Closure pre-tightener for closure applicating machines

Claim 1

In a capping machine for applying threaded caps to threaded bottle necks including bottle transfer means for moving the bottles successively in an upright position into the machine and means for depositing a cap in loose engagement on each bottle neck, the improvement comprising a cap hold-down plate mounted in overlying relation to the path of the bottles in said bottle transfer means and engagable with the top surface of each loosely positioned cap to exert a downward force thereon, means adjacent the said bottle path for relatively rotating the bottle and the respective cap in a direction to threadably engage the cap with the bottle while said hold-down plate is engaged with the cap, and spring pressed linkage means for concurrently exerting a downward force on said hold-down plate as the engaged cap moves downwardly on the respective bottle and maintaining said plate horizontal, said linkage means comprising: (1) a stationary support plate overlying said bottle path; (2) a pair of upstanding pivot brackets mounted on said support plate in transversely spaced relation to said bottle path; (3) a generally horizontal first pivot pin supported by said pair of brackets; (4) a second upstanding bracket on said support plate in longitudinally spaced relation to said pair of pivot brackets; (5) a second horizontal pivot pin supported by said second bracket; (6) said support plate having an elongated slot therein lying intermediate said pair of pivot brackets; (7) an upstanding L-shaped element rigidly secured at its base to said hold-down plate and projecting upwardly through said elongated slot, the top portion of said element having a vertical slot traversed by said first pivot pin, whereby said hold-down plate is vertically shiftable relative to said support plate; (8) a pair of first links respectively pivotally mounted at one end on said first pivot pin on each side of said mounting element; (9) a pair of second links respectively pivotally secured at one end to the other ends of said first links and at their other ends to a third pivot pin traversing the base portion of the L-shaped mounting element; (10) a fourth horizontal pivot pin traversing the medial portions of said fourth links; (11) a bifurcated spring seat mounted on said third pivot pin; (12) a bifurcated spring seat mounted on said fourth pivot pin; (13) a compression spring operating between said bifurcated spring seats to urge said cap hold-down plate downwardly relative to the support plate; (14) and a generally triangular link having one vertex pivoted to said fourth pin, a second vertex pivoted to the top end of the mounting element and the third vertex pivoted to one end of a third link, the other end of said third link being pivoted to said second pivot pin, whereby said hold-down plate moves vertically with an engaged cap but maintains constant downward force on such cap and a horizontal position of the cap panel.