Aluminum Company of America

Frank M Kelly

Darwin L Ellis

Wilburn C Willis

Joseph A Clements

Earl E Rumberger

William L Denhart

A finger assembly for a rotatable screwcapping head which is capable of gripping and screwing a screw closure onto a prethreaded container. The finger assembly includes a guide member which retains at least two fingers pivotally positioned thereon. The fingers have a concave surface which is capable of gripping the screw closure as the fingers are moved to a closed position. A pair of C-shaped retaining rings encompasses both the guide member and the fingers and serves to secure them to the rotatable screwcapping head. The finger assembly also includes an actuator for pivoting the fingers between a closed position wherein the fingers grip the screw closure and an open position wherein the fingers release the screw closure.

Finger assembly for a screwcapping head

A capping head for screwing a prethreaded closure onto a container provided with a screw thread. The capping head includes a housing adapted to be secured to a rotatable drive spindle and having a bore formed therein which is open at one end. A quill is mounted in the housing for free rotation therewith. The quill contains two radial bores which house a pair of poppet valves. The capping head also includes a torque-dependent clutch having a drive plate secured to the housing and a driven plate secured to the quill. The clutch is constructed such that it will stop screwing a prethreaded closure onto a container once a desired, predetermined torque value is reached. A chuck is attached to the driven plate and is fluidly activated between an open and closed position by the poppet valves. An activating arm is also present which is attached to the quill and cooperates with a cam formed on an inner peripheral surface of the housing to selectively operate the poppet valves when the torque value between the drive plate and the driven plate exceeds the desired, predetermined value.

Capping head

A screwcapping machine for screwing a screw closure onto a prethreaded container. The screwcapping machine includes a housing fixed to a stationary support shaft and has a pair of drive motors for independently rotating the turret and the spindles about their own axis. The housing also has a cam which is traversed by a cam follower attached to each spindle which causes the respective spindle to reciprocate. The screwcapping machine further includes a positioning means for selectively orienting the screw closure relative to one of the screwcapping heads when the respective spindle is in a predetermined position and control means for actuating the screwcapping heads to enable the head to grasp the screw closure and tighten it onto the container.

Screwcapping machine

A capping head for the rotary application of a cap on a container wherein a housing adapted to be secured to a rotary spindle rotatably carries a chuck of minimal inertial mass in coaxial alignment with the spindle and an improved nonfrictional magnetic clutch transmits torque from the rotating housing to the chuck to drive the chuck in rotation and thereby carry out a capping operation.

A method and apparatus for separating a liner from a formed metal closure by at least partially everting the closure so as to make the liner accessible for separation from the closure.

Method and apparatus for removing liners from metal closures

A pressure testing apparatus for sealed containers including a container receiving enclosure defined by a base wall, a side wall and a top wall. A container supporting pedestal having a needle projecting upwardly therefrom is positioned within the container receiving enclosure. A pressurized fluid supply means is in communication with the needle. An adjustable container retaining member is disposed within the container receiving enclosure in spaced overlying relationship with respect to the container supporting pedestal. Pressure control means are interposed between the pressurized fluid supply means and the needle. A method of testing a sealed container which includes placing the sealed container within the container receiving enclosure, piercing the container by means of a generally upward projecting needle to establish sealed contact between the needle and the interior of the container. The container is secured in test position by means of an adjustable container retaining member which limits upward movement of the container to an amount insufficient to lift the container entirely off the needle. Pressurized fluid is subsequently supplied to the interior container and such delivery of pressurized fluid is terminated when the internal pressure reaches a predetermined level or when container failure occurs.

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Richmond, IN, United States of America

Frank M Kelly