Turret for bottle capping machine

Abstract

The present invention overcomes the above-perceived problems associated with the known art. The present invention provides an efficient capping machine with an improved turret that may be retrofitted to existing capping machines or included as an integral component of a new capping machine. The improved capping machine includes a rotatable turret that is significantly smaller than conventional bottling turrets. The improved turret utilizes fewer moving parts and it has a smaller mass that enables the turret to rotate more efficiently while requiring less power. The improved capping machine includes a rotating turret section coupled to a mounting plate and support. A cap delivery chute assembly is associated therewith. The improved turret includes a rotatable frame secured to an elevation shaft of the central hub via a torsion bearing assembly. The rotatable frame is driven by a bull gear associated with the capping machine. Preferably, a plurality of spindles, generally at least two or more, are regularly spaced about the periphery of the turret. Each spindle secures a screw-on cap to a respective bottle during turret rotation. The bull gear drives each spindle as the turret rotates about the central hub. Ordinarily, each spindle secures a screw-on cap to a bottle during slightly less than one revolution of the turret about the capping machine. Each spindle includes a spindle cylinder secured to the turret by an upper plate and a lower plate. Each spindle cylinder includes a mobile spindle piston that moves vertically inside the spindle cylinder. An elongated spindle shaft is secured to the piston. An important feature of the invention is the ability to remove an entire spindle unit from the turret. This facilitates more efficient maintenance while decreasing down time. The spindle shaft has upper and lower terminal ends. The upper terminal end of the spindle shaft includes a spindle gear that is driven by the bull gear. The lower terminal end of the spindle shaft includes a capping head secured thereto for screwing caps onto a bottle. An intermediate cam follower is secured to the spindle shaft. The cam follower is secured to the piston which is rotationally secured by brass slides. The spindle rotates inside the stationery piston. During turret rotation, the spindle piston moves vertically in the spindle cylinder as the spindle follower traverses a track defined in an inner cam secured to the central hub. In many conventional bottling machines, the spindle moves upwardly and downwardly in response to the cam follower as the turret rotates about the cam between an upper dwell and a lower dwell where the cap is screwed on to the bottle. The present invention works similarly. The rotating turret is driven by a peripheral gear upon the central hub. As the turret rotates, the bull gear drives the spindle gears to rotate the spindle shafts. The cam follower on each spindle shaft follows the cam track on the central cam to raise and lower the spindle as is the conventional manner. As the spindle passes the cap delivery assembly, the capping head picks up a bottle cap for subsequent application to a bottle. The associated cap delivery assembly places respective bottle caps adjacent rotating bottles beneath the capping head during the descent from the upper dwell to the lower dwell such that the cap may enter the capping head in a conventional fashion for subsequent placement upon the bottle. The capping turret as well as the cap delivery assembly are synchronized so that caps are delivered during the proper sequence of events to be loaded into the capping head as the capping head moves past the cap delivery assembly region. After a cap is inserted into the capping head, the capping head moves to an upper position above the bottle top for subsequent application of the screw-on closure to the bottle. As the turret continues to rotate, the cam follower descends in the cam track to lower the spindle shaft and capping head with captured closure upon the upright bottle. During the entire procedure, the capping head and spindle shaft rotate so that the bottle closure is already rotating as it descends upon the bottle threaded neck adjacent the bottle top. The capping head secures the closure to the bottle with the application of sufficient torque to ensure retention thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention.

[0003] The present invention relates to improvements in bottle capping machines or bottle filling and capping machines to improve the efficiency and reliability of capping bottles and especially plastic bottles which have become a very common container for beverages and, to some extent, other liquids. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements particularly suited for bottles with pre-threaded screw caps. Such bottles also often have a three dimensional bottom surface of, what might be termed, a radially symmetric flower-shape. This common and nearly universal shape for plastic bottles will be referred to herein as a petaloid shape, or simply petaloid.

[0004] 2. Known Art.

[0005] As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the bottling industry has for some time now been adopting plastic containers to replace glass containers and it is believed that this trend will likely continue. These plastic containers have been evolving for several years and the majority now use screw-on closures.

[0006] As screw-on caps for bottles have become commonplace, improvements have been made to capping heads for such application. For example, previously proposed inventions directed only to capping machine heads that addressed certain problems associated therewith have issued as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,437,139 and 4,313,769, the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Certain conventional bottle capping apparatus however, have remained relatively unchanged from their embodiments as capping machines for primarily glass containers.

[0007] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,361 to Dix et al, shows an apparatus for applying closures to filled bottles. The apparatus uses a slide cam cooperating with interchangeable roll-on and crimp-on closure applying heads which are mounted in a rotating turret so as to raise and lower the heads with respect to the bottles. The device uses interchangeable slide cam inserts to modify the slide cam track depending upon whether roll-on or crimp-on closure applying heads are mounted in the turret (i.e. whether the container was plastic or glass). The device uses a relatively large turret of substantial mass to apply both types of closures.

[0008] Yet another example of a capping machine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,565 to Westbrook et al. In this device, the capping machine applies plastic screw-on caps. The capping machine includes a turret rotating about a stationary hub wherein the rotating turret includes a plurality of operating stations that each has a cap chuck and a lower gripping structure for engaging the bottle upon which the cap is to be screwed. This device uses a bulky, massive turret structure in the conventional fashion. The teachings of both references are in relevant part hereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0009] In processing screw cap threaded bottles or containers through a known type of filling and/or capping machine (such a shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,320 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,565, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein), it was found necessary to prevent the rotating capping head that applies the screw cap from also rapidly rotating the bottle; such rotation of the bottle can have a very deleterious effect on the operation of the machine as the bottles pass through at a high rate of speed, often 100 bottles per minute or more. Various expedients have been employed to prevent rotation of the bottle as the screw cap is rotated on the threaded bottle neck and firmly seated with a desired torque.

[0010] A very common expedient has been to provide knife elements or pin elements which penetrate the upper portion of the plastic bottle, as at the peripheral lip immediately below the cap position. The reliability of such a technique is less than desirable and has the disadvantage that it inevitably leaves a mark on the bottle. A previously proposed invention addressing this problem issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,400, the relevant portions of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0011] The advent of gripping the petaloid bottles at the bottom while applying a cap to the top of the bottle has proven to be quite commercially successful and petaloid bottles have become a mainstay of the bottling industry. The industry however continues to use capping machines, and particularly capping turrets, originally intended to apply crimp-on closures to glass bottles. These capping turrets are large, cumbersome, bulky devices that are difficult to maintain and require excessive time to replace. While these capping turrets have worked well for their intended use, they simply no longer perform as efficiently as is desirable.

[0012] Thus, a need exists in the art for an improved capping machine or capping turret, especially one well-suited for use with lighter bottles, and particularly plastic petaloid bottles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention overcomes the above-perceived problems associated with the known art. The present invention provides an efficient capping machine with an improved turret that may be retrofitted to existing capping machines or included as an integral component of a new capping machine. The improved capping machine includes a rotatable turret that is significantly smaller than conventional bottling turrets. The improved turret utilizes fewer moving parts and it has a smaller mass that enables the turret to rotate more efficiently while requiring less power.

[0014] The improved capping machine includes a rotating turret section coupled to a mounting plate and support. A cap delivery chute assembly is associated therewith.

[0015] The improved turret includes a rotatable frame secured to an elevation shaft of the central hub via a torsion bearing assembly. The rotatable frame is driven by a bull gear associated with the capping machine.

[0016] Preferably, a plurality of spindles, generally at least two or more, are regularly spaced about the periphery of the turret. Each spindle secures a screw-on cap to a respective bottle during turret rotation. The bull gear drives each spindle as the turret rotates about the central hub. Ordinarily, each spindle secures a screw-on cap to a bottle during slightly less than one revolution of the turret about the capping machine.

[0017] Each spindle includes a spindle cylinder secured to the turret by an upper plate and a lower plate. Each spindle cylinder includes a mobile spindle piston that moves vertically inside the spindle cylinder. An elongated spindle shaft is secured to the piston. An important feature of the invention is the ability to remove an entire spindle unit from the turret. This facilitates more efficient maintenance while decreasing down time.

[0018] The spindle shaft has upper and lower terminal ends. The upper terminal end of the spindle shaft includes a spindle gear that is driven by the bull gear. The lower terminal end of the spindle shaft includes a capping head secured thereto for screwing caps onto a bottle. An intermediate cam follower is secured to the spindle shaft. The cam follower is secured to the piston which is rotationally secured by brass slides. The spindle rotates inside the stationery piston.

[0019] During turret rotation, the spindle piston moves vertically in the spindle cylinder as the spindle follower traverses a track defined in an inner cam secured to the central hub.

[0020] In many conventional bottling machines, the spindle moves upwardly and downwardly in response to the cam follower as the turret rotates about the cam between an upper dwell and a lower dwell where the cap is screwed on to the bottle. The present invention works similarly.

[0021] The rotating turret is driven by a peripheral gear upon the central hub. As the turret rotates, the bull gear drives the spindle gears to rotate the spindle shafts. The cam follower on each spindle shaft follows the cam track on the central cam to raise and lower the spindle as is the conventional manner. As the spindle passes the cap delivery assembly, the capping head picks up a bottle cap for subsequent application to a bottle.

[0022] The associated cap delivery assembly places respective bottle caps adjacent rotating bottles beneath the capping head during the descent from the upper dwell to the lower dwell such that the cap may enter the capping head in a conventional fashion for subsequent placement upon the bottle.

[0023] The capping turret as well as the cap delivery assembly are synchronized so that caps are delivered during the proper sequence of events to be loaded into the capping head as the capping head moves past the cap delivery assembly region.

[0024] After a cap is inserted into the capping head, the capping head moves to an upper position above the bottle top for subsequent application of the screw-on closure to the bottle. As the turret continues to rotate, the cam follower descends in the cam track to lower the spindle shaft and capping head with captured closure upon the upright bottle. During the entire procedure, the capping head and spindle shaft rotate so that the bottle closure is already rotating as it descends upon the bottle threaded neck adjacent the bottle top. The capping head secures the closure to the bottle with the application of sufficient torque to ensure retention thereof.

[0025] Thus, a principle object of the present invention is to provide an improved capping machine wherein the turret assembly is smaller and lighter than conventional assemblies.

[0026] A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved capping machine that may be operated more efficiently than existing devices.

[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved capping machine that may rotate faster than conventional devices.

[0028] Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively low maintenance capping machine.

[0029] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved capping machine wherein a turret assembly may be retrofitted to existing machines quickly and proficiently to minimize down times.

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable capping machine that may be easily serviced with minimal down time.

[0031] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved capping machine with fewer moving parts to minimize potential breakdowns that halt operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an improved turret for a bottle capping machine.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a partially fragmented top plan view thereof with portions omitted for clarity.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the turret of FIG. 1 along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a fragmented perspective view of a spindle assembly in the turret.

[0036] FIGS. 5-22 are copies of color photographs of an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The present invention provides an efficient capping machine with an improved turret that may be retrofitted to existing capping machines or included as an integral component of a new capping machine. The improved capping machine 40 includes a rotatable turret 50 that is significantly smaller than conventional bottling turrets. The improved turret 50 utilizes fewer moving parts and it has a smaller mass that enables the turret 50 to rotate more efficiently while requiring less power.

[0038] The improved capping machine 40 includes a rotating turret section 50 coupled to a mounting hub 42 and support. A cap delivery chute assembly 80 is associated therewith.

[0039] The improved capping machine includes a central hub 42 with an elevation shaft 44. The elevation shaft 44 supports a top plate 43. The top plate 43 supports a top plate hub 45 mounted therebelow. The top plate hub 45 supports the cam support hub 47 as well as a bull gear 46. The cam support hub 47 in turn supports the cam 48. A cam track 49 is defined in the outer periphery of the cam 48.

[0040] The improved turret 50 includes a rotatable frame 52 secured to an elevation shaft 44 of the central hub 42 via a torsion bearing assembly 54. The rotatable frame 52 is driven by a bull gear 46 associated with the capping machine 40.

[0041] Preferably, a plurality of identical spindles 60, generally at least six or more, are regularly spaced about the periphery of the turret 50. Each spindle 60 secures a screw-on cap 110 to a respective bottle 120 during turret rotation. The bull gear 46 drives each spindle 60 as the turret 50 rotates about the central hub 42. Ordinarily, each spindle 60 secures a screw-on cap 110 to a bottle 120 during slightly less than one revolution of the turret 50 about the capping machine 40.

[0042] Each spindle 60 includes a spindle cylinder 62 secured to the turret 50 by an upper plate 64 and a lower plate 66. Each spindle cylinder 62 includes a mobile spindle piston 68 that moves vertically inside the spindle cylinder 62. An elongated spindle shaft 70 is secured inside the piston 68.

[0043] The spindle shaft 70 has upper and lower terminal ends 72, 74. The upper terminal end 72 of the spindle shaft 70 includes a spindle gear 76 that is driven by the bull gear 46. The lower terminal end 74 of the spindle shaft 70 includes a capping head 78 secured thereto for screwing a cap onto a bottle. An intermediate cam follower 79 is secured to the piston 68 between ends. During turret rotation, the spindle piston 68 moves vertically in the spindle cylinder 62 as the cam follower 79 traverses the track 49 defined in the inner cam 48 secured to the central hub 42.

[0044] In many conventional bottling machines, the spindle moves upwardly and downwardly in response to the cam follower as the turret rotates about the cam between an upper dwell and a lower dwell where the cap is screwed on to the bottle. The present invention works similarly.

[0045] The rotating turret 50 is driven by a peripheral gear (not shown) upon the central hub 42. As the turret 50 rotates, the bull gear 46 drives the spindle gears 76 to rotate the spindle shafts 70. The cam follower 79 on each spindle shaft 70 follows the cam track 49 on the central cam 48 to raise and lower each spindle 60 as is the conventional manner. As the spindle passes the cap delivery assembly 80, the capping head 78 picks up a bottle cap 110 for subsequent application to a bottle 120.

[0046] The associated cap delivery assembly 80 places respective bottle caps adjacent rotating bottles beneath the capping head 78 during the descent from the upper dwell to the lower dwell such that the cap 110 may enter the capping head 78 in a conventional fashion for subsequent placement upon the bottle 120.

[0047] The capping turret 50 as well as the cap delivery assembly 80 are synchronized so that caps are delivered during the proper sequence of events to be loaded into the capping head as the capping head moves past the cap delivery assembly region.

[0048] After a cap is inserted into the capping head, the capping head moves to an upper position above the bottle top for subsequent application of the screw-on closure to the bottle. As the turret continues to rotate, the cam follower descends in the cam track to lower the spindle shaft and capping head with captured closure upon the upright bottle. During the entire procedure, the capping head and spindle shaft rotate so that the bottle closure is already rotating as it descends upon the bottle threaded neck adjacent the bottle top. The capping head secures the closure to the bottle with the application of sufficient torque to ensure retention thereof.

[0049] An important feature of the present invention is the ability to remove entire spindles from the turret for maintenance and other reasons. The removal of the entire spindle permits the spindle to be easily disassembled and/or serviced at a later point while minimizing down-time in that a replacement spindle may be easily inserted. The removal of spindle 60 requires minutes. To remove the spindle 60, an operator loosens the spindle retention bolts 65 securing the spindle to the lower plate 66. The operator then rotates the spindle counterclockwise to remove the key 67 on the exterior of the spindle cylinder 62 with a release 69. Once the key and release have been aligned, the operator then simply slides the spindle 60 downwardly to remove it from the lower plate 66.

[0050] To install a replacement spindle, the operator merely aligns the spindle 60 with the hole in the lower plate 66 and inserts the spindle therein. The key is aligned with the keeper 69 and inserted therein. The spindle retaining bolts are then tightened to secure the spindle in place.

[0051] An important feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved turret capping machine having a rotatable turret with quick-change spindles. Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved, lightweight turret assembly that enhances the speed of the bottling operation.

[0052] The improved turret includes two or more quick-change spindles that may be easily removed and/or replaced to minimize downtime.

[0053] Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An improved turret or a bottle capping machine as described hereinabove.