Improvements in Retaining and Sealing Caps for Bottles, and in Mechanism for Applying the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
COMPLETE STEIFICATION.
Improvements in Retaining and Sealing Caps for Bottles, and in
Mechanism for Applying the same.
I, STEPHEN WATKINS, of Prince's Chambers, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, Civil Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad from William Daniel
Elger, of 75 Monroe Street, in the City of Brooklyn, in the State of New York,
one of the United States of America, Manufacturer) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of sealing devices for bottles which comprise
a sheet metal cap and a disk of cork or the like, which latter is applied over the
mouth of the bottle and held in place by the cap.
In the accompanying drawings the improved cap and the machine for applying
the same are fully illustrated.
Figure 1 is a front view of the machine; and Figure 2 is a side view of the
same.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the device for spinning the flange of the
cap down upon the bottle-neck and Figure 4 is an underside view of the same.
Figure 5 shows a cam, detached.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views illustrating the construction of the novel
retaining cap and the means for removing it from the bottle.
The retaining and sealing cap, seen in side elevation in Figure 6 and in section,
enlarged, in Figure 7, comprises a circular, flanged cap, a, of stiff sheet metal,
such as tin-plate, for example, provided with a lining, b, of comparatively soft
packing material, which may be rather thick paper. Within the cap is a disc, c,
of some soft material, such as cork, for example. Before it is applied to the bottle,
the pendent flange on the cap a is about perpendicular to the plane of the crown
thereof, as seen in Figures 6 and 7.
In Figure 8 the cap is represented as applied to the mouth of a bottle, &, the
latter having an upwardly flared neck. The cap is placed on the bottle over its
mouth, and its flange is spun down upon the neck, numerous indentations, d, being
formed in it in the process of spinning. These indentations stiffen the retaining
flange and also serve to take up the surplus metal so as to cause the flange to lie
close to the glass and not form projecting corrugations and points, which are liable
to lacerate the hands in handling the bottle.
When it is desired to open the bottle the cap may be conveniently removed by
means of an implement, e, seen in Figures 8 and 9, applied as seen in Figure 8.
The machine illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is adapted to hold the cap
firinly down upon the bottle and to spin the flange of the cap with suitable nurls
or roughened rollers. The construction is as follows:
1 represents a bed or table which may be provided with legs if desired. On
this bed the bottle, ., rests. Mounted to slide in a frame, 2, on the bed is a
plunger, 3, having some longitudinal play in its bearings. This plunger has on it
a collar, 4, between which and the upper bearing of the plunger, is arranged a
strong spring, 5, which tends to force the plunger down. The plunger is splined
in its bearings so that it may not. rotate, or is otherwise stopped against rotation,
and at its upper end it is coupled to the shorter arm of a lifting lever, 6, fulcrumed
on the frame 2. The longer arm of the lever 6, is coupled to a rod, 7, which
extends down through the bed 1, and carries at its lower end a stud-roller, 8, which

page_text: engages the flange on a cam, 9, fixed on a counter-shaft, 10. When the cam 9, is
rotated, at one point 9*, it acts on the stud-roller 8, to draw down the rod 7, and
raise the plunger 3, compressing the spring 5.
Rotatively mounted on the plunger is a carrier, which consists of a boss, 11, with
two arins, 12. On the boss is secured a pinion, 13, whereby the carrier is rotated
through the medium of a spur wheel, 14, on an upright shaft, 15. This shaft is
driven from the main shaft, 16, through the medium of mitre gears, 17. The main
shaft has on it a pulley, 18, to receive a driving belt, and it drives the counter-
shaft 10, through the medium of a pinion, 19, on the former genring with a spur
wheel, 20, on the latter.
On each of the arms 12 (which are oppositely arranged) is mounted in
suitable bearings, a fork, 21, in which is mounted on pivots, 22, a gimbal ring
or frame, 23, in which is rotatively mounted a nurl or roller, 24, mounted with
its axis at right-angles to the pivots of the gimbal ring, 23. The urls are
pressed up forcibly toward the axis of rotation of the carrier by strong springs, 25.
Fixed on the plunger 3, below the boss 11, of the carrier, is a collar 26, on which
are two oppositely arranged cains, 27, (see Figure 5) set in different planes, and on
the forks 21, respectively, are mounted rollers, 28, in the planes of the respective
cams.
So far as the mechanism has been described, the operation is as follows.
At starting, the parts being at rest, the plunger 3, is held upraised by the cam 9,
and the nurls 24, drawn back by the cams 27.
A cap, a, is placed on the bottle .r, and the latter set on the bed 1, under the
plunger 3.
The machine is set in motion and the first movement of the cam 9, releases the
plunger 3, and allows the spring 5, to drive it forcibly down upon the cap.
Preferably the plunger is made concave at its lower end so that its margin rests on
the margin of the cap. As soon as the plunger has settled the cap down firmly on
the bottle the carrier begins to rotate, and this causes the rollers 28, to pass off the
cams 27, thus permitting the springs 25, to force the nurls 24, into contact with the
pendent flange of the cap a, and force said flange up to the bottle-neck. As
the nurls revolve about the bottle-neck they roll or spin the flange down smoothly
thereon. The nurls may be caused to make as many revolutions as desired, but as
herein shown the cam 9, which raises the plunger 3, is geared to the carrier of the
nurls in such a manner that the latter will make three revolutions to each rotation
(and operation) of said cam. At each revolution of the carrier the nurls will be
drawn back by the cams 27, and the object in placing these cains in different
planes is to prevent both cams from acting to withdraw each nurl. At the
termination of the third revolution, however, when the rotation of the carrier
censes, the two urls will be found, as at starting, drawn away from the bottle.
As soon as the rotation of the carrier censes, the cam 9, acts to raise the plunger 3,
when the can ceases to rotate and supports the plunger praised.
A known device is shown whereby the motion of the mechanism is arrested at
the termination of the capping of each bottle, but as this mechanism is not
specifically new and as it is not essential to the carrying out of the invention, it will
only be necessary to say that by means of suitable intermediate mechanism between
the main shaft 16, and counter-shaft. 10, at the termination of the third revolution of
the nurla 24, they are withdrawn and cease to rotate, and when they have ceased to
rotate the plunger 3, is raised, carrying with it the carrier and murfs. At starting,
the plunger first descends on the cap a, and then the nurts begin to rotate. Of
course these movements might be controlled by hand but it is preferred to employ a
known mechanism for effecting it automatically.
The machine may be provided with a support, 32, for the bottle to rest on while
being capped, and such supports, of different heights, may be employed for bottles
of different sizes.
That the nurl 24 may apply itself to the surface of the bottle-neck properly, it
is mounted pivotally in the carrier as shown. The function of the nurl is, as stated,

page_text: to pin down the metal of the cap a, and one or more of these nurls may be
employed, but it is preferable to employ two, three or four.
As there is no end wise movement of the bottle with reference to the nurls, the
latter is made wide enough on the face to extend over the flange on the cap a little,,
as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The application of a flanged retaining cap of stiff sheet metal lined with soft
material to a bottle having an upwardly flared neck, by spinning the flange of the
cap down smooth with nurls which indent the metal into the softer lining of the
cap, as set forth.
2. A closing or sealing cap for a bottle comprising a cupped sheet-metal cap
having a cupped, adherent and smooth lining of comparatively thick paper, and a
disk of cork fitting into said lined cap, the lining being interposed between the
crown of the metal cap and said disk of cork, substantially as set forth.
3. A bottle having its neck gradually flared toward the mouth and provided with
a closing device which comprises a disk of cork and a sheet-metal cap with a lining
of paper or the like, the pendent, lined flange of the cap fitting smoothly about
the tapered neck of the bottle and having in it numerous indentations, as
set forth.
4. An apparatus or machine for applying a sheet metal sealing cap upon a bottle,
comprising a base to support the bottle, means for holding the bottle stationary
and the cap pressed down thereon, a rotating carrier adapted to move concentrically
about the axis of the bottle, rollers or nurls mounted in said carrier and adapted to
bear on the flange of the cap as they revolve, springs which keep said rollers
pressed up against the flange on the cap, and stationary cams which serve to press
the rollers outwardly, radially, at each rotation of the carrier, substantially as
set forth.
5. An apparatus or machine for applying a sheet metal sealing cap upon a bottle,
comprising a base to support the bottle, a plunger 3, arranged to press upon the
cap and hold it down on the bottle, the spring 5, on the plunger, the rotating carrier
provided with rollers or nurls for rolling down the flange of the cap, the springs
behind the rollers, the cams 27, a lever 6, for raising the plunger 3, the cam and its
rod for operating said lever, and gearing intermediate said cam and the rotating
carrier, whereby the withdrawal of the plunger is automatically effected when the
rollers are withdrawn and the bottle thus released, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the frame, the plunger 3, mounted in the frame,
mechanisin for imparting a reciprocating movement to said plunger at regular
intervals, the rotating carrier mounted in the frame concentrically with said
plunger, gearing connecting the carrier-rotating and plunger-operating mechanism,
the rollers 24, mounted in sliding forks in the carrier, the said forks, the roller-
springs 25, the cams 27, arranged in different planes, and the rollers 28, on the
said forks and adapted to bear and roll on the respective cams 27, as the carrier
rotates, substantially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for applying a sealing cap on a bottle the combination
with means for holding the cap down firmly in place on the bottle, of a rotating
carrier, a fork 21, mounted in said carrier, a roller or nuri 24, carried by said
fork, and a spring 25, which keeps the nurl pressed up toward the bottle-neck,
said nurl being mounted on rocking bearings so that it will adapt itself to the
surface of the bottle-neck, as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of June 1804
STEPHEN WATKINS.