Apparatus for feeding and applying individual lids to containers

Claim 1

An apparatus for applying individual lids to the upper rims in preformed containers comprising, a support frame, conveyor means on said support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path past a lid applying station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, lid feed means for removing individual lids from the stack and for applying the lids to the containers while they are advancing along the path, said lid feed means including lever means mounted to said support frame for swinging movement about a first horizontal axis spaced in said forward direction from the lid magazine, a gripper head mounted on said lever means for swinging movement relative thereto about a second horizontal axis spaced from said first axis, a vacuum cup mounted on said head at a location laterally offset from said second axis, means operated in timed relation with the conveyor means for cyclically swinging said lever means from a raised position in which said second axis is below said lid magazine and laterally offset generally horizontally from said first axis downwardly and forwardly to a lowered position in which said second axis is generally vertically below said first axis and back to said raised position, and means including an arm connected to said head and a link pivotally connected at one end to said arm for swinging said head relative to said lever means about said second axis as said lever means moves between said raised and lowered positions, said lever means, arm and link being constructed and arranged to orient the vacuum cup in a upwardly facing attitude and move the vacuum cup in a direction generally axially of the cup as the lever means moves into and out of its raised position and to orient the vacuum cup in a downwardly facing attitude and move the vacuum cup in said forward direction at a level adjacent the tops of the container as the lever means approaches said lowered position, and means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum cup in timed relation with its movement.

Claim 2

An apparatus for applying individual lids to the upper rims in preformed containers comprising, a support frame, conveyor means on said support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path past a lid applying station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, lid feed means for removing individual lids from the stack and for applying the lids to the containers while they are advancing along the path, said lid feed means including lever means mounted to said support frame for swinging movement about a first horizontal axis spaced in said forward direction from the lid magazine, a gripper head mounted on said lever means for swinging movement relative thereto about a second horizontal axis spaced from said first axis, a vacuum cup mounted on said head at a location laterally offset from said second axis, means operated in timed relation with the conveyor means for cyclically swinging said lever means from a raised position in which said second axis is below said lid magazine and laterally offset generally horizontally from said first axis downwardly and forwardly to a lowered position in which said second axis is generally vertically below said first axis and back to said raised position, and means including an arm connected to said head and a link pivotally connected at one end to said arm for swinging said head relative to said lever means about said second axis as said lever means moves between said raised and lowered positions, said lever means, arm and link being constructed and arranged to orient the vacuum cup in a upwardly facing attitude and move the vacuum cup in a direction generally axially of the cup as the lever means moves into and out of its raised position and to orient the vacuum cup in a downwardly facing attitude and move the vacuum cup in said forward direction at a level adjacent the tops of the container as the lever means approaches said lowered position, and means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum cup in timed relation with its movement.

Claim 10

An apparatus for applying individual flat foil lids to the upper rims on preformed containers comprising a support frame, conveyor means on the support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path sequentially past a lid applying station and a lid sealing station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, vacuum operated gripper means, operating means for cyclically moving said vacuum operated gripper means from a first position in an upwardly facing attitude for engaging the lowermost lid in the magazine to a second position in a downwardly facing attitude at said lid applying station and back to said first position, said operating means including means for moving said gripper means in said forward direction and at a level adjacent the level of the container rims as the gripper means approaches said second position in a downwardly facing attitude, tack sealing means at said lid applying station, means operated in timed relation with the movement of said gripper means for moving said tack sealing means downwardly and forwardly as said gripper means moves forwardly toward said second position to press and tack seal a portion of a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means to the rim of a container, means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum operated gripper means to apply and interrupt vacuum to the gripper means in timed relation with its movement, and lid sealing means at the lid sealing station for sealing the lid to the entire rim of the container as the containers are advanced past the lid sealing station, a lid guide plate having a portion overlying the path of travel of the rims on the containers at a level to engage a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means as the latter moves toward said second position thereof, said lid guide plate and said vacuum operated gripper means being so constructed and arranged that the lid carried by the gripper means projects forwardly beyond the lid guide plate when the gripper means is in said second position and said tack sealing means being arranged to tack seal the forwardly projecting portion of the lid to the container rim.

Claim 11

An apparatus for applying individual flat foil lids to the upper rims on preformed containers comprising a support frame, conveyor means on the support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path sequentially past a lid applying station and a lid sealing station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, vacuum operated gripper means, operating means for cyclically moving said vacuum operated gripper means from a first position in an upwardly facing attitude for engaging the lowermost lid in the magazine to a second position in a downwardly facing attitude at said lid applying station and back to said first position, said operating means including means for moving said gripper means in said forward direction and at a level adjacent the level of the container rims as the gripper means approaches said second position in a downwardly facing attitude, tack sealing means at said lid applying station, means operated in timed relation with the movement of said gripper means for moving said tack sealing means downwardly and forwardly as said gripper means moves forwardly toward said second position to press and tack seal a portion of a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means to the rim of a container, means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum operated gripper means to apply and interrupt vacuum to the gripper means in timed relation with its movement, and lid sealing means at the lid sealing station for sealing the lid to the entire rim of the container as the containers are advanced past the lid sealing station, a lid guide plate having a portion overlying the path of travel of the rims on the containers at a level to engage a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means as the latter moves toward said second position thereof, said lid guide plate and said vacuum operated gripper means being so constructed and arranged that the lid carried by the gripper means projects forwardly beyond the lid guide plate when the gripper means is in said second position and said tack sealing means being arranged to tack seal the forwardly projecting portion of the lid to the container rim.

Claim 12

An apparatus for applying individual lids to the upper rims on preformed containers comprising a support frame, conveyor means on the support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path sequentially past a lid applying station and a lid sealing station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, vacuum operated gripper means, operating means for cyclically moving said vacuum operated gripper means from a first position in an upwardly facing attitude for engaging the lowermost lid in the magazine to a second position in a downwardly facing attitude at said lid applying station and back to said first position, said operating means including means for moving said gripper means in said forward direction and at a level adjacent the level of the container rims as the gripper means approaches said second position in a downwardly facing attitude, tack sealing means at said lid applying station, means operated in timed relation with the movement of said gripper means for moving said tack sealing means downwardly and forwardly as said gripper means moves forwardly toward said second position to press and tack seal a portion of a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means to the rim of a container, means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum operated gripper means to apply and interrupt vacuum to the gripper means in timed relation with its movement, and lid sealing means at the lid sealing station for sealing the lid to the entire rim of the container as the containers are advanced past the lid sealing station, said operating means including lever means mounted on said support frame for swinging movement about a first horizontal axis spaced in said forward direction from said lid magazine, a gripper head mounted on said lever means for swinging movement relative thereto about a second horizontal axis spaced from said first horizontal axis, said vacuum operated gripper means including a vacuum cup mounted on said head at a location laterally offset from said second axis, means for cyclically swinging said lever means from a raised position in which said second axis is offset generally horizontally from said first axis downwardly and forwardly in the direction of advance of the conveyor to a lowered position in which said second axis is generally vertically below said first axis and back to said raised position, and means including an arm connected to said head and a link pivotally connected at one end to said arm and at the other end to said stationary support frame for swinging said head relative to said lever means about said second axis as said lever means moves between said raised and lowered position, said lever means and arm and link being constructed and arranged to orient the vacuum cup in an upwardly facing attitude and move the cup in a direction generally axially of the cup as the lever means moves into and out of its raised position and to orient the vacuum cup in a downwardly facing attitude and move the cup in said forward direction at a level adjacent the rims on the containers as the lever means approaches said lowered position.

Claim 13

An apparatus for applying individual lids to the upper rims on preformed containers comprising a support frame, conveyor means on the support frame for advancing preformed containers in continuous fashion in a forward direction along a path sequentially past a lid applying station and a lid sealing station, a lid magazine for storing a stack of inverted lids adjacent said lid applying station, vacuum operated gripper means, operating means for cyclically moving said vacuum operated gripper means from a first position in an upwardly facing attitude for engaging the lowermost lid in the magazine to a second position in a downwardly facing attitude at said lid applying station and back to said first position, said operating means including means for moving said gripper means in said forward direction and at a level adjacent the level of the container rims as the gripper means approaches said second position in a downwardly facing attitude, tack sealing means at said lid applying station, means operated in timed relation with the movement of said gripper means for moving said tack sealing means downwardly and forwardly as said gripper means moves forwardly toward said second position to press and tack seal a portion of a lid carried by the vacuum operated gripper means to the rim of a container, means for controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum operated gripper means to apply and interrupt vacuum to the gripper means in timed relation with its movement, and lid sealing means at the lid sealing station for sealing the lid to the entire rim of the container as the containers are advanced past the lid sealing station, said operating means including lever means mounted on said support frame for swinging movement about a first horizontal axis spaced in said forward direction from said lid magazine, a gripper head mounted on said lever means for swinging movement relative thereto about a second horizontal axis spaced from said first horizontal axis, said vacuum operated gripper means including a vacuum cup mounted on said head at a location laterally offset from said second axis, means for cyclically swinging said lever means from a raised position in which said second axis is offset generally horizontally from said first axis downwardly and forwardly in the direction of advance of the conveyor to a lowered position in which said second axis is generally vertically below said first axis and back to said raised position, and means including an arm connected to said head and a link pivotally connected at one end to said arm and at the other end to said stationary support frame for swinging said head relative to said lever means about said second axis as said lever means moves between said raised and lowered position, said lever means and arm and link being constructed and arranged to orient the vacuum cup in an upwardly facing attitude and move the cup in a direction generally axially of the cup as the lever means moves into and out of its raised position and to orient the vacuum cup in a downwardly facing attitude and move the cup in said forward direction at a level adjacent the rims on the containers as the lever means approaches said lowered position.