In-line capping machine
AssigneeThe Clorox Company
InventorsThomas Gerret Dewees, Orice Darlington, Jerry A. Volponi, Raymond W. Harold, Kenneth T. Felipe, Lee Griffey, Ronald E. Heiskell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A straight line capping machine is provided that wherein the cap tightening discs and the container grasping mechanism are synchronized to a predetermined relationship so as to prevent cocked caps, loose caps and/or scuffed caps. In particular, the mechanisms are synchronized to ensure that the tangential velocity of the rear cap tightening disc minus the tangential velocity of the front cap tightening disc is about twice the predetermined velocity of the container passing through the capping machine.
Claims18
A capping apparatus for use with a container conveyor that moves a container having a cap sitting thereon through the apparatus at a generally constant velocity, comprising:
- a front cap tightening disc located above the container conveyor;
- a rear cap tightening disc spaced from the front cap tightening disc so as to receive the cap on each container therebetween whereby when the container with the cap thereon passes between the front and rear cap tightening discs the cap is spun down on the container;
- a container grasping mechanism to prevent rotation of the container as the container passes between the front and rear cap tightening discs;
- and
- means for synchronizing the front cap tightening disc, the rear cap tightening disc and the container grasping mechanism to ensure that the tangential velocity of the rear cap tightening disc minus the tangential velocity of the front cap tightening disc is about twice the velocity of the container passing through the apparatus.
A straight line capping apparatus having a container conveyor for moving each container through the apparatus at a predetermined velocity and for use with a cap feeding mechanism for placing a cap on each container, said apparatus comprising:
- a first cap tightening disc located downstream of the cap feeding mechanism and above the container conveyor;
- a second cap tightening disc spaced from the first cap tightening disc so as to receive the cap on each container therebetween such that when the container with the cap thereon passes between the first and second cap tightening discs, the cap is spun down on the container;
- a container grasping mechanism to prevent rotation of the container as it passes between the first and second cap tightening discs;
- means for synchronizing the first cap tightening disc, the second cap tightening disc and the container grasping mechanism to ensure that the tangential velocity of the second cap tightening disc equals about the sum of the tangential velocity of the first cap tightening disc plus twice the predetermined velocity of the container.
A method of tightening a cap onto a container in a straight line capping apparatus having a container conveyor for moving each container through the apparatus, comprising:
- placing the cap on each container;
- moving each container through the apparatus on the container conveyor;
- grasping each container with a container grasping mechanism to prevent rotation of the container as it passes between a first cap tightening disc and a second cap tightening disc with the first and second discs being spaced from each other to receive the cap on each container therebetween, such that when the container with the cap thereon passes between the first and second cap tightening discs, the cap is spun down on the container;
- synchronizing the first cap tightening disc, the second cap tightening disc and the container grasping mechanism so that the tangential velocity of the second cap tightening disc equals about the sum of the tangential velocity of the first cap tightening disc plus twice the predetermined velocity of the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.