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US 12,606,428 B2Granted
Capping chuck assembly for a filler, a capper and a filler having a capping chuck assembly
AssigneeFogg Filler Company
InventorsKenneth Kreuze, Larry Rillema
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capping apparatus includes a capping chuck assembly having (i) one or more peripheral ejector projections to facilitate ejection of an upside down cap and/or (ii) a single collet style cap gripper with an adjustment assembly to facilitate handling of different cap sizes.
Claims14
A capping apparatus for applying caps to containers, comprising:
- a capping chuck assembly including:
- a cap receiving opening with a central axis;
- a cap gripper configured for holding a cap within the cap receiving opening, the cap gripper defining inwardly facing surface portions configured for cap engagement, wherein the inwardly facing surface portions are located at a first radial distance from the central axis;
- a cap ejector axially movable relative to the cap gripper, the cap ejector comprising:
- one or more peripheral ejector projections movable between a normal position that is retracted relative to an inlet side of the cap receiving opening and a cap eject position that is shifted toward the inlet side of the cap receiving opening, wherein each of the one or more ejector projections includes a cap engaging surface portion that extends from a location radially inward of the first radial distance to a location radially outward of the first radial distance, such that each of the one or more ejector projections is configured to eject an upside down cap within the cap receiving opening by engaging with a free end of an outer sidewall of the upside down cap;
- wherein the one more peripheral ejector projections comprise a first peripheral ejector projection at a first peripheral location of the cap receiving opening and a second peripheral ejector projection at a second peripheral location of the cap receiving opening.
3 more elements
A capping apparatus for applying caps to containers, comprising:
- a capping chuck assembly including:
- a cap receiving opening with a central axis;
- a cap gripper configured for holding a cap within the cap receiving opening, the cap gripper defining inwardly facing surface portions configured for cap engagement, wherein the inwardly facing surface portions are located at a first radial distance from the central axis;
- a cap ejector axially movable relative to the cap gripper, the cap ejector comprising:
- one or more peripheral ejector projections movable between a normal position that is retracted relative to an inlet side of the cap receiving opening and a cap eject position that is shifted toward the inlet side of the cap receiving opening, wherein each of the one or more ejector projections includes a cap engaging surface portion that extends from a location radially inward of the first radial distance to a location radially outward of the first radial distance, such that each of the one or more ejector projections is configured to eject an upside down cap within the cap receiving opening by engaging with a free end of an outer sidewall of the upside down cap;
- wherein the one or more peripheral ejector projections comprise multiple peripheral ejector projections spaced apart from each other about the central axis.
3 more elements
A capping apparatus for applying caps to containers, comprising:
- a capping chuck assembly including:
- a cap receiving opening with a central axis;
- a cap gripper configured for holding a cap within the cap receiving opening, the cap gripper defining inwardly facing surface portions configured for cap engagement, wherein the inwardly facing surface portions are located at a first radial distance from the central axis;
- a cap ejector axially movable relative to the cap gripper, the cap ejector comprising:
- one or more peripheral ejector projections movable between a normal position that is retracted relative to an inlet side of the cap receiving opening and a cap eject position that is shifted toward the inlet side of the cap receiving opening, wherein each of the one or more ejector projections includes a cap engaging surface portion that extends from a location radially inward of the first radial distance to a location radially outward of the first radial distance, such that each of the one or more ejector projections is configured to eject an upside down cap within the cap receiving opening by engaging with a free end of an outer sidewall of the upside down cap;
- wherein all of the inwardly facing surface portions of the cap gripper are defined by a single monolithic collet jaw that includes an adjuster assembly.
3 more elements
A capping apparatus for applying caps to containers, comprising:
- a capping chuck assembly, comprising:
- a cap receiving opening with a central axis;
- a cap gripper configured for holding a cap within the cap receiving opening, the cap gripper comprising a collet assembly including:
- a ring-shaped collet body extending about a periphery of the cap receiving opening, the ring-shaped collet body includes an upper side, a lower side, a radially inner side and a radially outer side, the ring-shaped collet body having a gap extending from the radially inner side to the radially outer side and from the upper side to the lower side to form a full break in continuity of the ring-shaped collet body, wherein the radially inner side of the ring-shaped collet body includes surface portions configured for cap engagement;
- an adjustment assembly mounted on the ring-shaped collet body for varying a size of the gap such that a radial spacing of the inner surface portions from the central axis is adjustable to accommodate cap size variations;
- wherein the gap defines a spacing between first and second ends of the ring-shaped collet body.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.