Apparatus and method for automatically positioning and inserting plastic plugs in a container top

• US 3,888,065 A
• Filed: 07/03/1974
• Issued: 06/10/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond A. Heisler
• Original Assignee: Raymond A. Heisler
• Inventors: Heisler, Raymond A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGehee, Travis S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US05/485,501
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 53/43,307,319,325,303,306,264,368,328
• US Class Current: 53/489
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2807 Feeding closures
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2821 applying plugs or threadless stoppers for bottles or jars B67B1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 1/005 Feeding stoppers in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 1/04 by inserting threadless stoppers, e.g. corks

Abstract

This invention pertains to the apparatus and the method for automatically feeding, positioning and then pressing in place a plastic plug into an aperture formed in the cover of a container. This plastic plug is of a shell-like construction and has a skirt portion which is forced into a tight-seated arrangement in the aperture in the cover. The plugs are serially delivered in a single file array to a chute and then to the applying appartus whereat one plug is released with and positioned in the appropriate aperture with each advancement of a container. The container is advanced by conveying means into the inserting apparatus and on a belt carried on upwardly biased slides and brought into engagement with a pressure applying applicator wheel. This wheel carries a plurality of pressure pads each of which pushes a plug into place. As the container is delivered from the apparatus it is inspected as to the presence of the plug in a proper seated condition. If there is an absence of a properly positioned plug, the apparatus and other associated equipment is shut off until the problem causing the malfunction is corrected.

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving, transporting and delivering containers to a plug inserting station whereat a plastic plug is positioned and inserted into an aperture in the cover of an advancing container, said inserting apparatus including:

(a) a support means;

(b) a lower conveyor carried by the support means and having means for receiving containers and with their bottoms resting on said conveyor advancing said containers in a single file array to and through a plug inserting station;

(c) means for advancing said lower conveyor at a selected rate of travel;

(d) a pair of upper transporting chains carried by the support means and having their lower extents parallel to and disposed at a distance above and in alignment with the lower conveyor which distance is slightly greater than the height of a container to be transported;

(e) means for retaining the lower extents of the upper chains in a fixed plane parallel to the lower conveyor;

(f) spring biasing means for elevating that intermediate portion of the lower conveyor that is in spaced alignment and parallel with the upper transporting chains, said spring biasing means locally elevating the lower conveyor so that a transported container is brought upwardly into engagement with the lower extents of the upper chains to cause the top surface of the container to be moved through the apparatus in an established plane;

(g) chute means for feeding and delivering plastic plugs one at a time to a delivery station;

(h) a rotatable wheel carried above the upper chains and having a plurality of plug pushers mounted thereon;

(i) meAns for rotating said wheel in a timed relationship with the advancement of the container so that an associated plug pusher on the wheel first engages and then removes the lowermost plug in the chute means and then guides the plug into an aperture in the container cover, said rotatable wheel and plug pusher so spaced from the top of the advancing container that as the aperture and plug is brought in way of the lowpoint of the circular travel of the plug pusher, the plug carried thereby is pushed into seated engagement in the aperture, and (j) means for the continuation of the rotation of the wheel so that the plug pusher is eventually lifted from inserted engagement with the plug, and the container is free for transport from the inserting station.

2. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 1 in which the spring biasing means for elevating an intermediate portion of the lower conveyor includes leading and trailing ramps and slide strips between said ramps the slide strips carried by a series of leaf springs.

3. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the aperture of container covers as in claim 2 in which the lower conveyor is a link plate chain such as a table top chain.

4. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 1 in which the upper transporting chains are faced with attachments so as to provide substantially continuous outwardly facing engaging surfaces.

5. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 4 in which the means for maintaining the lower extents of an upper chain in a fixed plane is a positioning guide bar fixedly secured so as to slidably engage the upper surfaces of the lower extents of chain.

6. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 1 in which the chute means includes a pivoted leaf member having a form and lip projection adapted to engage a plug to prevent unwanted forward discharge of the plug until and as a plug pusher carried by the rotating wheel is brought into advancing engagement with the plug to move it past the forward lip projection.

7. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 6 in which the chute means also includes a stop means which is selectively movable from impeding the path of the advancing plugs in said chute to permit advancement of the plugs to the discharge end, said movement of the stop means from plug impeding position occurring in response to the forward movement of a container on the lower conveyor.

8. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 1 in which the means for rotating the wheel includes a pair of spaced fingers carried by the wheel and positioned in relation to the plug pusher also on said wheel so that the form and portion of the advancing container engages the spaced fingers to push the fingers forwardly and as the fingers are moved in an arcuate path the wheel and associated plug pusher is rotated until the container displaces the fingers from its forward path.

9. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 8 in which the spaced fingers are adjustably mounted in relation to the radial axis of the plug pusher the adjustment of the fingers permitting a precise positioning of the plug pusher in relation to the engaged pushing surface of the fingers.

10. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 9 in which the rotation of the wheel is unrestricted except that a drag brake is provided to limit rotation, the brake restriction being overcome by and as the fingers are engaged by an advancing container.

11. Apparatus for inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 1 in which there is provided an inspection means for determining that a container has been advanced to and past a plug insertion statiOn and a second inspection means for determing that a plug has been properly mounted in the aperture in the container, the absence of a plug causing a responsive signal to be initiated.

12. The method of receiving, transporting and delivering containers to a plug inserting station whereat a plug is positioned and inserted into an aperture formed in the cover of an advancing container;

said method including the steps of (a) feeding like containers to and on a lower conveyor to and through a plug inserting station;

(b) advancing said lower container at a selected speed;

(c) positioning a pair of upper transport chains so that a portion of their lower extents are aligned with, are parallel to and are disposed at a distance above the lower conveyor which distance is slightly greater than the height of the container to be transported on the lower conveyor;

(d) moving the upper transport chains at the same speed and direction as the lower conveyor;

(e) elevating by resilient means the intermediate portion of the lower conveyor that is in opposition position with the lower extents of the upper chains said elevating of the lower conveyor of sufficient extent to cause the top surface of a transported container to be brought into engagement with the lower extents of the upper chains;

(f) feeding and delivering plugs one-at-a-time from a source to a chute leading to a delivery station;

(g) mounting a rotatable wheel above the plane of the top of an advancing container and providing on said wheel a plurality of plug pushers which are carried by said wheel so that when the pusher is brought to its lowest extent it pushes said plug into a seated dondition in the aperture in the container (h) feeding through said chute a single file array of plugs to a spring closed discharge end and arranging this end so that the lowermost plug is in way of engagement of a plug pusher as the wheel is rotated;

(i) rotating said wheel in timed relationship to the advancement of the container;

(j) removing the lowermost plug by the engagement of the plug by a plug pusher on the rotating wheel, and (k) inserting said plug into the aperture with the rotation of the wheel and discharging the container with the inserted plug from the apparatus with the advancement of the upper and lower conveyor chains.

13. The method of inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 12 and including the further step of providing on said wheel a pair of spaced fingers in association with each plug pusher, and further the step of arranging said fingers so as to be engaged by an advancing container with the engaged fingers causing the wheel to rotate for a determined arc during the period of engagement.

14. The method of inserting plastic plugs into the apertures of container covers as in claim 13 which includes the further step of adjustably positioning the fingers in relation to the radial axis of the plug pusher so that the advancement of the container coincides with bringing the pusher into precise alignment with the axis of the aperture.

15. The method of inserting plastic plugs into the aperture of container covers as in claim 12 which includes the further steps of ascertaining the presence of a container at the discharge end of the inserting apparatus and when the presence is determined to send a signal to a control means and prior to the determining of the presence of said container detecting the presence of a satisfactory mounted plug in the aperture of said container'"'"''"'"'s cover, the absence of a satisfactorily mounted plug causing a malfunction signal to be sent to the control means.