Abstract:
An automated capping head is disclosed. It has a linkage which permits its driven rotational sleeve to be linked to a housing such that these parts can move axially relative to one another as a cap is being tightened on a bottle. The configuration of the parts reduces wear and maintenance issues.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to equipment for threading caps onto bottles and the like. More particularly it relates to equipment which has a more wear resistant linkage in a portion of a capping head that accommodates both rotational and axial movement of a clutch of the capping head. 
         [0004]    It is known to use automated capping equipment to apply threaded caps to pre-threaded bottles (e.g. in the beverage industry). Such equipment is typically provided with a clutch that permits enough rotational torque to cause the cap to be threaded tightly on a bottle, yet which prevents too much rotational torque from being applied (as would lead to stripping of the bottle or cap threads). See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,364,218 and 4,599,846. 
         [0005]    Such clutches are preferably of the hysteresis type in which two essentially ring-like arrays of magnetic material sandwich a hysteresis material between them. The relative position of one magnetic ring structure with respect to the other determines resistance to rotational torque. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,264 and 7,181,892. 
         [0006]    In connection with such equipment the capping head is mounted on a drive shaft for rotation therewith, with the cap to be threaded on the bottle positioned at the bottom of the capping head. As the cap is threaded down onto the threads of the bottle by the capping head, there must be provision for the capping head to accommodate the axial movement of the cap while still driving the cap rotationally. 
         [0007]    Most typically this is achieved by having a rotational drive sleeve (that is driven by the drive shaft) have mounted on it a spring. A lower housing part “floats” axially in with respect to the driven sleeve due to the spring bias. There is conventionally a linkage between the driven sleeve and lower housing to cause the driven sleeve to rotate the lower housing while also permitting this axial floating. 
         [0008]    This linkage typically involves use of pins, splines, flats or keys acting as the linkage between the two parts. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,892. However, this can lead to significant wear at the linkage even if lubrication is periodically added at that point. Further, providing a means to add such lubrication periodically adds cost and requires customers to stop production lines for this maintenance (and remember to do so). 
         [0009]    It has proven difficult to reduce the incidence of such problems without introducing still other concerns. Thus, a need still exists for improved capping heads which better address these concerns. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In one aspect the present invention provides a capping head assembly having a rotatable sleeve securable to a rotatable drive spindle, a rotatable housing positioned in a telescoping relationship with respect to the rotatable sleeve, a spring providing a force to bias the rotatable sleeve axially away from the rotatable housing, a clutch assembly linked to the rotatable housing, a cap gripper linked to the clutch assembly, and a linkage between the rotatable sleeve and the rotatable housing. Rotation of the rotatable sleeve causes rotation of the rotatable housing, while the rotatable sleeve is still able to move axially relative to the rotatable housing in response to spring pressure. The linkage is characterized by facing arcuate polygonal surfaces. 
         [0011]    In a preferred embodiment there is a facing arcuate polygonal surface on an outer radial surface of the rotatable housing and a facing arcuate polygonal surface on either an internal radial surface of the rotatable sleeve or on an internal radial sleeve of a bushing ring positioned in the rotatable sleeve for rotation there with. Most preferably there is a facing arcuate polygonal surface on an internal radial sleeve of the bushing ring. 
         [0012]    The facing arcuate polygonal surfaces can have cross sectional shapes such as essentially arcuate triangles, arcuate squares, arcuate pentagons, or arcuate hexagons. Arcuate square shapes are especially preferred. 
         [0013]    The facing arcuate polygonal surfaces are preferably formed from metal or a self-lubricating material. In the latter case the use of lubricant positioned between them can be minimized or avoided. 
         [0014]    In another preferred embodiment, the clutch assembly has a first, essentially annular, drive magnet array having a multiple pole configuration, a second, essentially annular, drive magnet array having a multiple pole configuration, and a hysteresis type essentially annular magnet interposed between the drive magnets. A bearing can also be positioned around a rotatable chuck below the magnet arrays. 
         [0015]    Importantly, the linkage is a facing arcuate “polygonal” linkage. We use the term “facing” to mean that the arcuate surfaces face each other. We use the term “polygonal” to mean that at the linkage the cross sectional shape of the facing surfaces of both the inner telescoped member and the outer telescoped member are 70% or more radially outwardly contoured and never radially inwardly directed. Thus, they may be no more than 30% flat, and are preferably less than 10% flat. Also preferably the cross sectional shapes are essentially regular arcuate polygonal, so as to create a symmetrical design. 
         [0016]    With reference to the magnet arrays, we are using the term “essentially annular” to refer to the final shape of the magnet or magnet array. Most typically we will use individual arc-shaped magnets which are positioned in the array to ultimately achieve the essentially annular shape. 
         [0017]    While conventional bearing metals can be used with this design, if they are one might need to add some lubrication from time to time. Thus, we propose use of a self-lubricating material such as Rulon® TFE fluorocarbon (available from Saint-Gobain). By using Rulon it is expected that there will be no need to add a separate lubricant between the facing arcuate polygonal surfaces for most applications. 
         [0018]    The capping heads of the present invention are suitable for standard automated capping functions. However, they achieve improvements in the areas of concern previously noted above. The preferred linkages can be manufactured at low cost, using readily available materials, and have improved wear/maintenance performance. They also create the possibility of avoiding the need for lubricants at the linkage. 
         [0019]    These and still other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings. What follows is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. To assess the full scope of the invention the claims should be looked to. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a preferred capping head according to the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a vertical sectional view thereof; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a horizontal sectional view of the  FIG. 2  device, together with an additional more detailed view of a portion thereof focused on the facing surfaces; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view showing a magnet keeper; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but with an array of magnets mounted therein; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but of a second embodiment where the facing arcuate polygonal surfaces are arcuate triangular, rather than arcuate square. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown an automated capping head generally  1 . It is attachable to a conventional rotatable drive shaft (not shown). 
         [0027]    It should be noted that a given automated capping machine would preferably have multiple (e.g. ten) such rotatable drive shafts arrayed around a central turret. Each shaft will then have positioned on it (for rotation there with) one such automated capping head  1 . 
         [0028]    Each station of the turret will move down once, in turn, as bottles or other containers (not shown) pass underneath. The untightened caps are picked up by the cap gripper prior to the bottle or other container being positioned under the capping heads. The capping heads  1  are designed to then move downward when the bottle or other container is in the proper position, and then contact and apply downward pressure by virtue of a spring  17 , and thereafter tighten the caps on the bottles to a specific torque, then slip hold that torque until they return upward so as to be in position to repeat the process with a new set of bottles and caps as they come into position. 
         [0029]    Turning now to the specifics of the capping head, there is an upper assembly  3  that has a rotatable driven sleeve  4  having an upper portion  6 , upper inner threads  8  therein, outer threads  9  thereon, and in this embodiment also lower inner threads  10 . Portion  12  of the driven sleeve&#39;s through bore receives the drive shaft and links to it via upper inner threads  8 . 
         [0030]    A replaceable bushing  14  threads into the lower inner threads  10 . The outer radial periphery of the bushing  14  is cylindrical, and (as is evident from  FIG. 3 ) an inner radial facing surface  25  of the bushing  14  is essentially arcuate square. 
         [0031]    Threaded onto the outer radial periphery of the rotatable driven sleeve  4 , via the outer threads  9 , are an adjustment ring  15  and jam nut  16 . A compression spring  17 , together with the ring  15  and jam nut  16 , create an adjustable top load system  18 . A lower end of the spring rests on a shoulder  19  of a rotatable housing  20 . 
         [0032]    Once the adjustment ring  15  is threaded to a desired position, the jam nut  16  threads down tightly against it to fix the adjustment ring  15  in place. This sets the axial force which works against the telescoping of the rotatable driven sleeve  4  (and associated bushing  14 ) with the rotatable housing  20 . The rotatable driven sleeve  4  (and associated bushing  14 ) are restrained from being forced completely apart by spring pressure from rotatable housing  20  due to stop nut  38 . The higher the ring  15  and jam nut  16  are positioned on the driven sleeve  4 , the less axial force the capping head assembly will present a cap at any given position of the turret relative to the bottle and cap array. 
         [0033]    As best shown at  23  of  FIG. 1 , an outer radial periphery of the rotatable driven sleeve  4  can have marked thereon indicia which allows a customer to be able to note a preferred setting of the ring  15  and jam nut  16  which achieves a particular desired performance. While this is in the form of a numerical scale in  FIG. 1 , other alternative indicia could be used (e.g. colors). 
         [0034]    As will be appreciated best from  FIG. 3 , the radial outer periphery of the top portion of the rotatable housing  20 , at facing surface  26 , in cross section, mates (in female/male fashion) with that of the corresponding shape of the bushing&#39;s  14  inner facing surface. By having surfaces  25 / 26  both gently arc outward in a symmetrical fashion for most of the circumference, forces are equalized, there is a self centering, and wear points are reduced. 
         [0035]    Threaded onto the bottom of the rotatable housing  20 , at  22 , is a clutch assembly (generally  21 ). It has a torque adjustment ring  27  which rotates the pole positions of one magnet array  33  relative to another  31 , thereby altering torque. A screw  28  fixes the torque adjustment ring  27  at a selected position, and scale  30  allows a customer to note what the position is for a particular desired performance. 
         [0036]    The clutch assembly  21  has a first drive magnet array  31  which has a fixed rotational position relative to the clutch housing  29 , and which has multiple pole configuration. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , this can be achieved by having six arcuate segments  34  of magnet arrayed in a ring, three of which  35  are north pole magnets, and the other three are south pole magnets. 
         [0037]    There is also a second annular drive magnet array  33  which is rotationally adjustable and then fixable. It has similar multiple pole configurations. Movement of the torque adjustment ring  27  rotates the second annular magnet array  33  to a predetermined position. 
         [0038]    When drive magnet array  31  has its north poles aligned with the south poles of the drive magnet array  33 , magnetic flux goes through the center of the hysteresis magnet  32  that they sandwich. This is the minimum torque position. When the poles of the drive magnet arrays  31  and  33  have north and north directly opposite and aligned, the flux travels around the hysteresis magnet  32  to provide maximum torque. 
         [0039]    When assembled the first drive magnet array  31  is most preferably positioned in a downwardly open doughnut shaped keeper  36 . The second drive magnet array  33  is most preferably positioned in an upwardly open doughnut shaped keeper  37 . 
         [0040]    Bearing  39  (e.g. a ball bearing) surrounds rotatable chuck  40 , which has a cap gripper attached at  41 . 
         [0041]    In operation, the drive shaft causes the rotational driven sleeve  4  to rotate along with its internal bushing  14 . Yet, as the caps are being threaded down on the bottle the spring  17  applies downward pressure on the cap and bottle as the assembly moves axially downward to follow, while still keeping rotational torque at desired levels. Importantly, the facing arcuate n-polygonal (particularly arcuate square) shapes provide extremely good performance. 
         [0042]    A preferred example embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail. However, many modifications and variations of the preferred example embodiment described will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art form this patent. 
         [0043]    For example,  FIG. 6  shows a set of arcuate facing surfaces which are arcuate triangular. Also, while hysteresis magnetic clutches are preferred for use with these assemblies, it is also possible for the clutch to be of another type (e.g. mechanical, friction based, pneumatic, magnetic synchronous, hydraulic, or servo actuated). 
         [0044]    Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the specific example embodiments described. Rather, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0045]    The invention provides improved automated capping heads.