Patent GB-725093-A (GB)
Title: Device for applying bands to containers
Inventor: BARTLETT RICHARD JAMES
IPC: B67B5/03
Filed: 1953-08-14
Abstract: 725,093. Sealing bottles &c. MEYER MANUFACTURING CO., G. J. Aug. 14, 1953, No. 22450/53. Class 125 (2). [Also in Groups XVI and XXXII] In apparatus for applying to the necks of capped containers, such as bottles 8, sealing bands of e.g. regenerated cellulose cut off from a long length 76 of flattened tube and expanded by movable suction cups 86, the face of each suction cup is concave to expand the band to approximately circular cross section. The machine comprises side pillars 4 which carry by bearings 12 a main frame comprising side plates 10 and cross braces 14. A hand screw 16, 20 fixed to this frame and working in a bar 18 joining the pillars 4 allows the height of the frame above the base to be adjusted for different bottle heights. An electric motor drives through a belt 30 and worm gears 36, 38 a main shaft 40 having a cam 42 which, through a lever 50 shaft 56 and lever 54 raises and lowers a slider 64 working in a bracket 66 secured to the main frame. When the slider is at the top of its stroke, the parts are disposed as shown in Fig. 1, with a length of band between the suction cups 86 and with cutters 92, 94 co-operating to cut off the fed section from the length 76 of tube. Cutters 92, 94 are carried slidably in brackets 90 mounted on the slider 64 and are connected by pin and slot connections 98 to levers 96 fixed to shafts 100. These shafts carry gears (not shown) meshing with racks 108 carried by the fixed bracket 66. Shafts 100 also carry gears 102 meshing with rack bars 88 on which are mounted the suction cups 86 and which slide horizontally in brackets 90. As the slider 64 is lowered, shaft 100 is rotated by the racks 108 to move the cutters away from one another and suction is applied to the cups 86 through pipes 114, 122 by a suction valve controlled by a cam on shaft 40. Rotation of shaft 100 also causes the racks 88 and the cups 86 to be moved apart to expand the band as it is lowered. When the band has been positioned around the bottle neck the suction is released to apply the band and then the parts are restored to the position shown in Fig. 1. While slider 64 is descending, grippers 74 pivoted thereto and urged together by springs 78 engage the length 76 to feed a section to form the band of the next succeeding operation. The length of feed is limited by the engagement of arms 82 carried by the grippers with stops 84 mounted on the fixed bracket 66. Stops 84 are adjustable in position to allow feeding of different lengths of tube. The movement of suction cups 86 can be varied to suit different bottle neck diameters, by adjusting the vertical position of racks 108 on bracket 66. This is effected by turning gears 112 engaging the racks. The bottles 8 are carried by a conveyer 6 between adjustable guides 168 and are justified under the band-applying device by a stop 172 which is withdrawn periodically to allow the passage of a sealed bottle by means 146, 148, 150, 158 actuated from the main shaft 40. The length 76 of tube is led over two guides 196 with which co-operate alternately closed and opened clamps 206, 210. These are actuated by cams carried by a shaft 182 driven from main shaft 40. by a chain 178. When clamp 206, 210 are closed and open respectively, a loop of tube is drawn from stock by an arm 194 carried on an arm 192 continuously rotated from shaft 182 through bevel gears 184, 186. When clamps 206, 210 are open and closed respectively, the grippers 74 feed the tube to the tube cutters. Each suction cup 86 comprises a central part 218 onwhich is slidably mounted an outer part 216 and which has a suction passage 226, 230 connected to the suction pipes 114 or 122. When the cups are in the closed position, the part 218 is fully advanced from the position shown in Fig. 4 but the full movement of the part 216 is so retarded by engagement of an adjustable left-hand stop 224 with part 220 of bracket 90 that passage 230 is cut off from passage 228 in part 216. Thus only the central part of band 214 will be under the influence of suction through passage 226 during the initial outward movement of the cup 86. When the cup has been sufficiently retracted for the righthand stop 224 to engage the part 220, the part 218 will slide within the part 216 so that the passages 230 and 228 will be aligned to apply suction over a substantial area of the band which is thus drawn out to substantially circular cross section as shown in Fig. 4.