Apparatus for corking bottles

An apparatus for closing bottles or similar containers by insertion of corks, in particular ones made of natural cork, into the necks of the bottles, comprising:

• means for receiving the bottles to be corked and causing them to advance along a pre-determined path;
• a plurality of vice, devices, which are caused to advance synchronously with the bottles for compressing the corks to be inserted in the bottles radially, each vice device being associated with a respective bottle, so as to remain stationary above the bottle during advance of the bottle;
• a plurality of inserting devices, which advance synchronously with the bottles for the insertion of cork into each bottle, each inserting device being associated with a respective bottle in such a way as to remain above the bottle during advance of the bottle, each inserting device further comprising a presser stem, driven with reciprocating motion synchronously with the advance of the bottles, in such a way that the presser stem reaches a bottom position when the bottle reaches an insertion station, in which the cork, which in the meantime has been radially compressed by the respective vice device is completely inserted into the neck of the bottle;
• in which, said path of advance of the bottles is arranged at a starting position, where each vice device assumes an open condition defining a widened cavity for receiving a respective cork to be inserted;
• and
• in which feeding means are provided for feeding corks in succession into the widened cavities of the vice devices which arrive at said starting position;
• wherein connecting means are provided for connecting the bottom of the cavity of the vice device, which each time arrives at the starting position, with a negative-pressure source, so as to suck a respective cork downwards in order to keep the cork oriented in the correct vertical position.