mprovements in Caps or Stoppers for Closing and Sealing Bottles, Jars, or the like, and Machinery for Applying said Caps to the Bottles or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
mprovements in Caps or Stoppers for Closing and Sealing Bottles,
Jars, or the like, and Machinery for Applying said Caps to the
Bottles or the like.
1. HENRY BIRKBECK of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck of 31, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me from abroad by John Boyle of No. 71 Lefferts Place, in the City of
Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, in the State of New York, in the United States
of America, Cotton Duck Merchant) 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 improvements in caps for closing and sealing bottles
jars or the like more especially sheet metal caps and also to a new or improved
machine for applying said caps to the bottles etc.
The object of the invention is to provide a new or improved bottle sealing cap
which is simple in construction cheap and can easily be applied and removed with
great facility when necessary closes the bottle absolutely air tight and gas tight
even under great pressure, is neat and clean and does not in any way contaminate
the contents of the bottle.
A further object of this invention is to provide a new or improved machine for
applying such caps firmly and securely on the bottles in a perfect and reliable
manner and very rapidly.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification and in which
like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures -
Figure 1 is a side view of the improved machine for applying the caps on the
bottles-parts being broken away.
Figure 1 is a detail front view of the cushioned bottle support.
Figure 2, is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the closing
jaws and the parts for operating them.
Figure 4, is a similar view of the jaws in a different position.
Figure 5, is a vertical transverse sectional view through the central plane of the
upper part of the machine.
Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the improved cap as
applied on a bottle head.
Figure 7, is a transverse vertical sectional view through the empty cap.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the metal disk on the
line 8, 8, of Figure 9.
Figure 9 is a plan view of the disk.
The bottle cap will first be described and then the machine for applying it.
The bottle neck a on which the cap is to be applied should he provided with a
slight flare a' at the upper end of its neck and a raised annular bead a² along its
inner edge.
The cap A is struck up from sheet metal to have a top A¹ and a pendant
annular flange b, said top A' having a central circular depression A2 and an
annular bead g, extending around said depression and raised slightly above the top
of the cen

page_text: A paper lining B is placed into the cap and fits snugly against the underside of
the top of the cap and the inner side of the flange b, the bottom edge of the paper
lining being slightly above the bottom edge of the flange b.
A disk C of fabric, preferably cotton duck without sizing, although ramie cloth,
or other material may be used, is placed on the top edge of the bottle head, which
as stated has an annular bead a² on its upper end surface, along the inner edge.
A sheet metal plate or disk D is placed upon the fabric C, said plate or disk D
having a central depression D' coinciding in shape and form with the depression A2
in the top of the cap A and said plate or disk D also has a hollow bead and its rin
is slightly curved downward and outward to conform approximately to the shape
of the top of the bottle head.
The cap A with its paper lining is then placed on the disk or plate D and the
flange is compressed firmly and tightly against the sides of the bottle head as
shown in Fig. 6 by means of the machine to be now described.
The bed plate E of the machine is provided with suitable legs E' and from
it two standards F extend upward and are provided at their upper ends with
journal bearings for a cam shaft F.
The cam shaft F is rotated by a belt and pulley F from a suitable power shaft
and a clutch of any suitable construction is provided for throwing the driving belt
pulley in and out of gear with the cam shaft and said clutch may be operated by a
treadle or any other suitable device and a shifting rod F3.
The construction of the clutch and its shifting device may be varied without in
any way affecting the present invention.
A circular table G is centrally pivoted on the top of the bed plate E and is
provided along its rim with a number of circular openings G at the edges of which
cylindrical bottle receiving sockets G extend upward from the table, which sockets
are secured to the top of the circular table.
The sockets are of such diameter as to adapt them to receive the bottles a³ that
are to be capped.
The circular rotating table G is provided on its rim with as many equidistant
teeth Has there are bottle holding sockets G².
These teeth can be engaged by a spring pressed pawl H pivoted to the front end
of a slide H2, guided to reciprocate horizontally in ways H³ attached to the bed
plate E.
The slide H2 is connected by a pivoted link H with the pivoted lever H, the
upper slotted end of which is engaged by a crank pin H on a crank disk H' so that
for each rotation of the cam shaft F the slide H2 is reciprocated and its pawl H
turns the table & the distance of one tooth H equivalent to one bottle holding
socket G.
As soon as the circular table G has been turned the required distance, a spring
pressed locking lever I engages by means of its pin l'a hole 12 in one tooth II of
the circular table G each tooth being provided with such hole 12.
Thereby the circular table is locked in place and one bottle holding socket G² is
held securely in place vertically below the cap applying devices to be described
hereinafter.
During the return motion of the slide H2 the outer end of the locking lever I is
engaged by a lug on the slide H2 whereby the pin l' is withdrawn from the
hole 12 in the tooth II and the circular table is released so that it can again be
turned by the pawl H on the slide H2 during the succeeding rotation of the cam
shaft F
The central spindle J is guided to move vertically in a sleeve K guided to
move vertically in the vertical guides K' attached to or made integral with the
standards F.
A double cam J' on the cam shaft F' is adapted to act on the upper end of the
spindle J and to press the same downward.
A heading block L, the botton surface of which is shaped the same as to top of
the cap A is attached to the lower end of the spindle J.

page_text: Above said heading block a series of arms L' extend radially from the spindle J
and to said arms a series of compressing jaws M are pivoted between their ends,
of which jaws the drawings show six, which number is preferred, but it
is evident that a greater or less number may be used as may be desired or
required.
The lower ends of the compressing jaws are shaped to correspond in shape to
the upper outer part of the bottle head. Their upper ends are beveled or rounded
off and are pressed toward each other by an annular helical spring M2 or like
contrivance, so as to hold the lower ends of the compressing jaws open.
The lower faces of the jaws M may be smooth, grooved or toothed so as to firmly
grip the flange of the sheet metal bottle cap when compressing the same against the
bottle head.
The sleeve K is provided at its upper end with an extension K to which is
fastened one end of a powerful helical spring N, the opposite end of which is
attached to a fixed arm N' at the tops of the standards F, said spring serving to
pull the sleeve K upward.
The sleeve K is forced downward by two double cams O on the cam shaft F,
which cams act on a spring cushioned plate O', located above the upper end of the
sleeve K and having raised bosses O2 on which the cams O can act.
The spindle J passes loosely through the plate O' between the bosses O².
The plate O is cushioned by rubber blocks 03 or by helical springs P or by
both.
The helical springs P surrounds rods P' extending downward from the plate O
which rods and springs are surrounded by tubes or housings P2 extending downward
from the extensions K2 of the sleeve K.
The upper ends of the springs P bear against the underside of the plate O' and
their lower ends bear on tubular nuts P3 surrounding the rods P locsely and
screwed into the lower ends of the housings or tubes P2 and by means of which
nuts the tension of the springs P can be adjusted.
The plate O is cushioned for the purpose of permitting the yielding of the
compressing jaws M in case the bottle heads are of varying size, so that the jaws
and the sleeve K can "give" sufficiently to prevent crushing of the bottle head or
neck, which might occur under positive pressure of the jaws.
The spindle J is provided at its upper end with a collar Q resting on the plate O'
and above said collar with a pinion R having twice the number of teeth and recesses
as there are jaws M on the spindle J.
One of the double cams O is provided with a laterally projecting pin or tooth R¹
which enters into one of the recesses of the pinion R at each full rotation of the
cam shaft so as to turn the spindle J axially between two successive depressions
of the sleeve K as two such depressions occur for each full rotation of the cam
shaft.
A brake band S is arranged around the crank disk on the cam shaft for the
purpose of retarding to a certain extent the upward motion of the sleeve K and to
prevent the too quick or jerky return motion of the sleeve under the influence of
the spring.
Below the intermittently rotating table G a shouldered follower block T is
located which fits into an opening T of the bed plate E, the centre of said
oper ing being vertically below the spindle and said follower is cushioned by a
rubber block T, resting on a cross piece T3 suspended by rods T' from the bed
plate E.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
When the machine is started the spindle J is first depressed under the action of
the cam J' and the head L on the lower end of said spindle presses the cap A that
has previously been placed upon the bottle head, firmly and tightly upon the head
and holds it there.
In case the bottle is longer or higher, than the normal, the bottle is not crushed
by the descending spindle as the rubber cushion T below the follower T on which

page_text: follower the bottle rests at the time the cap is being applied, can give or yield
sufficiently to prevent crushing the bottle, but nevertheless offers sufficient resistance
to permit the head L to press the cap firmly on the bottle.
The compressing jaws M descends with the spindle J and their lower working
ends surround the cap on the bottle head.
The cams O now depress the plate O' which has been carried down a short
distance with the spindle, still further and by the intervention of the cushion
springs the sleeve K is depressed and its bevelled lower end acting on the upper
ends of the jaws, spreads said jaws at their upper ends and forces the lower
working ends against the flange of the cap A, whereby the flange is compressed
tightly against the sides of the bottle head.
As the cam shaft F¹ continues to rotate the pressure on the sleeve is reduced the
sleeve is raised and the jaws separate under the action of the spring Man! now
the pin R on one of the cams O engages the pinion R and rotates the spindle J
and jaws M thereon axially, sufficiently to present the jaws to such parts of the cap
flange as have not been acted upon during the first downward movement of the
sleeve K.
Now the sleeve K is again forced downward and again the jaws act on and
compress the flange against the sides of the bottle head.
The table G is now turned in the manner previously described and a fresh bottle
with a loose cap is presented to the action of the spindle and jaws and so on, the
capped bottles being removed by an attendant or they may slide down a chute and
fresh bottles, with the caps placed loosely thereon, in the manner, previously set
forth, are placed into the bottle holding sockets G² and so on.
It is very essential that the jaws should be shifted circularly between the
successive application of the jaws on the same cap so that the entire flange is
properly compressed against the sides of the bottle head and all possibilities of a
leak are excluded.
As one bottle is capped for each rotation of the cam shaft and a fresh bottle is
presented for each rotation of said shaft, the bottles can be capped at a very high
rate of speed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is:
1. The combination with a bottle, of a fabric disk placed on the top of the
neck, a plate resting on said fabric disk, and a flanged paper lined cap placed on
said plate and having its flange applied on the sides of the bottle neck, substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination with a bottle, of a fabric disk placed on the top of the
bottle head, a plate placed on the said disk and baving a central depression and a
paper lined sheet metal cap, placed on the filling disk, said cap also having a central
depression, the flanges of the cap being applied on the sides of the bottle neck,
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a bottle, of a fabric disk placed on the top of the
bottle head, which head has a bead on its upper surface, a plate placed on the
said disk and having a central depression and a hollow bead, and a paper lined
sheet metal cap, placed on the filling disk, said cap also having a central depression
and hollow bead, the flanges of the cap being applied on the sides of the bottle neck
substantially as set forth."
4. The combination with a flanged sheet metal cap, having a paper lining on
the underside of its top and the inside of its Hange, and also having a central
depression and a hollow annular bead in its top, of a plate fitting against the
underside of the cap and having a central depression and annular hollow bead like
that in the cap and its rim curved down and a fabric disk below the plate and
fitting within the cap, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, of a reciprocating spindle, a series of compressing-jaws

page_text: surrounding the lower end of the saine, a spring-actuated reciprocating-sleeve
for actuating the compressing-jaws, and means for partially rotating the series of
compressing-jaws around their axis between two successive actuations of the jaws,
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination, of a cam-shaft, a spring-cushioned spindle, cams on said
shaft for reciprocating said spindle, a spring-actuated sleeve surroun ling the
spindle and having a couical lower end, a series of compressing jaws fulerumed
to the lower end of said spindle, cams on the cam shaft for reciprocating said
sleeve, twice in succession to actuate the jaws twice in succession, and means for
turning the spindle between said two successive actuations of the jaws, substantially
as set forth.
7. The combination of a reciprocating spindle provided with a heading-block at the
lower end, a series of compressing-jaws fulerumed to the lower end of the spindle,
and a reciprocating spring-cushioned sleeve provided with a conical lower end
to act on the upper ends of the compressing jaws, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination, with a reciprocating spindle having a heading-block at its
lower end, of a series of compressing-jaws arranged at the lower end of the spindle,
of a reciprocating and spring-cushioned sleeve having a conical lower end to act
on said jaws, a cam-shaft, means for lowering the sleeve twice during each rotation
of the cam-shaft so as to impart two compressing movements of the jaws for each
rotation of the cam-shaft, and means for imparting an axially-rotating motion to
the spindle and the jaws between the successive actuations of jaws, substantially as
set forth.
9. The combination, of a spring-cushioned spindle a series of compressing-jaws
fulcrumed to the lower end of the spindle, means for imparting reciprocating
motion to said spindle, a spring-actuated sleeve having a conical lower end for
actuating said jaws, means for reciprocating said sleeve, and cushioning-springs
interposed between the upper ends of the spindle and sleeve so as to impart a
yielding motion to the compressing-jaws, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of a spindle having a heading-block at its lower end, a
series of fulcrumed compressing-jaws above the same, means for imparting
reciprocating motion to said spindle, a spring-actuated sleeve having a conical
lower end for actuating said jaws, means for reciprocating said sleeve, a plate
above the upper end of the sleeve- and cushioning-springs interposed between said
plate and the upper end of the sleeve so as to inipart a yielding motion to the
compressing-jaws, substantially as set forth.
11. The combination, with a reciprocating spindle provided with a series of
fulcrumed and spring-actuated jaws, a reciprocating and spring-cushioned sleeve
having a conical lower end, an intermittently-rotating platform provided with
bottle holders, a spring-cushioned follower-block in the bed-plate below the
platform, and means for locking the bottle holding platform, substantially as set
forth.
12. The combination of a bed plate having an opening, a spring-cushioned
follower-block arranged in said opening, a centrally-pivoted platform, provided
with concentric openings, bottle-holders extending around said openings, means for
imparting intermittent rotary motion to said platform, so as to bring one opening
after the other in register with the opening in the bed-plate, and means for locking
the platform in position when the opening of the platform is in register with the
opening of the bed-plate, substantially as set forth.
13. The combination, of a reciprocating spindle, a series of fulcrumed
compressing-jaws arranged around the lower end of said spindle, a spring-
cushioned and reciprocating sleeve having a conical lower end, a spring-
cushioned follower-block located in the bed-plate of the machine in line with
the axis of the spindle in the bed-plate of the machine and a lapted to adjust
the bottles in vertical direction under the pressure of the spindle, and an inter-
mittently-rotating platform having openings and bottle holders registering with
the follower-block, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 14. In a machine for sealing bottles, the combination of a reciprocating spindle,
a series of fulcrumed compressing-jaws applied to the lower end of said spindle, a
reciprocating and spring-cushioned sleeve having a conical lower end and acting on
said compressing-jaws, a cam-shaft, double cams for imparting two actuations to
the jaws for each rotation of the cam-shaft, and means consisting of a recessed
pinion at the upper end of said spindle, and a pin on one of the cams on the cam
shaft for imparting a partial rotation to the spindle between the actuations of the
jaws so as to produce two separate compressions of the bottle-cap, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.