US2168409A - Method of assembling receptacle closure caps - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 8, 1939. J. A. JOHNSON METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RECEP'I'AQLE CLOSURE CAPS a" I TIIIIIIIIIWII'IIAVIJ'III- INVENTOR AA/OHNSON ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1 939 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS John A. Johnson, Woodhavcn, N. Y; o Application February 1, 1937, Serial No. 123,508

' Claims. (01. 113-30) This invention relates to assembling receptacle closure caps of the; type known as Crown caps with a sealing pad of yielding material, such as cork or cork composition, having secured 5 to its exposed face a center spot of suitable nonabsorbent, gas impervious and acid resistant material, such as metallic foil or paper having a coating of varnish on one surface, and of sufficientsize to protect the sealing pad from the deleterious action of the-acid and gas of the contents of the receptacles to which the closure caps are applied.

It is an object of this invention to providean improved method of assembling spotted sealing 5 pads in closure caps which will assure an intimate bonding of the spots to the sealingv pads ,and the sealing pads in the closure caps at a highspeed of production. 1

It has hereto been the practice to assemble and ,adhesively secure the sealing pads in the closure caps, and later, after the adhesive securing the sealing padsto the closure capshas hardened and set, applying and adhesively securing .the

spots to, the exposed surface of the pads assem- 28 bled in the closure caps by heat and pressure.

The heat and pressure used in securing or bonding the spots to the sealing pads will affect and loosen the adhesive bond between the sealing pads'and the closure caps, and permit the sealing pads with the center spots attached thereto to leave the closure caps before the caps are applied to the receptacles.

It is another object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage of the present practice 86 of assembling spotted sealing pads in closure caps by simultaneously or in continuous sequence adhesively uniting spots to sealing pads and adhesively uniting the sealing pads having center spots assembled-thereon to the closure caps. 40 In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application Figure 1 is a plan view of means for carrying out the method forming the embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the means shown in Figure 1 taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of themeans shown in Figure 1 taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional 'view or modified means for carrying out the invention wherein a sealing pad simultaneously or in successive sequence with s; the applying" o1 a spot to a sealing pad is as-- sembled in'a closure cap, and showing the parts in normal position; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts in position after the spot'has been applied to a sealing pad and the sealing pad as- 5 sembled in a closure cap. p

In carrying out the invention in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, closure caps C of the crown type having deposited therein an adhesive non-vis- 10 cous at normal or room temperature and adapted to'be rendered viscous and tacky by an elevated temperature, are supported at the marginal portions and transported or conveyed in a linear or circular path andmaintained in predeter- 15 mined spaced relation by suitable means, not shown, with the tops oiihe closure caps lowermost below a pair of spaced members 4' shown as disposed at opposite marginal portions of the flared skirts of the closure caps to maintain the,20 closure caps in flat condition on the closure cap transporting or conveying means. The'closure caps are transported inthe direction as shown I by the arrow in Figure 1 through a zone of elevated temperature produced by suitable means and shown as a gas burner 5 having the'gas discharge orifices positioned below and disposed relative to the pathof travel of the closure caps to direct the gas flame against the tops of.'the closure caps and render the adhesive in the closure-caps viscous and tacky, as shown at the left of Figure 2.

Simultaneously with the transporting of the closure caps, sealing pads P formed of comminuted cork bonded together in a compressed mass by suitable-bonding material, or of solid cork,-

.are transported along a flat support 6 by suitable means, not shown, which maintain the pads in spaced relation to each other and feed the sealing pads in a direction to intersect the path 40 of travel of and aline the sealing pads in superposed relation to the closure caps as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. The support 6 extends in a direction transversely of and over the path of travel of the closure caps, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The sealing pads are passed through a zone of elevated temperature spaced from the path of travel of the closure caps and produced by suitable means shown as being an electric heating element I of suitable design ex tending above andv in spaced relationto the travel of the sealing pads on the support 6.

The sealing pads are heated to render viscous and tacky an adhesive surface of spots S of nonabsorbent, gas impervious and acid resistant maf terial, such as tin or aluminum foil, or varnished paper, adapted to be contacted with the sealing pads. The spots 8 are severed from a composite web W having one surface coated with an adhesive non-viscous and non-tacky at normal or room temperature and adapted to be rendered viscous and tacky when subjected to an elevated temperature, and the other surface comprising a metallic foil or paperhaving a varnish coated surface, and which composite web may be formed by the method and apparatus disclosed in my Patents No. 1,949,419 and No. 1,949,420 issued March 6, 1934. The composite web W is fed from a roll, not shown, in spaced relation above and to intersect the travel of the sealing pads, and shown as being fed in the same direction as the travel of the closure caps, but said direction.

of travel of the composite web may be in the opposite direction without ail'ecting the method of assembling. The composite web W is fed fromthe roll in a horizontal plane with the adhesive surface lowermost by suitable means, shown as a pair of feed rollers 8, relative to a die 9 arranged in a plate l6 mounted in spaced relation to the upper surface of the support 6 and adjacent the heating element 1, and a punch I. reciprocatory relative to the die and co-operating therewith to sever a disk or spot S from the web and position said severed spot centrally of a heated pad P which has been advanced from the heating element, with the adhesive surface of the severed spot in contact with the heated pad. The heat of the pad will render said ad hesiv'e surface viscous and tacky and the pressure of the punch will eflect adhesion between the spot and pad. The web is positioned and guided centrally of the punch and the die to asv sure the severing of a spot from the web by a plate ii of channel form in cross section mounted on the die plate It and having an opening I! therein slightly larger than and in line with the punch and die.

The spots S are of a diameter less than the diameter of the sealing pads but of suilicient area to completely cover that portion of the face of the sealing pads which will be exposed to the deleterious action of the contents of the receptacles to which the closure caps are adaptedto be applied. The sealing pads having the protective spots bonded to the face thereof in the manner hereinbei'ore described may be stacked in a magazine and stored in such condition until required for assembling in the closure caps C, and to intimately unite the spots to the sealing pads until such requirement arises, a pad having a spot adhering thereto is advanced along the support 8 from the die 9 to position relative to a plunger l3 reciprocatory toward and away from said pad and spot and arranged with an electric heating element ll to heat said plunger to a sumciently high temperature whereby heat and pressure is applied tothe pad and spot when-the plunger engages the spot to eflect intimate adhesion between the spot and pad, the plunger being oi a diameter to engage only the spot-and prevent the scorching of the pad. The plunger I3 isguided toengage centrallytof the spot by an opening IS in an extension of the die plate ii.

To assemble sealing pads with spots assembled thereon in the closure capsthe sealing pads with spots assembled thereon are transported onthe support 8 from the spot severing plunger ll to and in registry with a tapered opening l1 in the support i in alinementwith the travel of the closure caps. and relative to which opening ll and an opening IS in the plate I a plunger I is reciprocated to engage the sealing pad with the spot thereon and position the same in a closure cap with the pad in contact with the viscous and tacky adhesive in said closurecap. The support 6 and plate ii are located adjacent the burner 5' so that the adhesive in the closure caps is fully viscous. The bonded spot and pad may be subjected to heat and pressure to effect intimate adhesion between the spot and pad prior to assembling in the closure cap by presenting the spot assembled on a pad to the heated plunger l3 prior to the assembling of said pad in the closure cap by the plunger I9, but this is not necessary as the pressure of the plunger I! and the heat of the pad and closure cap will effect an intimate adhesion between the spot and pad. Instead of transporting the sealing pads with spots assembled thereon on the support 8 and positioning said sealing pads in registry with the opening H in said support and assembling the sealing pads with spots assembled thereon in closure caps transported relative to the opening ll in the support 6 by the plunger IS, the heated closure caps may be transported parallelly of the direction of travel of and below the web W and to intersect the support 6, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, or they may be transported parallelly of and'below the support 6. In either case, the support 6 is provided with the opening II in registry with the die opening 9 in plate I6, whereby when a spot is severed from the web W and applied to a sealing pad, the sealing pad simultaneously or successively with the severing of the spot from the web and applying of the severed spot to the sealing pad, is assembled by the punch ill in a closure cap transported relative to and positioned in registry with said opening I'I in the support 6 and the die opening 9 in plate l6, as shown in Figure 5.

To assure an intimate adhesion between'the spot and pad and the pad and closure cap, the

closure cap having the composite spot and pad assembled therein is transported from the punch III, or the plunger i9, to means to apply heat and pressure which may be in the form of a heated plunger 20 reciprocatory mounted adjacent to the plunger I9 and may comprise an electrically heated plunger similar to the plunger i3. After in Figure 2. It may be desirable to omit theheated plunger 20, as the closure cap maybe heated to such a degree to emit suflicient heat to transmit the same to the union between the spots and pads. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. The method oi assembling closure caps with a sealing pad having a center spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closurecaps having an adhesive therein, heating sealing pads, applying a spot having an adhesive surface nonviscous at normal temperature and adaptedto be rendered viscous when subjected to anelevated temperature centrally of andwith the adhesive surface thereof in contact with a heated pad, the heat or thepad rendering the adhesive surface viscous and causing the spot to adhere to the pad, and assembling the heated pad with the spot applied thereto in a closure cap with the pad I spots from the in contact with'the adhesive in said closurecap to secure the pad and spot tothe closure cap. I

assembling closure caps with ing the composite spot and pad to heat and I pressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the spot and pad, and then assembling the heated composite spot and pad in a closure cap with the pad in contact with the adhesive in said closure cap to secure the "composite spot and pad in the closure cap.

3. The method of assembling closure caps witha sealing pad having a center spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closure caps having adhesive non-viscous at normal temperature deposited therein, heating sealing pads, feeding a web 'of spot material having an adhesive surface non-viscous at normal temperature relative to the heated sealing pads with the adhesive surface facing said heated sealing pads, severing web and applying the spots as they are severed from the web to the heated pads with the adhesive surface in contact with the heated padsto render said surface viscous and attach the spots to the sealing pads, heating the closure caps to render the adhesive therein viscous, and assembling the heated sealing pads with spots app ed thereto in the heated closure caps with the sealing pads in contact with the viscous adhesive in the closure caps.

4. The met a sealing pad having a center spot on its exposed hesive in the closure caps,

od of assembling closure caps with relative to the heated sealing pads with'the. ad hesive surface facing said heated sealing pads, severing spots from the web andv applying the spots as they are severed 'from the web centrally of the heated. pads with the adhesive surface in contact with the heated sealing pads'to render viscous the adhesive surface and attach the spots to the sealing pads, subjecting the attached spots and sealing pads to heat and pressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the spots and sealing"pads, assembling the heated sealing pads having spots centrally thereon in closure caps with the sealing pads in contact with the adand placing the assembled closure caps under heat and pressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the sealing pads and the closure caps.

5. The method of assembling closure caps with a sealing pad having a center spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closure caps having an adhesive non-viscous at normal temperature therein, sealing pads and a web of spot material having an adhesive surface non-viscous at normal temperature, transporting the closure caps through a zone of elevated temperature to render the adhesive therein viscous, transporting the sealing pads through a zone having an elevated temperature and to intersect the travel of the closure caps, feeding the web of spot material transversely above the travel of the sealing pads with the adhesive surface facing the heated sealing pads, severing spots from the web and applying the severed spots to the heated pads with, the adhesive surface in contact with the heated pads, assembling the heated'sealing and the spots applied thereto-in the heated closure caps with the sealing pads in contact-with the viscous adhesive in said closure 8-98, nd

placing the'assembled closure caps under pressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the spots P ds

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