Patent GB-725512-A (GB)
Title: Device for applying bands to containers
Inventor: GREER HENRY WALLACE
IPC: B67B5/03
Filed: 1953-08-14
Abstract: 725,512. Sealing bottles. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., G. J. Aug. 14, 1953, No. 22451/53. Class 125 (2). [Also in Groups XVI and XXXII] In apparatus for applying sealling bands 206, Fig. 23, of regenerated cellulose or other material to the necks of capped bottles 228, the band is held opened-out by two suction cups 82, 86, a rod 120 having a tapered end 122 is passed through the band to engage the bottle top, a cylinder 118 is lowered into the band to expand it to circular shape, the suction cups are withdrawn and a sleeve 126 is lowered to push the band off the cylinder 118 and on to the bottle neck. The machine includes means for advancing the bottles, justifying them in position below the band and then discharging them and means either for feeding pre-cut bands from a magazine or for feeding a length of band material and cutting off a length to form a band. Machine frame and drive. A conveyer 2 for the bottles is straddled by the machine's bottom frame made up of side member 6 and cross members 4, the side members having upstanding side frames 8 joined by cross bars 9, 10, 13. A motor 174 through a chain 178 drives a cam shaft 46, the drive being extended by a chain 76 to a second cam shaft 12 which drives, through bevel gears 90, 92 a third cam shaft 94. A cam 14 on shaft 12, Fig. 2, actuates a suction valve 24 which at the appropriate time connects suction supply pipe 26 to pipe 28 connected to pipe 78 from which branches (not shown) extend to the suction cups 82, 86. Bottle justifying and discharge means. The bottles 228 are carried by conveyer 2 between guides 226 carried from the front cross member 4 of the frame and leading the bottle into one of the recesses of a wheel 221, Fig. 9, fixed to a shaft 210 carried by a bracket 208. A horizontal plate 70 is connected by side links 68, 69 to the lower ends of levers 56, 58 which are pivoted to the cam-shaft 46 and carry cam followers 62, Fig. 8, which engage cams 66 on the ends of shaft 12 to cause the plate 70 to reciprocate. As the plate moves towards the wheel 221, a link 224 rotates a lever 214 rotatably mounted on shaft 210 so that pawl 216 rotates the wheel 212 fixed to shaft 210. Wheel 221 is thus rotated to bring an empty recess opposite on approaching bottle. Suction cups 82, 86 are mounted on levers 234, 236 pinned to plate 70 and having rollers 238 which engage cam slots 232 in a stationary bracket 230. The cups receive a band in the position shown in Fig. 9 and, as the plate 70 moves towards the wheel 221, the cups move with it and are moved apart by the cam slots 232 to open out the band. Band applying mechanism, Figs. 5 and 23. The rod 120 and cylinder 118 are moved downwardly by a plunger 116 which is reciprocated by a lever 142 having a loading spring 152 and a cam follower 148 co-operating with a cam 150 on shaft 46. The sleeve 126 is connected by a fork 128 to a lever 130 pivoted at 134 to a bracket 132 and reciprocated by a cam 138 on shaft 12 and a co-operating cam follower 136. Lever 130 is biassed upwardly by a spring 140. Band feed. The bands 206 are held in line in a magazine 204 having a pusher block 256 connected by spring-loaded rods 252 to a member 248 in a slot in which lies a half nut 246 co-operating with a screwed rod 192. This rod is rotated one step to advance the block 256 one step for each machine operation by a pawl 194, Fig. 8, actuated by a lever 184 and crank 186 from the shaft 12. The bands are held by stops 258, 260 and each is withdrawn by suction applied through apertures 244 at the end of a hollow rod 106. This rod is reciprocated to and from the magazine by a cam 99 on shaft 94, a cam follower 100 and a lever 102. The rod 106 is connected by a pipe 34 to a suction valve 32 connected to suction pipe 26. This valve is actuated to supply suction at the appropriate time to the rod 106 by a lever 36 loaded by a spring 48 and reciprocated by a cam 44 on shaft 46. When rod 106 has been retracted from the magazine 204, a member 168, Fig. 10, descends to strip the band from the end of rod 106 and carry it downwards between the suction cups 82, 86 to be carried to the band applying position. Member 168 is actuated by a lever 156 loaded by a spring 164 and reciprocated by a cam 162 on shaft 46. For recharging the magazine nut 246 is disengaged from rod 192 by raising a hand-lever 250. Modification. The machine may, as shown in Fig. 13, have the band magazine replaced by means for severing bands from a continuous length 396 of material. The machine is in other respects somewhat similar to that described above. In operation of the strip feed, a clamp 394 is lowered by cam means to clamp the strip against a member 392. A roller 408 is then lowered by cam means to withdraw a loop of strip from stock. A clamp 424 is then lowered by cam means to clamp the strip against member 422 and the roller 408 and the clamp 394 are raised. The strip passes through a channel in member 498 and is engaged by an adjustable spring-pressed roller 504. A continuously rotated shaft 376 carries a disc 380 having a projection 381 which feeds a predetermined length of strip downwardly by co-operation with a continuously rotated milled roller 390. This length passes between the suction cups 446,450 corresponding to cups 82, 86 in the first embodiment. The part between the cups is then cut off by a stationary knife 526 and a knife 522 reciprocated by a lever 510 having a follower 508 engaged by a cam 383 on shaft 376. Prior to the feed of the strip, the space between the cups 446, 450 is cleared by a puff of compressed air.