Preferred Machining Corporation

Alcoa Packaging Machinery, Inc.

Clinton W Rutledge

Tracy Jay Fowler

Roger L Kobak

William W Weil

Ian J Buckley

Gary L Yount

Michael Godfrey

William J Keener

A sealant dispensing system is disclosed which is capable of applying sealant material to irregularly shaped, i.e., non-circular, closure members. To accomplish this, the closure member is loaded onto a rotary chuck in a conventional manner. The sealant applying gun, however, is moveable relative to the end. In this manner, through a combination of rotation of the closure member and movement of the gun, the gun is able to follow the outline of a closure member of any shape. In order to allow non-circular closure members to be loaded onto a chuck, the chuck must first be stopped. After the closure member is loaded, chuck rotation is then initiated. In order to allow this selective chuck rotation, the chuck may be attached to a servo motor. An electromagnet may be located in proximity to each chuck of the sealant dispensing system. In this manner, the electromagnet may be activated during loading of the end of the closure member onto the chuck and then deactivated when it is time to unload the closure member from the chuck. In an indexing type sealant dispensing system, the shuttle mechanism may be driven by a cam device, rather than a conventional crank mechanism. The cam device allows the motion characteristics of the shuttle mechanism to be precisely controlled such that machine cycle time can be reduced.

Fluid dispensing system and method for container closure members

Pivoting fluid dispensing method

Apparatus for applying a sealant to an outer rim of a can lid supported on a rotating lift chuck for movement into and out of a location beneath a sealant applying gun wherein the can lid is held onto the rotating lift chuck during the application of the sealant by at least a partial vacuum. Also, each sealant applying gun is pivotally mounted between a first location blocking the removal of an underneath lift chuck and a second location permitting the removal of the underneath lift chuck.

Apparatus and method for applying sealant to a can lid

An apparatus and method for controlling the opening of a solenoid actuated valve in a sealant dispensing gun are disclosed. A proximity sensor is provided adjacent a portion of the needle valve stem in order to sense when the needle valve has reached its open position. A dispense timer is initiated when the proximity sensor indicates that the needle valve has reached its open position. In this manner, the needle valve may be maintained in its open position for the desired dispense time only without regard to the response time of the solenoid device. Also disclosed is an apparatus and method for adjusting the valve open limit of a sealant dispensing device which incorporates a solenoid or motor actuated valve open limit device. A flow sensor is located in-line with the sealant supply path of a dispensing gun in order to monitor the dispense weight during each valve open cycle. A moving average of the dispense rates may then be calculated and compared to predetermined limits. If the limits are exceeded, the processor the processor automatically adjusts the solenoid or motor actuated valve open limit device in the proper direction in order to bring the dispense rate back into the proper dispense rate range.

Fluid dispensing system

Apparatus for moving articles, such as lids for containers, from one location to other locations depending on processing requirements of a manufacturing operation wherein a continuous supply of lids are separated into units, each having a plurality of lids, which units are moved into a plurality of infeed stations and transferred to one of a plurality of inclined generally planar surfaces in spaced apart generally parallel relationship and wherein the lids roll over the inclined generally planar surfaces under the influence of gravity and wherein the transfer of a unit from an infeed station to one of the plurality of inclined generally planar surfaces and the movement thereover is controlled by a plurality of pivotally mounted gates. Heating means are provided for curing a heat curable coating on portions of the lids when necessary. Also, storage trays are provided so that the longitudinal axis of a plurality of lids can be aligned with the longitudinal axis of one of a plurality of compartments in the tray and the plurality of lids can be pushed into or removed from one of the compartments.

Apparatus and method for moving articles to desired locations

A dual downstacker apparatus has adjacent can lid feed chutes for advancing lids one at a time into alternate ones of the pockets or recesses on a starwheel which is continuously rotated beneath the chutes; and the delivery of lids can be interrupted through one of the chutes without interrupting advancement through the other of the chutes.

Growing community of inventors

Highlands Ranch, CO, United States of America

Clinton W Rutledge