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 screwdriving spindle assembly comprising a spindle shaft provided with a holding device and secured to a gear wheel rotated by a drive assembly which comprises a pressurized fluid actuating cylinder having a piston rod secured to a transmission system, and a member for adjusting pressure disposed on a line for feeding fluid to the cylinder in the screw-tightening direction.
An improved process and configuration for multi-function in-case filling and capping. A multi-lane embodiment is provided in which cases of empty containers are received from one or more upstream conveyor loading processes. Each case's major and minor flaps are opened, and each case is directed to flap control rails for maintaining the flaps in an open position throughout the filling and capping process. Each open case is inspected to confirm that the containers are present and are properly oriented within each case, while any improperly loaded cases are rejected from the system. The cases are then diverted into the least backlogged of a series of processing lanes, where the individual containers are filled. Screw thread caps or other closures are then applied to the containers, and the cases of filled containers converge back together in a single discharge lane. In another embodiment, an improved transfer efficiency of containers is achieved by filling the containers on the fly, and concurrent capping of multiple containers, thereby reducing the conveyor time between stations.
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.
A filling and capping machine including a computer controlled turret having a plurality of pockets for positioning a plurality of containers to at least a fill position and a capping position along the turret's path. The controller programmably positions the turret to these positions for variations of the locations of the pockets on the turret and accommodates for variations in the size and number of the container pockets and the type of fill product and type of containers. The controller also controls the position of the filling unit for the type of fill product as well as controlling the positioning of the filling unit and the capping unit for variations in the type of container. The controller uses a combination of servo motors and fluid motors to vertically and rotationally position the elements.
An apparatus to cap in succession containers transported in serial order on a conveyor belt. The apparatus comprises a cap dispensing station operating in a timed-relationship with the container feed rate to loosely apply on each container a screw-type cap in thread alignment with the threads on the container neck. The cap dispensing station includes a cap relase passage at least partially closed by a resilient lip preventing a cap to travel through the passage under the effect of gravity. A selectively actuatable cap ejector drives the cap out of the passage against the resiliency of the lip, freeing the cap which is deposited on a container underneath. During the cap movement through the passage, the resilient lip frictionally engages the cap, guiding same, to allow precise positioning of the cap on the container. A cap tightening station is provided downstream of the cap dispensing station to rotatably engage the caps loosely applied to the containers to tighten same.
