Back to results
US 5,398,485 AGranted
Bottle support mechanism for a capping machine
AssigneeH & K Inc.
InventorJohn T. Osifchin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeH & K Inc.
InventorJohn T. Osifchin
Estimating the term…
A bottle support construction for a capping machine comprising a rotatable table having a series of circumferentially spaced openings. A plurality of bottles are conveyed onto the table with each bottle being positioned in registry with an opening. The bottles, preferably composed of plastic, have a cavity in their lower surfaces with each cavity containing one or more radial groves. A chuck is mounted for vertical movement within each opening in the table from a lower non-chucking position to an upper chucking position where the chuck engages the cavity in the bottle. The chuck is provided with one or more radial ribs which engage the grooves in the cavity of the bottle to lock the bottle against rotation while a cap is threaded on the neck of the bottle. The chuck is moved between the lower and upper chucking positions by cam mechanism in which a follower is mounted on the lower end of a rod attached to the chuck and the follower rides on an inclined cam surface as the table rotates to move the chuck between the lower and upper positions.
A bottle support structure for a bottle capping machine, comprising a rotatable table having an opening therein, said table having a bottle supporting surface disposed to support a bottle in axial alignment with said opening, the bottom of said bottle having a cavity containing at least one groove, a chuck having a chucking surface containing a projection disposed to register with the groove in the cavity of the bottle, mounting means for mounting the chuck for axial movement within said opening from a lower non-chucking position to an upper chucking position where said chucking surface projects above said supporting surface and said projection is disposed to engage said groove to thereby prevent rotation of the bottle relative to said table, and operating means for moving said chuck between said lower and upper positions.
A bottle supporting structure for a bottle capping machine, comprising a rotatable table having at least one opening therein, said table including a bottle supporting surface to support a bottle in axial alignment with said opening, said opening having a smaller diameter than said bottle, said bottle having an open upper end and having a cavity in a lower surface thereof, said cavity having at least one groove therein, a chuck having an upper chucking surface including a projection disposed to register with the groove in said cavity, mounting means for mounting the chuck for axial movement within said opening between a lower position where said chucking surface is located beneath said support surface and an upper chucking position where said chucking surface projects above said support surface and into said cavity and said projection registers with said groove to prevent rotation of the bottle on said-table, a fixed cam surface, and a follower connected to said chuck and disposed to ride on said cam surface to thereby move said chuck between lower and upper positions.
A method of capping a bottle, comprising the steps of mounting a bottle on a rotatable table in axial registry with an opening in said table, said bottle having an open upper end and having a cavity in a lower surface thereof and having at least one groove in said cavity, moving a chuck upwardly through said opening into said cavity and engaging a projection on said chuck with said groove to lock the bottle against rotation on said table, and connecting a cap to the open upper end of the bottle while said bottle is held against rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.