Filler and capper for containers

A machine for filling and capping containers of substantially block form with a spout at an angled upper corner, which comprises a continuously-moving infeed conveyor of a type which can slide under the containers if they are stopped and which supplies the containers in a single file to a loading station with their lower ends resting on the conveyor and their opposite or upper ends having the angled corners with the spouts;

• a container crossfeed mounted for travel across the infeed conveyor to push a group of predetermined number accumulated on the conveyor off the conveyor and comprising a longitudinally extending pusher bar for engaging the group and a transversely extending stop for engaging the next container on the conveyor following the group, a cylinder and piston unit for controlling reciprocation of the crossfeed across the infeed conveyor;
• a slide guide trough mounted along the infeed container to receive the group pushed off the infeed container and which continues along a filling and capping station to a discharge station, said trough having its sides disposed relatively substantially at a right angle in V-form so that when the containers are pushed therein by said crossfeed they will be oriented with their spouts upright;
• an infeed container advancer mounted in cooperation with said trough and having a container-engaging pusher member reciprocable longitudinally of the trough which is in position to engage the last container of the group pushed thereinto by the crossfeed to slide the group along the trough toward the filling and capping station, a cylinder and piston unit for reciprocating said pusher member;
• a group of fillheads at said filling and capping station corresponding in number to the containers of the container group pushed to said station and being spaced longitudinally in a straight line over said guide trough to align with the spouts of said container group;
• a vertically movable stop disposed above the trough beyond the filling and capping station and movable down between containers of a previously-filled group in said trough which are pushed toward a discharge station by the following group moved into filling and capping position in the trough by the trough infeed pusher, a cylinder and piston unit for vertically reciprocating said stop;
• a fixed forward latch bar disposed along and above said trough for engaging the spouts of the group of containers moved into filling and capping position at the forward side thereof, a latch plate having longitudinally spaced notches in its forward edge for engaging said spouts at the rear side thereof to clamp them against said forward bar, said latch plate being mounted for forward and rearward reciprocation transversely above the trough, a cylinder and piston unit for reciprocating said latch plate;
• a group of individual cappers corresponding in number to said fillheads and each comprising a cap-receiving chuck;
• said chuck being carried by a horizontal arm connected to a vertically-disposed pivot and spline shaft mounted for both rotative and axial movement directly behind and in alignment with the fillheads, said shaft carrying a pinion splined to the shaft, a horizontally reciprocable rack to engage all of said pinions to simultaneously swing said arms to move said chucks between a rear cap-receiving position and a forward cap-applying piston, a cylinder and piston unit for reciprocating said rack, a cylinder and piston unit associated with each shaft for moving it vertically;
• a cap-loading bar having rearwardly-opening sockets longitudinally-spaced in alignment with said fillheads for receiving and supporting caps to be engaged by vertical movement of the said chucks when they are moved to their rearward position;
• a cap-shuttle bar for supplying caps in a cap shuttle track to positions opposite notches therein which open forwardly to the aligning rearwardly-opening sockets of said cap load bar;
• a cap feed chute for supplying caps to cap-engaging flights on said cap shuttle bar upon reciprocation and transverse rocking thereof in a predetermined cycle, a piston and cylinder unit for reciprocating said bar and a cylinder and piston unit for producing transverse rocking thereof;
• a forwardly and rearwardly reciprocable cap crossfeed bar extending along said cap shuttle track which moves forwardly to push the caps through the track notches into the respective sockets of said cap load bar, a cylinder and piston unit for reciprocating said cap crossfeed bar;
• the group of filled and capped containers when released by said latch plate and stop means being pushed by the following group to the discharge station which has a continuously-moving takeaway conveyor like the infeed conveyor extending therefrom, and guide means at the discharge station for engaging the released containers adjacent their spouts to re-orient the containers as they move onto the takeaway conveyor into the upright position in which they were supplied at the infeed station.