US2481495A - Closure-release mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1949. H. H. BORTHWICK CLOSURE-RELEASE MECHANISM Filed June 27, 1947 Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATF EN OFFICE Harold EH. Borthwick, Lancaster, .-Pa., .assignor -to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa, a -;c orporation of Pennsylvania Application June 27, 1947, SerialtNo.' 757,47!7

Claims.

Elhisinvention :relates to azmechanism .:for feeding closures ctorcontainers. It is concerned particularly with re mechanism for the release of closnreszincident -to :application of the closures to containers to, Joe-sealed. The invention is particularlyuseful in the feeding of :metal presson rclosures'ztoglass containers in steam Vacuumizing machines. The invention is useful in the feeding ant-various types of closures and lids to diifczent kinds of containers, including glass bottles, jars, and metal cans.

lAnzobjentzufitheinuentiontisto provide a capreleasermechanism whichimay be actuated solely by the movement of a iaITtO be closed, the jar resting rupon and being conveyed by frictional engagement with a zmetal link :belt or similar conveyor, obviating the znecessity :for the use of :star wheels, :worm conveyors, :or the "like to positively adiiive the container.

Another object of :my invention is to provide a cap-,rleasamechanismwvhich will :exert control oithe closure during-ltheririitial;application.ofzthe closure to rtheacontainer.

A further 10111901; :01? :my invention is to provide a nap release 'inwhioh a :cap .Wil]. be positively positioned a z predetiermmed :location :for engagement with the oncoming nontainer 'to be closed :and --.willr.b e controlled during assembly so as to :maintain proper ;alignment between the container and :closure .during closure extraction.

Othenobjects ofrmy invention will becomeaoparent from -a consideration \oi :the :following detailed description given in conjunction with the attached xlrawingzin which:

i'liisia side elevatipniillustratingthe :c ap release mechanism of this invention;

figure .2 is ,2, itop :plan =view o'l :theapparatus shownlin figure -1 mithithe cap arrester and .cap guiding lhorns :removed fligune is .arview similar ltojfiligure 1 showin the iposition :assumed ;.by :the :various parts upsn elevation of the container closure above the stops; and

ii'igure 1-4 is an enlarged :plan view :of one of the :closure release zfingers 'n'f :Eigure Referring rto :E'igure :1, :the mechanism includes a soap chute or track 1' which is :inclined with respect :to 'thehorizontal. ,An angle -.of '37 has been;-onnd:acceptable. i-Thezangle-rof inclination should be such that {closures tied :into the chute zrwillanovehyigravity alongthe chute-toe positiondneengagement withithe cap-release mech-- anism. A;portion only:.of the chute-zones been shown. :lThe length 20f :the ichute :is not impontant; it :generally is dong enough :to -accom- 2 modate a few closures. The-chute 2 is formed With-edge guides 3, artop-plate 4, and a bottom plate 5. A ,pair of arresterst ,is provided for engagementwithrthe toprofithe closures fed down thechute 2. Guidinghorns ,1 are-also provided.

The cap release includes a pair of resilient fingers 8 :whichareattached to the-edge guides 3 at :their respective shanks .-s by means of hollow head machine screws 9- .Ihe fin ers =8 are :best shown in Figure 2. They are-formed of sheet metal and are preferably zmade of heat-treated copper beryllium alloy -O,-that they maybe ro peatedly :fiexed in the operation -of .the :device without fatigue. Any yieldable fatigue-resistant metal maylbe used. The-fingers 8 are Tor-medals complemental pairs with a \rightehand finger and aloft-hand finger. i heli-ingers rarebent inward- 1v, as indicated at --HJ,-.and-each terminates in a stop :l-.l which is disposed :in the path of movement of closures ,I-2 moving down the chute 2. I The stops ill -,have \closurewengaging --p0rti0ns Pas shown in Eigure 4 a ainst which the closure lies when its-forward :motionisa-rrested, as shown in Figure 2. Thespacing between the stops H is less than the diameter of hecap l2, an h positioning :is so determined that when a cap i 2 lies'inengagement with-the -stops M its skirt will intersect the pathlof movement voi the lip i a jar is moving in a direction'ofth-earrow shown in Figure 1. It will be observed-by reference to that figure that therstops ll areishort and may be readily-surmountedrbyracslight upward movement of the capI-2. The height ofthestops ii should, however, be suflicient toprevent-the caps moving :down the chute .from surmounting the stops upon impact therewith and should be :high enough to prevent overriding due to vibration incidental to operation oof the :machine. The stops should Ice-maintained as low aspossible-in order to facilitate the surmouhting of the same by the cap upon-irnpact of the container 14 with the cap. The stops-H have closure-supporting portions C (Figure A) upon-which -.the-:edg.e I of the closure skirt'may slide during its extraction from the release, as shown-in Iigure :Itwill-be observed that thestops I! aredirected radially inwardly so that :the direction of impact of the cap 12 therewithawill.be'at-anangle such thatithe resultant forcewilll-not directthe fingers outwardly in an :amount sufllcient 'to pass the cap :l2 therebetween. vAs zwilybe observed from Figure 2, the application of :force .byithe cap 12 to the fingers II will be along the longitudinal axis of the 'cap chute. without :any substantial component of force normal thereto which would be required to force the fingers apart.

Disposed above the stops H and integral wit the fingers 8 are guides [5 which are curved gradually outwardly and are spaced apart a distance which is less than the diameter of the cap it. The height of the guides I5 is determined to some extent by the depth of the skirt of the cap being fed through the mechanism. The height should be sumcient that the surface G of the guides l 5 will engage the skirt of the cap to exer-' cise control of the cap during the extraction movement, the cap being tilted, as indicatedin Figure 3, during extraction. Preferably, the guides iii are so positioned that they engage the cap l2 substantially immediately upon elevation of the cap over the stops l I with only a minor,

forward motion of the cap necessary tobring the guides [5 into engagement with the cap forwardly of the center thereof. This is indicated by the chain line in Figure 2/ The guides continue to exercise control over lateral movement of the cap by their engagement with the cap periphery during'a substantial portion of the forward move ment of the cap. As the cap is withdrawn from between the fingers 8, theygare sprung outwardly until the fingers engage the periphery of the cap on opposite sides along a line drawn through the center of the cap, and, thereafter, the fingers 8 retract inwardly until the cap'has been moved to' a position where the distance between the points of engagement of the guides IS with the periphery of the cap is equalto the normal distance between the guides l5. v V V V The guides l5 are'curved sothat a substantial component of force is directed outwardly in both directions normal to the axis of the cap chutel Such force causes the'fingerstobe flexed outwardly about their respective jpoints of connection 9. Thus; the cap is initially restrained against forward motion by the stops ll forming part of the yielding fingers 8, the curvature of the stops I I being purposely such that the fingers 6 will not be flexed to any substantial degree by the impact of the cap, and the curvature of the guides I 5 being purposely such that the same fingers i! will be flexed with a minimum effort but will exert adequate force necessary to properly maintain the cap in position] H V The force suppliedby the fingers Bin their tainer contents. If too much force is applied, the container will tend to tilt on the conveyor, and impro er cap application will result. By con structing andarranging the fingers as shown and limiting the force to that necessary to exert a proper, guiding influence upon the cap, it is possible to apply closures to small four-ounce capacity containers moving on a flat link belt conveyor I6, as shown in Figure 3, without employing a star wheel or other equipment for positively moving the containers through the machine.

The cap. arresters 6 serve a triple function; (a) they hold the cap in engagement with the bottom plate 5 of the cap chute, thus preventing the caps from surmounting the stops ll prior to impact of the container with the cap; (b) they serve to hold the forwardmost cap in a position where the oncoming cap will not Verrideit;'and (0) they press the rear edge of the cap into engagement with the bottom plate during the extraction movementf l The guiding horns 1 are preferably formed of guiding action is determined'to some extent,at,, least, by the weight of the container'and the con-- vided with a press-down surface l9 which is adapted to engage the head of the cap as it is extracted from the mechanism. The horns serve to guide the cap laterally and also retard forward motion of the cap at a rate faster than the forwardmoticn of the jar to which the cap is being applied. They serve a third function of forcing the cap downwardly onto the jaras the cap is extracted from the-feedingmechanism.

The horns are each yieldable independentlyofthe other and independently ofthe arresters 6.

The bottom plate5 is cut away, as indicated at 20, to permit the cap 12 to 'move forwardly and downwardly as the container 14 extracts it from the mechanism, at the same time properly supporting the rear portion ofthe cap skirt throughout the whole of the extraction 'movement,' insuring proper positioning of the cap on the jar. A tapered opening is preferredlbecause' it thus provides a two-point support for the rear. edgeof the cap, preventing lateral tilting. As'will be observed from Figures2 and 3, as the cap is V moved from its position'on the bottom plate 5, the

edge of the cap skirtwill passthrough theopening 26, and the cap'will be supported at spaced points on itsperiphery by engagement with the opposite legs of the bottomplate 5, these points being indicated at 2i and 22 in Figure 2.

The bottom 'plate 5 andthe opening 20 are so constructed that the cap being extracted from the mechanism will gradually move from a posi-' tion where its rim is in engagement with the bottom plate, as indicated in Figure 1, to a position where the closure is in a plane almost parallel with the horizontal plane of the'open mouth of the container, as shown in Figur e 3, with the cap moving progressively into the opening 20.

The opening 20 is such that the closure will drop from the bottom plate, leaving both points of support substantially simultaneously and avoid-' ing any lateraltilting of the cap at the'instant of drop off. The jar and closure at such point are in closely spaced relationship, and-the closing motion is short. I Y 'Y'? The arresters 6, guiding horns Land contoured bottom plate 5 are more" fully disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Paul Gschwend and John M. ShariLSerial No."757;530,

filed June 27, 1947, and entitled Qlosure feeding devices. 1 a

In the operation of the mechanism, closures l2 are supplied to the chute 2, being preferably fed thereto continuously from a hopper". The lower most closure as it moves down the chute 21wil1 come into engagement with the arresters 6 which will hold the'closure in engagement with the bottom plate 5 and will slow downthe forward M. The container is preferably movedonlthe,

conveyor belt which operates continuously and may .b .part i of a mecha ism for co v yin Ja through a vacuumizing machine, such-as that disclosed in the copending application of John M. Sharf,-Serial *No.-757,545, filed June 27, 1947, andentitled Method and-apparatus for sealin contain rs linen im actsof the jar 4,4 with the closure 4 osi ioned enga ements th t e ps 2 l th closure will be elevated over the stops l I and will be conveyed forwardly by the jar I4. Almost instantaneously with the elevation of the closure over the stops H, the closure will come into engagement with the guides l5 which will limit the forward motion of the cap and prevent its proceeding in advance of the container. When the jars are rapidly fed through the machine, there is an appreciable impact force applied to the caps, and it is desirable to arrest the forward motion of the cap as quickly as possible so as to maintain the cap in engagement with the lip of the jar as forward motion of the jar continues. The guiding elements l5 yieldingly hold the cap in proper lateral position, and since the guiding elements are integral with the resilient fingers 8, they are spread apart as the cap is extracted but continue to exert a yielding force against the cap, maintaining lateral alignment until the cap is engaged and guided by the horns l. The lateral portions H and N3 of the horns I serve to laterally guide the closure as forward motion of the container continues. The arresters 6 apply downward force to the rear edge of the closure, and the rim of the closure is supported at spaced points by the legs of the bottom plate 5. The press-down surfaces I 9 of the horns also serve to maintain a downwardly directed pressure on the closure, holding it in engagement with the container. The closure is supported at its forward edge by engagement between the container lip and the closure and at spaced points along the rear surface of the closure skirt by the legs of the bottom plate 5, as previously mentioned. At the drop-off point, the cap has assumed an almost horizontal position, substantially parallel with the plane of the open mouth of the container, and the horns l are flexed upwardly, applying a downward pressure to the container. The cap drops off the bottom plate 5, and the force of the horns is effective for snapping the closure down onto the jar.

The closure and container are then fed to a mechanism such as a conventional press-down belt which is effective for setting the closure firmly onto the container and efiecting a final hermetic seal.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that with the mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to effect feeding of closures at a rapid rate without the necessity of mechanism engageable with the wall of the container to positively drive the container through the cap releasing and feeding zone and effect cap application. Frictional engagement between the bottom of the container and the conveying belt is adequate, since the release is effective upon the application of slight pressure. At the same time, effective control is exercised over the closure to maintain it in proper alignment with the container to be sealed, and. faulty feeding is obviated by the positive stop arrangement.

The invention is particularly useful in vacuumclosing machines, for it is possible with the mechanism of the present invention to apply the closures-quickly to-the-contaiuers-as theyemerge from the zone where air within the container head space --has been replaced with -steam--or other -=condensab le vapor; the cap being --applied without -substantial disturbance of the "steam within -=th e head space of the container which would -result =i n the contamination of the ;steam withair;

While *I =-have illustrated and described a preferrgl empodiment ,of myjnventiomit will be understoodt-hat't'he same-is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a closure-feeding and applying device: a closure release mechanism comprising an inclined chute down which closures may pass; a pair of resilient fingers; and means attaching said fingers to said chute adjacent the lower end thereof for limited fiexure each as a unit, each of said fingers comprising: (a) a stop, (b) a guide disposed above the stop, and (c) an attaching shank, said stops lying in the path of movement of closures down the chute, closure-engaging portions on said stops for intersecting the lowermost closure in the chute by engagement with the closure skirt on opposite sides thereof adjacent the edge of the skirt, with the skirt projecting from the chute into the path of movement of a container to be closed moving below the chute, said stops being constructed and arranged to enable the closure to surmount the same upon slight upward movement of the closure resulting from impact of the oncoming jar with the closure held in an inclined position, closureengaging portions on said guides for contacting the closure skirt on opposite sides thereof upon the closure having surmounted the stops, and closure-supporting portions on said stops upon which the edge of the closure skirt may slide during extraction from between said guides, the limited flexure of the fingers away from each other permitting the closure to pass between the guides while the guides apply guiding pressure to the closure on opposite sides of the skirt, with the edge of the skirt on opposite sides of the closure sliding on the closure-supporting portions of the stops.

2. A cap-release mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the yielding guides are curved outwardly so that the component of thrust upon forward motion of the closure is directed outwardly, causing the guides to be spread apart upon forward motion of the closure.

3. A cap-release mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the stops are curved inwardly toward the axis of the closure support so that there is no substantial component of thrust outwardly upon movement of a closure into engagement with said stops and in which the yielding guides are curved outwardly so that there is a substantial component of thrust in an outward direction to spread said guides upon forward movement of a closure therebetween.

4. A cap-release mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which the stops are engageable with the closure skirt at spaced points and in which the yielding guides are engageable with the closure skirt at spaced points slightly to the rear of the points of engagement of the closure with the stops along the direction of travel of the closure, the arrangement being such that upon elevation of the closure over the stops, the skirt of the closure will engage the yielding guides prior to any substantial forward motion 'REFERENCESJCITED of the closure I Q 7 The iollowin references are of'record in the 5. A cap-release mechanism in accordance fil f ,5 a with claim 1 in which the yielding guides engage 9 15 en the closure skirt at spaced points forwardly of the 5 j r UNITED STATES PATENTS transverse axis of the closure and yieldingly en- 1 gage the skirt of the closure untilthe closure has gggz gg'g Mar 3 2 moved to a point where the guides have the 2 386797 Hohl et a] n 1. 1945 closure at spaced points substantially to the rear 2433549 Enkur et "fi D 194,1

10 I f v. I --I-V---V' l of the transverse axis of the closure.

v I HAROLD H. BORTHWICK.

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