High speed sealing machine
AssigneeAnchor Hocking Packaging Company
InventorJames M. Herzog
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for applying closures to containers held by grippers and moving in a row on a conveyor. The closures are fed from a supply into pockets on a star wheel which delivers them to closure carriers mounted to an applicator wheel which rotates in a plane parallel to and above the closure path of movement, about an axis perpendicular to that of the star wheel. Rotation of the closures carried by the carriers on the applicator wheel is synchronized with the rate of movement of the containers, and the closures are brought into converging alignment with the containers. The applicator wheel has optional means for pressing the closure partially or wholly to a final applied position on the containers, and/or for rotating them while still carried by the carriers to desired torque level.
Claims13
A machine for placing closures onto containers each having a finish, comprising:
- a conveyor for moving the containers in a row along a linear path of movement;
- an applicator wheel rotatable about an axis transverse to the path of movement of said conveyor, said applicator wheel spaced above said conveyor;
- said applicator wheel having a plurality of closure carriers around it;
- drive means for continuously rotating said applicator wheel in synchronism with said conveyor such that the linear speed of said carriers matches that of the containers on said conveyor;
- means for feeding closures from a source to said carriers on said applicator wheel at a first rotational position of said applicator wheel, said feeding means comprising a closure feeding wheel which rotates about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said applicator wheel in synchronism with said applicator wheel, said closure feeding wheel having means around its periphery for receiving and carrying closures, and a supply for delivering closures to said closure receiving and carrying means, whereby rotation of said closure feeding wheel moves the closures to said carriers on said applicator wheel, said carriers receiving the closures from said closure receiving and carrying means;
- each carrier having gripping means for engaging a closure as said applicator wheel rotates through said first position;
- further rotation of said applicator wheel moving the closures carried by said carriers sequentially into convergence with tops of the respective containers as the conveyor advances the containers;
- the spacing of said applicator wheel above said conveyor being such that each closure is placed onto the finish of a respective container in a partially applied position as the closure converges with the container.
A machine for placing closures onto containers having a finish, comprising:
- a conveyor for moving the containers in a row along a linear path of movement;
- an applicator wheel spaced above said conveyor and rotatable about an axis transverse to the line of movement of said conveyor;
- said applicator wheel having a plurality of spindles extending axially outwardly from said axis of rotation of said applicator wheel, each said spindle having a closure carrier at its distal end;
- drive means for continuously rotating said applicator wheel in synchronism with said conveyor such that the linear speed of said carriers matches that of the containers on said conveyor;
- means for feeding closures from a source to said carriers on said applicator wheel spindles at a first rotational position of said applicator wheel, said feeding means comprising a closure feeding wheel which rotates about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said applicator wheel in synchronism with said applicator wheel, said closure feeding wheel having means around its periphery for receiving and carrying closures, and a supply for delivering closures to said closure receiving and carrying means, whereby rotation of said closure feeding wheel moves the closures to said carriers, said carriers receiving the closures from said closure receiving and carrying means;
- each carrier having gripping means for engaging a closure as said applicator wheel rotates through said first position;
- further rotation of said applicator wheel moving the closures carried by said carriers sequentially into convergence with the tops of the respective containers as the conveyor advances the containers;
- the spacing of said applicator wheel above said conveyor being such that each closure is placed onto the finish of a respective container in a partially applied position as the closure converges with the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.