# US 10,370,190 B2 · Systems and methods for capping > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,190 B2 - Document ID: US10370190B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/799,881 - Filed: 2015-07-15 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-04 - Assignees: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. - Applicants: Express Scripts, Inc. - Inventors: Charles E. Eller; Jacob J. Reinhardt; Thomas C. Pegg - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370190B2 ## CPC - B65G 1/1378: {the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas} - B07C 3/00: Sorting according to destination {(collating the pages of a book B42C1/00)} - B07C 5/34: Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} - B07C 5/3412: {according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00)} - B07C 5/36: Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)} - B07C 5/361: {Processing or control devices therefor, e.g. escort memory} - B07C 5/38: Collecting or arranging articles in groups - B21B 41/00: Guiding, conveying, or accumulating easily-flexible work, e.g. wire, sheet metal bands, in loops or curves; Loop lifters - B65B 5/04: Packaging single articles - B65B 7/2807: {Feeding closures} - B65B 7/2842: {Securing closures on containers (in general B65B51/00)} - B65B 43/52: using roller-ways or endless conveyors - B65B 57/02: responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages - B65G 1/1373: {for fulfilling orders in warehouses} - B67B 3/02: by applying flanged caps, e.g. crown caps, and securing by deformation of flanges - B67B 3/06: Feeding caps to capping heads - B67B 3/26: Applications of control, warning, or safety devices in capping machinery - G06F 7/00: Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled (logic circuits H03K19/00) - G06Q 10/08743: {using optimisation of routes} - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) - B21B: ROLLING OF METAL (auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working operations covered in B21, see B21C; bending by rolling B21D; manufacture of particular objects, e.g. screws, wheels, rings, barrels, balls, by rolling B21H; pressure welding by means of a rolling mill B23K20/04) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - B67B: APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS (opening or closing devices attached to, or incorporated in, containers or container closures B65D) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Method and systems for capping are described. In one embodiment, an order processing device, a cap device, a plurality of feeders and a capping implement are provided. The order processing device processes orders with containers. The cap device is adapted to cap the container and is communicatively connected to the order processing device. The cap device is adapted to receive dispensation preferences from the order processing device. The cap device includes a plurality of feeders and a capping implement. Each feeder has a unique type of crown portion of a cap for capping. The capping implement is adapted to grasp the crown portion from the feeder. The cap device is adapted to select a feeder from which to grasp the crown portion based on the dispensation preferences. Additional methods and systems are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: an order processing device to process an order including a plurality of containers located on a pallet; and a cap device adapted to cap a container of the plurality of containers and communicatively connected to the order processing device, the cap device being adapted to receive dispensation preferences from the order processing device, and the cap device including: a plurality of feeders, each feeder including a plurality of crown portions for capping, the plurality of the crown portions in each feeder having a crown portion type of a plurality of the crown portion types, wherein the cap device is adapted to select a feeder from among the plurality of feeders to grasp the crown portion based on the dispensation preferences, and wherein the dispensation preferences include at least one of no crown portion required and crown portion required; and a capping implement adapted to grasp a crown portion of the plurality of the crown portions from the feeder of the plurality of feeders, wherein the capping implement includes a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing, and wherein both the second housing and third housing are adapted to engage the crown portion when a crown portion is required. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each container of the plurality of the containers includes a receiving portion, the receiving portion including an annular groove to secure the crown portion to the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the container is closed by the crown portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the capping implement is further adapted to place the crown portion on the receiving portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein one of the dispensation preferences is for a child-resistant cap, and the crown portion type in at least one of the plurality of feeders is configured to provide child resistance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the crown portion includes an annular protrusion along an inner diameter of the crown portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the capping implement is further adapted to place the crown portion on the receiving portion, wherein the crown portion includes a securing lip formed from an annular protrusion along an inner diameter of the crown portion, and wherein the securing lip flexes during at least some of a placement process of placing the crown portion on the receiving portion by the capping implement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a conveyor to convey a pallet with the plurality of containers through the cap device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising: a loading device to load the plurality of containers onto the pallet on the conveyor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second and third housings are disposed in the first housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the capping implement includes a first spring disposed between the first housing and the second housing and a second spring disposed between the second and third housings. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the capping implement includes a plurality of jaw members pivotally disposed in a cavity of the first housing, and the jaw members are adapted to grasp the crown portion of the plurality of the crown portions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the capping implement comprises a first spring disposed between the first housing and the second housing; a second spring disposed between the second and third housings, wherein the second and third housings are disposed in the first housing; a sensor assembly disposed on the first and second housings, the sensor assembly being adapted for monitoring movement of the second housing and the third housing; and a plurality of jaw members adapted to grasp the plurality of the crown portions, the plurality of jaw members being pivotally disposed in a cavity of the first housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor assembly includes a pin connected to the second housing and extending through a slot in the first housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein at least one jaw member of the plurality of jaw members includes a first engaging arm and a second engaging arm perpendicular to the first engaging arm. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: an order processing device to process an order including a plurality of containers; and a cap device adapted to cap a container of the plurality of containers and connected to the order processing device, the cap device being adapted to receive dispensation preferences from the order processing device, and the cap device including: a plurality of crown feeders, each crown feeder including a plurality of crown portions, the plurality of crown portions in each crown feeder having a crown portion configuration of a plurality of crown portion configurations, each crown portion configured to interface with a receiving portion to form a cap for capping; and a capping implement adapted to grasp the crown portion from one of the plurality of crown feeders; wherein the capping implement includes a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing, the second and third housings being disposed in the first housing and both the second housing and third housing engage the crown portion, wherein the capping implement includes a first spring disposed between the first housing and the second housing and a second spring disposed between the second and third housings, and wherein the first spring is axially spaced from the second spring; wherein the cap device includes a control unit and the capping implement includes a sensor assembly disposed at the first and second housings, the sensor assembly being adapted to monitor movement of the second and third housings, and wherein the dispensation preferences include at least one of no crown portion required and crown portion required. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor assembly includes a pin connected to the second housing and extending through a slot in the first housing, and a sensor adapted to signal when the pin blocks the sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor assembly includes an extension associated with the second housing and interoperable with the first housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the sensor assembly includes a sensor adapted to send a change state signal when the extension indicates a state change of one of the first housing and the second housing.