Device for guiding and/or preliminary tightening of caps in an apparatus for closing jars or other containers with caps

Claim 2

Apparatus for guiding caps in a device for closing containers comprising: a conveyor for feeding filled containers through said device; means for supplying caps to the device from a supply of caps; means including a pair of spaced guide rails including a shoulder for guiding the caps to a junction where the caps are positioned on the container; a pair of stop and guiding pins each having a cylindrical portion and a conical portion mounted opposite to and spring biased toward each other and arranged to stop the caps from the cap supply with the stopped cap aligned for engagement by the container to be enclosed by said cap; said guide rail shoulders terminating at a position along the spaced guide rails upstream of said stop and guiding pins so that upon engagement of the leading edge of a cap by a container, upper sides of the caps drop below the pin centerline to be in engagement with the lower conical and cylindrical surfaces on said pins to thereby force the container top on said container; a pair of guide members located along opposite side edges of the caps as the container and caps advance beyond said stop and guiding pins; a cam surface mounted to move concomitantly with said guide members against the action of a spring about a horizontal pivot axis extending across the direction of travel of said containers with their respectivE caps; means including said cam surface for adjusting the vertical position of said guide members relative to the vertical position of said caps; and means for securing the caps which have been positioned on the containers.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a friction member mounted on only one of said guide members, said friction member being spring biased to engage an outer surface of one side of said caps to rotate and preliminarily tighten said caps.

Claim 4

Apparatus for guiding caps in a device for closing containers comprising: a conveyor for feeding filled containers through said device; means for supplying caps to the device from a supply of caps; means including a shoulder guiding the caps to a junction where the caps are positioned on the containers including a pair of stop and guiding pins mounted opposite to and spring biased toward each other and arranged so that the caps for the cap supply are caused to stop, said pins each having a conical point allowing the caps, when positioned on a container, to pass therebetween, said shoulder being arranged to slidingly support the caps until stopped by said pins whereupon the cap leading edge drops into engagement with a container top after which the conical surfaces and the lower cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guiding pins are brought into engagement with the upper sides of said cap; a pair of guide surfaces mounted opposite each other and on opposite sides of said caps at a position closely adjacent to and downstream of said stop and guiding pins, the lower surfaces of said guide surfaces being on the same level as the lowermost cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guide pins, said guide surfaces being arranged to contribute to maintaining said caps in a horizontal position on said container; and means for securing the caps which have been positioned on the containers.

Claim 5

Apparatus for guiding caps in a device for closing containers comprising: a conveyor for feeding filled containers through said device; means for supplying caps to the device from a supply of caps; means including a shoulder guiding the caps to a junction where the caps are positioned on the containers including a pair of stop and guiding pins mounted opposite to and spring biased toward each other and arranged so that the caps for the cap supply are caused to stop, said pins each having a conical point allowing the caps, when positioned on a container, to pass therebetween, said shoulder being arranged to slidingly support the caps until stopped by said pins whereupon the cap leading edge drops into engagement with a container top after which the conical surfaces and the lower cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guiding pins are brought into engagement with the upper sides of said cap; a pair of guide surfaces mounted opposite each other and on opposite sides of said caps at a position closely adjacent to and downstream of said stop and guiding pins, the lower surfaces of said guide surfaces being on the same level as the lowermost cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guide pins, said guide surfaces being arranged to contribute to maintaining said caps in a horizontal position on said container; and means for securing the caps which have been positioned on the containers.

Claim 6

Apparatus for guiding caps in a device for closing containers comprising: a conveyor for feeding filled containers through said device; means for supplying caps to the device from a supply of caps; means including a shoulder guiding the caps to a junction where the caps are positioned on the containers including a pair of stop and guiding pins mounted opposite to and spring biased toward each other and arranged so that the caps from the cap supply are caused to stop, said pins each having a conical point allowing the caps, when positioned on a container, to pass therebetween, said shoulder being arranged to slidingly support the caps until stopped by said pins whereupon the cap leading edge drops into engagement with a container top after which the conical surfaces and the lower cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guiding pins are brought into engagement with the upper sides of said cap; a pair of guide members located along opposite side edges of the caps when advancing beyond said stop and guiding pin; a cam surface mounted to move concomitantly with said guide members against the action of a spring about a horizontal pivot axis extending across the direction of travel of said containers with their respective caps; means including said cam surface for adjusting the vertical position of the guide members relative to the vertical position of said caps; a guide plate located at the end of each said guide rails on opposite sides of said caps beneath said stop and guiding pins and beneath and downstream of said shoulder, said guide plates at the location near said guide members being provided with a chamfering which serves as a sliding surface for said caps and allows the caps to be lowered during preliminary tightening while the rear edge of the caps moves forwardly from the ends of the guide plates.

Claim 7

Apparatus for guiding caps in a device for closing containers comprising: a conveyor for feeding filled containers through said device; means for supplying caps to the device from a supply of caps; means including a shoulder guiding the caps to a junction where the caps are positioned on the containers including a pair of stop and guiding pins mounted opposite to and spring biased toward each other and arranged so that the caps from the cap supply are caused to stop, said pins each having a conical point allowing the caps, when positioned on a container, to pass therebetween, said shoulder being arranged to slidingly support the caps until stopped by said pins whereupon the cap leading edge drops into engagement with a container top after which the conical surfaces and the lower cylindrical surfaces of said stop and guiding pins are brought into engagement with the upper sides of said cap; a pair of guide members located along opposite side edges of the caps when advancing beyond said stop and guiding pin; a cam surface mounted to move concomitantly with said guide members against the action of a spring about a horizontal pivot axis extending across the direction of travel of said containers with their respective caps; means including said cam surface for adjusting the vertical position of the guide members relative to the vertical position of said caps; a guide plate located at the end of each said guide rails on opposite sides of said caps beneath said stop and guiding pins and beneath and downstream of said shoulder, said guide plates at the location near said guide members being provided with a chamfering which serves as a sliding surface for said caps and allows the caps to be lowered during preliminary tightening while the rear edge of the caps moves forwardly from the ends of the guide plates.