Bottle capping machine

• US 3,905,177 A
• Filed: 10/29/1973
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael Herzog
• Original Assignee: Michael Herzog
• Inventors: Herzog, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): McGehee, Travis S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US05/410,911
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 53/313,314,315,317,331.5 198/165
• US Class Current: 53/314
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/064 from a hopper B67B3/061 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/2046 using friction means for screwing the caps, e.g. belts or wheels B67B3/2053 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved machine for applying screw threaded caps upon bottles in a high speed, modern, mass production manner; the machine incorporating an inclined cap chute which at its upper end receives caps from a hopper and carries them in single file down to a gate at a lower end where filled bottles, passing below the gate, each peel off a cap as they pass by, the bottles then, moving on a conveyor belt, moving between two belts that move at a same rate of speed as the conveyor belt so to hold the bottle from rotating while at a same time the cap passes between two rows of oppositely rotating wheels that thus turn the cap so the screw thread it upon the bottle.

Claims

1. A bottle capping machine comprising a cap feeding mechanism, a bottle conveying belt, a bottle grasping mechanism and a cap tightening mechanism, wherein said conveying belt and mechanisms are synchronized to effect sequentially placement of a cap on each bottle as the belt moves in one direction, followed by simultaneous grasping of the bottle by the grasping mechanism and tightening of the cap by the tightening mechanism, said cap feeding mechanism comprising an inclined cap chute having upper and lower end aligned with the bottles and feeding a cap onto the top of each bottle in successive order, said chute comprising a pair of laterally spaced members secured together with transversly adjustable means whereby the width of the chute may be adjusted for different cap sizes, said chute being pivoted at said upper end and secured adjacent said lower end by a cam rotatable about an off-center axis transverse to said chute, whereby rotation of said cam will vary the elevation of said chute to accommodate bottles of varying heights, wherein said chute includes an adjustable holder at its lower end for feeding caps to the tops of the bottles, said bottle grasping mechanism comprising a pair of parallel endless belts disposed on opposite sides of the bottle including rollers engaging said belts, pressing said belts into grasping contact with said bottles preventing rotation of said bottles, said rollers being secured to spaced shafts, wherein said cap tightening mechanism comprises pairs of parallel shafts having tightening wheels mounted thereon in contact with the bottle caps on the bottles including means for rotating the shaft with the wheels mounted thereon, whereby the wheels rotate in the same direction causing tightening of the bottle caps, said shafts with the wheels mounted thereon being rotatably mounted in adjustable blocks including means for moving the blocks towards and away from each other, thereby adjusting the space between the said wheels whereby the said spaced shafts having said rollers mounted thereon engaging said belts are mounted on bearings adjustable in a direction transverse to the movement of the conveyor belt, said bearings being mounted on plates pivotable about an axis parallel to the conveyor belt movement whereby said bearings and rollers may be adjusted transversely toward and away from each other and also inclined relative to each other by pivoting the said plates about said axis parallel to the conveyor belt movement.

2. A bottle capping machine as in claim 1 wherein the means for rotating the shaft with the wheels thereon includes a belt and pulley drive with automatic means for varying the tension in the pulleys responsive to the spacing of said blocks.

3. A bottle capping machine as in claim 2 wherein the means for spacing the blocks and the accompanying shafts comprises a transverse screw mounted threadedly through said blocks and rotatably on a fixed portion of said machine having an external manually adjustable handle.

4. A bottle capping machine as in claim 3, wherein the means for automatically adjusting the pulley tension comprises an idler pulley mounted on a laterally movable shaft, said shaft being secured to a movable plate bias by a spring to cause the idler pulley to increase tension in the belt.

5. A bottle capping machine as in claim 4, wherein the endless belts include deformable portions adapted to grasp the bottles securely at varying degrees of inclination.