Abstract: The apparatus for applying closures to containers having a neck which is inclined with respect to a vertical axis of the containers comprises: a first conveyer and a second conveyer for transferring the containers in succession. A closure application conveyor receives containers from the first conveyor and transfers them to the second conveyer. The closure application conveyor is provided with a plurality of clamps for gripping the containers arriving from the first conveyer, and is provided with a plurality of closure application heads whose respective lines of action are inclined with respect to a vertical axis. Actuation devices are provided which rotate the clamps in both directions about the vertical axes of the related containers in order to align the axes of the necks with the lines of action of the respective closure application heads.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting caps onto fluid containers in a predetermined particular orientation relative to the fluid containers. Caps are drawn from a source of caps and placed singly, in succession, on a cap seat which is in a particular known orientation. Each cap is taken, while on the cap seat, to a delivery position. During transfer to the delivery position, each cap is aligned into a known particular orientation. A device for picking up the caps takes each cap from the cap seat to a container and mounts the cap onto a waiting fluid container, in the desired predetermined orientation with respect to the fluid container. The device includes an operatively associated clamp that supports the fluid container about a flange around the neck to prevent crushing of the fluid container during mounting of the caps.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a positioning means and a press-sealing means. The positioning means includes a jig, a base and an elevating apparatus. The jig includes a plate-like element and a placement hole formed therethrough. It holds an upper portion of a container and adjusts the proper position of the container. The base holds a plurality of jigs and rotates by regular angular amounts, varying each jig's position with respect to a container. The elevating apparatus moves the base between a top position, where the jig holds a container and its top surface touches the undersurface of a pair of rails, and a lowest position, where its upper surface is positioned below the undersurface of the container. The base may include a polygonally-cylindrically shaped block, each surface thereof is flat and holds a jig, a framework that secures the block horizontally by a horizontal axis, and a rotating element that rotates the block by regular angular amounts.

Abstract: The apparatus for applying closures to containers having a mouth which is inclined with respect to an axis of the containers, comprises a first conveyor and a second conveyor which are suitable for transferring in succession containers, which are arranged so that their axes are vertical. A closure application conveyor receives the containers from the first conveyor and transfers them to the second conveyor; the closure application conveyor has a clamp for gripping the containers which can oscillate between two positions, at which the axes of the related containers and, respectively, the axes of the mouths of the containers are arranged substantially vertical. The closure application conveyor has a closure application head for applying the closures to the containers while the axes of the mouths of the containers are arranged vertically.

Abstract: An apparatus for mounting caps onto fluid containers in a predetermined particular orientation relative to the fluid containers. Caps are drawn from a source of caps and placed singly, in succession, on a cap seat which is in a particular known orientation. Each cap is taken, while on the cap seat, to a delivery position. During transfer to the delivery position, each cap is aligned into a known particular orientation. A device for picking up the caps takes each cap from the cap seat to a container and mounts the cap onto a waiting fluid container, in the desired predetermined orientation with respect to the fluid container. The device includes an operatively associated clamp that supports the fluid container about a flange around the neck to prevent crushing of the fluid container during mounting of the caps.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying closures to containers, and capable of applying stake-on caps having generally rectangular cross-sectional exterior surfaces to container whose bodies are also of the same general cross-section, the parts being delivered in random orientation, and each cap being applied to a container in such a manner that it is in proper orientation with respect to the container when finally assembled. The apparatus includes a turret (54) provided with a non-rotatable cam (108), an interrupted drive gear (114), and an alternate continuous drive gear (124). Mounted on the turret (54) for rotation about the centerline of the turret are a plurality of spindle assemblies (90). When applying a rectangular closure (14) to a container (12) designed to receive the closure in only one position of orientation a novel chuck assembly (130) is employed which has an engagement portion which may be held in one of two detent positions spaced 180.degree. apart.

Abstract: Inadvertent rupture of frangible tamper evidencing means during application of threaded closures is reduced by axially pressing the closure partially onto the container, without rotating the closure, until a downwardly tapered retaining means on the closure is engaged by an upwardly tapered locking rib around the container finish. This engagement centers and positions the closure so that the axis of the closure is aligned with the container axis. The closure is held in alignment to prevent cocking or misengagement of the threads until the closure is thereafter turned to tighten it on the container.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for the feeding and placing of a preformed cover(44) on a linearly advancing preformed container(130), said improved apparatus being automatically operated in response to an "on-demand" condition, said improved apparatus including a frame assembly(12), an inclined hopper assembly(14), a cover separating assembly(16), a transfer chute assembly (18) an infeed conveyor assembly(20), and a cover seating assembly(22). This improved apparatus may also provide selective orientation of a pour spout or bung located in a circular cover.

Abstract: Freshly filled containers (such as cans for confinement of carbonated beverages which are admitted at an elevated pressure) are overlapped by caps or other suitable closures not later than at the point where they leave the filling unit of a combined filling and capping apparatus. The closures are maintained in alignment with and are pressed against the open tops of filled containers during advancement from the filling unit to the capping or sealing unit. This ensures that the confined liquid cannot be affected by atmospheric air and cannot escape from the respective containers irrespective of the distance of the filling unit from the capping or sealing unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealingly fixing a lid (20) to the opening flange (11) of a container body (10) includes a reception device (30) with a support surface (34) for receiving and supporting the container body by abutment of the flange against the support surface. A sealing device (60) applies a pressure to the lid placed between the sealing device and the flange to form a joint which units the lid with the flange. The reception device has a part-spherical surface (3) and a resting device (40) has a part-spherical surface (41) for cooperation with the spherical bounding surface of the reception device.

Abstract: Apparatus to screw heavy lids very sensitively on thick-walled receptacles n order to avoid damaging the threads includes a stationary member centered on the receptacle and of an axially movable platform which is guided such that torques can be transmitted and the common axis always remains the same. Resilient members of adjustable length transmit mass forces in vertical direction exactly on the stationary member and prevent additional forces from acting on the flanks of the threads.

Abstract: Installation for applying labelling sleeves to articles such as cans (3), which installation is characterized in that it comprises a rectilinear transporter (2) for the cans in which is inserted a lifting table (4) capable, each time it is actuated, of bringing a can into the raised position for the application of a sleeve by means of stretching pincers (7), at least one barrier being provided below the lifting table to maintain the aligned cans (3), arranged on the transporter, in position while the table (4) is in the raised position and, when the table is lowered, to allow the can provided with a sleeve to be reintroduced into the rectilinear alignment of the cans.

Abstract: Apparatus for correctly positioning dispensers to be applied to containers, wherein containers and dispensers are fed in succession to an aligning conveyor which comprises a plurality of housings adapted to receive respective dispensers and to support them rotatably about their respective axes. A fixed abutment element is arranged adjacent to the aligning conveyor and is adapted to interfere with a portion of the peripheral surface of the dispensers to cause a rotation of the dispensers about their respective axes during their movement on the aligning conveyor. A photocell is provided for sensing the position assumed by a given portion of each rotating dispenser, and suckers are also provided and controlled by the photocell in order to lock each dispenser within the related housing when a given position is reached.

Abstract: A device for applying and removing threaded caps to and from threaded filler necks of containers includes a centering device, a rotatable grasping member mounted within the centering device for grasping a cap and turning the cap to thread it relative to the filler neck, a driver within the centering device for rotating the grasping member, and a resilient arrangement in a frame to resiliently hold the centering device relative to the frame and permit the centering device to move axially and radially relative to the frame. The frame and the centering device have sufficient clearance between them to permit axial and radial movement of the entering device relative to frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved sealing head for sealing a cover made of a foil material onto a packaging container, in particular a plastic cup. The sealing operation is carried out by means of a heatable sealing head. This sealing head includes an insulating body which provides for the compensation of form and position deviation between the sealing head and the plastic cups which are to be sealed. This insulating body simultaneously provides for the thermal insulation between the sealing head, on the one hand, and the drive arrangement, on the other hand. Thereby a flaw-free sealing is achieved and any down-times due to malfunctioning of the arrangement are substantially reduced.

Abstract: A packaging machine comprising a conveyor drivingly movable intermittently for transporting containers and having a capping station, the conveyor having a plurality of holders each adapted to support the container at its opening rim portion, the holders being stoppable at the capping station one after another; an assembly for capping the container by fitting the skirt of a cap to the opening rim portion of the container at a capping position above the path of travel of the holders in the capping station; and an assembly for centering the cap skirt and the container opening rim portion relative to each other for capping.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing bottles by means of closure caps, such as, crown caps or the like, including a closing machine, a closing member rotating together with a bell-type centering or guard member along the periphery of the closing machine. A spring-biased pressure die is mounted in the closing member so as to be movable in axial direction. A cap transfer station is arranged at one point of the cycle of rotation of the closing machine. The position of the centering member with a cap support member is adjustable relative to the pressure die during the movement. The centering member and cap support member, when in the cap transfer position, are fixedly supported on the closing member by means of the pressure die and/or by means of control members of the centering member.

Abstract: The specification discloses a method and apparatus for accurately positioning a lid of a series of lids above a container flange in preparation for the heat sealing operation. The apparatus is designed to maintain the production rate of prior art filling and packaging machines while still precisely locating a lid such that little or no overhang of the lid relative to the flange of a container occurs. This is achieved by providing a start and stop type conveyor with individual conveyor plates provided with alignment lugs for urging the flange of a container and a lid into alignment. The resulting product is less vulnerable to lid damage and hence is more presentable when served to the consumer. This system is particular valuable in the packaging of individual creamer containers.

Abstract: A capping machine comprises a rotating carriage positioned above a conveyor delivering open neck containers to a work station position, the carriage including circumferentially positioned sockets that receive snap-lock caps in a fixed orientation from a second conveyor. The carriage rotates about an axis transverse to the direction of conveyance of the first conveyor so that the proximate carriage position closest to the first conveyor has a velocity in the same direction as the direction of conveyance of the container. As the tangential position of the cap on the carriage changes as the cap approaches the proximate carriage position, the cap is progressively engaged against the open neck of the container. At the proximate carriage position, the cap is positioned for sealing engagement with the neck of the container.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for applying resiliently self-latching lids to upwardly open containers such as molded plastic buckets used to contain powdered or liquid products, in which a supply of generally planar circular lids is supported in a shallow sloping stack in which individual lids are on edge and supported on parallel sloping rails. Lids are released individually into a lid placement guide which may include a reciprocally rotating mechanism to orient each lid to place a pour spout of the lid in proper position relative to a bail of the container. Containers are carried beneath the lid placement guide on an endless belt conveyor to receive lids. A powered presser roll forces the lid into mating relationship with each container, without overturning empty containers receiving the lids.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining critical alignments between the neck of a container and closure application stations. The embodiment disclosed illustrates apparatus for handling containers during the process of filling and applying closures to the filled containers. A star wheel with outwardly opening container body pockets and a container guide rail receives filled containers as they are descending from a filling position, and moves the containers through closure pickup and pre-tightening apparatus to a closure applicating machine. A container neck guide receives and guides the necks of filled containers along a predetermined path through the pickup and pre-tightening stations. The neck guide, pickup and pre-tightening stations are supported on the same structure to insure that the predetermined alignment positions are maintained.

Abstract: A hand-held dispenser including a container having a dispensing neck portion provided with an exterior, annular locking-type retention bead and a nozzled dispenser cap adapted to be forcibly applied to the neck portion and to be permanently retained thereon. The container neck portion has a circumferentially facing abutment shoulder disposed above its bead, and the cap has an internal locking-type retention bead cooperable with the bead on the neck portion. The cap also has a locater lug which can engage the abutment shoulder of the neck portion during initial relative turning application of the cap, thereby to halt the latter in a predetermined rotative position. A recess on the neck portion receives the locater lug as the cap, subsequent to its halting, is axially applied. The arrangement is such that the cap will always be positioned on the neck portion at a fixed, rotative position.

Abstract: This relates to a machine for assembling end units with container bodies. The container bodies have cylindrical open upper ends over which a cylindrical lower portion of an end unit or dome is telescoped with the overlapping portions being adhesively bonded together. The machine receives the end units serially and by way of a Ferris wheel type conveyor moves the end units first to an adhesive applicator where a band of adhesive is applied to the interior of each end unit, after which each end unit is then telescoped over and pressed into position relative to an associated body. The operation of the machine is continuous.

Abstract: A plug screwing-in device provides fully automatic screwing of plugs into the thread of a bunghole connecting piece located on a barrel bunghole, accompanied by the simultaneous, automatic centering and adaptation to any sloping position of the plug. For this purpose a centering and screw head is provided with an external centering ring and with a screw head arranged in the inner area of the ring, and the centering ring provided with a plug holding device can be raised counter to a spring force and is connected by means of a driving shaft and an intermediately connected universal joint with a drive mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for orienting the seam of a cylindrical sleeve label or conical label, the label being of a heat shrinkable plastic material and being formed of a length of the plastic with an overlie to form a seam, means for holding a stacked column of labels, means for rotating the labels including rollers, aligning means for aligning the seam of each label at the bottom of the stack, the aligning means including aligned wire fingers that contact the seam and stop the rotation of the label container, each label being adapted for application over the top of a container to form a sleeve label thereon.

Abstract: A plug driving apparatus comprising an annular rotary receiver stand for receiving containers, the receiver stand having container placing portions disposed at a plurality of locations thereon in circular arrangement, plug driver heads disposed individually above said placing portions, each of the heads having a sucker portion for sucking and retaining thereon plugs, a plurality of plug pick-up means, each having a retractable hooked portion adapted to be extended to and retracted from a point right beneath the plug driver head, fixed plug-feeder means for feeding plugs to the hooked portion, the plug driver head being adapted to be raised and lowered between an intermediate position where the sucker portion thereof sucks and retains thereon a plug held in the hooked portion and a lower position where plug driving operation is carried out and an upper limit of movement of the driver head.

Abstract: Printed caps to be placed upon filled and corked bottles are forwarded onto slanted parallel guide rods which are caused to selectively rotate to present the successive caps thereon to a cap gripping and setting device with said caps having a determined position as detected by a sensing device disposed adjacent the lower end of the guide rods for sensing marks provided on the caps. The desired position of the caps is determined with respect to a proper positioning of the bottles so as to have printed patterns on the caps and the pleats thereof positioned with respect to structural features of the bottles, such as wire eyes of cork-wiring of champagne bottles.

Abstract: For sealing the open end of a flanged container, a heated reciprocable sealing block having a heat emitting surface is arranged with its path of reciprocatory movement in general alignment with a container to be sealed and a sealing head is mounted on the sealing block by mounting means which is arranged to maintain a part of the sealing head in close heat transferring contact with the heat emitting surface of the sealing block and is also adapted to accommodate moderate misalignment of the sealing block and the container to be sealed. Containers to be sealed are mounted on individual carrier plates which are movable intermittently through an enclosure which may serve to isolate the sealing operation from atmosphere, the containers being sealed by a strip of lid stock which is secured by the sealing block to the flanges of the open ended containers. Following a sealing operation, the lid stock is gripped and severed so that each container is provided with an individual cover.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for filling and capping a quantity of stackable containers with a fluid from a fluid reservoir. The apparatus comprises a rotary table having a plurality of apertures disposed therein for receiving the containers. Containers from a container magazine are transferred individually and placed within the apertures in the rotary table. A filling head is disposed at a second position for filling the container with the fluid pumped from the fluid reservoir. The filling head comprises a unique pinch bar and flexible tubing combination to insure rapid termination of fluid flow from the filling head. A lid magazine is disposed at a third position with a rotatable arm placing a lid from the lid magazine upon the filled container. A heat sealer located at a fourth position heat seals the lid to the container. A discharge station is located at a fifth position for discharging the capped containers from the rotary table.

Abstract: An inspection station for FIGAL containers which automatically tightens the container valves during movement along a continuous conveyor is described. The containers are clamped in a rotary indexing mechanism which rotates the containers until a discrete opening molded in a top rubber skirt of the container is indexed on a latch mechanism adjacent the conveyor. A pair of pneumatically driven socket wrenches are then lowered onto the container and are rotated to tighten the valves. After a predetermined period of time, the tightening of the valves is discontinued, the next FIGAL container moves into the indexing mechanism, and the valves of that container are tightened by the pneumatically driven socket wrenches.

Abstract: A rotary closing machine for closing bottles with mouth lips by closures such as closure caps, corks and the like, which includes a supply container for receiving and supplying closures of the just mentioned type, and also includes a conveying device for feeding the content of the supply container to closing units having closing elements which are adapted to be lifted and lowered in the process of closing the bottles by the closure caps or the like closures. For pressing the closures, e.g. closure caps, against the respective bottle mouths and permanently deforming the closures on the bottle mouth, each closing unit has a deforming member and a holding down member extending through the deforming member; these two members are movable relative to each other. The device furthermore comprises a rotatable element associated with the conveying device for transferring the closures from the conveying device to a holding device at the lower end of the holding down member.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing bungs from kegs. A walking beam moves the keg sequentially from a receiving station on a feed conveyor to an orienting station, a debunging station, a probe station, a reject station to a discharge conveyor. At the orienting station the keg is rotated to position the bung downwardly, and an auger removes the downwardly facing bung at the debunging station. At the probe station, a probe senses the presence of improperly removed bungs, and kegs with improperly removed bungs are rejected from the line at the reject station. Kegs with properly removed bungs are delivered to the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: In supporting the curved lower portion of a thin-walled plastic container against deflection due to top loading during a filling, capping or like operation in order to prevent damage thereto, the improvement which involves confining support to a localized curved area of such lower portion only while maintaining a seating ring section substantially unsupported, thereby effectively accommodating containers for damage-resistant loading which have incrementally increased in height or assumed slightly off-vertical seating positions due to prior creep.

Abstract: A continuous, automatic system for sealing containers in which the handle of said container is used to orient the container on a conveyor for easy identification of the container spout.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an automatic capping apparatus for placing a cap on the opening of a container and crimping the cap onto the opening to seal the container. The capping apparatus includes three operating stations through which the containers are moved on a conveyor -- an aligning station to position the container on the conveyor, a cap pickup and placing station to deposit a cap on the opening of the container, and a crimping station for crimping the cap onto the opening. Furthermore, sensing means are provided at the pickup and placement station and the crimping station to assure that the operation at those stations is successfully accomplished.

Abstract: Cask orienting machine providing a rest station, a filling station and an intermediate orientation station for casks, advancing means to elevate the casks and advance them through the various stations and means to eject a cask in the filling station in time relation to the transfer of the following casks, means to rotate the cask in the orientation station until orientation means engages in a peripheral shive hole in the cask thereby preventing further rotation thereof. The invention also provides a cask filling and shive inserting means for an oriented cask comprising means to introduce a racking spear through the shive hole of a cask and to initiate pressurizing and filling of the cask and means to position and drive a shive into the shive hole.

Abstract: In a container capping machine a continuously moving horizontal conveyor is spaced below a vertically reciprocable rotary chuck for holding a screw cap in its lower end. Extending along one side of the conveyor is a continuously rotating horizontal positioning screw provided with a helical trough between the screw flights for receiving containers on the conveyor and controlling their forward movement through the machine. The portion of the trough beside the chuck has side walls extending partway around the screw for engaging opposite sides of a container in the trough, and these side walls are disposed in radial planes of the screw in order to stop temporarily the forward movement of a container when it reaches correct position for receiving a cap from the chuck. The container is held momentarily by gripping means while the cap is being applied to it.

Abstract: An automatic, continuous barrel-filling method comprises the steps of supplying empty barrels, locating the bungholes of the barrels, inserting nozzles into the barrels through the holes, bunging the holes, and carrying the filled barrels out of the filler body, the empty barrels being sequentially and uninterruptedly passed through the foregoing steps thereby to be automatically filled with liquid and conveyed out.

Abstract: A housing that is continuously rotatable on a vertical axis has an opening in its bottom and contains a central vertical shaft rotatable a limited number of degrees relative to the housing. This shaft is connected through the housing opening with a chuck that contains means for gripping a screw cap to screw it onto a container. Valve means connect a source of air pressure with the gripping means to cause such means to grip a screw cap. Secured to the housing is a valve member provided with a bleed passage through it, the inlet of which is connected with the air pressure source and the outlet of which normally is closed by a closure member. Projecting from the side of the shaft is a torque arm that is pressed by compressible means carried by the housing to cause stop means projecting from the side of the shaft to move the closure member away from the bleed passage a certain distance.

Abstract: A heat seal capper head assembly for forming a closure and sealing a container with a heat seal cap having a heat shrinkable film includes an elongated housing having at one end adaptor means for releasably securing the assembly to the conventional filling apparatus for the container, while at the opposite end of the housing there is provided means for folding and heat sealing the heat seal cap to form a heat sealed closure having a central portion and a skirt portion. The folding means includes an annular folder ring secured to the housing, and an annular center collar concentric with and slidably mounted on the folder ring, with spring means disposed between the folder ring and the center collar for biasing the collar toward its extended position. The heating means is disposed internally of the annular collar and includes a disc-shaped portion for uniformly distributing heat across the central portion of the heat seal cap.

Abstract: An apparatus for closing and sealing filled containers with a lid includes instrumentalities for positioning an individual lid beneath a sealing die which has an underside. The lid is temporarily held and finally joined to a container under the influence of heat and pressure. Suction is used to hold the lid against the underside of the die while it is being joined to the container. A plurality of protuberances are disposed at the underside of the sealing die. Each of the protuberances has an oblique surface. Each oblique surface has a point lying nearest a sealing surface defining an area of the underside, the area thus defined being substantially equal to that of the lid. Each lid can be consequently positioned correctly on a container and becomes fused therewith.