Cap gripper
AssigneeThe Wine Group, Inc.
InventorsEarl Mckuin, Fernando Santos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cap gripper is described herein with a groove for receiving a projecting portion of a cap. A positively biased member may create a narrowing in the groove to secure the projecting portion of the cap within the groove. The positively biased member may be positively biased by a spring-loaded screw that is inserted into a screw hole of the cap gripper. When the cap is inserted into the cap gripper, the positively biased member may be partially depressed within the screw hole to allow the projecting portion of the cap to be inserted into the groove. Likewise, when the cap is removed from the cap gripper, the positively biased member may be partially depressed within the screw hole to allow the projecting portion of the cap to be removed from the groove.
Claims16
A cap gripper, comprising:
- a groove configured to receive a radially projecting portion of a cap;
- and
- a movement impeding member including a positively biased member arranged to secure the radially projecting portion of the cap within the groove, wherein the positively biased member creates a narrowing in the groove.
A method for retrofitting a filling machine having a first cap gripper, the method comprising:
- replacing the first cap gripper with a second cap gripper, wherein the second cap gripper comprises:
- a groove configured to receive a radially projecting portion of a cap;
- and
- a movement impeding member including a positively biased member arranged to secure the radially projecting portion of the cap within the groove, wherein the positively biased member creates a narrowing in the groove.
A cap gripper, comprising:
- a groove configured to receive a radially projecting portion of a cap;
- and
- a movement impeding member including:
- a positively biased member arranged to secure the radially projecting portion of the cap within the groove of the cap gripper, wherein the positively biased member creates a narrowing in the groove;
- a spring-loaded screw threaded into a screw hole of the cap gripper, wherein the spring-loaded screw imparts a positive bias onto the positively biased member;
- and
- a nut threaded onto an end of the spring-loaded screw so as to fix a position of the spring-loaded screw with respect to the screw hole of the cap gripper,
- wherein the groove comprises (i) a first surface on which the radially projecting portion rests while the radially projecting portion is secured within the groove of the cap gripper and (ii) a second surface which faces the first surface, and wherein the positively biased member projects from the second surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.