US3674160A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for transferring can lids through a partition subject to a pressure differential
Assignee: Kraft Heinz Foods Co
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Filing: 1971-04-08
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Granted: 1972-07-04
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Expires: 1991-04-08
Abstract
Abstract In a canning method where cans are filled with a product and a lid sealed thereto in an enclosure in which the pressure inside the enclosure is different from pressure outside, a mechanism is provided for feeding can lids one at a time from a magazine outside the enclosure to the magazine of a can lid-applying machine inside the enclosure wherein an endless chain removes the lids from the bottom of a magazine outside the holder, carries them around a looped guide, one after another, and drops them alternately into one of two pockets in an oscillating pressure lock, one of which pockets is open only at the top to receive a can lid when the other has moved to a position where it is open only at the bottom to discharge a lid into a gravity chute that passes through the enclosure wall to the magazine of the can lidapplying machine inside the enclosure. The trap then oscillates to open the now-empty pocket at the top to receive a lid and close the other pocket at the top and open it at the bottom to discharge the lid which it received. The lid-feeding mechanism is driven from the can lid-applying machine inside the enclosure through a shaft that passes to the outside, with a clutch outside that feeds the lids only as required by the machine, and the oscillating pressure lock is synchronized with the operation of the endless chain.
Inventors
- 👤 Chester L Gutowski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:58
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B31/00; B65B31/02; B65B31/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
308 words
In an apparatus wherein there is a mechanism within a pressure-sealed enclosure for applying and sealing lids to containers, the invention for transferring lids from the atmosphere to the machine in the enclosure comprising: a. a pressure lock outside the enclosure having a casing and a core rotatably fitted in the casing, the core having two pockets therein, one at each side of a central longitudinal plane, the casing having two longitudinally extending slots therethrough 180* apart, one at the top and one at the bottom with one at one side of a vertical longitudinal plane and one at the other, the arrangement being such that when either pocket in the core registers with the upper slot in the casing it is out of register with the lower slot in the casing and when either registers with the lower slot the casing is out of register with the upper slot in the casing, the pockets being so spaced that when one pocket in the body registers with one slot in the casing, the other pocket registers with the other slot, b. means for turning said core about its axis in the casing to alternately bring each pocket in the body into register with one slot in the casing and then the other, c. means for delivering a container lid to the upper slot in the casing in timed relation to the turning of the core body each time one of said pockets in the core registers with the top slot in the casing, and d. means enclosed against the ambient atmosphere sealed to the casing and passing through the enclosure wall for receiving each lid as it drops from a pocket in said core through the lower slot in the casing and arranged to deliver the lid so received to the lid-applying and sealing mechanism in the enclosure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
308 words
In an apparatus wherein there is a mechanism within a pressure-sealed enclosure for applying and sealing lids to containers, the invention for transferring lids from the atmosphere to the machine in the enclosure comprising: a. a pressure lock outside the enclosure having a casing and a core rotatably fitted in the casing, the core having two pockets therein, one at each side of a central longitudinal plane, the casing having two longitudinally extending slots therethrough 180* apart, one at the top and one at the bottom with one at one side of a vertical longitudinal plane and one at the other, the arrangement being such that when either pocket in the core registers with the upper slot in the casing it is out of register with the lower slot in the casing and when either registers with the lower slot the casing is out of register with the upper slot in the casing, the pockets being so spaced that when one pocket in the body registers with one slot in the casing, the other pocket registers with the other slot, b. means for turning said core about its axis in the casing to alternately bring each pocket in the body into register with one slot in the casing and then the other, c. means for delivering a container lid to the upper slot in the casing in timed relation to the turning of the core body each time one of said pockets in the core registers with the top slot in the casing, and d. means enclosed against the ambient atmosphere sealed to the casing and passing through the enclosure wall for receiving each lid as it drops from a pocket in said core through the lower slot in the casing and arranged to deliver the lid so received to the lid-applying and sealing mechanism in the enclosure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the pockets in said core extend through the core in such manner that a lid entering the pocket through the upper slot in the casing may drop out the slot in the lower side of the casing when the said pocket registers with the lower slot in the casing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention defined in claim 2 wherein the said core-turning means effects an oscillatory movement of said core through an arc sufficient to bring one pocket and then the other into register first with the slot in the top of the casing and then with the slot in the bottom of the casing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
71 words
The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said means for oscillating the core comprises a cam having a high side and a low side and a cam follower operatively connected with said core for transmitting motion from the follower to the core, and there is a means for rotating the cam in timed relation to the means for delivering container lids to the slot in the upper part of the casing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention defined in claim 1 in which said means for delivering container lids comprises a lid guide terminating adjacent the slot in the top of the casing and an endless sprocket chain for moving lids in succession along said guide and which is driven synchronously with said body-turning means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said lid guide has a portion which extends from an elevated position downwardly to the casing, and means along said downwardly extending portion of the guide arranged to frictionally retard the free movement of the lids in advance of the endless sprocket chain until the lid is engaged in the slot in the top of the casing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
The invention defined in claim 5 wherein there is a lid-holding and feeding magazine outside the enclosure arranged to deliver lids one at a time to said lid guide and lid-moving sprocket chain, said sprocket chain and lid-holding and feeding magazine and the said core turning mechanism all being geared to a common drive whereby they operate in isochronism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
The invention defined in claim 7 in which the mechanism in the enclosure for applying and sealing lids to the containers is provided with a lid-receiving and holding magazine and the said means which is sealed to the said casing for transferring lids from the lower slot in the casing comprises a gravity chute through which the lids are guided into said magazine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention defined in claim 8 in which the common drive for the sprocket chain, the lid-holding and feeding magazine and the core turning means is operated by said mechanism for applying and sealing lids to containers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention defined in claim 8 in which the common drive is controlled by the variation in level of the lids in the magazine of said mechanism for applying and sealing lids to the containers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention defined in claim 10 wherein there is a cam-operated switch driven by said common drive arranged to prevent the stopping of the common drive when said core-turning means is intermediate either limit of travel of the core.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
69 words
The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said common drive comprises a clutch, and switch means on the magazine of the mechanism for applying and sealing lids to the containers arranged to render said clutch operative to transmit power when the accumulation of lids in the magazine of the said mechanism drops below a predetermined level and to release said clutch when the level rises to a predetermined point.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
148 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the pressure lock is elevated above the container lid-applying and sealing mechanism and the means for receiving the lids and delivering them to said mechanism is a gravity chute and wherein said means for delivering container lids to the slot in the top of said casing comprises a lid-holding and feeding magazine located at a level below said pressure lock, there being a lid guide leading from the bottom of said magazine first laterally and then downwardly around a semi-circle and then upwardly to a second semi-circle reversed with respect to the first with a generally vertical terminal portion ending at the pressure lock and an endless sprocket chain cooperatively positioned to move lids in spaced succession from said magazine, along the lid guide and a common drive for the pressure lock, the sprocket chain and the lid-holding and feeding magazine.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2889073A
Cited
US3260383A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-04 | 1976-01-03 | 1976-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-04 | 1980-01-03 | 1980-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-04 | 1984-01-03 | 1984-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |