Patent GB-725768-A (GB)
Title: Machine for applying stoppers to bottles
IPC: B67B1/00
Filed: 1953-07-17
Abstract: 725,768. Stoppering bottles. MATHIESON CHEMICAL CORPORATION. July 17, 1953 [July 18, 1952 ; Dec. 22, 1952], No. 19958/53. Class 125'(2). [Also in Group XXX] Resilient stoppers having stems and flanged heads are fed into a hopper 16 and are supplied to a shoot 18 the lowest one being retained with its flange protruding from the shoot by a finger 20 engaging the stem and bottles 13 are advanced by a conveyer 12 and power driven feed rollers 22 to extract the stoppers from the shoot the stoppers being pivoted into and forced into the bottles by a power-driven roller 23. An additional pressure roller 24 may be provided: The peripheral speed of roller 23 is between fifteen and forty per cent. less than the speed of conveyer 12 to prevent tipping of the bottles as the stoppers are inserted. Stopper-sorting apparatus. Stoppers are supplied from a shoot 17 to a rotating hopper 16 having a partition 31 provided with an aperture 32 the size of which can be varied by adjustment of a shutter 32<SP>1</SP> to vary the rate or feed of the stoppers. The feed rate may also be varied by change of the rotational speed of the hopper. The inner end of the hopper has an outer flange 27 spaced from which is an inner plate 271 carried on a back plate 70 rotated by a shaft 73, these parts being connected by bolts 76. The annular chamber between the flange 27 and plate 27<SP>1</SP> is deep enough to accommodate the stoppers S with their heads flush with plate 27<SP>1</SP> and the chamber is bridged by a ring of studs 30<SP>1</SP> having heads adjacent flange 27 and so dimensioned and spaced that only correctly orientated stoppers can pass between them to enter a chamber 34 between back and front stationary plates 35, 36 flush with the flange 27 and plate 271 respectively. An oblique guide 39 diverts the stoppers on to a long arm 40 of the shoot, the arm leading downwards into the shoot proper. Excess stoppers are intercepted by a short arm 43 of the shoot and are discharged through an opening 41 in the front edge wall of chamber 34 into a receptacle 25. As shown in Fig. 13A, the studs 30<SP>1</SP> may be mounted adjustably in radial slots 80 in flange 27 so that different diameters of stopper may be orientated. Stopper shoot. This comprises a channel accommodating the stopper heads and defined by long and short L-shaped undercut members 40, 43 to which is welded a plate 65 forming the back of the channel. The shoot is removably attached to a bracket 49 which is pivoted to a bracket 53 attached to the upper cabinet 10 which mounts the stopper sorting means. Above its pivot, the bracket 49 is engaged by a power driven cam 62 by being urged by a spring 61. This vibrates the shoot and causes any tacky stoppers to be positively fed. The stoppers are presented with their stems facing the approaching bottles which are passed between guides 98 alongside the conveyer 12. Finger 20 engages the stem of the stopper and is pivoted at 21 to the upper cabinet and has an adjustable stop 83. Compensation for different bottle sizes. All the stopper feeding and sorting means are carried by an upper cabinet 10 and all the bottle feeding means by a lower cabinet 11. The former is vertically adjustable on the latter by screw means actuated by a hand-wheel 140 thus permitting adjustment for different bottle heights. The front and rear feed rollers 22 and guides 98 are respectively mounted on blocks which can be moved towards and away from each other by screw means actuable by a handwheel 113 to permit adjustment for diffferent bottle diameters. Feed rollers 22 may be replaced by power-driven endless belts spanning a plurality of bottles.