US2548697A - Device for deforming and removing crown caps - Google Patents

Description

April 10, 1951 v. s. BELPEDIO ET AL DEVICE FOR DEIFORMING AND REMOVING CROWN CAPS Filed Aug. 25. 1948 INVENTORS. VINCENT 5.E:E.LF'E.D1U AND EEURBE I... EzARTUN ATTORN EY.

Patented Apr. 10, 1951 DEVICE FOR DEFORMING AND REMOVING CROWN CAPS Vincent S. Belpedio, Fairfield, Conn., and George L. Barton, Tulsa, Okla.

Application August 23, 1948, Serial No. 45,764

5 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a device for removing and re-forming crown bottle caps, and has for an object to provide a device adapted to reform a cap prior to its removal from the bottle by depressing the central portion of the cap Within the mouth of the bottle, so that the non-compressed central portion of the cork sealing disk of the cap inwardly of the compressed margin of the disk is downwardly and outwardly displaced from its original sealing position. As a result of this operation the cap may be re-engaged upon the bottle simply by pressing it with the palm of the hand, and the sealing disk will effectually seal the bottle, due to the fact that the displaced portion of the disk is sufiiciently compressible to be compressed into sealing relation within the mouth of the bottle. Heretofore attempts have been made to reseal a bottle by re-forming the rim-gripping flange of the cap as it is re-engaged with the bottle. This, however, merely results sponding parts throughout the several figures of in again compressing the compressed part of the sealing disk which formed the original seal, and as this part has usually lost its compressibility it cannot be depended on to effectually seal the bottle, even though mechanical means areemployed to firmly re-engage the cap with the bottle.

A further object is to provide a device which will function to remove the cap from the bottle after the re-forming operation. It is particularly proposed to provide a lever having cam means which during the initial movement of the lever exerts a substantially vertical pressure on the center of the bottle cap to press it inwardly, without at the same time disengaging it from the bottle, and which upon a further movement of the lever exerts a turning force upon the cap to disengage it from the bottle.

With the above and other objects in view, em-

trated exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, a bottle and cap being shown in dot-and-dash lines engaged thereby.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, showing the device engaged with a bottle cap preparatory to re-forming the cap.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the device operated to re-form the cap.

iii

I the invention.

Fig. 9 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 1'0 is a vertical sectional view, showing the device of Fig. 8 operated to re-form the cap.

Similar reference characters indicate correthe drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the device for removing and re-forming crown bottle caps, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7 thereof have their forward edges l2 in a vertical diametric plane of the body, and the other of which is substantially midway between two opposed lugs. These lugs are flushed at their outer surfaces with the cylindrical outer surface of the body and their inner surfaces are concentric thereto and to the axis of the body and at their lower ends are provided with inwardly extending lips I 3 adapted to engage beneath the edge of the bottle cap, as will presently more fully appear, the upper surfaces Hi of these lips being inclined at a slight angle downwardly and outwardly.

A shoulder l5 of semi-circular form is formed upon the underside of the body H] at the upper ends of the lugs l l and extends between the forward edges |2-l2 of the two opposed lugs, the corner edge of this shoulder being concentric to the axis of the body l0 and inwardly of the inner surfaces of the lugs, for the purpose of. abutting the upper peripheral corner of the bottle cap A so as to position it centrally within the body, with the lower edge of the corrugated flange o-r skirt of the cap resting on the upper inclined surfaces l 4 of the lips !3 in inwardly spaced relation to the inner walls of the lugs I l, to thus permit slight expansion of the rim as the top portion of the cap is re-formed, as will presently more fully appear. The shoulder [5 also has the function of positioning the device upon the cap with the inner edges of the lips 13 of the lugs II outwardly spaced from the top cap retaining bead B of the bottle, so that in removing the cap the lips are prevented from directly engaging the head of the bottle with the consequent possibility of chipping or'breaking the bottle. The outwardly inclined surfaces M of the lips l3 tend to centralizo the cap as downward pressure is applied thereon and also facilitate the outward flaring of the flange of the cap as pressure is applied to its central portion, as will presently more fully appear.

At a point diametrically opposed to the intermediate lug l I there is provided upon the underside of the body a boss [6 adapted to assist in positioning the device upon the bottle cap, the the projection of this boss being somewhat less than the depth of the shoulder l5, so that it will not interfere with the free engagement and disengagement of the device with the bottle cap.

The body It is provided with a central cylindrical passage ll having an annular recess IB at its upper end, and in which there is engaged for vertical movement a plunger 19 having a flange 20 at its upper end adapted to engage within the recess l 8 upon downward movement of the plunger, a helical expansion spring 2i being engaged about the plunger between the flange 2d and the base of the recess Hi to normally press the plunger upwardly. The plunger is provided at its lower end with a rounded surface 22, preferably spherical, adapted to engage the central portion of the bottle cap at a point inwardly removed from the inner wall of the neck of the bottle, for a purpose presently to be more fully described.

Upon the upper side of the body Ill thereare provided ears 2223 at each side of the recess l8 and between which a lever 23 is pivotally mounted by means of a cross pin 24'. This lever is proided at its lower end with a projected cam surface 25-for engaging the upper end of the plunger l9 and with flat surfaces 26 and 21 at each side thereof, the hat surface 28 being nearer to the pivot pin 24 than the surface 21' and adapted in the inoperative position of the device, as shown in Fig. l, to be engaged under spring pressureby the upper end of the plunger to retain the position of the lever. The surface 2'! is adapted in the cap removing position of the lever, as shown in Fig. 6, to engage the upper end of the plunger during removal of the cap as will presently more fully appear.

A projecting anvil surface 28 is provided at the outer end or" the flat surface 2'! for engaging the upper side of the body for the purpose of removing the bottle. cap, as will presently more fully appear.

The pivot pin 23 is substantially in line with the central vertical axis of the plunger l9 and the cam surface 25 is formed so that it engages substantially centrally with the upper end of the plunger in the fully projected position of the latter, the rise of the cam being such that as the lever is turned in clockwise direction the plunger is depressed with the line of force exerted between the pivot 24 and the rounded end 22 of the plunger being at all times in substantial vertical line with the vertical axis of the plunger.

It will be noted that in the engaged position of the device with the cap, as shown in Fig. l, the upper surface of the cap is supported against the lower end of the plunger and the lips ii. of the two opposed lugs ll engage beneath the edge of the cap at opposed sides along a diametric line of the cap, so that the cap is thus supported at its lower edge to directly oppose a vertical pressure applied substantially centrally upon the upper side of the cap.

In operation, the device is engaged with the bottle cap, as shown in Fig. 4, with the lips I 3 beneath the flange of the cap, the lever 23 being turned in clockwise direction to depress the plunger 19 into retaining engagement with the top of the cap. Thereupo-n the lever is further turned in clockwise direction, causing the cam projection 25 to depress the plunger l9 and reform the bottle cap by depressing its central portion, without any substantial further compression of the compressed marginal portion of the cork sealing disk C where it engages the upper end of the bottle. The central non-compressed portion of the sealing disk is at the same time pressed downwardly within the neck of the bottle so that its lower surface is convexly bulged downward and is laterally expanded to enable it to form an effective seal with the bottle neck when it is reengaged therewith, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

As the cam projection 25 moves beyond the center line of the plunger it allows the plunger to rise out of engagement with the bottle cap, as shown in Fig. 6, so that as the anvil 28 comes into contact with the upper side of the body the cap is free to be engaged by the boss 16 at the under side of the body. As the lever is then further pressed in clockwise direction the body 10 is turned to pry the cap off the bottle, the intermediate lug ll pulling upwardly while the opposed side of the cap is held by the boss 16. Thus the cap is easily removed without distortion.

During the re-forming operation the flange of the bottle cap is slightly flared outwardly from its original position, due to the depressing of the upper portion of the cap. This facilitates the removal of the cap from the bottle but is not suflicient to prevent its firm reengagernent with the bottle simply by pressing it into place with the palm of the hand.

Fig. '7 shows the manner in which the cap A is replaced, the corrugations of the flange being firmly reengaged beneath the bead B of the bottle and the reformed sealing disk C engaging the inner wall of the bottle neck under compression produced at a point D which is inwardly removed from the original sealing point of the disk indicated at E in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 8 to 10 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention which is especially adapted to be constructed from sheet metal, and in which the plunger 9 as employed in the first embodiment is dispensed with, the rounded cap depressin means being carried directly by the operating lever. This embodiment comprises a body 30 preferably formed of sheet metal, of substantially semi-circular form in plan outline, and which is provided at its lower edge with three inwardly projecting lips 3!, adapted to engage the lower edge of the bottle cap in a substantially similar manner to the engagement of the lips iii of the first embodiment, the body beingprovided directly above each of the lips with an indentation 32 adapted to engage the peripheral corner of the bottle cap to centralize it in a substantially similar manner to the engagement of the shoulder l5 of the first embodiment.

The body portion is provided with car portions 33-33 between which the operating lever 34 is pivotally mounted by means of a pivot pin 35. The operating handle has formed upon it a balllike projection 36 adapted to engage the central portion of the cap to depress it upon downward movement of the handle, and adjacent the ball portion 36 there is provided an anvil projection 3! adapted at the completion of the depressing operation to engage the marginal portion of the cap, as shown in Fig. 10, whereupon further downward movement of the handle prys the cap from the bottle. It will be noted that in the fully depressed position of the ball portion 36 its center is substantially in line with the central aXis of the bottle cap, and to this end the axis of the pivot pin 35 is laterally ofiset from the central axis, the arrangement of the pivot pin with respect to the opposed lips 3! being such that as the ball portion 36 engages the top of the cap the opposed lips are drawn upwardly into engagement with the lower edge of the cap. As the ball portion is depressed the component line of force is substantially in a vertical line.

We have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for re-forming a flanged bottle cap, wherein the cap has a normally substantially fiat top and has a compressible sealing disk,

within it, a body, lip means rigidly carried by said body engageable beneath the flange of the cap at diametrically opposite points thereof to support it against a substantially vertical force applied to its top, and forming means movably connected to said body engageable substantially with the center portion of the top of the cap and adapted to have relative movement to depress said center portion.

2. A device for re-forming a flanged bottle cap, wherein the cap has a normally substantially flat top and has a compressible sealing disk Within it, a body, lip means rigidly carried by said body engageable beneath the flange of the cap at diametrically opposite points thereof to support it against a substantially vertical force applied to its top, forming means movably connected to said body engageable substantially with the center portion of the top of the cap and adapted to have relative movement to depress said center portion, and abutment means rigidly carried by said body arranged to engage the outer side of the flange of the cap to centralize said cap therein.

3. A device for re-forming and removing a flanged bottle cap, wherein said cap has a normally substantially fiat top and has a compressible sealing disk within it, a body, lip means carried by said body engageable beneath the flange of the cap to support it against a substantially vertical force applied to its top, a lever movably connected to said body, forming means adapted to be moved by said lever and engageable sub stantially with the center portion of the top of the cap adapted to have relative movement to said body to depress said center portion, movement limiting means associated with said lever adapted at the completion of its cap forming movement to exert a turning force on said body and said cap to remove said cap from the bottle.

4. A device for re-forming and removing a flange bottle cap, wherein said cap has a normally substantially flat top and has a compressible sealing disk within it, a body, lip means carried by said body engageable beneath the flange of the cap to support it against a substantially vertical force applied to its top, a lever movably connected to said body, forming means adapted to be moved by said lever and engageable substantially with the center portion of the top of the cap adapted to have relative movement to said body to depress said center portion, said lever adapted at the completion of its cap forming movement to engage said body to exert a turning force thereon to remove the capfrom the bottle.

5. A device for re-forming and removing a flanged bottle cap, wherein said cap has a normally substantially flat top and has a compressible sealing disk within it, a body, lip means carried by said body engageable beneath the flange of the cap to support it against a substantially vertical force applied to its top, a lever movably connected to said body, forming means adapted to be moved by said lever and engageable substantially with the center portion of the top of the cap adapted to have relative movement to depress said center portion, said lever adapted at the completion of its cap forming movement to engage the cap adjacent its periphery to exert a turning force thereon to remove it from the bottle.

VINCENT S. BELPEDIO. GEORGE L. BARTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Denmark Dec. 11, 1939

Images