Abstract: A closure for an externally screw threaded standard glass or plastics container has a moulded plastics shell and a liner gasket which can turn freely in it. The liner is retained in the shell by a central spigot which fits loosely in a hole in the center of the liner gasket, but has an enlarged head.The gasket, which is smaller in diameter than the top of the shell, is pressed against the top end of the container, for which it is designed, by one or two ribs. This arrangement allows the liner gasket to remain stationary on the container at the commencement of releasing the closure.

Abstract: For placing prethreaded closure caps on the mouths of screw threaded bottles and effecting preliminary engagement of the caps with the threads of the bottles, the caps are withdrawn successively from a feed chute and supplied to suction pick-up members, which are individually supported by brackets, turning about the center of a star wheel. The brackets are supported by a cam track which raises and lowers the suction pick-up members, which carry the caps on their lower surface. The caps are thus lowered onto the bottles in a level condition and are held level by the pick-up members during preliminary engagement of the caps with the bottle threads. The caps are conveniently rotated by rotating the pick-up members in their brackets through contact with a stationary friction or rack member.

Abstract: A rotary application head for applying a screw-threaded closure to a container includes a collet 26 for gripping the closure, the collet being secured to a drive member 31 having an external flange 36 disposed between a thrust bearing 37 supported by the main body 10 and a friction clutch plate 38 backed by a pressure plate 40 which is driven by the body through pins 42. A piston 17 disposed in a pneumatic cylinder 16 in the body acts through push rods 19 to apply a predetermined axial loading between the pressure plate 40, friction clutch plate 30 and the flange 36. When the closure reaches a predetermined tightness, the reaction torque causes the collet and drive member to slip relative to the pressure plate and body, preventing over-tightening of the closure. External axial forces applied to the collet cause the piston 17 to be displaced axially to compensate for these forces without altering the torque at which slipping occurs.

Abstract: A closure for a container comprises a top 11 with a depending skirt 12 having an internal screw thread. Where the skirt joins the top, the internal surface 15 of the skirt is conically flared in a direction away from the top, and a flexible resilient fin 18 extends from the underside of the top substantially parallel to the flared surface 15. The free end portion of the fin is thickened as by the provision of a broad rib 23 on the radially inner surface of the fin. When the closure is secured on to a container, the fin 18 becomes defirmed outward and is sufficiently long to extend round the outer corner portion of the top of the container and is pressed into tight sealing engagement with said outer corner portion by the flared surface. The increased thickness of the free end portion of the fin causes it to resist expansion and to hug more closely the corner portion of the top of the container.

Abstract: In a combination of a screw-threaded metal closure cap with a container having an externally screw-threaded neck, of the type in which the closure thread is formed by a thread rolling operation in a blank in situ on the container, one or more interruptions are made in the closure thread to provide a pressure leakage path, through which gas can blow off in the interval between unsealing the container and the release of the closure from the container thread.Complementary notches may be formed in the container thread.The interruptions in the closure thread are conveniently provided by forming the thread by means of a thread roller having one or more notches in its periphery.

Abstract: A machine for de-capping containers having screw caps is responsive to the presence or absence of a cap on a container and includes an annular body mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and for upward and downward movement towards and away from a container. The body carries on its periphery vertical arms which are pivotable about tangentially extending axes, the lower ends of the arms carrying tools operable to grip the cap. Coaxially within the body is a plunger-like probe which is spring urged downward relative to the body and which operates a valve controlling a supply of pressure fluid to motors for operating the arms to grip a cap. If the probe contacts a cap on a container the valve is opened by the relative movement of the probe and body to operate the motors to cause the cap to be gripped. If no cap is present on the container the valve remains closed and the arms do not operate.