Apparatus for inserting closure means into a container

Apparatus for placing a closure means having a thread at an opening of an object which has an axis on a coaxial thread at said opening adapted to be engaged by the thread of said closure means, which closure means has grasp means by which said closure means may be grasped, said apparatus comprising wrench means adapted to engage said grasp means to grasp said closure means and adapt it to be actuated to disengage said wrench means from said grasp means to release said closure means;

• and means for moving said wrench means along the axis of said opening while rotating said wrench means to provide an axial movement per revolution equivalent to the pitch of the threads of said threads of said closure means and at said opening, said means being adapted to move said wrench means toward said opening to a position where said wrench means can grasp said grasp means of said closure means, unscrew said closure means from said opening, remove said closure means from said opening to permit access to said opening, return said closure means to said opening and engage the threads of said closure means and said opening in the same relative positions at which said threads separated when said closure means was unscrewed from said opening and screw said closure means on said thread at said opening to close said opening, and move away from said closure means after said wrench means releases said closure means, said means for moving said wrench means acting to restrict said movement of said wrench means only to said movement along the axis of said opening while rotating said wrench means to provide an axial movement per revolution equivalent to the pitch of the threads of said closure means and at said opening;
• and means for actuating said wrench means to release said closure means.

Apparatus for placing a closure means having a thread at an opening of a container which opening has an axis and a coaxial thread at said opening adapted to be engaged by the thread of said closure means, which closure means has grasping means by which said closure means may be grasped, said apparatus comprising wrench means adapted to engage said grasp means to grasp said closure means and adapted to be actuated to disengage said wrench means from said grasp means to release said closure means;

• and means for moving said wrench means along the axis of said opening while rotating said wrench means to provide axial movement per revolution of said wrench means equivalent to the pitch of the threads of said closure means and at said opening, said means being adapted to move said wrench means towards said opening to a position where said wrench means can grasp said grasping means of said closure means, to unscrew said closure means from said thread at said opening, to remove said closure means from said opening to permit access to said opening, to return said closure means to said opening and screw said closure means on said thread at said opening to close said opening, and to move away from said closure means after said wrench means releases said closure means;
• means for actuating said wrench means to release said closure means;
• and means for supporting said container in a predetermined position relative to said wrench means during unscrewing of said closure means, for moving said container to a different location relative to said wrench means, and for returning said container to the same predetermined position relative to said wrench means for screwing on of said closure means.

Apparatus for placing a closure means having a thread at an opening of a container which opening has an axis and a coaxial thread at said opening adapted to be engaged by the thread of said closure means, which closure means has grasp means by which said closure means may be grasped, said apparatus comprising wrench means adapted to engage said grasp means to grasp said closure means and adapted to be actuated to disengage said wrench means from said grasp means to release said closure means;

• means for supporting said wrench means for rotation and for movement toward and away from said opening, said supporting means providing axial movement per revolution of said wrench means equivalent to the pitch of the threads of said closure means and at said opening, means for moving said wrench means to cause it to move axially and to rotate, said means causing said wrench means when grasping said closure means to move to unscrew said closure means and move away from said opening to remove said closure means away from said opening, and thereafter to move said closure means toward said opening and screw it on the thread at said opening at the same relative locations of said threads at which said thread of said closure means left the thread at said opening during the unscrewing operation;
• means associated with said wrench means for actuating said wrench means to positively disengage it from said grasp means of said closure means to release said closure means;
• and means for supporting said container in a predetermined position relative to said wrench means in which position said wrench means can unscrew said closure means during the unscrewing operation, for moving said container to a different location relative to said wrench means, and for returning said container to the same predetermined position relative to said wrench means for screwing on of said closure means.

In an apparatus for introducing material into a container having a wall portion with an opening to receive said material and having a thread at said opening and a closure means with a thread matching the thread at said opening, said closure means having grasp means by which it may be grasped and turned, the combination comprising supporting means at a fixed location;

• wrench means carried by said supporting means at said fixed location and adapted to engage said grasp means of said closure means when said opening is in a predetermined position relative to said supporting means at said fixed location;
• movable supporting means for supporting said container with said opening substantially at said predetermined position;
• locating means for accurately locating said wall portion of said container with said opening of said container and for holding said opening in said predetermined position relative to said supporting means at said fixed location after said container has been moved substantially to that position by said movable supporting means;
• means for moving said wrench means relative to said supporting means at said fixed location and while said opening is so held in said predetermined position by moving said wrench means toward said opening so said wrench means can engage and grasp said grasp means of said closure means and by rotating said wrench means to unscrew said closure means from said opening and move it away from said container, by moving said wrench means toward said opening and rotating it to screw said closure means onto said thread at said opening to close said opening, and by moving said wrench means away from said container after said wrench means has released said closure means;
• means associated with said wrench means for actuating said wrench means to so grasp and release said closure means;
• and means for moving said movable supporting means to support said container with its opening substantially at said predetermined position while said wrench means unscrews said closure means from the container opening, for moving said container laterally to a different location relative to said wrench means, and for returning said container laterally so that its opening is at said same predetermined position relative to said wrench means for screwing on of said closure means.