Patent GB-224605-A (GB)
Title: Bottle filling and capping machine
IPC: B67C7/00
Filed: 1923-08-16
Abstract: 224,605. Strandt, G. E., and Lippold, A. J. Aug. 16, 1923. Bottling; capsules, applying.-A bottle filling and capping machine adapted to fill bottles while carried in a circular path by a rotary turntable and in a raised position comprises a filler having associated infeeding and outfeeding star-wheels actuated in synchronism with the turntable to place and remove bottles without cessation of movement or material change in speed, in combination with a capper having feeding-slides independently reciprocated at different time intervals and provided with feeding-fingers adapted to be moved by one slide to battle-engaging position and by the other slide to advance the bottles to capping position. The empty bottles are fed by an endless conveyer 8, Fig. 3, to between the arms 13 of a star-wheel 14 which pushes them past a spring-pressed pivoted gate 16 to the table 9. When feeding small bottles, a hinged section 22 of the conveyer wall 12 is swung inwards. After passing the rollers 17 on the end of the gate 16, the bottle is held to the wheel by a resilient arm 26 until it passes between the wheel and an adjustable curved guard 27, whence it is delivered to a bottle-support 33 on the turntable 1. The turntable 1 and wheel 14 move at the same speed, so that the bottles are delivered to the supports 33 without shock. The turntable is slightly conical with a downturned edge 41, Fig. 1, to deliver any waste milk into a trough 42. The supply tank 2, fitted with spring-pressed valves 3, is adjustably supported above the table 1 by a central screw 36 passing through telescoping stations 37, 38 which are in sliding-key connection at 39. The bottle-supports 33, Fig. 6, are mounted upon tubular posts 45 which are socketed in apertures in the table 1 and provided with shoulders 46 to rest upon the table. A spring 56 is interposed between the support 33 and the base-flange of a coupling 55 loosely mounted on a ring 54 supported on an internal shoulder 53 at the lower end of the tube 51. A key holds the posts 45 against rotation. When a support 33 is raised, the space between it and the top of its post 45 is covered by a sleeve 49 connected to the flange 50 of the support. The base-flange of the coupling 55 has projections which pass through notches in the flange 53, so that by pressing the coupling 55 upwardly in the sleeve 51 the collar 54 can be tilted and withdrawn through the notches, after which the coupling can also be withdrawn and the support 33 removed. The table carries a pivoted arm 68 associated with a crank 71 linked to the coupling 55 by a rod 72. As the table revolves, the arm 68 contacts with a roller 67 on a stud 66 on the frame 64, and is swung backwardly, thereby raising the holder 33 and pressing the mouth of the bottle against the centering-cap 4, so that the valve 3 is opened to allow milk to flow into the bottle. At the outfeeding side of the machine, a bearing-member 81, Fig. 15, on an extension of the crank-pin 80 enters a channel 82 in a guide-bracket 83 provided with upper and lower inwardly-projecting flanges 85, 86, the lower flange 86 being pivotally connected with the supporting stud. With the crank in the raised position, the member 81 passes over the receiving end of the flange 86 and engages the under surface of the flange 85 so that the pin is pressed backwardly, whereupon the weight of the parts assisted by the spring 56 swings the crank down. wardly and the member 81 travels downwardly along the upper surface of the flange 86 until the support 33 has descended into contact with the post 45. The outfeeding table 100, Fig. 3, has a feed-way 101 bordered by low walls 102,.. 103, and the outfeeding star-wheel has arms 104 pivoted between central discs 105. The discs are keyed to a shaft 107 and driven so that the outer end portions of the arms 104, where they cross the pitch line, move at the same speed as the turntable at the pitch line. Each arm is free to swing on its pivot in the direction of rotation to an extent limited by a shoe at its inner end, movement in the opposite direction being limited by an arm adapted to engage a lug with the next succeeding arm of the wheel. The bottles are moved in pairs along the feedway 101 to the capper by elbowed feeding-members which have arms 115 to engage the bottles and are pivoted by pins 118 to a slide-bar. The short arms 120 are pivoted by pins 122 to an auxiliary slide-bar 121 connected by a link 126 to the actuating slide 125. An arm 116 is used for outfeeding from the capper. A curved guard-arm 135 fulcrumed at 136 and having its inner end pivoted at 137 to a lever 138, Fig. 4, co-operates with the wheel 104 for the removal of the bottles from the supports 33 to the table 100. The lever 138 is fulcrumed at 139 to the base of the capper and has an aim 140 connected by a link 141 to an arm 30 to which the supporting arm 28 of the intending arm 27 is also connected. A lever- 29 pivoted, to the arm 28 carries a pin 145 which may be engaged in any one of a series of holes 146 in the table top so that the guards 27, 135 may be adjusted for bottles of different sizes. The outer wall 102 of the feedway 101 is connected to the table by parallel links 150. 151 and is adjusted by inserting the link pin 152 in any one of a series of holes in the table. The capper shown, Figs. 22 and 23, is of the duplex type with two heads 153, 154 supplied with caps from a magazine 155. The frame member 158 is supported by inclined parallel posts 159 on a basemember 160 supported by posts 161 on the table 100. The member 158, which serves as a guidefor the rods 157 of the slides 156, is secured to the posts 159 by set-screws 162 engaging one orother of a series of notches 163 in the posts, so that the member 158 can be adjusted to suit bottles of different heights. The shaft 15, Fig. 28, of the wheel 14 is driven through spur and bevel gearing from a shaft 178 driven through a clutch 177 and spur gearing from a motor 170, two speeds being possible. A wheel 199 on the table 9 gears with a wheel 198 on the shaft 181, and the shaft 107 of the wheel 104 is driven through bevel gearing from a shaft 202 which is driven through hevel gearing from the shaft 181. The conveyer 8 is actuated by a sprocket wheel 214 on a shaft 213 driven through chain gearing from the shaft 178, and the slide 125 is operated through adjustable links 218, 219, lever 217, and rod 216 from a crank 215 on the shaft 181. The capper slide 156 is operated through rods from the crank 215. The motor and its associated gear-wheels are arranged underneath the table or frame member 64, and the variable-speed gears, together with the driving connections of the shafts 15, 107 of the star-wheels, are enclosed in an oil casing 230, Fig. 26. A paddle wheel 249 on the shaft 174, distributes oil to the gear wheels, and inclined ribs 250, 251 are formed on the casing to receive the oil from the wheel 249 and direct it on to the wheels. An outfeeding conveyer may be driven through sprocket and 'bevel gearing from the shaft 178.