A capper chuck is disclosed for applying a closure cap to a container, the capper chuck having retaining jaws which are adapted to receive and support a closure cap therebetween and have cooperation with an internal torque release lever and torsion spring arrangement operative to release the jaws from the closure cap after a predetermined rotational torque is effected between the closure cap and a container.

An improved chuck for a bottle capper having a torque trigger with vertically set trigger pins capable of withstanding high torques prior to shearing. Further an apparatus to precisely set the application torque of the capping chuck is provided. This apparatus uses a stem head about which a clamp collar and a scale collar are placed. The clamp collar rides below the scale collar and receives the spring. The scale collar is situated above the clamp collar and provides index markings by which to adjust the clamp collar rotationally around the stem head thereby increasing or decreasing the application torque.

A capping machine in which open containers are successively brought to a capping station where a respective container is held against rotation to permit closing of the open container by rotating movement of a cap fed from a reservoir to a pick-up station; a head frame assembly of the machine includes a spindle assembly carrying a chuck at the lower spindle end and drivingly connected by way of an adjustable clutch and by way of a positive drive connection with a driving motor; additionally, the spindle assembly includes a double-acting pneumatic cylinder to cause reciprocation of the spindle in its axial direction; the various components of the head frame assembly are balanced about a pivot shaft on which they are mounted for pivot movement in unison so that the actuating force for pivoting the head frame assembly can be kept relatively small; in operation, the head frame assembly is pivoted from a capping position where the chuck is in alignment with the open end of the container, into a pick-up position where a plunger transfers the end cap in the chute to the chuck while the chuck and spindle asembly are in a retracted position. The head frame assembly is thereupon pivoted back into the capping position and the cap is secured onto the open neck of the container as the chuck is displaced by the pneumatic cylinder into the extended position.

A device and method of preventing rotation of a plastic container of the type having a generally cylindrical body, a circular flange below a threaded neck and a pedaloid base with pads separated by diverging recesses as a capping head screws a cap onto the neck while the capping head and container are moving in unison along a preselected path, which device method comprises a support member with an upwardly extending, fixed rib extending along the path whereby the container slides along the rib as it is moved with the capping head so the rib extends into a recess of the pedaloid base to prevent rotation of the container with the capping head.

A chuck (10) has a jaw bell (20), a lower bell portion (22) surrounding a plurality of jaws (40) and a hub (28) surrounding an upper portion of a jaw stem (60). A second portion of the jaw stem extends beyond a jaw bell hub (28) and is surrounded by a compressed jaw stem spring (76). The jaw stem spring is retained between a bell hub collar (34) and a jaw stem collar (70). The force of the jaw stem spring holds the jaw bell around the jaws, holding the jaws in a closed position. A stripper (80) has an upper end (82) carried within the jaw stem. A stripper spring (90) located above the upper end of the stripper is compressed and surrounded by the jaw stem. The lower end of the stripper has a disk (84) with a frusto-conical cross-section in slidable contact with the jaws. The jaw stem spring exerts more force downward on the jaw bell than the stripper spring exerts downward on the stripper to hold the jaw bell around the jaws and the jaws closed. Moving the jaw bell upward further compresses the jaw stem spring so that the force of the stripper spring moves the stripper downward, thereby moving the jaws downwardly and outwardly from the jaw bell to open the jaws.