US3895478A

US3895478A - Roll on capping head

Info

Publication number: US3895478A
Application number: US301001A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth F M Friendship
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1971-07-09
Filing date: 1972-10-19
Publication date: 1975-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 1992-07-22

Abstract

A roll on type capping head for applying closure cap blanks to the mouths of containers, such as bottles, jars or cans, which is characterized by a non-rotatable inner spindle member supporting a cylindrical outer spindle assembly which is rotatable about the axis of the inner spindle member and which carries cap skirtengaging rollers adapted to be cammed into engagement with portions of the skirt on the cap blank so as to shape it to the contour of the threads on the container neck and to form a pilfer-proof ring thereon. The head is mounted for vertical reciprocation between operative and inoperative positions and the operation of the head and rollers is effected by a pneumatic spring arrangement with a no-cap no-roll operation feature.

Description

BEST AVAIIABIE [451 July 22,1975

1 ROLL ON CAPPING HEAD [75] Inventor: Kenneth F. M. Friendship, Hinsdale,

Ill.

[73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 301,001

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. Nov 161,235, July 9, 1971,

3,405,499 10/1968 Dexter 53/33l.5

3,771,285 11/1973 Bertario 53/334 Rl3,85l 12/1914 Brinkman 53/348 X Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver Attorney, Agent, or FirmDiller, Brown, Ramik & Wight [5 7] ABSTRACT A roll on type capping head for applying closure cap blanks to the mouths of containers, such as bottles, jars or cans, which is characterized by a non-rotatable inner spindle member supporting a cylindrical outer spindle assembly which is rotatable about the axis of the inner spindle member and which carries cap skirtengaging rollers adapted to be cammed into engagement with portions of the skirt on the cap blank so as to shape it to the contour of the threads on the container neck and to form a pilfer-proof ring thereon. The head is mounted for vertical reciprocation between operative and inoperative positions and the operation of the head and rollers is effected by a pneumatic spring arrangement with a no-cap no-roll operation feature.

34 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL22|a1s 3,8953478 KENNETH F. M. FRIENDSHIP v v ATT'Ys INVENTOR PATENTEDJUL 2 2 ms SHEET 2 3'895478 ROLL ON CAPPING HEAD This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 161,235 filed July 9, 1971 now abandoned.

This invention relates to mechanism for closing the mouth of a container and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a machine for crimp sealing a closure member of metal or other deformable material onto a beaded or grooved portion of the mouth of the container.

Closure members for bottles, jars and like containers have been developed which are fabricated of deformable material, plastic or similar material and which are preformed or preshaped so that they may be loosely positioned on the mouth of a container and pressed or rolled into close contact with a retaining bead, groove or thread portion on the container so as to seal the same. Such closures are often provided with a marginal skirt portion which is separable from the body of the cap or closure when the latter is twisted to remove the same so as to provide the closure with a pilferindicating feature. A number of different machine designs have been developed for applying closure members of this general type, some embodying the press-on method, others operating to roll on the closure, and some of these have been adapted for commercial operation. The machines heretofore developed have generally employed springs or cams for their operation and for the application of sealing pressure. As a result, they have been difficult to adjust so as to regulate the sealing pressure and to handle containers where there is any variation in height. In addition, there has been no provision in such machines for satisfactorily handling a container where there is a failure to pick up a closure. Frequently, when a container has arrived at the capping head without a closure, breaking of the container neck has occurred, causing stoppages in the line while the debris is cleared. Most of the designs suggested for these machines have not been successful, generally because they are not readily adjustable so as to handle containers and closures of different size in an expeditious manner and because sealing pressure cannot be controlled to the extent necessary to insure proper sealing when there is appreciable variation in dimensions or because provision is not made to avoid damage to the container when a cap is missing. It is a general object, therefore, of the present invention to provide an improved sealing head for applying closure caps of deformable metal or similar material to containers which will effect tight engagement of the closure with surface portions of the mouth of the container and which will operate more efficiently in handling the containers than the machines heretofore available.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved sealing head for a closure cap applying machine wherein provision is made for rolling the skirt portion of a preformed closure blank of deformable metal or the like into tight engagement with the closure retaining bead, groove or thread formation on the bottle mouth while exerting pressure to a degree sufficient to insure tight sealing engagement regardless of normal variations in the dimensions of successive containers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sealing head for a roll on closure cap machine wherein sealing pressure is obtained by the use of a pneumatic spring which is easily adjusted by regulating the air pressure so that the force exerted is constant regardless of variation in the height of the containers being sealed and the sealing pressure can be readily changed when desired to accommodate containers formed of different materials having different resistance to pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing head for closure cap applying machines wherein provision is made for relatively simple adjustment of sealing pressure so as to accommodate containers having different resistance characteristics.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing head for a roll on type cap applying machine wherein provision is made for passing a container which has failed to pick up a closure so as to prevent breakage of the container on operation of the head.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the closure cap applying head which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, with portions broken away, showing a closure applying head embodying the principles of the invention, the head being mounted on a turret-type machine with portions of the turret being shown which illustrate the mounting of the head and the means for operating the head to roll on a closure;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a cross section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view showing the location of the head on the turret with an adjoining head being shown and the remaining heads which are spaced about the periphery of the turret being omitted;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 4, to an enlarged scale.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings, the head assembly 10, which is illustrated, is mounted in the peripheral margin of a turret frame 11, it being understood that a number of the heads 10 will be supported on the frame 11 in spaced relation about the periphery thereof with a suitable arrangement for delivering containers B, with closure caps C in the form of blanks thereon, to a supporting table structure (not shown) beneath successive heads 10 as the turret is rotated. Various arrangements for delivering containers to this type of machine and removing the same when the work operations are completed are well known. The turret main frame 11 (FIGS. 1 and 6) is in the form of a housing which is mounted for rotation about a stationary vertical shaft 12 at the center of the turret.

The head assembly 10, has an upper portion which is mounted in a radially projecting marginal portion at the top of the turret housing 11 and includes a vertically disposed spindle assembly 14 which is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the housing 11 and carries at its upper end, which projects above the housing 11, a cam follower 15 for co-operation with a stationary cam plate 16 on the top of the turret shaft 12. The cam plate 16 has a cam track 17 which allows the head 10 to descend under the influence of a pneumatic spring arrangement in order to position the work elements on the lower end of the head for operation on a closure C on the mouth of a container B (FIG. 7). The spindle 14 has a non-rotatable top portion or section 18 on which there is fixed a piston forming member 20 which is disposed for vertical reciprocation in a recess 21 in the top portion 22 of the frame housing 11, the piston 20 being sealed for operation in the cylindrical recess 21 by the O ring 23. The spindle top portion 18 is reciprocably mounted in a guide sleeve 24 set in an aperture 25 in the top of the housing 11 which extends a short distance above the housing. A manifold or entrance passageway 26 is provided for connection to a controlled compressed air supply which provides a pneumatic spring for lowering the head assembly into engagement with a closure cap C on the top of a container B, the movement being controlled by co-operation of the cam roller 15 with the cam track 17. Each rolling head 10 is connected to a common air supply through passageway 26, the air from one head being passed to another in a closed system as they are alternately raised and lowered. The piston 20 is secured on the bottom portion of the top spindle section 18 and serves to clamp thereto a depending bottom spindle section 30 which is of greater length and constitutes the main portion thereof. The piston 20 is seated on a radially extending shoulder 31 (FIG. 7) of the spindle section 18 and is clamped to the spindle section 18 by a clamping ring 32 and bolts 33, the clamping ring 32 seating in a peripheral recess 34 in the top portion of the lower spindle section 30. The lower spindle section 30, which extends to the cap applying work area, supports an outer cylindrical housing member 36 which is in the form of a rotatably mounted sleeve. The housing member 36 is supported on upper and

lower bearing assemblies

37 and 38, the upper bearing assembly 37 being seated on a downwardly facing shoulder 40 on the spindle section 36 and held against axial movement by a locking ring 41 at the bottom of the bearing recess 42. The upwardly opening bearing recess 42 is closed by an apertured cap member 43 secured thereon and having a seal assembly 44 engaging the spindle shaft section 30 above the shoulder 40. The housing 36 has an external gear formation 45 which is positioned so that it engages in vertically sliding relation with a stationary or fixed gear drive 46 (FIG. I), mounted on the fixed center post or shaft 12 of the turret, so as to provide for spinning of the housing 36 and associated members as the turret rotates. The spindle housing 36 has an intermediate portion 47 extending through an opening 48 in a horizontal bottom wall portion of the turret housing 1 1 and a bottom bell-like portion 50 which is of increased internal diameter and houses a part of the operating mechanism for forming the closure cap C onto the top of the container B. The lower bearing 38 for the housing 36 is disposed within the top portion of the bell-like section 50 and is seated on an upwardly facing shoulder 51 of an inner bell member 52. The bell member 52 has a top flange portion 53 which is attached in screwthreaded relation at 54 to an intermediate portion of the inner spindle section 30 with appropriate 0 ring seals in the connecting portions and a suitable retaining or locking ring. The bearing 38 is locked on the flang, portion 53 by a locking ring 55.

The inner bell member 52 houses a cylindrical cone or cam in the form of a piston 56 which is Slidabiy mounted on the spindle section 30 for operating the mechanisms provided for rolling on the thread forming portions and sometimes also a pilfer-proof ring from the skirt of the closure C. These mechanisms are in oppositely disposed paired relation on a hub-like casting member 60 (FIGS. 3 and 7) which is bolted to or otherwise mounted at the bottom end of the bell member 50. There are two roll on mechanisms 62, 62 (FIG. 3) which are mounted in outwardly opening, oppositely disposed radial recesses 63, 63' in the supporting hub member 60. Since these mechanisms are of identical construction, only one thereof will be described, corresponding parts of the other being indicated by the same numerals primed. The roll on mechanism 62 is mounted for swinging movement on a small pin shaft 64 which is secured in fixed position in the supporting member 60. The main portion of the mechanism is in the form of a lever 65 which is pivotally mounted, intermediate its top and bottom ends, on the pin shaft 64. The lever 65 supports at its bottom end a cap-engaging roll 66 having a relatively narrow, peripheral edge 67 adapted to engage with the skirt of the closure cap C in the area to be shaped onto the thread portion of the container mouth. The roll 66 is supported on the lower end of a vertically disposed shaft 68 which is rotatable in a bearing sleeve 70 secured in a vertical bore 71 in the lower end of the supporting lever 65. The bore 71 is disposed in lever 65 at an angle (FIG. 5) which is at right angles to the helix of the thread on the container. The shaft 68 has a headed top end 71 seated in a recess in a washer 72 which forms a top retainer for a compressing spring 73. The spring 73 is seated at its lower end on the upper end of the sleeve bearing 70 and encircles the upper end of the shaft 68 so as to permit some vertical movement of the roll 66 with the spring 73 operative to return the roll 66 to a normal top position when it is freed from engagement with the cap. The spring 73 is relatively weak and permits the roll 66 to follow the spiral path of the thread on the neck of the container 13. The upper portion of the lever 65, which extends above pin shaft 64 (FIGS. 5 and 7) comprises parallel side plates 74 and a connecting cross plate or web portion 75. The area between the plates 74 is thus in the form of a recess which opens towards the spindle shaft section 30. An upper lever member 76 is mounted in this recess with its lower end rotatably supported on the in shaft 64. At its upper end the lever 76 carries a cam follower 77 on a vertically extending pin 78 which pin has head portion 86 with a groove 81 for receiving therein a garter spring 82 (FIG. 2). A compensating spring 83 is set in an axial recess in an adjustable supporting screw 84 which may be locked in position by a nut 84a, the latter being threadedly secured in an aperture in the cross web member 75, with the opposite end of the spring 83 bearing against the upper end of the lever 76 so as to urge the same in the direction of the spindle section 30, that is, in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 7. A headed pin 85 extending from the cross web member has its head in a recess 86 in the lever 76 so as to limit the movement of the lever 76 in the direction towards the spindle section 30 while permitting a limited amount of movement in the opposite direction, against the force of the spring 83. This arrangement enables the roller 66 to adjust itself when gaged with the cap C so as to accommodate, within aredetermined limits, variations in container mouth or neck sizes.

Two roll on mechanims 92 and 92' are provided in the recesses93 and 93 of the supporting member 60 for rolling on or shaping to the container neck the pilfer-proof ring forming portion of the skirt of the closure cap C which is indicated at PR in FIG. 7. Since these two mechanisms 92 and 92' are identical, only one thereof will be described with corresponding parts of the other indicated by the same numeral primed. The mechanism 92 is mounted on a cross pin 94 which forms a supporting pivot member. The mechanism 92 comprises a main supporting lever 95 which is carried on the pin 94 in the same manner as the lever 65 for the roll on mechanism 62. The roller 96 for engaging the skirt portion of the closure cap C is mounted on the lower end of a vertically disposed shaft 98 which is received in a bearing sleeve 100 secured in a bore 101 at the lower end of the lever 95. The axis of the bore 101 coincides with the vertical axis of the lever 95 or is parallel with the vertical axis of the container and need not be tilted as shown with respect to the bore 71 in FIG. 5. The vertical shaft 98 has a headed top end 102 which is seated in an upwardly opening recess in a spring retaining washer 103 against the lower face of which the upper end of a compression spring 104 is seated with the lower end of the spring 104 being seated on a washer 105 which forms a retainer for a thrust bearing 106 at the top of the sleeve 100. The spring 10, which is relatively strong, and

washers

103 and 105 rotate with the roll shaft 98, the spring permitting some adjustment of the elevation of the roll 96 to accommodate variations in the container dimensions. The upper portion of the lever 95 is formed in the same manner as the corresponding part of the lever 65 with parallel side plates 107 and a top cross web 108. A top lever member 110 is mounted on the cross pin 94 and a pin 111 extends vertically of the upper end of lever 110 which carries a cam follower 112 together with a grooved upper end member 113 for receiving the garter spring 80. A compensating spring 114 is set in an adjustable holder-forming screw 115, with lock nut 115a, which is mounted in the cross web member 108 and a movement limiting screw 116 is provided to limit the swinging movement of the top lever 110 relative to the bottom lever 95.

The closure cap-engaging

rollers

66, 66' and 96, 96' are swung into engagement with the skirt of a closure cap C by lowering of the cylindrical cone or cam member 56 which is in the form of a flanged sleeve slidably mounted on the spindle section 30. This is accomplished by feeding, as hereinafter described, compressed air into the space 120 above the piston-forming portion or flange 121 on the cam member 56. The piston 121 has ring seals for sealing the same relative to the spindle section 30 and the inside face of the cylindrical member 52 which is carried on the spindle. The bottom margin of member 56 has an axially tapered outer surface 122 adapted to engage and cam outwardly the

cam followers

77 and 112. The cam sleeve 56 is urged in an upward direction, to a non-operative position, by a compression spring 123 which is seated at one end in a downwardly opening recess in the bottom face of the piston member 121 and at the other end in a recess in the top face of a retainer ring 124 which is of L-shaped section and held on the inside face of the member 52, by a lock ring 125. The garter spring 82 returns the cap-engaging assemblies to non-operating position when the cam 56 is retracted upwardly.

A forming block or die 130 in the form of a cylindrical section is secured in screw threaded relation on the bottom end of the spindle section 30 with an internal groove 131 at the bottom edge thereof for engaging and shaping the area of the cap C at the juncture of the skirt and top panel thereof and forming a seal between the container mouth and the cap gasket. The forming block has an inner or upper portion 132 of reduced diameter for accommodating the bottom portion of the member 60 at the bottom of the bell 50 and a pin roller bearing 133 supports the member 60 on the spindle section 30. A cap stripper button which is in the form of a tubular section or ring 134 is mounted within the forming block 130. A pair of radial pins 135 which operate in axially extending slots 136 in the forming block 130 retains the stripper when no container is present. A compression spring 137 has its upper end seated on the end of the spindle section 30 and its lower end seated on an upwardly facing shoulder of the stripper button 134 so as to urge the latter downwardly towards the limit of the slots 136 for stripping the cap from the forming block 130 when the spindle 30 is retracted at the end of a forming operation.

The upper portion 18 of the spindle assembly has an axial bore 140 forming an air passageway which extends to and connects with radial and

circumferential passageways

141 and 142, adjacent the top thereof, the latter in turn connecting with passageway 143 which extends in a radial direction through the side wall of the sleeve 24 in which the spindle section 18 slides and the top wall 22 of the housing 11 to a connecting nipple 144 for an air supply line 145 leading to the valve 27 which is in turn connected to the air supply source. The axial passageway 140 extends downwardly to the top of the lower spindle section 30 and the latter has a connecting axial passageway 146. The passageway or bore 146 has a portion 147 at the top which is of enlarged diameter for housing valve 148, the latter being carried on the top of the rod 150 which is slidable in the passageway 146. A small plug 151 having an axial bore is seated in screw threaded engagement in the upper end of the bore 147 and forms a retainer ring for a compression spring 152 which has its lower end seated on the valve member 148. The bottom shoulder 153 of the bore portion 147 forms a valve seat for the valve member 148 so as to close off the passageway 146 when the valve member 148 is lowered so as to seat on the shoulder 153. The axial passageway 146 in the spindle section 130 connects with a radial passageway 154 leading to the space 130 above the piston member 121, so that when the valve 148 is opened and the air supply is connected through the valve 27 it will flow into the area 120 and force the piston 121 downwardly to cam the

rolls

66 and 96 into engagement with the cap skirt. The valve carrying rod 150 extends downwardly to a bearing sleeve 155 threaded into an enlarged portion of the bore 146 near the bottom of the spindle section 30. A combined cap sensing button and retaining member is received in slidable relation 161 in the bore 146 which is of enlarged diameter relative to rod 150 so as to receive a compression spring 162 which bears on a downwardly facing shoulder 163 at the top and on a radial flange 164 at the bottom the latter being intermediate the top and bottom of the cap sensing and retaining button 160. The top end 165 of the button 160 engages the bottom end of the rod 150. The button 160 is of an axial dimension so that the bottom end may project below the bottom face of the forming block 130 when fully extended by the spring 162 with the shoulder flange 164 forming a stop member which is adapted to engage the top of the stripper button 133 and limit the downward movement of the sensing member 160. When the head assembly is retracted upwardly so as to be free of engagement with the container, the spring 162 will urge the button 160 downwardly so that the bottom end projects a substantial distance below the bottom face of the forming block 130 which lowers the rod 150 to seat the valve 147 on the valve seat 153 and close off the delivery of air to the piston 121. When the head is lowered to engage a container with a cap C in position thereon, the top panel of the cap will lift the button 160 and with it the rod 150 so as to open the valve 148 and allow air pressure to operate on the piston 121 which in turn moves the thread and pilfer

ring forming rolls

66 and 96 into cap-engaging position for forming the cap to the contour of the container neck upon spinning rotation of the outer spindle member 36. When the head is lowered, and a cap is missing from the container, the cap sensing and retaining button 160 will not be raised and the valve 148 will not be opened so that there is no operation of the cam 55 and the shaping rolls 66 and 96 are not moved into engagement with the container. The cap sensing and retaining button is arranged so that when a cap is correctly positioned on a container, foam therein cannot lift the cap off prior to the descent of the capping head.

The manner in which the sealing head is used will be apparent from the foregoing description. The head is pneumatically operated and utilizes a pneumatic spring in a closed air system for sealing pressure. The pneumatic cylinder arrangement operates the cone or cam which brings the closure engaging rolls into contact with the closure, with the result that the pressure exerted in rolling on the closure may be readily and easily adjusted by regulating the air pressure. The control valve 148 which is incorporated in the line supplying air to the piston 121 is push rod operated by the cap locating plunger 160 so that if a container fails to pick up a closure blank, the plunger 160 is not depressed, no air flows to the pneumatic cylinder 52 and the shaping rolls 66, 96 are not forced into contact with the container. The container can then be retrieved and circulated a second time without interrupting production. The use of pneumatic springs for operating the apparatus enables the sealing force exerted to be readily adjusted and held constant regardless of normal variations in the height of the containers while sealing pressure can be readily changed when required, for example, when changing from glass to plastic containers.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for securing closure blanks on cor.- tainers having thread and rib formations on the neck portions thereof which closure blanks are characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt of formable material, said apparatus comprising a support member, a spindle assembly mounted in said support member for vertical movement into and out of operative position at a work station, means at said work station for supporting in upright position a container having a closure blank loosely positioned on the mouth thereof, said spindle assembly having means on the bottom thereof which is engageable with a closure blank on container positioned at said work station when ti; spindle assembly is lowered for sealing the oil. thereon, means carried on said spindle assembly win-4.. is operative when the spindle assembly is lowered to engage the skirt of the closure blank and shape the same so that it conforms to and tightly engages the surface of the container neck portions, pneumatic spring means for lowering said spindle into engagement with said container and closure blank assembly and for operating said means to shape the skirt of said closure blank by forcing it into tight engagement with the container surface, said spindle having means to render said skirt shaping means inoperative when there is no closure blank on the container, said means on said spindle assembly which is operative to engage and shape the closure blank comprises roll members mounted on vertically disposed, rotatably mounted shafts which are carried on swingably mounted levers at the bottom of said spindle assembly with means for swinging said levers to engage the rolls with the blank skirt and certain of said shafts having spring means urging them in an axial direction so that when the rolls are engaged with the closure blank they have limited movement in the direction of the shaft axles.

2. An apparatus for securing closure blanks on containers having thread and rib formations on the neck portions thereof which closure blanks are characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt of formable material, said apparatus comprising a support member, a spindle assembly mounted in said support member for vertical movement into and out of operative position at a work station, means at said work station for supporting in upright position a container having a closure blank loosely positioned on the mouth thereof, said spindle assembly having means on the bottom end thereof which is engageable with a closure blank on a container positioned at said work station when the spindle assembly is lowered for sealing the blank thereon, means carried on said spindle assembly which is operative when the spindle assembly is lowered to engage the skirt of the closure blank and shape the same so that it conforms to and tightly engages the surface of the container neck portions, pneumatic spring means for lowering said spindle into engagement with said container and closure blank assembly and for operating said means to shape the skirt of said closure blank by forcing it into tight engagement with the container surface, said spindle having means to render said skirt shaping means inoperative when there is no closure blank on the container, said spindle assembly comprises an inner spindle member and an outer spindle member rotatably mounted on said inner spindle member with means to drive the same, said outer spindle member having a bottom bell formation and said means to engage the skirt of the closure blank comprising a supporting block member secured in the bottom end of said bell formation, vertically disposed support levers pivoted intermediate their ends on said block member, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted in bearing formations at the lower ends of said support levers and having rolls on the bottom ends thereof with relatively narrow peripheral edges for engaging the skirt of the closure blank, spring means normally urging said support levers in a direction to position the skirt engaging rolls out of engagement with said skirt, cam followers associated with said support levers and cam means operated by pneumatic spring means for pivoting said support 1ers in a direction to move said rolls into engagement with said skirt. 7 i

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said pneumatic spring means comprises a pneumatic cylin- 9 der mounted on said inner spindle member and a coopcrating piston formation on said cammeans for pivoting said support levers. r

4. A sealing head for securing a container closure member on the mouth of a container: which closure member is characterized by a top panel and adepending skirt, said sealing head comprising:

a support member;

a spindle assembly mounted on said support member for vertical reciprocation relative to a work station and having engaging means 'on' the bottom end thereof engageable with the closure member when the spindle assembly is lowered;-

shaping means carried by said'spin dle to cause the skirt to conform to the surface of the container;

piston actuated cam measn adapted to be connected to a source of fluid energy for actuating said shaping means;

valve means carried by said spindle for admitting fluid energy against said piston'cam meanswhen a closure is present on said container; said spindle assembly comprises inner and outer relatively rotatable members, and said cam means being carried by one of said members concentric to the axis of rotation.

5. A sealing head for securing a container closure member on the mouth of a container which closure member is characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt, said sealing head comprising:

a support member; 1

a spindleassembly mounted on"-said support member for vertical reciprocation relative to a work station and having engaging means on the bottom end thereof engageable with the closure member when the spindle assembly is lowered;

shaping means carried by'said spindle to cause the skirt to'conform to the surface of the container;

piston actuated cam means adapted to be connected to a source of fluid energy for actuating said shaping means; I

valve means carried by said spindle for admitting fluid energy against said piston cam means when a closure is present in said container, said camming comprises a cylinder and piston, said piston having a cam surface thereon for actuating said shaping means, and said shaping means comprises skirt engaging rolls mounted on pivot arms for engagement with the skirt of the closure.

6. Apparatus for securing closures of the type having an end panel and a peripheral skirt'ilpon containers comprising a support, a spindle assembly vertically carried by said support, said spindle assemblyincluding a non-rotatable spindle and a housing, means mounting said housing for rotation relative to said spindle, said housing carrying means for crimping the peripheral skirt of a closure'to a container upon rotation of said housing, piston means reciprocally carried relative to and by said spindle, means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction toward said spindle upon motion of said piston means in at least onedirectionof its reciprocal motion, valve means carried by said spindle assembly for controlling the admission of a fluid media to said piston means valve actuating means carried by said spindle for detecting the. presence of a container and closure below said spindle assembly and for opening said valve means in responseto the presence of a closure, said piston, valve means and valve actuating means being carried in concentric relationship to the vertical axis of said spindle, and passage means housing said valve means between a source of pressurized media'an'd said piston means whereby upon the 5 opening of said valve means said pressurized media passes through said passage means to move said piston means in' said at least one direction to in turn impart 'motion to said crimping means in said direction toward said spindle.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including pivot means for mounting said crimping means for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said motion imparting means are cooperative cam and cam followerrneans of said piston means and said crimping means.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said motion imparting means are cooperative cam and cam follower means of said piston means and said crimping means respectively.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including spring biasing means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of said piston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means. 4

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including spring biasing means for imparting motor to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of saidpiston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means, and spring means for biasing said piston means in. its second direction.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein crimping means includes a support arm carrying a roller for engagement against the closure peripheral skirt.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein crimping means includes a support arm carrying a roller for engagement against the closure peripheral skirt, and pivot means for mounting said support arm for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, and said motion imparting means is in part defined by an end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, said motion imparting means is in part'defined by and end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof, and means between said crimping means first and second support arms for biasing said crimping means second support arm opposite end in a direction toward said spindle axis.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said motion imparting means are cooperative cam and cam follower means of said piston means and said crimping means respectively.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 including spring biasing means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of said piston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein crimping means includes a support arm carrying a roller for engagement against the closure peripheral skirt, and pivot means for mounting said support arm for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, and said motion imparting means is in part defined by an end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 including pivot means for mounting said crimping means for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 including spring biasing means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of said piston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein crimping means includes a support arm carrying a roller for engagement against the closure peripheral skirt, and pivot means for mounting said support arm for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, and said motion imparting means is in part defined by an end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein crimping means includes a support arm carrying a roller for engagement against the closure peripheral skirt, and pivot means for mounting said support arm for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes asecond support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, and said motion imparting means is in part defined by an end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof.

26. Apparatus for securing closures of the type having an end panel and a peripheral skirt upon containers comprising a support, a spindle assembly vertically carried by said support, said spindle assembly including a nonrotable spindle and a housing, means mounting said housing for rotation relative to said spindle, said housing carrying means for crimping the peripheral skirt of a closure to a container upon rotation of said housing, piston means reciprocally carried relative to and by said spindle, means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction toward said spindle upon motion of said piston means in at least one direction of its reciprocal motion, valve means for controlling the admission of a fluid media to said piston means, means for opening said valve means in response to the pressure of a closure beneath said spindle assembly, and passage means housing said valve means between a source of pressurized media and said piston means whereby upon the opening of said valve means said pressurized media passes through said passage means to move said piston means in said at least one direction to in turn impart motion to said crimping means in said direction toward said spindle.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 26 including actuating rod means mounted for reciprocal motion in said spindle for actuating said valve means to its open position in response to the presence of a closure beneath said spindle assembly.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 26 including pivot means for mounting said crimping means upon said housing for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 27 including pivot means for mounting said crimping means upon said housing for pivotal movement about an axis generally transverse to said spindle axis.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 including spring means for biasing said piston means in its second direction.

31. Apparatus for securing closures of the type having an end panel and a peripheral skirt upon containers comprising a support, a spindle assembly vertically carried by said support, said spindle assembly including a non-rotatable spindle and a housing, means mounting said housing for rotation relative to said spindle, said housing carrying means for crimping the peripheral skirt of a closure to a container upon rotation of said housing, piston means reciprocally carried relative to said spindle, means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction toward said spindle upon motion of said piston means in at least one direction of its reciprocal motion, said motion imparting means are cooperative cam and cam follower means of said piston means and said crimping means, means for detecting the presence of a closure beneath said spindle assembly, and pneumatic control means responsive to the detection of a closure by said detecting means for imparting motion to said piston means in said one direction thereof.

32. The apparatus as defined by, claim 31 wherein said cam means is carried by said piston means.

crimping means include arms pivotally carried by said housing, and said cam follower means are carried by said arms.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securing closure blanks on containers having thread and rib formations on the neck portions thereof which closure blanks are characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt of formable material, said apparatus comprising a support member, a spindle assembly mounted in said support member for vertical movement into and out of operative position at a work station, means at said work station for supporting in upright position a container having a closure blank loosely positioned on the mouth thereof, said spindle assembly having means on the bottom end thereof which is engageable with a closure blank on a container positioned at said work station when the spindle assembly is lowered for sealing the blank thereon, means carried on said spindle assembly which is operative when the spindle assembly is lowered to engage the skirt of the closure blank and shape the same so that it conforms to and tightly engages the surface of the container neck portions, pneumatic spring means for lowering said spindle into engagement with said container and closure blank assembly and for operating said means to shape the skirt of said closure blank by forcing it into tight engagement with the container surface, said spindle having means to render said skirt shaping means inoperative when there is no closure blank on the container, said means on said spindle assembly which is operative to engage and shape the closure blank comprises roll members mounted on vertically disposed, rotatably mounted shafts which are carried on swingably mounted levers at the bottom of said spindle assembly with means for swinging said levers to engage the rolls with the blank skirt and certain of said shafts having spring means urging them in an axial direction so that when the rolls are engaged with the closure blank they have limited movement in the direction of the shaft axles.

2. An apparatus for securing closure blanks on containers having thread and rib formations on the neck portions thereof which closure blanks are characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt of formable material, said apparatus comprising a support member, a spindle assembly mounted in said support member for vertical movement into and out of operative position at a work station, means at said work station for supporting in upright position a container having a closure blank loosely positioned on the mouth thereof, said spindle assembly having means on the bottom end thereof which is engageable with a closure blank on a container positioned at said work station when the spindle assembly is lowered for sealing the blank thereon, means carried on said spindle assembly which is operative when the spindle assembly is lowered to engage the skirt of the closure blank and shape the same so that it conforms to and tightly engages the surface of the container neck portions, pneumatic spring means for lowering said spindle into engagement with said container and closure blank assembly and for operating said means to shape the skirt of said closure blank by forcing it into tight engagement with the container surface, said spindle having means to render said skirt shaping means inoperative when there is no closure blank on the container, said spindle assembly comprises an inner spindle member and an outer spindle member rotatably mounted on said inner spindle member with means to drive the same, said outer spindle member having a bottom bell formation and said means to engage the skirt of the closure blank comprising a supporting block member secured in the bottom end of said bell formation, vertically disposed support levers pivoted intermediate their ends on said block member, shafts rotatably and slidably mounted in bearing formations at the lower ends of said support levers and having rolls on the bottom ends thereof with relatively narrow peripheral edges for engaging the skirt of the closure blank, spring means normally urging said support levers in a direction to position the skirt engaging rolls out of engagement with said skirt, cam followers associated with said support levers and cam means operated by said pneumatic spring means for pivoting said support levers in a direction to move said rolls into engagement with said skirt.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said pneumatic spring means comprises a pneumatic cylinder mounted on said inner spindle member and a cooperating piston formation on said cam means for pivoting said support levers.

4. A sealing head for securing a container closure member on the mouth of a container which closure member is characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt, said sealing head comprising: a support member; a spindle assembly mounted on said support member for vertical reciprocation relative to a work station and having engaging means on the bottom end thereof engageable with the closure member when the spindle assembly is lowered; shaping means carried by said spindle to cause the skirt to conform to the surface of the container; piston actuated cam measn adapted to be connected to a source of fluid energy for actuating said shaping means; valve means carried by said spindle for admitting fluid energy against said piston cam means when a closure is present on said container, said spindle assembly comprises inner and outer relatively rotatable members, and said cam means being carried by one of said members concentric to the axis of rotation.

5. A sealing head for securing a container closure member on the mouth of a container which closure member is characterized by a top panel and a depending skirt, said sealing head comprising: a support member; a spindle assembly mounted on said support member for vertical reciprocation relative to a work station and having engaging means on the bottom end thereof engageable with the closure member when the spindle assembly is lowered; shaping means carried by said spindle to cause the skirt to conform to the surface of the container; piston actuated cam means adapted to be connected to a source of fluid energy for actuating said shaping means; valve means carried by said spindle for admitting fluid energy against said piston cam means when a closure is present in said container, said camming comprises a cylinder and piston, said piston having a cam surface thereon for actuating said shaping means, and said shaping means comprises skirt engaging rolls mounted on pivot arms for engagement with the skirt of the closure.

6. Apparatus for seCuring closures of the type having an end panel and a peripheral skirt upon containers comprising a support, a spindle assembly vertically carried by said support, said spindle assembly including a non-rotatable spindle and a housing, means mounting said housing for rotation relative to said spindle, said housing carrying means for crimping the peripheral skirt of a closure to a container upon rotation of said housing, piston means reciprocally carried relative to and by said spindle, means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction toward said spindle upon motion of said piston means in at least one direction of its reciprocal motion, valve means carried by said spindle assembly for controlling the admission of a fluid media to said piston means, valve actuating means carried by said spindle for detecting the presence of a container and closure below said spindle assembly and for opening said valve means in response to the presence of a closure, said piston, valve means and valve actuating means being carried in concentric relationship to the vertical axis of said spindle, and passage means housing said valve means between a source of pressurized media and said piston means whereby upon the opening of said valve means said pressurized media passes through said passage means to move said piston means in said at least one direction to in turn impart motion to said crimping means in said direction toward said spindle.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said motion imparting means are cooperative cam and cam follower means of said piston means and said crimping means.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including spring biasing means for imparting motion to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of said piston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 including spring biasing means for imparting motor to said crimping means in a direction away from said spindle upon motion of said piston means in its second direction opposite said one direction thereof upon the closing of said valve means, and spring means for biasing said piston means in its second direction.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, said motion imparting means is in part defined by and end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof, and means between said crimping means first and second support arms for biasing said crimping means second support arm opposite end in a direction toward said spindle axis.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said crimping means includes a first support arm pivoted medially ends thereof to said housing, said crimping means further includes a second support arm pivoted at one of two ends thereof at the same point of pivot as said first support arm, means for effecting limited relative pivotal motion between said crimping means first and second support arms, and said motion imparting means is in part defined by an end of said crimping means second support arm opposite said one end thereof.

32. The apparatus as defined by claim 31 wherein said cam means is carried by said piston means.

33. The apparatus as defined in claim 31 wherein said crimping means include arms pivotally carried by said housing, and said cam follower means are carried by said arms.

34. The apparatus as defined in claim 32 wherein said crimping means include arms pivotally carried by said housing, and said cam follower means are carried by said arms.