Patent GB-462121-A (GB)
Title: A machine for screwing in and tightening the stoppers of screw-stoppered bottles
IPC: B67B3/20
Filed: 1935-08-02
Abstract: 462,121. Stoppering machines for screw-stoppered bottles. MALLETT, F. J. Aug. 2, 1935, No. 21915. [Class 125 (ii)] Mechanism for screwing the stoppers of screw-stoppered bottles consists of a clamp to hold the bottle and a chuck to hold the stopper, the chuck being capable of movement towards and away from the bottle and being in two portions, one portion consisting of a member holding a number of horizontal dogs positioned round a ring of flexible material, and the other portion having a conical surface such that when the two portions of the chuck are caused to approach one another, the conical portion of the chuck abuts against the ends of the dogs causing them to act upon the ring so that it grips the stopper. The machine is mounted between side plates 1 on a bed plate and comprises a driving shaft 2 carrying three cams and a sprocket wheel 12a. A double flitched rocking lever 4 carrying a swingable crosshead 5 is mounted above the shaft 2 and is raised or lowered by a push rod 7 and cam 6 on shaft 2. The cross-head carries a spindle 8 supported at its upper end in a collar 9 and carrying at its lower end a chuck 16. The spindle is driven by bevel gearing from sprocket 12a by a chain 12 with a jockey pulley a, and is connected with chuck 16 by a friction clutch 13 comprising driving plates 14 slidable upon but rotatable with a square portion 17 of spindle 8, and driven plates 15 of asbestos or similar material having circular apertures slightly larger than the diagonal of the squared portion 17. The plates 14 are split radially and slightly sprung. The plates 15 drive the chuck when the plates 14, 15 are in frictional contact by studs 18. In the raised position plates 14 spring out and separate the plates 15. The lower part of chuck 16 is coned at 19 and bears on the ends of dogs 20 slidable in block 21, carried on pins 21a. The dogs are kept in contact with the coned surface of the clutch by the resilience of a rubber ring 23 provided as a renewable grip for a stopper. The lower portion of the block 21 has a bell-mouthed opening 24 to receive the head of a stopper. The degree of tightening of the stopper may be varied by the adjustable load 25 on the spindle 8. A removable split collar 26 fitted between the cross-head and the clutch enables bottles of differing heights to be stoppered. To grip the bottle during screwing, a vice is provided with one fixed jaw 27 and one movable jaw 28 worked through a lever 30 carrying at one end a roller 31 contacting with a cam 29 on shaft 2 and hinged at the other end to an extension 30<1> from jaw 28. The lever has a slotted hole 31a at its fulcrum 32 and is backed up by an adjustable spring 33 to provide for different sized bottles. False jaws 34 may also be fitted for small bottles. The bottles are moved in and out of the machine by a fixed bracket 39 and hinged bracket 40 on a slidable frame 35 worked from a cam by a lever 37, link 38, bell-crank 37a and link 381. When moving forward, the hinged bracket 40 pushes the stoppered bottle 41 out of the machine, while fixed bracket 39 introduces a new bottle 42. The frame 35 then moves back, bracket 40 being deflected by the new bottle in position. A recess 45 in the bottle table provides for bottles with a bulb in the centre of their base. Introduction of a bottle into the machine actuates a lever to start the machine, and the return movement of frame 35 replaces this lever in its original position.