Method and apparatus for capping bottles
AssigneeUltraseal Technologies Corporation
InventorsEmanuel E. Wohlgemuth, William Michael Rebstock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for capping blown containers is provided. The top surfaces of a snap-on cap are preferably engaged sequentially by pressure members that traverse different segments thereof. The pressure members urge the cap over the neck of a container as they traverse the cap. The pressure members are preferably mounted to a support that is positioned above an initially loosely capped container, and resiliently urge the cap in a downward direction. The pressure exerted by each pressure member on the cap may be adjustable. The surfaces of the pressure members for engaging the cap are preferably substantially spherical.
Claims31
A method of applying a push-on cap to a neck portion of a container comprising:
- positioning a cap on the neck portion of the container,
- sequentially engaging said cap with a plurality of pressure members;
- and
- moving said container relative to said pressure members such that said pressure members traverse different portions of said cap while applying pressure to said cap, thereby pushing said cap over said neck portion.
An assembly for applying a cap to a container comprising:
- a conveyor for transporting containers;
- a support positioned above said conveyor;
- one or more applicators mounted to the support, each applicator including a pressure member having a downwardly extending end that includes a substantially spherical end surface, and
- means for resiliently urging said one or more of the pressure members in a downward direction.
A capping station comprising:
- means for providing containers having neck portions;
- means for providing caps for the neck portions of said containers;
- means for positioning said caps on the neck portions of said containers;
- a plurality of pressure members;
- means for moving the containers beneath said pressure members such that said pressure members sequentially traverse and apply downward pressure to the caps.
A method for applying a cap to a container having a neck portion including a rim, the cap having a top surface, a skirt extending downwardly from said top surface, and an annular valve member extending downwardly from said top surface and within said skirt, comprising:
- applying said cap to said neck portion of said container such that said skirt extends over said rim;
- moving said container along a selected path;
- applying pressure to a first portion of said top surface of said cap during a first time period as said container moves along said path;
- applying pressure to a second portion of said top surface of said cap during a second time period as said container moves along said path, said second time period being at least partially later than said first time period, and
- applying pressure to a third portion of said top surface of said cap during a third time period as said container moves along said path, said third time period being at least partially later than said second time period,
- whereby said skirt is urged over said rim and said annular valve member is urged within said rim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.