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Title: Bottle closing apparatus
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for stoppering and providing sealing closures for containers and the like which have threaded neck openings and which are adapted to receive for their stoppering corresponding pre-threaded stopper closure elements each of which make screwed engagement with the neck opening to effect the sealing of the container, which apparatus comprises in cooperative combination: mechanical conveyor means for feeding into the apparatus the containers to be stoppered; a generally vertically disposed rotatable drum adapted to be turned when driven and further adapted to hold and carry containers with it when said containers are fed into the apparatus to the drum; means associated in engagement with said drum for driving same; a frame fixed with the drum having at least one stoppering head element regularly distributed on its periphery; each of said stoppering heads being in association with a corresponding stopper feed arm that is adapted to receive individual stoppers fed to it; means for feeding stoppers to each of said stopper feed arms; each of said stoppering heads having a drive cylinder that is in integral association with said drum and further adapted to move both parallel with and rotatable about the axle of said drum; an intermediate limiting means in connection with each of said stoppering heads for effecting its integral association with said drum driving means; each of said stoppering heads having a pivoting jaws support having jaws thereon adapted to grasp individual stoppers fed thereto from said stopper feed arms; each of said pivoting jaws supports being provided thereon with a non-flexible concentric ring and at least one associated fluid powdered cylinder jack, said ring being so located as to be subject to the actions of said associated fluid-powered cylinder jack and an associated coil spring which automatically moves said jaws into their open position; each of said pivoting jaws supports being also provided with means to move same by said drive cylinder which means consists of an associated, engaged grooved piece with which each support is given both axial and radial movement; means for closing each of said jaws supports to grasp each stopper fed to it and hold it secure for sealing screwing thereof with the threaded neck opening of each container to be sealed while being carried by said drum upon rotation of said drum; means for releasing each of said jaws supports at the appropriate point of rotation of the drum when each stopper has been screwed to the container neck opening, whereupon said drum then discharges each of said stoppered and sealed containers to mechanical conveyor discharge means for removing same from the apparatus. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container-feeding mechanical conveyor means and said mechanical conveyor discharge means for removing the stoppered containers are in the form of a container-carrying conveyor chain. 3. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 1, wherein said jack is a pneumatic jack. 4. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving means for each of said jaws supports is centered with respect to said grooved piece by means of a truncated projection thereon forming a male element which is an extremity of said grooved piece, the female element for which is an integral part of the jaws support. 5. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 1, wherein said concentric ring which controls the jaws is subjected to the effect of three pneumatic cylinder jacks displaced angularly with about 120.degree. spacings in between one another and to which compressed air for actuation is fed thereto through a single passageway channel disposed concentrically along the axle of each drive cylinder. 6. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 5 and further characterized in that said concentric ring which controls the jaws is further subjected to the effect of three close coil springs displaced angularly with about 120.degree. spacings in between with respect to one another which are also each angularly displaced from each of said adjacent jacks by about 60.degree.. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive cylinder head is adapted to be rotated by means of a cylindrical mesh bearing on a toothed ring which is an integral part of said frame, with a roller which is integrally fixed to said cylinder but which does not revolve about the same axis as that of said cylinder; and a cam integrally fixed on said frame, whereby the vertical movement of said drive cylinder is achieved by cooperative interaction of said roller and said cam. 8. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 6, wherein said drive cylinder head is adapted to be rotated by means of a cylindrical mesh bearing on a toothed ring which is an integral part of said frame, with a roller which is integrally fixed to said cylinder but which does not revolve about the same axis as that of said cylinder; and a cam integrally fixed on said frame, whereby the vertical movement of said drive cylinder is achieved by cooperative interaction of said roller and said cam. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, including therein cam means integrally associated with said frame, which cam means are adapted to cause movement of said stopper feed arm for supplying the stoppers individually to be grasped by the stoppering head (s) on said frame during rotation of said drum. 10. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 6, and including therein cam means integrally associated with said frame, which cam means are adopted to cause movement of said stopper feed arm for supplying the stoppers individually to be grasped by the stoppering head (s) on said frame during rotation of said drum. 11. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid power supply to each jack has control means therefor, which control means consist of a movable arm carried by said drum which arm is caused to be moved during rotation of the drum by a control element affixed in combination with said control arm which control element is actuated for its movement by contacting engagement with a cam affixed to said frame. 12. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 6, wherein a fluid power supply to each jack is provided and has control means therefor, which control means consist of a movable arm carried by said drum, which arm is caused to be moved during rotation of the a control element affixed in combination with said control arm which control element is actuated for its movement by contacting engagement with a cam affixed to said frame. 13. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the fluid power supply to each jack has control means therefor, which control means consist of a movable arm carried by said drum which arm is caused to be moved during rotation of the drum by a control element affixed in combination with said control arm which control element is actuated for its movement by contacting engagement with a cam affixed to said frame. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, adapted to close and seal containers having interiorly threaded neck openings with closure element stoppers that are provided with matching exterior threads so as to be screwable into said openings. 15. An apparatus in accordance with the apparatus of claim 14 adapted to close and seal glass bottles having interiorly threaded necks with matching exteriorly threaded plastic stoppers. Other info: Inventors: Evrard, Ernest L. (Charenton, FR) Application Number: 540493 Filing Date: 1975-01-13 Publication_date: 1976-06-22 Assignee: Societe Anonyme Machines Automatiques Cillotta (Morangis, FR) Primary Class(es): 53/306 53/317, 53/319 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: McGehee, Travis S. Assistant Examiner: Culver, Horace M. Attorney: Rudy; N. Jerome |
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