Lid applying apparatus and method with lid orienting device

• US 7,836,669 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sherwin-Williams Company
• Original Assignee: Sherwin-Williams Company
• Inventors: Kubascik, Marcel, Shay, Curtis S., Flint, Paul D., Cassil, Donald W., Rehak, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US11/684,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 535/05, 534/85, 534/90, 532/86, 532/87, 533/00, 533/02, 533/03, 533/08, 533/10, 533/12, 533/17, 533/18, 220/288, 215/305
• US Class Current: 53/490
• 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 3/2033 comprising carousel co-rotating capping heads
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/264 positioning of the caps

Abstract

An apparatus and method for applying threaded lids to threaded necks of containers, wherein a lid orienting device is disposed in the transport path of the lid for engaging a leading side surface of a projection on the lid to cause the lid, as it moves past the lid orienting device, to rotate to a prescribed angular position relative to the transport path. The thread or threads of the lid then will be positioned in a known orientation when engaged by the lid applying head at the lid transfer station so that the lid applying head can orient the lid in a known positional relationship to the thread or threads of the threaded neck of the container to protect against cross-threading of the lid when screwed onto the threaded neck.

Claims

1. A method of applying to a threaded neck of a container, lids that have at least one projection in known fixed relation to the internal lid thread or threads, the method comprising the steps of:

placing the lids on a lid holder of a lid transport that transports the lids sequentially along a transport path from a lid receiving station to a lid transfer station whereat each lid is engaged by a lid applying head used to position the lid on a threaded neck of a respective container and rotate the lid relative to the threaded neck to screw the lid to the threaded neck, the lid holder allowing the lid to rotate about an axis that moves with the lid transport; and

using a lid orienting device disposed in the transport path of the lid to engage a leading side surface of a projection on the lid to cause the lid, as it moves past the orienting device, to rotate about the axis that moves with the lid transport to a prescribed angular position relative to the transport path, whereby the thread or threads of the lid will be positioned in a known orientation when engaged by the lid applying head at the lid transfer station so that the lid applying head can orient the lid in a known positional relationship to the thread or threads of the threaded neck of the container to protect against cross-threading of the lid when screwed onto the threaded neck.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each lid has at least two projections circumferentially spaced apart by no more than 180 degrees, and the lid orienting device is located to ensure that it will engage the leading side of one of the projections as the lid passes past the lid orienting device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the using step includes using a lid orienting device that has a movable finger that normally extends into the path of a body portion of the lid from which the projections protrude for engaging the leading side surface of one of the projections regardless of the orientation of the lid, and wherein the finger is retracted to avoid engagement with the body portion of the lid as the lid moves past the lid orienting device while maintaining engagement with the projection.

4. A method according to claim 3, the finger is retracted by means of a cam follower connected to the finger, the cam follower being positioned to engage a cam surface on the lid transport to move the finger in an outward direction relative to the path of the body portion so as not to engage the body portion as the body portion moves past the lid orienting device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a rotatable turntable is used as a lid transport, and the lid holder is circumferentially spaced apart from other lid holders circumferentially arranged around the axis of the turntable.

6. A method according to claim 5, including the step of sequentially delivering lids in random orientation to a lid loading station whereat each lid holder has loaded thereon a respective lid upstream of the lid orienting device.

7. In a lid applying apparatus for applying threaded lids to threaded necks of containers, wherein the lids have at least one projection in known fixed relation to the internal lid thread or threads,

a lid transport for transporting the lids sequentially along a transport path from a lid receiving station to a lid transfer station whereat each lid is engaged by a lid applying head used to position the lid on a threaded neck of a respective container and rotate the lid relative to the threaded neck to screw the lid to the threaded neck, the lid transport including a lid holder for holding the lid while allowing the lid to rotate about an axis that moves with the lid transport;

and

a lid orienting device disposed in the transport path of the lid for engaging a leading side surface of the projection on the lid to cause the lid, as it moves past the orienting device, to rotate about the axis that moves with the lid transport to a prescribed angular position relative to the transport path, whereby the thread or threads of the lid will be positioned in a known orientation when engaged by the lid applying head at the lid transfer station so that the lid applying head can orient the lid in a known positional relationship to the thread or threads of the threaded neck of the container to protect against cross-threading of the lid when screwed onto the threaded neck.

8. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lid orienting device includes a finger extending into the path of the projection on the lid for engaging the leading side surface of the projection as the lid moves along the transport path.

9. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the finger is mounted for movement towards and away from the transport path of the lid between a fully extended position and a retracted position, the finger in the fully extended position extending into the path of a body portion of the lid from which the projection extends, and the lid orienting device including a finger retractor for retracting the finger to avoid engagement with the body portion of the lid as the lid moves past the lid orienting device.

10. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the finger retractor includes a cam follower connected to the finger, the cam follower being positioned to engage a cam surface on the lid transport to move the finger in an outward direction relative to the path of the body portion so as not to engage the body portion as the body portion moves past the lid orienting device.

11. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the transport device includes a rotatable turntable, and the lid holder is circumferentially spaced apart from other lid holders circumferentially arranged around the axis of the turntable, and the turntable has radially outwardly protruding surfaces each forming a cam surface associated with a respective lid holder.

12. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the radially outwardly protruding surfaces are curved.

13. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the lid orienting device includes a mounting member in which the finger is supported for telescoping movement, a resilient member for resiliently biasing the finger towards the turntable, and a stop for defining a fully extended position of the finger.

14. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lid transport includes a rotatable turntable, and the lid holder is circumferentially spaced apart from other lid holders circumferentially arranged around the axis of the turntable and movable along a circular path when the turntable is rotated.

15. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the lid applying head is circumferentially spaced from other lid applying heads arranged to move along a circular path that is tangential to the circular path of the lid holders at the lid transfer station.

16. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 15, including a lid supply for sequentially delivering lids in random orientation to a lid loading station whereat each lid holder has loaded thereon a respective lid upstream of the lid orienting device.

17. A lid applying apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the finger is disposed radially outwardly of a circle defined by the center axes of the lid holders.

18. A lid applying apparatus for applying threaded lids to threaded necks of containers, wherein the lids have at least one projection in known fixed relation to the internal lid thread or threads, comprising:

lid transport means for transporting the lids sequentially along a transport path from a lid receiving station to a lid transfer station whereat each lid is engaged by a lid applying head used to position the lid on a threaded neck of a respective container and rotate the lid relative to the threaded neck to screw the lid to the threaded neck, the lid transport including a lid holder for holding the lid while allowing the lid to rotate about an axis that moves with the lid transport; and

lid orienting means disposed in the transport path of the lid for engaging a leading side surface of the projection on the lid to cause the lid, as it moves past the orienting device, to rotate about the axis that moves with the lid transport to a prescribed angular position relative to the transport path, whereby the thread or threads of the lid will be positioned in a known position when engaged by the lid applying head at the lid transfer station so that the lid applying head can position the lid in a known positional relationship to the thread or threads of the threaded neck of the container to protect against cross-threading of the lid when screwed onto the threaded neck.