Patent GB-952134-A (GB)
Title: High speed capping machine
IPC: B67B3/20
Filed: 1962-02-28
Abstract: 952,134. Closuring containers. CONTINENTAL CAN CO. Inc. Feb. 28, 1962 [March 20, 1961], No. 7916/62. Heading B8T. A machine for rapidly feeding and applying closure caps to a rapidly moving file of upright containers includes means acting independently of the containers for feeding successive caps into vertically aligned, partially encompassing relation with the tops of the containers, means for levelling the caps as they are advanced so that each cap encompasses the container mouth in substantially level position when it is released by the feeding means and initially engaged by the container for further advance therewith and downward movement thereon, and means for thereafter applying pressure to the caps to fully seat and seal the caps of the containers. Closure caps C are fed and applied to a moving file of upright containers or jars R carried on an endless conveyer 10, Fig. 1A, from a filling machine, not shown, and the caps are fed in succession from shoot 120 and over a shoot extension 122, Figs. 13, 14, by a rotated feed disc 124 having a pocketed cap-engaging flange 123. The latter advances the successive caps on to laterally spaced guide rails 157, 158, Fig. 22, on which the cap is held down by a pivoted pressure bar 190 extending centrally of the cap. The cap is thus held level whilst it is moved by the disc beneath a first duck bill 168, Figs. 18, 20, which has a magnet 180 whereby each cap is held level and lowered by the bill 168, carried on a linkage and spring urged downwardly, on to a jar mouth. The jars travel a little faster than the caps so that each cap is carried along by the leading edge of the jar top away from the feed disc, and advances beneath a second duck bill 69, also spring urged downwardly, whereby the cap is initially rotated by a drag member 221, Fig. 18, at one side of the cap. The jar and cap assembly then advance to beneath a third duck bill 170, spring urged downwardly, where a further rotating force is applied to the cap by a drag member 225. The cap levelling mechanism, including the three duck bills, forms a removable unit which is laterally adjustable relative the machine frame. On passing beyond the bill 170 the assembly advances beneath laterally spaced endless sealing belts 261, 262, Figs. 23, 25, and a pressure shoe 280 in engagement therewith, and is simultaneously subjected to downward pressure and to a twisting force. The latter is produced by the belts being driven at different speeds and at speeds different from that of the conveyer 10. If the cap is not in a proper position on the jar for this final sealing, a sensing arm 234, Fig. 23, is raised by the cap to operate a switch 246 whereby a mechanism for subsequently ejecting the improperly capped jar is actuated. The machine includes a steam distributer assembly associated with the sealing to effect vacuum vapour sealing of the jars. A steam distributer head 411 and associated steam chambers 410, 411, 412, 413, 422, 424, 426, Figs. 13, 14, 31, 32 are supplied with steam to scavenge the air out of the top of the jar and cap and replace it with steam so that vapour vacuum sealing results. When the jar is cooled, any excess of steam is withdrawn from the sealing head by an exhaust fan. The machine may be used for applying non-screw caps by eliminating the drag members 221, 225 and by adjusting the speed of the belts 261, 262 so that they travel at the conveyer 10 speed. The drive includes a mechanism whereby the belts 261, 262 are driven at the same or different speeds. The jars are firmly held during their travel on the conveyer 10 by laterally spaced endless gripper chain assemblies 50, 50<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 36, each chain carrying assemblies 56 with jar engaging faces 58. The jar engaging run of each chain is supported at its rear by a longitudinally extending guide bar 63, 63<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 3, and at the position of jar sealing the guide bars are interrupted and increased pressure is applied to the chain assemblies. Such pressure is provided by spring urged pivoted pressure sprockets 65. The machine has a drive common with that of a jar filling apparatus, and includes gear mechanism for synchronizing the operations of the two machines. Movement of the conveyer 10 is thus arranged to receive a filled jar between successive fingers 41 on the conveyer. The gripper chains 50, 50<SP>1</SP> are adjustable laterally and vertically; the cap feeding, applying and sealing mechanism is also adjustable vertically to deal with different jar heights. As illustrated in Fig. 35 the machine is powered by a motor which drives a pulley 333 on a shaft 334; the latter drives a jar filling machine via gears 337, 338 and a shaft 340. A shaft 342 is driven from shaft 334 via gearing 346, 347, 348, 350, and a worm 351 enables the phasing of the shafts 342 and 334 and hence the timing of the conveyer 10 relative the filling machine drive to be adjusted. A drive to the cap supply disc 124 is taken from the shaft 342 via a ring gear 352 and gears 353, 356, the latter having provision for changing the phasing of the shaft 342 and the shaft 138 driving the cap supply disc. The drive to the cap screwing mechanism, i.e. the belts 261, 262, is taken from a shaft 375 via gears 381, 382; a coupling 376 interconnects the shafts 375 and 342. The gripper chain drive gear 387 is powered via a bevel gear 386 connected to a ring gear 385, the latter being connected to those means providing an adjustment of the timing between the conveyer 10 and the. cap feeding disc, thus an adjustment of the timing of the gripper chains is also provided. A no-jar nocap control mechanism is associated with the cap feeding shoot and includes a cap engaging pin 451, Fig. 33, on an arm 452 and movable transverse the path of cap travel, and normally engageable with successive caps as they approach the cap feeding disc. The arm 452 is pivoted and connected at one end to a linkage 455-457, 460, 461, 463 which is operated by a jar on the conveyer 10 striking a sensing member 464 whereby the arm 452 is swung to bring the pin away from the shoot to allow a cap to move down the shoot. Specifications 547,228, 818,049 and U.S.A. Specification 1,805,623 are referred to.