Patent GB-371868-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in bottle sealing machines
IPC: B67B1/10
Filed: 1930-11-26
Abstract: 371,868. Bottle - sealing machines. COLE, T. H., 82A, Somers Road, Southsea. Nov. 26, 1930, Nos. 35577/30 and 10125/31. [Class 125 (ii).] A self-contained and portable bottle sealing machine comprises a receptacle for a supply of sealing discs &c. and means whereby a disc may be applied to a bottle in a movement effected along the common axis of the supply receptacle and the bottle to be sealed. The hopper tube a, which may be telescopic, contains the charge of discs, and fixed to the lower end is a guide cylinder b which slides on a cam cylinder d provided with flanges d<1>. The cylinder d, provided with an internal cam surface d<3> is fixed to a flared skirt c, flanged at cl, and which may be lined with rubber &c., adapted to seat centrally over the bottle mouth. The lower end of the cylinder a carries a sleeve g which in turn carries a washer ring f whose depth is slightly greater than the thickness of a disc. The inner lower surface of the cylinder a is bushed at e, the bush being formed with two pairs of slots e<1>, e<2>, in positions disposed at right-angles to each other, through which the end flanges h<1>, i<1> of oval gripper springs h, i project. The plunger j is resilient and formed of wire having vertical loops and horizontal portions j<1>, j<2>, j<3> connecting them, and is carried by the upper portion of a main spring k. Disposed above the flange c<1> is a ring of metal l with resilient fingers l<1> shaped to conform with the inner surface of the flange. Ribs g<3> and projections f<1> may be formed on the sleeve g and washer f respectively to retain the working parts in the correct disposition. To charge the machine and make it ready for use, the plunger is depressed by manually pushing the tube a downwardly. The resilient plunger is then contracted by the cam surface d<3> and the loops j<1> enter the mouth of the bottle. At the same time the gripping rings h, i are deformed from non-circular to circular form by the projections h<1>, i<1> following the cam surface. A charge of discs is now inserted which gravitate until they come to rest on the inwardly directed horizontal portions j<3> of the plunger. The pressure on the tube a is now released and the main spring k causes the plunger &c. to move upwardly. In so doing the spring grips h, i assume their elliptical form and grip the discs, holding them in place, except the lowest disc which is shielded by the washer ring f. This disc now falls through the loops j<1> and positions itself on the resilient fingers l<1>. During the next downward stroke of the plunger this disc is forced into the neck of the bottle and at the end of the next upward stroke the following disc has dropped into position for insertion into the next bottle. The machine may be used by maintaining the tube a fixed and moving the bottle upwardly by hand or other power and is stated to be applicable to any manually operated bottle-filling machine by clamping the upper portion to that machine. In modifications spring-operated detent members replace the springs h, i, and certain parts of the plunger j. The relative travel of the guide and cam cylinders b, d may be determined by pins and slots, or by a number of removable washers fitted between the spring k and the ring l, and the abutting surfaces at the end of the strokes may be protected by compressible washers. The charge of discs in the tube a may be spring- loaded. A modification is described in which the springs h, i are replaced by one gripper.