Screwcapping head with a hysteresis clutch
AssigneeAluminum Company of America
InventorsDarwin L. Ellis, Kyle McKee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A screwcapping head for applying prethreaded closures onto prethreaded containers is disclosed having a hysteresis clutch. The screwcapping head includes a housing adapted to be secured to a rotatable drive spindle and a quill mounted in the housing for free rotation thereto. The screwcapping head also includes a hysteresis clutch having a pair of permanent magnetic rings secured to the housing and a disc of hysteresis material secured to the quill and sandwiched between the pair of permanent magnetic rings. The clutch is capable of slipping after the application of a prethreaded closure onto a prethreaded container at a desired torque value while eliminating the torque reversal feature inherent in synchronous clutches.
Claims29
A screwcapping head comprising a first member secured to a rotatable drive member, a second member secured to said first member for free rotation thereto, and a clutch having a pair of permanent magnetic rings secured to said first member and a disc of hysteresis material secured to said second member and centered axially between said pair of magnetic rings, said hysteresis material exhibiting a retardation effect on magnetic forces passing therethrough to eliminate torque reversal on said second member.
A screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a first member secured to a rotatable drive member;
- (b) a second member secured to said first member for free rotation thereto;
- (c) a clutch having first and second permanent magnetic rings secured to said first member, each of said magnetic rings containing an even number of magnets arranged with alternating north-south fields, a disc of hysteresis material secured to said second member and centered axially between said first and second magnetic rings, said hysteresis material producing a lagging effect in the values of magnetization therein to eliminate torque reversal on said second member;
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- (d) adjustment means for circumferentially rotating said second magnetic ring relative to said first magnetic ring so as to vary the torque range of said clutch.
A screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a housing adapted to be secured to a rotatable drive spindle;
- (b) a quill mounted in said housing for free rotation thereto;
- and
- (c) a hysteresis clutch having a pair of permanent magnetic rings secured to said housing and a disc of hysteresis material secured to said quill and sandwiched between said pair of permanent magnetic rings, said hysteresis material producing a lagging effect in the values of magnetization therein to eliminate torque reversal on said second member, said clutch being capable of slipping after the application of a prethreaded closure onto a container at a desired torque value.
A screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a housing adapted to be secured to a rotatable drive spindle and having an open ended lower portion with an inner circumferential surface;
- (b) a quill mounted in said housing for free rotation thereto;
- (c) a chuck coaxially secured to said quill having a tapered internal surface for gripping a prethreaded closure;
- and
- (d) a hysteresis clutch having first and second permanent magnetic rings secured to said inner circumferential surface of said housing and a disc of hysteresis material secured to said quill and centered axially between said first and second permanent magnetic rings, said hysteresis material exhibiting a retardation effect on magnetic forces passing therethrough to eliminate torque reversal on said second member, and first and second flux plates covering a surface of said first and second permanent magnetic rings, respectively, said flux plates acting to conduct the flow of magnetic lines fo force leaving said magnetic rings back into said magnetic rings, said clutch being capable of slipping after the application of a prethreaded closure onto a prethreaded container when a desired torque value is reached.
A screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a housing adapted to be secured to a rotatable drive spindle;
- (b) a quill mounted in said housing for free rotation thereto;
- (c) a chuck coaxially secured to said quill having a tapered internal surface for gripping a prethreaded closure;
- (d) a hysteresis clutch having first and second permanent magnetic rings secured to said housing, a disc of hysteresis material secured to said quill and centered axially between said first and second permanent magnetic rings, said hysteresis material producing a lagging effect in the values of magnetization therein to eliminate torque reversal on said second member, and first and second flux plates secured to and covering a surface of said first and second permanent magnetic rings, respectively, said flux plates acting to conduct the flow of magnetic lines of force leaving said magnetic rings back into said magnetic rings, said clutch being capable of slipping after the application of a prethreaded closure onto a prethreaded container when a desired torque value is reached;
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- (e) adjustment means for circumferentially rotating said second magnetic ring relative to said first magnetic ring to enable the torque range of said clutch to be varied.
A screwcapping head for applying prethreaded closures onto prethreaded containers, said screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a housing having a sleeve secured to a rotatable drive spindle, an upper member secured to said sleeve and axially movable thereon, said upper member being spring biased to a downward position, and a hollow, open ended lower member secured to said upper member and having an inner circumferential surface with a radially inward projecting lip;
- (b) a quill mounted in said housing for free rotation thereto;
- (c) a chuck coaxially secured to said quill having a tapered internal surface for gripping a prethreaded closure;
- and
- (d) a hysteresis clutch having a first permanent magnetic ring secured to said inner circumferential surface of said housing and positioned on said lip, said first magnetic ring containing an even number of magnets arranged with alternating north-south fields, a second permanent magnetic ring including a carrier plate retaining an even number of magnets arranged with alternating north-south fields secured to said housing distally below said lip, said first and second magnetic rings positioned such that a north field on a magnet in said first magnetic ring is opposing a north field on a magnet in said second magnetic ring, a disc of hysteresis material secured to said quill and centered axially between said first and second magnetic rings with an air space present therebetween, said hysteresis material producing a lagging effect in the values of magnetization therein to eliminate torque reversal on said second member, and first and second flux plates secured to and covering a surface of said first and second magnetic rings, respectively, said flux plates acting to conduct the magnetic lines of force leaving said magnetic rings back into said magnetic rings, said clutch being capable of slipping after the application of a prethreaded closure onto a prethreaded container when a desired torque value is reached.
A screwcapping head comprising:
- (a) a first member secured to a rotatable drive member;
- (b) a second member attached to said first member for free rotation thereto;
- and
- (c) a clutch located between said first and second members, said clutch having a pair of permanent magnetic rings secured to one of said first and second members and a disc of hysteresis material secured to the other of said first and second members, said hysteresis material centered axially between said pair of magnetic rings and exhibiting a retardation effect when exposed to changing magnetic forces, thereby eliminating torque reversal on said second member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.