CAPPING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CLOSING RECEPTACLES

• US 20120174536A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Closure Systems International Deutschland GmbH
• Original Assignee: Closure Systems International Deutschland GMH
• Inventors: Schwarz, Wolfhard
• Application Number:
  US13/395,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/476
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/20 by applying and rotating preformed threaded caps forming threads in situ by resilient deforming means B67B3/16, by rotary capping heads B67B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/264 positioning of the caps

Abstract

A capping machine for closing a receptacle with a cap having a preformed internal thread, the capping machine including a capping head, a drive shaft, a drive, a shifting device, at least one sensor and at least one control device. The at least one sensor senses the position of the cap relative to the receptacle once the cap has been placed on the receptacle. The shifting device includes a comparing unit in which the sensed position and the reference position are compared. A direction of rotation of the drive is defined by the control device via the shifting device in accordance with the comparison.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A capping machine for closing a receptacle with a cap having a preformed internal thread, the capping machine comprising:

a capping head;

a drive shaft;

a drive;

a shifting device including a comparing unit in which a sensed position, an actual position and a reference position are compared;

at least one sensor for sensing the position of the cap relative to the receptacle once the cap has been placed on the receptacle,

and a control device defining a direction of rotation of the drive via the shifting device in accordance with the comparison.

17. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, wherein the drive is a servomotor.

18. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a torque sensor.

19. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a sensor sensing a rotation angle.

20. The capping machine in accordance with claim 18, wherein the control device is operative for analyzing a time change of torques and/or rotation angles.

21. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a gear in the drive, the capping head and/or between both the drive and the capping head.

22. The capping machine in accordance with claim 21, wherein the shifting device impacts the gear.

23. The capping machine in accordance with claim 21, wherein a rotational speed, a direction of rotation and/or a torque impacting the cap is changed by the gear.

24. The capping machine in accordance with claim 22, wherein a rotational speed, a direction of rotation and/or a torque impacting the cap is changed by the gear.

25. The capping machine in accordance with claim 21, wherein a rotational speed, a torque and a direction of rotation of the drive are constant during the capping process.

26. The capping machine in accordance with claim 21, further comprising a sensor for determining a reference position via the control device.

27. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a device for sorting caps and/or receptacles.

28. The capping machine in accordance with claim 16, wherein the capping head is displaceable along a capping curve relative to the receptacle.