JPH07232797A - Capping device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive the improvement of operational efficiency by a method wherein a capping head grips a cap and rises and, when a container is transferred to a predetermined position, a spinning head gripping the cap is lowered while being rotated to threadely fasten the cap to the neck part of the container. CONSTITUTION:A container is transferred in an upright position on a rotary supporting plate 40. In a cap introducing position, a prescrew cap 28 is set on a cap retaining part of a cap transfer turret 120 and, when it is transferred to a cap feeding position, a spindle 70 of a capping machine is moved in a position immediately above the cap. The spindle 70 is then moved downwards while being rotated by a rotary driving mechanism 96 consisting of a connecting rod 98 connected to a mounting plate 62, a first planetary gear 106, a second planetary gear 108, etc. The prescrew cap 28 gripped by a prescrew capping head CH set to the lower end of the spindle 70 is threadedly fastened to the neck part of the container.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a carbonated drink, a fruit juice drink,
The present invention relates to a capping device that attaches a cap to the mouth and neck of a container that contains alcoholic beverages and the like, and more particularly to a capping device that attaches a pre-screw cap having a screw corresponding to the screw formed on the mouth and neck of the container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a capping device of this type is a cap fitting means for fitting a cap to the mouth and neck of a container, and a cap fitted to the mouth and neck by the cap fitting means is rotated and screwed. And a cap tightening machine. The cap fitting means includes a cap chute that guides the cap housed in the hopper to the cap fitted position, and a cap release that is provided at the tip of the cap chute and holds the cap in a tilted state. By hooking the cap held in this state by the mouth-neck portion of the container to be transported, the cap is fitted to the mouth-neck portion of the container.

When a pre-screw cap having a screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap is fitted on the mouth and neck of the container by the cap fitting means, the container is tilted as described above. The cap hooked on the neck of the mouth allows the screw formed on the inner peripheral surface to interfere with the screw provided on the neck of the container, so that the cap can be fitted sufficiently deep into the neck of the container. Instead, it may be sent to the cap tightening machine in an inclined state. When the cap fitted to the mouth and neck of the container is sent to the cap tightening machine in a tilted state, the cap tightening machine cannot perform a predetermined screw engagement,
There is a problem that defective products are generated and the cap tightening machine fails.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the cap fitting means, there is a technique in which the cap is gripped by the capping head of the cap tightening machine and mounted on the container.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 89. The capping machine disclosed in the publication is provided with a disc-shaped turret in which a pocket for accommodating a container and a cap base provided with a convex portion on which a pre-screw cap is provided are alternately arranged in a peripheral portion, and the turret is provided. While the cap is supplied to the cap base by the cap feeder while rotating intermittently,
When the container is supplied to the pocket by the container feeder and the cap thus supplied to the turret is conveyed to a predetermined position, the spinning headset arranged at the predetermined position is lowered to grip the cap. Then, when the container is transported to a predetermined position, the spinning headset holding the cap is lowered and the cap is screwed onto the mouth and neck of the container.

[0005]

Since the capping machine disclosed in the above publication has a structure in which the turret is rotated intermittently, the cap mounting work is performed during continuous rotation. There is a problem that the work efficiency is lower and the drive control is complicated as compared with the ones.

The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and its main technical problem is that the capping head of the cap tightening machine grips the cap in a continuous movement, and the capping head of the container tightens the cap. It is an object of the present invention to provide a capping device that can be screwed and attached.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above technical object, according to the present invention, there is provided a central support column which is vertically movable and adjustable, and a cam track attached to the central support column. A cap having a cam block, a spindle having a cam follower that engages with the cam track and moved along the cam track, and a capping head attached to the spindle for mounting a cap on the neck and neck of a container. In a capping device having a tightening machine and a cap supply means for supplying a cap to the capping head at a cap supply position of the cap tightening machine, the cap supply means passes through a cap supply position of the cap tightening machine. And a cap transport turret having a cap holding portion at a predetermined peripheral edge of the spindle and the spindle. A moving member and a transmission connected to the drive gear, a capping apparatus characterized by comprising a power transmission mechanism for transmission engaging the rotation shaft of the drive gear and the cap conveying turret, is provided.

[0008]

The container carried by the carrying-in means and carried into the cap tightening machine at the carrying-in position is carried upright on the support plate and carried to the carrying-out position. On the other hand, the pre-screw cap introduced into the cap holding part of the cap transport turret at the cap introduction position is such that the spindle of the cap tightening machine is positioned directly above when the cap is fed to the cap supply position. At a position, it is gripped by a chuck provided at the tip of the capping head CH mounted on the spindle. In this way, the spindle equipped with the capping head CH holding the pre-screw cap is moved along the cam track formed on the cam block to be moved vertically between the raised position and the lower limit position, In the meantime, the pre-screw cap gripped by the pre-screw capping head CH mounted on the lower end of the spindle is screwed onto the mouth and neck of the container.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of a capping device constructed according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a capping system equipped with a capping device constructed according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the capping device constructed according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a developed cam track formed on a cam block used in the capping device of FIG. 2.

The capping system shown in FIG. 1 comprises a rotary turret type cap tightening machine 2 and a cap supplying means 4 for supplying a cap to the cap tightening machine 2, a carrying conveyor means 8, Rotary turret type carry-in means 10 and rotary turret type carry-out means 1
It has 2 and. The container 14 in which the contents are filled by a filling device (not shown) is supplied on the conveyer conveyor means 8 in an upright state and is conveyed toward the carry-in means 10 in a direction indicated by an arrow 16. The carrying-in means 10 moves the container 14 into the arrow 1
It is conveyed in the direction shown by 8 and is carried into the cap tightening machine 2 constituting the capping device 6 at the carry-in position 20. The container 14 carried into the cap tightening machine 2 is carried from the carry-in position 20 to the carry-out position 24 in the direction indicated by the arrow 22. On the other hand, the cap supply means 4 constituting the capping device 6 supplies the cap 28 to the capping head of the cap tightening machine 2 described later at the cap supply position 26 located above the carry-out position 24. As described below, the cap 28 is attached to the container 14 conveyed by the carrying-in means 10 in the direction indicated by the arrow 18 as described above. Rotating turret type unloading means 12
The container 14 with the cap 28 attached to the carry-out position 2
It is conveyed from 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow 30, and is conveyed from the capping device 6 onto the conveyer conveyor means 8. The container 14 carried out from the capping device 6 is carried on the carrying conveyor means 8 in the direction indicated by the arrow 32. The transport conveyor means 8, the carry-in means 10 and the carry-out means 12 may be of a well-known form, and detailed description of these means will be omitted in this specification.

The capping device 6 will be described with reference to FIG. The illustrated capping device 6 comprises a cap tightening machine 2 and a cap supply means 4 for supplying a cap to the cap tightening machine 2. The cap tightening machine 2 includes a central support post 34. The lower end of the central column 34 is connected to a jack (not shown), and is vertically movable in the figure. At the upper end of the central column 34, a cam block 38 having a cam track 36 is provided.
Is attached. The cam track 36 is formed in a groove shape on the outer peripheral surface of the cam block 38, and defines a first cam track 361 that defines an ascending position as shown in FIG. 3, and a position where the cam track 36 descends from the first cam track 361 by a predetermined amount. A second cam track 362 formed on the upper end of the first cam track 362 and a third cam track 363 defining a lower limit position.
Of the cam track 361, the second cam track 362 and the third cam track 363 of the tilt track 364,
Consecutive by 365 and 366. Further, the first cam track 361 is provided with a fourth cam track 367 that is lifted further upward at a position slightly upstream of the cap supply position 26. The second cam track 362 has a spindle, which will be described later, of approximately one.
The third cam track 363 has a length corresponding to the amount of movement while rotating, and in the illustrated embodiment, the third cam track 363 has a length corresponding to the amount of movement of the spindle, which will be described later, about two revolutions. ing. The length of the third cam track 363 has a length corresponding to the amount of movement of the number of turns of the screw formed on the mouth and neck of the container 14 while the spindle described later rotates. All you have to do is do it. In addition, the second
The cam track 362 of the present invention is adjusted to the lead angle of the screw formed on the neck portion of the container 14 in the illustrated embodiment,
From the first cam track 361 side to the third cam track 3
It is formed with a 3 ° downward slope on the 63 side.

At the lower end of the central column 34, a disc-shaped rotation support plate 40 is rotatably arranged around the central column 34. The rotation support plate 40 is attached to a drive cylinder 42 that is transmission-connected to a drive source such as an electric motor (not shown), and the container 14 carried into the cap tightening machine 2 by the carrying-in means 10 is placed and conveyed. It is supposed to do. A first cylindrical rotation shaft 44, which is rotatably fitted to the central support column 34, is attached to the rotation support plate 40 so as to rotate integrally. Turret disks 48, 48 are fixed to the first cylindrical rotary shaft 44 via a connecting cylinder 46. A plurality of (six in the illustrated embodiment) semicircular notches 50, 50 are formed at intervals around the turret disks 48, 48 in the circumferential direction (see also FIG. 1). ). The container 14 loaded into the cap fastening machine 2 at the loading position 20 (FIG. 1) is loaded onto the rotary support plate 40 in an upright state, and the body portion thereof has the notches of the turret disks 48, 48. Accepted by 50, 50. Therefore, the rotation support plate 40 and the turret disc 4
1, the container 14 is rotated by the arrow 22 in FIG.
It is conveyed in the direction indicated by. Radial outward movement of the container 14 is prevented by a stationary guide rail 52 extending in an arc along the turret disks 48,48. In addition,
The stationary guide rail 52 is fixed to a stationary fixing member (not shown) via an appropriate supporting member.

Continuing the description with reference to FIG. 2, the first
A second tubular rotary shaft 56 is fitted to the tubular rotary shaft 44 of, and both tubular rotary shafts are integrally rotated by a key 58, but are connected so as to be movable in the axial direction. The second cylindrical rotary shaft 56 is pivotally supported on the central support column 34 by a bearing 60. A disc-shaped mounting plate 62 arranged above the turret disc 48 is fixed to the second cylindrical rotary shaft 56 by a stud bolt 64. A plurality of (six in the illustrated embodiment) through openings 66 are formed in the mounting plate 62 at intervals in the circumferential direction, and sleeves 68 are fitted into the through openings 66. Each of the through openings 66 is aligned with each of the notches 50 formed in the turret disk 48. Mounting plate 62
Spindles 70 are rotatably and movably arranged in the vertical direction in the respective through openings 66 formed in the above. The spindle 70 is connected to a cam follower 74 having a driven roller 72 that engages with the cam track 36 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cam block 38, and is connected to the lower end of the cam follower 74 by screwing or the like and has a square hole at the lower end. A support column 78 having a support member 76, a rotary member 86 rotatably supported by bearings 80, 80 on the support column 78, a spline 82 on the outer periphery, and a mounting flange 84 at the lower end.
And the spline 82 formed on the outer periphery of the rotating member 86.
And a driven gear 90 on the outer periphery of the upper portion, and the through opening 68.
And a rotation driven member 92 that is rotatably fitted to a sleeve 68 that is fitted to the cap 68. The capping head CH is detachably attached to a mounting flange 84 provided at the lower end of the rotating member 86. Has become. As the capping head CH, a pre-screw capping head for mounting a pre-screw cap having a screw to be screwed with a screw formed on the neck of the container is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-60-228288. A capping head as described above can be used.

A rotary drive mechanism 96 for rotating the rotary member 86 of the spindle 70 will be described. The rotation drive mechanism 96 is mounted on the carrier 100 connected to the mounting plate 62 by a connecting culvert 98, a rotating shaft 102 rotatably supported by the carrier 100, and an upper end of the rotating shaft 102. A first planetary gear 106 meshing with a fixed gear 104 formed at the lower end of the cam block 38 and a second planetary gear 108 mounted at the lower end of the rotating shaft 102.
A gear 110 that meshes with the second planetary gear 108 is provided at the upper end, and a drive gear 112 that meshes with the driven gear 90 of the rotary driven member 92 is provided at the lower end, and the central support 34 is rotatably supported by a bearing 116. The rotation driving member 114 is supported. The rotary drive mechanism 96 is configured as described above, and the carrier 100 is rotated along the fixed gear 104 via the connecting stem 98 by the rotation of the mounting plate 62. The rotation of the carrier 100 causes the first planetary gear 106 meshing with the fixed gear 104 to revolve along the fixed gear 104, thereby rotating the rotating shaft 102 and rotating the rotating shaft 102.
The second planetary gear 108 mounted on the gear 110
The rotation driving member 114 is rotated via the. As the rotary drive member 114 rotates, the spindle 70 is rotationally driven via the drive gear 112 formed at the lower end of the rotary drive member 114.

Next, the cap supply means 4 for supplying a cap to the cap tightening machine 2 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap supply means 4 is arranged above the carry-out means 12. The cap supply means 4 includes a cap transport turret 120 having a plurality of (four in the illustrated embodiment) cap holding portions 122 with a predetermined interval on the peripheral edge, and a rotation shaft of the cap transport turret 120. A power transmission mechanism 126 that transmits a driving force to the motor 124 is provided. The cap transport turret 120 moves the cap supply position 26 to the cap holding portion 12.
The rotating shaft 124 is rotatably supported by a supporting means 130 attached to a stationary supporting plate 128 mounted on the upper end of the central column 34.
The cap transport turret 120 is rotated by the power transmission mechanism 126 in the direction indicated by the arrow 30,
At the cap introduction position 132, the cap 28 stored in a cap hopper (not shown) and conveyed through the cap chute 134 is introduced into the cap holding portion 122, and the cap 28 is conveyed to the cap supply position 26. The power transmission mechanism 126 includes a drive gear 136, a constant velocity universal joint 138, and a speed reducer 140. The drive gear 136 is attached to the carrier 100 that rotates together with the mounting plate 62 that constitutes the drive member of the spindle 70. It meshes with the ring gear 144 connected by the connecting stalk 142. The power transmission mechanism 126 that drives the cap transport turret 120 is configured so that the rotation speed of the mounting plate 62, that is, the spindle 78, and the rotation speed of the cap transport turret 120 are synchronized. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotation shaft 146 of the drive gear 136 rotatably supported by the support means 130 and the rotation shaft 124 of the cap transport turret 120 are arranged at eccentric positions. Therefore, although both shafts are connected by a universal joint, a constant velocity universal joint 138 is used in the illustrated embodiment.

The capping device according to the illustrated embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation will be described below. The container 14 carried by the carry-in means 10 and carried into the cap tightening machine 2 at the carry-in position 20 as described above.
Is carried upright on the support plate 40, and its body is received in the notches 50, 50 of the turret disks 48, 48. Thus turret disks 48, 48
Container 14 with the body received in the notches 50, 50
1 of the support plate 40 and the turret disks 48, 48.
1 is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow 22 in FIG. On the other hand, the pre-screw cap 28 introduced into the cap holding portion 122 of the cap transport turret 120 at the cap introduction position 132 is capped by the rotation of the cap transport turret 120 driven by the power transmission mechanism 126 in the direction indicated by the arrow 30. When transported to the supply position 26,
The spindle 70 of the cap tightening machine 2 is positioned directly above, and the spindle 7 is moved at the cap supply position 26.
It is gripped by a chuck provided at the tip of the capping head CH attached to 0. In this way, the spindle 70 equipped with the capping head CH that holds the pre-screw cap 28 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 22 in FIG. That is, at the same time that the support plate 40 and the turret discs 48, 48 rotate as described above, the mounting plate 62 is rotated by the first tubular rotary shaft 44, the key 58 and the second tubular rotary shaft 56. To be Therefore, the spindle 70, which is mounted on the mounting plate 62 so as to be rotatable and slidable, revolves around the central column 34. By this revolution, the driven roller 72, which constitutes the cam follower 74 of the spindle 70, moves along the cam track 36 formed on the cam block 38, so that the spindle 70
Can be moved vertically between the upper limit position and the lower limit position. In addition, the spindle 70 is mounted on the mounting plate 6 as described above.
Connection culm 98, carrier 100, gear 10 connected to 2
4, the first planetary gear 106, the rotary shaft 102, the second planetary gear 108, the rotary drive member 114, and the like are rotated (rotated) by a rotary drive mechanism 96. In this way, the spindle 70 revolves in the vertical direction while revolving, and by rotating itself, the pre-screw cap 28 gripped by the pre-screw capping head CH attached to the lower end of the spindle 70 becomes the mouth neck of the container 14. It is screwed to the part.

The movements of the spindle 70 and the pre-screw capping head CH will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the arrow 2 appears along the cam track 36.
The pre-screw capping head CH mounted on the spindle 70 that moves in two directions is moved upward by the fourth cam track 367 before reaching the cap supply position 26 after starting to move the first cam track 361. It This is to prevent the pre-screw capping head CH from interfering with each other before the pre-screw cap 28 transported by the cap transport turret 120 reaches the cap supply position 26. Fourth
The pre-screw capping head CH, which has been raised by the cam track 367 of the above, descends and reaches the first cam track 361 at the cap supply position 26.
In this case, the cap 28 is held in alignment with the pre-screw cap 28 conveyed by the cap conveying turret 120. The pre-screw capping head CH that holds the pre-screw cap 28 is spaced from the container 14 while the spindle 70 is moving on the first cam track 361. The spindle 70 moves along the inclined track 364 from the left end in the drawing of the first cam track 361,
When it descends a predetermined amount from 1 (the raised position) and reaches the second cam track 362, the pre-screw cap 28 gripped by the pre-screw capping head CH is fitted into the mouth and neck of the container 14 while being rotated. The length of the second cam track 362 corresponds to the distance that the spindle 70 revolves and moves while the spindle 70 makes one revolution as described above.
Therefore, even if there is a phase difference in the screwing start position between the screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck of the container 14 and the screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the pre-screw cap 28, the pre-screw cap 28 rotates once. During this time, the screwing start positions of both screws always match and screwing starts. In the illustrated embodiment, the second cam track 362 is moved from the first cam track 361 side to the third cam track 363 side in accordance with the lead angle of the screw formed on the neck of the container 14. Since the pre-screw cap 28 is formed so as to be inclined downward by 3 °, the pre-screw cap 28 can be smoothly screwed into the screw formed on the neck portion of the container 14. After that, the spindle 70 moves along the inclined track 365, and when it reaches the third cam track 363, the spindle 70 is lowered to the lower limit position, and in this state, the pre-screw cap 28 is fully tightened. In addition,
The length of the third cam track 363 corresponds to the distance that the spindle 70 revolves and moves while rotating about two times as described above. Generally, the number of turns of the screw in this kind of cap is about 1.9, and therefore, the inclined track 36
It suffices that the total length of the fifth cam track 363 and the third cam track 363 corresponds to the distance that the spindle 70 revolves and moves while the spindle 70 makes two revolutions. In this way, the spindle 70 is connected to the second cam track 362 and the tilted track 3
65 and the third cam track 363,
The pre-screw capping head CH mounted on the spindle 70 acts on the pre-screw cap 28 to screw the pre-screw cap 28 into a screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck of the container 14 and mount it. The spindle 70 that has passed the third cam track 363 moves upward along the tilted track 366 and returns to the position of the first cam track 361.

When the pre-screw caps are attached to different types of containers, a jack (not shown) is operated to move and adjust the vertical position of the central column 34 of the cap tightening machine 2 according to the height of the containers. Good. That is, the spindle 70 is simultaneously moved and adjusted by moving and adjusting the vertical position of the central strut 34, and
The support means 13 is attached to the stationary support plate 128 attached to the upper end of
The cap supply means 4 supported by 0 is also moved and adjusted at the same time.

[0020]

The capping device according to the present invention is configured as described above, and includes the spindle that is moved along the cam track and the capping head that is attached to the spindle and that attaches a cap to the mouth and neck of the container. It comprises a cap tightening machine provided with, and a cap supply means for supplying a cap to the capping head at a cap supply position of the cap tightening machine, wherein the cap supply means controls the cap supply position of the cap tightening machine. A cap transport turret having a cap holding portion at a predetermined peripheral edge through which it passes, a drive gear drivingly coupled to a drive member of the spindle, and a drive coupling of the drive gear and a rotary shaft of the cap transport turret. Since it is equipped with a power transmission mechanism, the spindle of the cap tightening machine is always moved along the cam track. While moving, it is possible to perform clamping of the container and the supply and the cap of the cap, the resulting work efficient capping device. Further, in the capping device according to the present invention, since the cap supply means is supported by the central support via the support means, even when the pre-screw caps are mounted on containers of different heights, the vertical position of the central support is moved. By adjusting, the spindle and the cap supply means can be simultaneously moved and adjusted, and the adjustment work can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a capping system including a capping device configured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of a capping device configured according to the present invention.

3 is an explanatory view showing a developed cam track formed on a cam block used in the capping device of FIG. 2. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example in which a pre-screw cap is attached to a container by the capping device of FIG. 2, and a main part is developed in an operation order.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2: Rotating turret type cap tightening machine 4: Cap supplying means 6: Capping device 8: Conveying conveyor means 10: Rotating turret type loading means 12: Rotating turret type unloading means 14: Container 28: Cap 34: Central support 36: Cam Track 38: Cam block 40: Rotation support plate 42: Drive cylinder 44: First cylindrical rotation shaft 46: Connection cylinder 48: Turret disc 52: Stationary guide rail 56: Second cylindrical rotation shaft 62: Mounting Plate 66: Through opening 68: Sleeve 70: Spindle 72: Driven roller 74: Cam follower 78: Support column 86: Rotating member 90: Driven gear 92: Rotation driven member 96: Rotation drive mechanism 98: Connection culvert 100: Carrier 102: Rotation Moving shaft 104: Fixed gear 106: First planetary gear 108: Second planetary gear 112: Drive gear 11 : Rotary drive member 120: cap conveying turret 122: cap holding portion 126: power transmission mechanism 128: stationary support plate 130: support means 134: Cap chute 136: driving gear 138: the constant velocity universal joint 140: reducer

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Hitoshi Iwamoto 2-12 Mayor, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa Japan Crown Cork Ltd. Hiratsuka factory (72) Inventor Shinichi Kawaguchi 2-6-4 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cam block having a central support column that is vertically movable and adjustable, a cam track attached to the central support column, and a cam follower that engages with the cam track. A cap tightening machine equipped with a spindle that is moved along and a capping head that is attached to the spindle and that mounts a cap on the neck and neck of a container, and a cap for the capping head at the cap supply position of the cap tightening machine. And a cap feeding means for feeding the cap feeding means, wherein the cap feeding means includes a cap transport turret having a cap holding portion at a predetermined interval on a peripheral edge portion passing through the cap feeding position of the cap tightening machine, A drive gear drivingly connected to the drive member of the spindle, the drive gear and the cap carrier Capping apparatus characterized by comprising a power transmission mechanism for transmission engaging the rotation shaft of Retto, the. 2. The capping device according to claim 1, wherein the cap supply means is supported by the central support via a support means.