US1920240A - Apparatus for vacuum sealing screw cap containers - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1933. 5 BRADY 1,920,240

APPARATUS FOR VACUUM SEALING SCREW CAP CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 7, 1928 Hugh 61 15mg T0 VACU M Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE APPARATUS FOR VACUUM SEALING SCREW CAP CONTAINERS.

Application September 7, 1928 Serial No. 304,546

4 Claims.

The invention relates to the vacuum sealing of containers, and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for sealing screw cap containers, and especially those in which conventional screw caps are employed.

Heretofore vacuum sealing with screw closures has been unknown commercially; and the requisites of commercial success are, that the caps be inexpensive in manufacture, and that the operation of sealing be rapid and eificient. Accordingly, the present invention involves the use of the ordinary, inexpensive, conventional screw caps, and apparatus by which the caps may be secured on the container, with the same facility and rapidity as the several types of non-screw vacuum caps in common use.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus disclosed herein, for the invention can be carried out by widely different mechanisms. The preferred mechanism is described herein; for an understanding of which reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing; in which The figure is a vertical sectional view, parts being shown in elevation, of the preferred apparatus for vacuumizing the receptacles and securing the screw caps in sealing position.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, numeral 18 refers to a sealing closet, provided with a door 19. A pipe line 20 opens into the sealing closet, and communicates with a source of vacuum (not shown) and a two-way valve 21 is employed, for opening communication between the sealing closet and source of vacuum, and for shutting 01f such communication and opening communication between the sealing closet and the atmosphere.

In this apparatus the capping head is automatically rotated in opposite directions, and is automatically raised and lowered. I shall first describe the means by which it is automatically rotated in opposite directions.

Numeral 22 indicates a cylinder which has one end communicating with the sealing closet, by means of pipe 23; and mounted in this cylinder is a piston 24. The piston rod of this piston 24. is pivotally connected with a lever 25, fulcrumed at 26, and carrying a counterweight 27. The position of the counterweight depends upon the degree 'of vacuum desired in the sealing closet. When this desired degree of vacuum has been reached the counterweight is overcome, and the piston 24 moves downwardly, thereby lowering the end of the lever 25 to which it is attached, and elevating the opposite end of the lever. Attached to this portion of the lever beyond the fulcrum 26, is a valve stem 28, which operates a valve 29; the valve communicating with opposite ends of a cylinder 30, by means of pipes 31 and 32-. The valve also communicates with the atmosphere and a source of vacuum, as indicated by numerals 33 and 34 respectively. In one position of the valve, one end of the cylinder 30 communicates with a source of vacuum, while the other end of the cylinder communicates with the atmosphere, whereby the piston rod 35, of the cylinder 30, is moved in one direction; and in the other position of the valve the conditions in the cylinder 30 are reversed, and the piston rod is moved in the opposite direction.

The valve stem 28 having been elevated by the downward movement of the piston 24, the valve 29 is operated to open communication between the left hand end of cylinder 30 and a source of vacuum, and to open the opposite end of the cylinder to atmosphere; whereby the piston rod 35 7 of cylinder 30 is moved to the left.

The piston rod 35 carries a rack 36 meshing with a spur pinion 37 which rests on a bracket 38, and which is slidably keyed on a spindle 39. When the rack 36 moves to the left, as described 30 above, the pinion 37 and spindle 39 will be rotated in one direction, and when the rack is moved to the right the pinion and spindle will be rotated in the opposite direction. This movement of the rack to the right is effected after 5 the container has been sealed and the vacuum in the sealing closet has been broken. When the vacuum is broken in the sealing closet, the counterweight 27 will cause the piston 24 to rise and the right hand portion of the lever 25 to descend, thereby moving the valve 29 downward and opening communication between the right hand end of the cylinder 30 and the source of vacuum, and opening the left hand end of the ,cylinder to the atmosphere, whereby the piston rod 35 and the rack 36 are moved to the right.

The mechanism by which the spindle 39 is automatically rotated in opposite directions has been described above, and I shall now describe the mechanism by which the spindle is automatically raised and lowered.

Numeral 40 refers to a sleevewhich is threaded through the top of the sealing closet and which projects downwardly into the interior of the closet. The spindle 39 projects downwardly through the sleeve, and has fixed to its lower end the capping head 41; the lower face of the capping head bein'g preferably provided with a sheet of appropriate material 42, such as fibrous ma- 'terial, for engaging the caps to screw them into iii sealing position. The lower portion of the spindie 39 is provided with screw threads 43, which engage corresponding threads on the interior oi? the sleeve 40. By reason of this threaded engagement between the spindle and sleeve, it is apparent that as the spindle is rotated in one direction, it will be lowered to bring the rotating capping head into engagement with the screw cap on the container to be sealed; and that when the spindle is rotated in the opposite direction, the capping head will be lifted from engagement with the cap, and during this upward movement the capping head will be rotating in the opposite direction.

As previously stated: the sleeve 40 is threaded through the top of the sealing closet. The rotation of the sleeve will therefore cause it to be raised or lowered, as desired, to adjust the mechanism to the proper preliminary position, for were of different height. The sleeve will be secured in its adjusted position by means of the lock nut ii.

In operation, a glass jar 45 or other container to be sealed,- is placed in the vacuum closet, with a conventional screw cap 46 loosely mounted thereon and preferably loosely engaging the threads on the neck of the container. The door 19 is closed and the two-way valve 21 is operated to open communication between the sealing closst and source of vacuum. This valve maybe operated automatically by the closing of the door, or may be otherwise automatically operated. However, the particular means for operating the valve forms no part of the present invention, and it is therefore deemed sufficient to illustrate the hand operated valve.

l/Vhen the desired degree of vacuum in the closet is reached, the counterweight 27 is over-' come and the piston 24 moves downwardly, thereby lifting the valve stem 28 of the valve 29. The valve is thus moved toposition to connect the innerend of the cylinder 30 with a source of vacuum, and to connect the opposite end of the cylinder'with the atmosphere. The piston rod 35, of the cylinder 30, will thus be moved to the left (Fig. 2), whereby the rack 36 will rotate the pinion 37 and the spindle 39 to which it is slidably' keyed. By this rotation the spindle 39 is caused to descend, by reason of its threaded engagement with the interior of the sleeve 40; and the capping head is thus lowered to bring the fibrous material 42 into engagement with the screw cap 46. The further rotation of the capping head in this same direction, causes the cap to be screwed wardly at the same time. The downward move-' ment of the valve stem 28 will move the valve to position to open communication between the right hand end of cylinder 30 and the source of vacuum, and at the same time break the vacuum in the opposite end of the cylinder. The piston rod 35 and rack 36 will thus be moved outwardly, and thereby rotate the pinion 37 in the opposite direction. The capping head will thus be rotated in the opposite direction, and this rotation will cause it to be lifted from engagement with the screw cap 46, whereby the sealed container may be removed from the sealing closet; the door having been opened when the vacuum in the sealing closet was broken, or immediately thereafter. Means may be provided, if desired, to prevent the rotation of the container while the cap is being screwed into sealing position.

\ Obviously, the invention can be carried out by various mechanisms, other than the mechanism described herein; and consequently the invention is not to be understood as limited in any sense to the particular mechanism disclosed.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:

1. An apparatus for vacuumizing screw cap containers, including a sealing closet, a capping head for engaging the screw caps on the containers,'means for automatically rotating said head, and means operated by the desired vacuum in the sealing closet to control the automatic operation.

2. An apparatus for vacuumizing screw cap containers, including asealing closet, a capping head for engaging the screw caps on the containers, means for automatically rotating said head, means operated by the desired vacuum in the sealing closet to control the automatic operation, and means for raising and lowering said head.

3. An apparatus for vacuumizing screw cap containers, including a sealing closet, a capping head for engaging the screw caps on'the containers, means rendered operative by the desired degree of vacuum in the sealing closet to lower and rotate said capping head, and said means rendered operative by the breaking of the vacuum in the sealing closet to lift said capping head.

4. An apparatus for vacuumizing screw cap containers, including a sealing closet, a capping head for engaging the screw caps on the containers, automatic means controlled by pressure conditions in the sealing closet for rotating and raising and lowering said capping head.

HUGH s. BRADY.

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