Decapping of bottles and decanting the liquid contents thereof

Claim 2

A bottle decapping and decanting apparatus comprising: conveying means to convey a case containing a plurality of capped beer-containing bottles to a decapping station, decapping means at said decapping station for removing simultaneously the caps from all said bottles in said case, conveying means for conveying said case containing decapped bottles from said decapping station to a decanting station, sensing means situated between said decapping and decanting stations for sensing the absence of caps on the bottles in said case, decanting means at said decanting station for displacing simultaneously the beer from all said decapped bottles and including tube means insertable into each of said bottles and conduit means capable of connecting a source of compressed gas substantially inert to beer with beer in each of said bottles for displacement of beer from said bottles through said tube means, conveying means for conveying said case containing decanted bottles away from said decanting station, and conduit means extending from said decanting means to a collection means for conveying decanted beer from said decanting station to said collection means, whereby the said bottles to be decapped and decanted are conveyed such that the bottles always remain upright during the conveying, decapping and decanting operations.

Claim 3

A bottle decapping and decanting apparatus comprising: conveying means to convey a case containing a plurality of capped beer-containing bottles to a decapping station, decapping means at said decapping station for removing simultaneously the caps from all said bottles in said case, conveying means for conveying said case containing decapped bottles from said decapping station to a decanting station, sensing means situated between said decapping and decanting stations for sensing the absence of caps on the bottles in said case, decanting means at said decanting station for displacing simultaneously the beer from all said decapped bottles and including tube means insertable into each of said bottles and conduit means capable of connecting a source of compressed gas substantially inert to beer with beer in each of said bottles for displacement of beer from said bottles through said tube means, conveying means for conveying said case containing decanted bottles away from said decanting station, and conduit means extending from said decanting means to a collection means for conveying decanted beer from said decanting station to said collection means, whereby the said bottles to be decapped and decanted are conveyed such that the bottles always remain upright during the conveying, decapping and decanting operations.

Claim 4

A bottle decapping and decanting apparatus comprising: conveying means to convey a case containing a plurality of capped beer-containing bottles to a decapping station, decapping means at said decapping station for removing simultaneously the caps from all said bottles in said case, conveying means for conveying said case containing decapped bottles from said decapping station to a decanting station, sensing means situated between said decapping and decanting stations for sensing the absence of caps on the bottles in said case, decanting means at said decanting station for displacing simultaneously the beer from all said decapped bottles and including tube means insertable into each of said bottles and conduit means capable of connecting a source of compressed gas substantially inert to beer with beer in each of said bottles for displacement of beer from said bottles through said tube means, conveying means for conveying said case containing decanted bottles away from said decanting station, and conduit means extending from said decanting means to a collection means for conveying decanted beer from said decanting station to said collection means, whereby the said bottles to be decapped and decanted are conveyed such that the bottles always remain upright during the conveying, decapping and decanting operations.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said decapping station includes said decapping means vertically displaced from a vertically reciprocable platform for reciprocating A beer case between a position in which said decapping means is inactive and a cap removing position.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said decapping station includes a plurality of decappping members corresponding in number to the number of bottles to be decapped, each of said decapping members including a decapping element mounted in substantially fixed position and a resiliently biased vertically-displaceable bottle engaging element.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of said decapping members comprises a vertically extending rod fixedly mounted at the upper end thereof and having said decapping element attached to the lower end thereof, a cylindrical body member slidably mounted on said rod and constituting said bottle engaging element, said cylindrical body member including a collar portion slidably mounted on said rod, a first skirt portion encircling said decapping element, and depending downwardly from said collar portion and a second skirt portion extending upwardly from said collar portion and resilient means normally biasing said collar portion into engagement with said decapping element.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said resilient means includes a compression spring encircling said rod.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 including cylindrical means coaxially mounted in fixed position on said rod and telescoping with the internal wall of said second skirt portion, said compression spring engaging opposed faces of said collar portion and cylindrical means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said decapping element comprises a cup member having a stepped inner wall defining first and second shoulders, first ring means mounted in fixed position in engagement with the one of said shoulders closest the mouth of said cup member and defining with the other of said shoulders an annular recess, and second ring means mounted in the recess, said second ring means having an outside diameter greater than the inside diameter of said first ring means and less than the diameter of the recess, said second ring means being resiliently biased against the peripheral wall of the recess and being diametrically movable in the recess.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said decanting station includes said decanting means vertically displaced from a vertically reciprocable platform for reciprocating a beer case between a position wherein said decanting means is inactive and a decanting position.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said decanting station includes a plurality of decanting members corresponding in number to the number of bottles from which beer is to be decanted, each of said decanting elements mounted in substantially fixed position and including one of said tube means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of said decanting elements comprises a hollow cylindrical body member having an inner wall and a fixedly mounted upper end closure and having said tube means extend substantially axially thereof through said end closure in slidable relationship thereto, disc means fixedly mounted on the inner wall of said body member and having a central opening through which said tube means passes, first plug means slidably mounted in engagement with said inner wall and normally biased to a first position downwardly remote from said disc means and movable to a second position adjacent said disc means, said first plug means supporting said tube means in sliding relation, bottle neck seal means associated with said first plug means, second plug means fixedly mounted on said tube means and slidable relative to said inner wall, said second plug means being biased to a first position upwardly remote from said disc means but adjacent said upper end closure and defining therewith a first chamber in fluid flow communication with said source of compressed gas substantially inert to the beer, said second plug means being movable to a second position adjacent said disc means wherein said tube means projects downwardly from said body member a distance correspondinG substantially to the depth of said bottle, actuating means for moving said second plug member from said first to said second position thereof, and means defining a fluid flow path between said first chamber and said bottle neck seal means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first plug means is normally biased to its first position by a first compression spring surrounding said tube and engaging the opposed surfaces of said first plug means and said disc means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second plug means normally is biased to said first position by a second compression spring means surrounding said tube means and engaging opposed surfaces of said second plug means and said disc means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means defining a flow path includes a length of said tube of decreased outside diameter, said length of tube being located so that a flow path exists between said first chamber and said bottle seal means when said second plug means is in its second position.