Patent US3924384A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3924384A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for capping containers
Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
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Filing: 1975-01-30
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Granted: 1975-12-09
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Expires: 1995-01-30
Abstract
Abstract A rotary turret conveys containers through an arcuate path having an inner concave side and an outer convex side. Closures are supplied to a closure dispensing station located over a closure engaging station on the arcuate conveyor path by a line of movement generally in a plane tangential to the arcuate path at the closure engaging station. The closure entering the closure dispensing station is coerced into the position for proper alignment for the initial engagement of the closure by the container entering the closure engaging station. The closure being dispensed moves laterally outwardly toward the outer convex side of the arcuate path as the closure is being withdrawn from the closure dispensing station by the continued arcuate motion of the container, thereby maintaining the proper alignment of the closure to the container.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred W Kinney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 17:38
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B7/00; B65B7/16; B65B7/28; B65B43/00; B65B43/42; B65B43/50; B65B7/2807
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
411 words
In an apparatus comprising a conveying means for conveying upstanding containers through an arcuate path having an inner concave side and an outer convex side, a chute means for sequentially dispensing individual closures having a depending peripheral flange, said chute means having a closure passageway having first and second opposed walls with a closure dispensing station at the outlet end thereof, means for positioning said chute means with respect to said conveying means so that said closure dispensing station is positioned immediately above a closure engaging station on the arcuate path of said conveying means so that the leading upper edge portion of a container being moved by said conveying means through said closure engaging station engages the bottom segment of the leading portion of the depending peripheral flange of the closure in said closure dispensing station, with the general line of movement of a closure through said closure dispensing station being in a plane at least approximately tangential to said arcuate path at said closure engaging station, and with said first wall of said passageway being on the concave side of said arcuate path and said second wall of said passageway being on the convex side of said arcuate path, the improvement comprising at least the closure dispensing station of said closure passageway being wider than the width of one of said closures to permit lateral movement of a closure in said closure dispensing station, a closure coercing means, means for resiliently positioning said closure coercing means to extend downwardly into said closure passageway at said closure dispensing station to encounter a closure entering said closure dispensing station and thereby cause the thus encountered closure to be positioned inwardly against said first wall of said passageway for proper alignment fOr the initial engagement of the thus positioned closure with a container entering said closure engaging station, said means for resiliently positioning said closure coercing means being adapted to permit the engagement of the closure in said closure dispensing station by the container in the closure engaging station to cause the upward movement of said closure coercing means, thereby permitting the lateral movement of the closure outwardly toward said outer convex side of said arcuate path as the closure is being withdrawn from said closure dispensing station by the continued arcuate motion of the respective container, to thereby maintain the alignment of the closure being dispensed with the respective container as said closure being dispensed is united with the respective container.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
411 words
In an apparatus comprising a conveying means for conveying upstanding containers through an arcuate path having an inner concave side and an outer convex side, a chute means for sequentially dispensing individual closures having a depending peripheral flange, said chute means having a closure passageway having first and second opposed walls with a closure dispensing station at the outlet end thereof, means for positioning said chute means with respect to said conveying means so that said closure dispensing station is positioned immediately above a closure engaging station on the arcuate path of said conveying means so that the leading upper edge portion of a container being moved by said conveying means through said closure engaging station engages the bottom segment of the leading portion of the depending peripheral flange of the closure in said closure dispensing station, with the general line of movement of a closure through said closure dispensing station being in a plane at least approximately tangential to said arcuate path at said closure engaging station, and with said first wall of said passageway being on the concave side of said arcuate path and said second wall of said passageway being on the convex side of said arcuate path, the improvement comprising at least the closure dispensing station of said closure passageway being wider than the width of one of said closures to permit lateral movement of a closure in said closure dispensing station, a closure coercing means, means for resiliently positioning said closure coercing means to extend downwardly into said closure passageway at said closure dispensing station to encounter a closure entering said closure dispensing station and thereby cause the thus encountered closure to be positioned inwardly against said first wall of said passageway for proper alignment fOr the initial engagement of the thus positioned closure with a container entering said closure engaging station, said means for resiliently positioning said closure coercing means being adapted to permit the engagement of the closure in said closure dispensing station by the container in the closure engaging station to cause the upward movement of said closure coercing means, thereby permitting the lateral movement of the closure outwardly toward said outer convex side of said arcuate path as the closure is being withdrawn from said closure dispensing station by the continued arcuate motion of the respective container, to thereby maintain the alignment of the closure being dispensed with the respective container as said closure being dispensed is united with the respective container.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for firmly seating the thus dispensed closure on the respective container.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said closure coercing means is positioned to extend downwardly into said closure passageway at a point which is at a distance from said first wall of said passageway in the range of about 70 to about 90 percent of the diameter of one of said closures.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the distance between the center point of said arcuate path and the vertical axis of a container in said closure engaging station is in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the horizontal diameter of one of said containers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the width of said passageway at said closure dispensing station is equal to or slightly greater than the sum of the diameter of one of said closures and the distance the closure must move laterally outwardly to stay centered on the respective container as the container moves in said arcuate path from the point of initial engagement of the closure to the point where the closure is united with the container and is ready to be firmly seated on the container.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said closure coercing means is positioned to extend downwardly into said closure passageway at a point which is at a distance from said first wall of said passageway in the range of about 60 to about 95 percent of the diameter of one of said closures.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein the distance between the center point of said arcuate path and the vertical axis of a container in said closure engaging station is in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the horizontal diameter of one of said containers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 further comprising means for firmly seating the thus dispensed closure on the respective container.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said closure coercing means comprises a base means, means for mounting said base means to be freely rotatable about a generally horizontal axis, a finger element extending outwardly from said base means, and means for resiliently urging the rotation of said base means about said generally horizontal axis to move said finger element downwardly into said closure passageway to coerce a closure entering said closure dispensing station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said arcuate path is an arc of a circle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising means for firmly seating the thus dispensed closure on the respective container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
217 words
In a method comprising conveying upstanding containers through an arcuate path having an inner concave side and an outer convex side, sequentially dispensing individual closures having a depending peripheral flange at a closure dispensing station immediately above a closure engaging station of said arcuate path by having the leading upper edge portion of a container being moved through said closure engaging station engage the bottom segment of the leading portion of the depending peripheral flange of the closure in said closure dispensing station, with the general line of movement of a closure through said closure dispensing station being in a plane at least approximately tangential to said arcuate path at said closure engaging station, the improvement comprising coercing a closure entering said closure dispensing station to cause the thus engaged closure to be positioned for proper alignment for the initial engagement of the closure in said closure dispensing station by the container entering the closure engaging station, and laterally moving the closure outwardly toward said outer convex side of said arcuate path as the closure is being withdrawn from said closure dispensing station by the continued arcuate motion of the respective container, to thereby maintain the alignment of the closure being dispensed with the respective container as said closure being dispensed is united with the respective container.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
217 words
In a method comprising conveying upstanding containers through an arcuate path having an inner concave side and an outer convex side, sequentially dispensing individual closures having a depending peripheral flange at a closure dispensing station immediately above a closure engaging station of said arcuate path by having the leading upper edge portion of a container being moved through said closure engaging station engage the bottom segment of the leading portion of the depending peripheral flange of the closure in said closure dispensing station, with the general line of movement of a closure through said closure dispensing station being in a plane at least approximately tangential to said arcuate path at said closure engaging station, the improvement comprising coercing a closure entering said closure dispensing station to cause the thus engaged closure to be positioned for proper alignment for the initial engagement of the closure in said closure dispensing station by the container entering the closure engaging station, and laterally moving the closure outwardly toward said outer convex side of said arcuate path as the closure is being withdrawn from said closure dispensing station by the continued arcuate motion of the respective container, to thereby maintain the alignment of the closure being dispensed with the respective container as said closure being dispensed is united with the respective container.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising firmly seating the thus dispensed closure on the respective container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein each of said closures and said containers is frangible, and wherein said step of coercing is accomplished by resiliently applying laterally directed pressure to a closure entering said closure dispensing station to cause this closure to assume the position for proper alignment for said initial engagement.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the distance between the center point of said arcuate path and the vertical axis of a container in said closure engaging station is in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the horizontal diameter of one of said containers.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the closure being dispensed is moved laterally outwardly to maintain the closure being dispensed centered on the respective container as the container moves in said arcuate path from the point of initial engagement of the closure to the point where the closure is united with the container and is ready to be firmly seated on the container.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein each of said closures and said containers is frangible, and wherein said step of coercing is accomplished by resiliently applying laterally directed pressure to a closure entering said closure dispensing station to cause this closure to assume the position for proper alignment for said initial engagement.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising firmly seating the thus dispensed closure on the respective container.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the distance between the center point of said arcuate path and the vertical axis of a container in said closure engaging station is in the range of about 1.5 to about 5 times the horizontal diameter of one of said containers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said arcuate path is an arc of a circle.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-08 | 1979-06-09 | 1979-12-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-08 | 1983-06-09 | 1983-12-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-08 | 1987-06-09 | 1987-12-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |