Replacement lock levers and methods
AssigneeServi-Teck, INC
InventorsCecil R. McRay, Michael D. Nish, Terry E. Nish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Replacement lock levers and related methods are disclosed which accommodate adjustment to acceptable tolerances of the force applied to cans being filled by the platform lift cylinder assemblies of the automatic beverage filling machine, due to an eccentricity of the replacement lock levers.
Claims14
A selectively rotatable lock lever for an automatic beverage machine for filling cans, the lock lever being rotated between active and inactive positions and comprising an L-shaped configuration defining a corner comprising a rotatable eccentric by which the elevation of a support surface at one end of the lock lever is selectively varied:
A method of controlling the force applied against an top edge of cans being filled in an automatic beverage filling machine to reduce can damage by individually adjusting lock levers comprising the acts of:
- placing the machine in an idle condition;
- removing spaced concentric L-shaped lock levers from the beverage filling machine;
- providing replacement L-shaped lock levers each comprising a hollow eccentric at a corner thereof;
- rotatably mounting to the machine each replacement lock lever upon a shaft passing through the hollow of the associated eccentric corner;
- selectively individually eccentrically rotating the eccentric of each replacement lock lever about the associated shaft to adjust the elevation of an engagement surface of each replacement lock lever with the bottom surface of the associated platform lift cylinder assembly to control the amount of force within predetermined limits imposed on the top edge of each can when it is filled;
- fixing to the machine each eccentric in its eccentrically rotated position;
- resuming operation of the machine.
An L-shaped lock lever for rotation between cylinder assembly engaging and non-cylinder assembly engaging positions in an automated beverage machine for filling cans with beverage with reduced damage comprising:
- a first leg adapted to be spaced from the cylinder assembly at all times;
- a second leg adapted to engage and disengage the cylinder assembly at selected times due to rotation of the lock lever between the non-engaging and engaging positions responsive to cam contact, the second leg comprising a flat end surface adapted to contiguously engage a bottom surface of the cylinder assembly;
- a corner joining the first and second legs, the corner comprising a bore extending general transverse to a plane in which the legs are disposed, the bore containing a hollow eccentric disposed tightly in the bore, the eccentric being forcibly rotationally adjustable in respect to the bore to move the flat surface up or down when in the engaging position with the bottom surface to ensure force applied by the cylinder assembly to a can being filled is within limits which reduce the frequency at which cans are damaged by excessive force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.