containers to be closed.
An inclined cap feed chute extends downwardly trough the tunnel 54 from a suitable supply chute, not shown, which extends through an opening in a portion of the roof of the machine casing 4 that is cut away in figure 1. The lower part 46 of the cap feed chute comprises an assembly which is indicated diagrammatically in figure 1 and shown in more detail in figure 2 and Figures 4 to 7. This assembly 46 will be referred to hereinafter simply as the "cap chute". It will be described more fully hereinafter.
onward of the cap chute 46 is a sealing head assembly 48, carried by the capping head body 30. A pair of endless side belts 50 are carried, one either side of the capping he'd, by the sealing head assembly which will be described hereinafter.
During the capping operation, a vacuum aye hereinbe~ore explained) is maintained in the region below the capping head body 30 by suitable means being controllable by a main vacuum control valve 52, Figure 1, mounted on top OX the body 30. The VaCUUnl and the jeans lot creating and maintaining it can be conventional; they for no part of the prevent invention, and no further discussion\ ox these aspects will be undertaken herein.
In operation, fillet jars 56 are Charlie by the conveyor 12 through the inlet tunnel 18 into the working chamber G, in which each jar irrupt Russ a cap, placed upon it at the placement or pickup position 58 by the cap chute 46. The cap it then .11 I
--1 o secured and sealed upon the jet by the sealing head assembly 48, before being carried out of the working chamber through the exit tunnel 20. Each jar is centralized on the conveyor 12 by a pair of adjustable guides 60, Figure l, overlying the conveyor in the inlet tunnel 18. Immediately after this, the jets are engaged by the side belts 50 which maintain the jars in their straight central path throughout the capping process.
Referring now to Figures 4 to 7, the cap chute I comprises a pair of cap Support rails 62, of gradually decreasing inclination to the horizontal in the usual manner. Each cap support rail 62 has a wide wall 64 and a cap-supporting portion 65, the wide walls 64 being spaced apart by slightly more than the diameter of a cap. The final section AYE
of each of the cap-supportir.g portions 65 is narrower than the remainder of the portion 65 upstream of the section AYE, so as to provide a suitable gap vindicated at 66 in Figure 4) or the passage of the necks of the successive jars through the gap 66.
Referring particularly to figures 6 and 7, the cap chute is adjustable mounted on a portion 176 (Figure 6) of the capping body 70, in the felon manner. Secured by studs 174 to the body portion 176 is a mounting block 172 carrying a transverse pivot pin 17~ which passes through a bifurcated center beam 182 of the cap chute. In this way the latter is hunt from the mounting block 172. The pin 17~ carries a nut securing the cap chute to the block 172. Upon removal of the nut, the whole cap chute 46 can be withdrawn for maintenance, replacement or other purposes. The mounting block also includes a bracket 184 associated with an adjustment lever I which is fixed to the cap chute center beam 1~2. The I I
bracket 184 carries an adjusting screw 188 thereby the spacing between the lever 186 and bracket 1&4 maintained by a compression spring 190 is adjustable when the pivot yin nut 180 is loosened. In this manner the altitude ox the cap chute is adjustable to obtain the required angle of the cap chute section AYE to the horizontal or feeding the caps 76 to the jars.
The center beam has a ~lidth-adjusting shaft 192 mounted through the beam; the shaft 192 has opposed left- and rotund screw threaded portions each in screw-threaded engagement with a suitable bracket portion of a respective one of two cap chute side plates 194 so that when the shaft 192 is rotated the side plates are moved towards o-: aye from each other. A pair of stretchers 196 provide the main means for securing the side plates l94 together by means of clamping screws lo the latter being released to allow the width between the side plates to be altered when necessary.
Each cap support rail 62 is fixed to the adjacent one of the side plates 194. It can ye seen f20~ the foreign how the rails 62 are mounted so as to be readily adjustable both for transverse width between them so that the cap chute can be meet to accommodate caps of different diameters; an-l lot -the optimum altitude in a vertical plane.
Each support rail wide Allah 64 ha on it outer surface a mounting bracket 63 carrying R pivot 72 whereby the rear end of a cap stop roller arm or lever 70 is pivoted about a vertical axis. The roller arms 70 extend forwardly for some distance the forward end portion 71 ox each arm being directly inwardly through an aperture 67 in the isle wall at the free end of the end portion Al each roller ' ., :~.22~57~
-lo-arm carries a cap stop roller 74, which is freely rotatable about its own axis. The axes of the stop rollers 74 are so orientated as to lie parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the assay of a cap 76 when the latter is lying, as shown in figure 4, with its skirt engaging the two stop rollers. In this position, each cap in turn is arrested by the rollers 74 in its gravity-induced Swede down the cap chute in this position also, the cap becomes engaged by its jar 56 for the fort -time or the purpose of arresting the cap, the stop rollers 74 overlie the final ~3ection.65A of the cap-supporting rail portions 65, the rollers protruding through the apertures 67. They are biassed towards lo -tins normal pOSi.tiOII by tension springs 78 conl1ected between the respective roller arms 70 end the associated side rules 64. The springs I are mounted on top of the respective side Allah. 64. in an exposed position in Which they are readily available for inspection and, if necessary, replacement.
Attached by a spring clip 200 to -the mounting block bracket 184 is a pin 202 on which one end of a pair of arms 82 and 88 are freely pivoted.
The other end of the arm 82 is pivoted to ~.~ vertical push rod I carrying a rear prosier foot 80. The other end of the arm 88 carries a Forward prowar foot 86; the arm 88 is pivoted about half among iota length to a vertical pow rod 85. The prowl feet and their linkage are omitted for clarity from Figure 7.
The operation of placing a cap 76 upon a jay- 56 at the pick-up citation I icy illustrate-1 in figure 5, in which the cap icy indicated, in -the Amy post lion aye in Figure 4, by full line-. Behind it therm are indicated in phantom Lyon, C30me follo~irl 35~9 caps in the cap chute, awaiting their turn for placement. The cap 76 at the pick-up station is held down against the cap-supporting portions 65 of the rails 62 by the rear presser foot 80. The pressure exerted on the cap 76 by the presser foot 80 is adjustable, through the push rod I by means of an adjuster 92 (Figure 2) mounted on top of the body 30. When the jar 56 arrives below the cap 76 at the pick-up station (as indicated by phantom lines in figure 5), the leading portion 84 of the lip around the mouth of the jar engages the correspondirlg portion of the inner surface of the cap skirt in the usual way. Continued forward movement of the jar (caused by the conveyor 12 and the side belts 50, which are all moving at exactly the same forward speed) causes the jar to push the cap forward, the stop rollers 74 retracting away from each other against the tension springs 78. over, so long as some part of the cap skirt is interrupting -the transverse path of the stop rollers between their retracted and normal positions, the cylindrical faces of the rollers 74 roll upon, and apply pressure to, the cap skirt, so maintaining its axial orientation.
Thereafter, the rear portion of the cap skirt Allis on to the top of the jar Immediately after the cap has left the cap chute, it is restrained laterally by resilient side guides 8q carried by the cap ehutf?
side plates 194 (Figures 2, 6 and 7), arid Allah by -the forward presser shoe 86. The axial pressure exerted by the forward presser shoe 86 Spoil -the cap 76 is adjustable in the same manner as that exerted 'by the rear presser shoe 80, as described above, by a similar adjuster 90 (Figure 2) acting through the push rod 85.
Reference is now made to Figures 2, 8 Jo 2 9 and 9. whoosh endless side belt 50~ presenting a working or jar-engaging portion 94 and an outer OIL
idle portion 96 (figure 2) is carried by a pair of side belt pulleys 98,100, one at each extreme end of the capping head. The rear side belt pulleys I are freely rotatable, on vertical axes, at the ends of support arms 102 which are pivoted to a Claus-beam 104. The Support arms 102 are biassed by side belt tensioning springs 106. The cross-beam 104 is fixed at each of its ends to the rear end of a respective one of a pair of side belt frames O!`
support beams 108 extending along the capping head at either wide of the latter. Each support be 10~, carries a plurality of side belt locating shoes 110 along which the or kin portion 94 of the side belt runs.
In this example, there are two locating shoes 110 to each support beam 10~. The loch tin shoes 110 at each side of the capping head verve to maintain the working portion 94 of toe respective side belt in a straight configuration and at thy?
correct transverse distance from the working portion ox` the other belt 50. With this in Yo-yo, the transverse distance ox the locating shoes 110 reloan their wide belt support beams 10~ art:? adjustable by means of suitable adjuster 112, igloo!`" I
The leading side belt puller, 100 aye each carried by a respective side belt pulley elbow Al fixed to the runt end of: the correspondir~ uppc-lrt beam 108. The pulley gearboxes 114 are coupled together by a -transv f? rye final drive ha 116 which is driven by a chain drive 118 from a math driven shaft 120. The shaft 120 it cantilevered foe AL
~piral-bevel gearbox 122 mounted at thy bclck of the capping head body 30 The gearbox 122 it driven by ., ,.
I
a vertical main drive shaft 124 which is, in turn, driven by the main gearbox 24~ so that the driven shaft 120 and the side belts 50 are all driven, in synchronism with the conveyor 12, by the motor 22.
The manner in which the side belt support beams 108 are mounted in the capping head will no ox described. Mach beam 108 carries two pivots 126, one near each end ox the beam. These four pivots lie in a common horizontal plane which is parallel with the top of the conveyor 12. Pivoted at the pivots 126 to the beams 108, and thus connecting the latter together transversely, are two rigid cross-members 128,130. The rearward closs-membPr 128 has a transversely-extendin~ portion joining a pair of side crank portions 132,134, each of which carries the appropriate element of the respective pivot 126 and is also pivoted about a transverse axis (common to the pivots of both crank portions) to the capping head body 30 as indicated at 136. The rear crank portion 134 has an upstanding portion to which is pivoted one end of a horizontal tie bar 138.
The forward cross-memb~r 130 also comprises a transversely-extending portion joining a pair of side crank portions, each pivoted to the beam 10~ by the respective pivot 126 and also being pivoted tug the capping head body 30 about a transverse axis at 140. The axes 13~ and 140 lie in a common horizontal plane which it again aureole to the top of the conveyor 12.
The front end of the horizontal tie bar 13 is pivoted to the transverse portion of the forward cross-member 130. The tie bar 138 has a threaded portion 142, which passes tnrou~h R U-shaped racket 144 secured to the top of the capping, head body 30. An adjusting nut 146 is threaded on to the portion 142 and held captive in the bracket 144.
It Jill now be seen that the side belt support beams 10~ are carried in the capping head by a parallelogram type linkage comprising the beams themselves as lower horizontal members the tie 'bar 138 as the upper horizontal member and as the side members the cross members 128 and 1~0. my reference to figure 9 and comparison between Figures 8 and 9, it will also be readily seen that the vertical distance between the side belts 50 and the top of the conveyor 12 (the "side belt height") is infinitely adjustable within a predetermined range by simply turning the nut 146 by means ox a spanner so as to move the tie bar 138 to the right (as seen in iris 8 and 9) to lower the side belts and to the left in order to raise them.
The use of the chain drive llR enablefl this adjustment to be made without disturbing the motion of the side belts 50.
figures 8 and 9 show two containers of different shapes on the conveyor 12 each container having a cylindrical portion in a different position and the side belts being adjusted in each case to enrage that cylindrical portion.
Refrain no to figure 10 the staling head assembly comprises a pair of sealing belt drums 148~ 150 of slightly different diameters Cody ho the main driven shaft 120 alrecLdy described and therefore rotated continuously in synchronism with the conveyor 12 and thy side belts 50. A pair of`
endless sealing belts 152 154 extend around the respective drums 14~ 150 and around respective rearwardly-disposed idler pulleys 156. the pulleys 1S6 are carried my brackets 15'7 sure 2) .
which are carried, via a spring-tensioning device, not shown, to maintain tension in the belts 152 and 154, by a sealing shoe 158. The brackets 157 are omitted from figures 10 and 11 for clarity. The sealing shoe 158 extends generally horizontally and has a flat lower surface overlying, and in contact with, the lower runs of both ox the sealing belts 152 and 154.
The sealing shoe is pivoted to the forward end of each ox a forward suspension arm 160 and a rearward suspension arm 162. Roth o-f these suspension arms are pivoted, at their rear ends 164, to the capping head body 30. (These pivots are out of sight in Figure 2). To each of the suspension arms 160 and 162, adjacent to the pivot with the sealing shoe 158, there is pivoted a respective one of a pair of vertical Hun rods 1~6, each of which is suspended by its top end, Thor a compression sprint 168, from toe capping head body 30. The springs 168 cause the sealing shoe 1 to exert upon the caps 76, through the sealing belts 152 and l54, the axial force necessary to secure the caps to the jars 56. This force it adjustable by means of sprint adjusters 170 (Figure 2) incorporated in the mountirlgs of the compression springs 168~ At the same Tom buckles of the difference between the diameters of' -the sealing belt drums 148 and 150, the belts 152 and 154 are dliverl at di:ffel~erlt speeds, aloud BY impart a locational movement to the cap '76 in contact therewith. In this manner, whilst the axial downward force is exhorted by the sealing shoe 158, the caps 76 are secured sullenly to their jars 56.
Figure 11 pa) illustrates by a nervy arrow the upward reaction force, compt2ssirlg the fear ii 57~
spring 168, imposed upon the sealing head assembly when a container, carrying a cap, initially arrives under the sealing shoe; whilst Figure 11(b) illustrates by a similar arrow the reaction -force when the capped container is about to pass from below the sealing shoe. It should be noted that in both cases, it is assumed that no other container lies under -the sealing head assembly; such a case is however illustrated in Figure 10, in which both of the springs 168 are compressed. Thus the downward -tilt of the front or rear end of the sealing head assembly, evident in figures aye and (b) respectively, is absent from Figure 10.
Claims (18)
1. A capping machine for applying removable closure members to containers, comprising container-advancing means for moving the containers in succession in a generally-horizontal, longitudinal forward direction, means for delivering closure members in succession to place them upon the containers without securing them, and a capping head having a body and including sealing means for subsequently securing each closure member in turn to its container, the sealing means being adapted to apply downward sealing pressure upon each of a succession of the closure members previously placed upon a respective container, characterized in that the sealing means comprises a sealing shoe which is carried by a pair of suspension arms extending generally in said longitudinal direction and arranged one behind the other in that direction, each suspension arm being pivoted at one end to the capping head body and at the other end to the sealing shoe and being in addition suspended from the capping head body through individual resilient load-applying means connected so as to apply a substantially vertical load to the suspension arm at a point offset longitudinally from the pivot joining the arm to the sealing shoe, whereby the sealing shoe can rock longitudinally under the control of the load-applying means.
2. A machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe.
3. A machine according to Claim 1 characterized in that the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body.
4. A machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection.
5. A machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sealing means includes differential belt drive pulley means arranged to be driven about an axis fixed with respect to the capping head body, a pair of endless sealing belts engaging the drive pulley means and appropriate idler pulley means so as to be driven by the drive pulley means at different speeds with a lower course of each sealing belt engaging the top of the closure member, so as to rotate the closure member about its axis in a securing direction, the sealing shoe overlying the lower courses of the sealing belts to apply downward pressure through the latter to the closure member, and the idler pulley means being carried by the sealing shoe.
6. A machine according to Claim 1, having a cap chute comprising a pair of substantially parallel guide rails for supporting each of a succession of the closure members at a pick-up position, there to be engaged by the rim of an open container passing in a forward longitudinal direction below the cap chute, characterized in that the cap chute has a pair of rollers for engaging with their peripheries the sides of the cap at the pick-up position, each roller being mounted for free rotation about its axis in a respective roller arm, and each roller arm being mounted by a pivot at the side of the respective guide rail such chat a plane common to the lever arm pivot and the roller axis makes a relatively small acute angle with the direction of forward motion of the closure members, each roller being biased by a tension spring towards the other roller such that the rollers together constitute a retractable step for each successive closure member, the guide rails being mounted by spacing means adjustable so as to vary the transverse distance between the guide rails.
7. A machine according to Claim 6, characterized in that the rollers, roller arms and tension springs are exposed so as to be replaceable without disturbance to the remainder of the cap chute.
8. A machine according to Claim 1, having a machine base including container support means for supporting the containers thereon during their forward movement, the capping head being mounted on the base and arranged above the container support means, characterized in that the capping head body is cantilevered from a single support post mounted on the machine base, the body being movable along the support post so as to vary the height of the capping head above the base, and having locking means to lock it to the support post at any predetermined height, other means mounting the capping head on the base being absent.
9. A machine according to Claim 8, characterized by a support post housing surrounding and slidable along the support post, the capping head body being secured to the support post housing and cantilevered therefrom, the support post housing being connected to the support post by means of an axial lead screw carried by the former and provided with actuating means for rotating the lead screw so as to raise and lower the capping head.
10. A machine according to Claim 9, characterized in that the locking means comprises a wedge mounted in the support post housing and movable axially therein between a free position and a locking position in which the wedge is forced into intimate locking engagement with the support post and means for moving the wedge between, and retaining it in, its said positions.
11. A machine according to Claim 3, wherein each suspension area is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe.
12. A machine according to Claim 4, further comprising any of the following features:
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe; and b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body.
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe; and b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body.
13. A machine according to Claim 5, further comprising any of the following features:
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe, b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body; and c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection.
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe, b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body; and c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection.
14. A machine according to Claim 6, further comprising any of the following features:
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe;
b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping heat body;
c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection; and d) the sealing means includes differential belt drive pulley means arranged to be driven about an axis fixed with respect to the capping head body, a pair of endless sealing belts engaging the drive pulley means and appropriate idler pulley means so as to be driven by the drive pulley means at different speeds with a lower course of each sealing belt engaging the top of the closure member, so as to rotate the closure member about its axis in a securing direction, the sealing shoe overlying the lower courses of the sealing belts to apply downward pressure through the latter to the closure member, and the idler pulley means being carried by the sealing shoe.
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe;
b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping heat body;
c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection; and d) the sealing means includes differential belt drive pulley means arranged to be driven about an axis fixed with respect to the capping head body, a pair of endless sealing belts engaging the drive pulley means and appropriate idler pulley means so as to be driven by the drive pulley means at different speeds with a lower course of each sealing belt engaging the top of the closure member, so as to rotate the closure member about its axis in a securing direction, the sealing shoe overlying the lower courses of the sealing belts to apply downward pressure through the latter to the closure member, and the idler pulley means being carried by the sealing shoe.
15. A machine according to Claim 14, characterized in that the rollers, roller arms and tension springs are exposed so as to be replaceable without disturbance to the remainder of the cap chute.
16. A machine according to Claim 8, further comprising any of the following features:
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe;
b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body;
c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection;
d) the sealing means includes differential belt drive pulley means arranged to be driven about an axis fixed with respect to the capping head body, a pair of endless sealing belts engaging the drive pulley means and appropriate idler pulley means so as to be driven by the drive pulley means at different speeds with a lower course of each sealing belt engaging the top of the closure member, so as to rotate the closure member about its axis in a securing direction, the sealing shoe overlying the lower courses of the sealing belts to apply downward pressure through the latter to the closure member, and the idler pulley means being carried by the sealing shoe;
e) the machine has a cap chute comprising a pair of substantially parallel guide rails for supporting each of a succession of the closure members at a pick-up position, there to be engaged by the rim of an open container passing in a forward longitudinal direction below the cap chute, the cap chute having a pair of rollers for engaging with their peripheries the sides of the cap at the pick-up position, each roller being mounted for free rotation about its axis in a respective roller arm, and each roller arm being mounted by a pivot at the side of the respective guide rail such that a plane common to the lever arm pivot and the roller axis makes a relatively small acute angle with the direction of forward motion of the closure members, each roller being biassed by a tension spring towards the other roller such that the rollers together constitute a retractable step for each successive closure member, the guide rails being mounted by spacing means adjustable so as to vary the transverse distance between the guide rails; and f) the rollers, roller arms and tension springs are exposed so as to be replaceable without disturbance to the remainder of the cap chute.
a) each suspension arm is pivotally attached at its leading end to the sealing shoe;
b) the point of connection to each suspension arm of the load-applying means is substantially nearer to the pivot of the former with the sealing shoe than to its pivot with the capping head body;
c) each of the resilient load-applying means comprises a compression spring coupled through a substantially vertical hanger with the respective suspension arm to which the hanger is pivoted at said point of connection;
d) the sealing means includes differential belt drive pulley means arranged to be driven about an axis fixed with respect to the capping head body, a pair of endless sealing belts engaging the drive pulley means and appropriate idler pulley means so as to be driven by the drive pulley means at different speeds with a lower course of each sealing belt engaging the top of the closure member, so as to rotate the closure member about its axis in a securing direction, the sealing shoe overlying the lower courses of the sealing belts to apply downward pressure through the latter to the closure member, and the idler pulley means being carried by the sealing shoe;
e) the machine has a cap chute comprising a pair of substantially parallel guide rails for supporting each of a succession of the closure members at a pick-up position, there to be engaged by the rim of an open container passing in a forward longitudinal direction below the cap chute, the cap chute having a pair of rollers for engaging with their peripheries the sides of the cap at the pick-up position, each roller being mounted for free rotation about its axis in a respective roller arm, and each roller arm being mounted by a pivot at the side of the respective guide rail such that a plane common to the lever arm pivot and the roller axis makes a relatively small acute angle with the direction of forward motion of the closure members, each roller being biassed by a tension spring towards the other roller such that the rollers together constitute a retractable step for each successive closure member, the guide rails being mounted by spacing means adjustable so as to vary the transverse distance between the guide rails; and f) the rollers, roller arms and tension springs are exposed so as to be replaceable without disturbance to the remainder of the cap chute.
17. A machine according to Claim 16, characterized by a support post housing surrounding and slidable along the support post, the capping head body being secured to the support post housing and cantilevered therefrom, the support post housing being connected to the support post by means of an axial lead screw carried by the former and provided with actuating means for rotating the lead screw so as to raise and lower the capping head.
18. A machine according to Claim 17, characterized in that the locking means comprises a wedge mounted in the support post housing and movable axially therein between a free position and a locking position in which the wedge is forced into intimate locking engagement with the support post and means for moving the wedge between, and retaining it in, its said positions.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000488276A CA1228579A (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1985-08-07 | Capping machines |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08223653A GB2125379B (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1982-08-17 | Capping machines |
| GB8223653 | 1982-08-17 | ||
| CA000434730A CA1215694A (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1983-08-16 | Size and shape adjustable capping machine |
| CA000488276A CA1228579A (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1985-08-07 | Capping machines |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000434730A Division CA1215694A (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1983-08-16 | Size and shape adjustable capping machine |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1228579A true CA1228579A (en) | 1987-10-27 |
Family
ID=25670126
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000488276A Expired CA1228579A (en) | 1982-08-17 | 1985-08-07 | Capping machines |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1228579A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108002706A (en) * | 2018-01-11 | 2018-05-08 | 成都市德工智动科技有限公司 | A kind of vial stamp curing system for supporting flow line production |
-
1985
- 1985-08-07 CA CA000488276A patent/CA1228579A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108002706A (en) * | 2018-01-11 | 2018-05-08 | 成都市德工智动科技有限公司 | A kind of vial stamp curing system for supporting flow line production |
| CN108002706B (en) * | 2018-01-11 | 2023-10-03 | 成都市德工智动科技有限公司 | Glass bottle printing and curing system supporting production line |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| EP0184583B1 (en) | Capping machines | |
| CA1126228A (en) | Sealing machine closure cap pickup | |
| US6662936B2 (en) | Bag conveying apparatus and a gripper endless chain used in a bag filling packaging machine | |
| JP3270737B2 (en) | Packaging machines and power transmission devices | |
| US6115992A (en) | Apparatus and method for pre-capping containers | |
| US5394977A (en) | Apparatus and method for use in replacing conveyor belts | |
| US4697973A (en) | Apparatus and method for handling folded cartons | |
| US5423159A (en) | Pivoting roller assembly for tightening container caps | |
| US5181598A (en) | Article rotating assembly | |
| JPH0579597B2 (en) | ||
| CA1228579A (en) | Capping machines | |
| GB2050322A (en) | High speed straight line container sealing machine | |
| US4080896A (en) | Method for high speed application of printing code indicia | |
| US3850284A (en) | Container sealing machine side belt system | |
| JP2509720B2 (en) | Article packing equipment | |
| US7661250B2 (en) | Assemble for positioning sleeves on products such as bottles | |
| US2942394A (en) | Container closing apparatus | |
| US4437657A (en) | Suction cup apparatus for feeding a sheet from the bottom of a stack | |
| US4592542A (en) | Suction sheet separator apparatus with plural stack capability and suction control | |
| CN213949820U (en) | Material blanking guiding mechanism | |
| GB2161150A (en) | Capping machines | |
| US2735600A (en) | Apparatus for sealing containers | |
| US3696493A (en) | Aerosol valve assembly locating and setting apparatus | |
| EP0749937A2 (en) | Straight-line capping machine and capping method | |
| CA1082043A (en) | High-speed article coding machine |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |