Method In Apparatus For Feeding Closures

Abstract

A method and apparatus for feeding circular closure seals properly oriented with their respective interior surfaces facing in the same direction. Randomly oriented closure seals are deposited on a rotating disc and fed into a tangentially directed exit chute partially oriented with their respective central axes in a vertical plane. As the partially oriented closure seals are fed through the exit chute seals having their interior surfaces facing downwardly are deflected back onto the rotating disc and seals having their interior surfaces facing upwardly allowed to pass through the exit chute.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for feeding closure seals and is particularly directed to a method and apparatus for feeding and orienting circular seals with their respective interior surfaces facing in the same direction.

A unique closure seal has recently come into use as fully described in copending application Ser. No. 7,780 filed Feb. 2, 1970 in the name of Edward Wolf et al and having the same assignee as the instant application. This particular closure seal has a recessed center panel surrounded by an annular sealing channel having an inverted U-shaped cross sectional configuration. Due to the above described structural design, this seal does not lend itself to handling by conventional closure feeding arrangements. Such conventional feeding arrangements for handling circular articles rely on a substantial distinction between the interior and exterior surfaces of the article to facilitate orientation. This distinction is minimized in the recessed center panel closure seal handled by the invention. In order to meet the needs of commercial closure seal production and application operations, it is necessary to orient and feed such seals efficiently at relatively high speeds. Conventional vibratory feeders and available mechanical feeders have not been found adequate to meet these needs.

In accordance with the method and apparatus of the invention, randomly oriented closure seals are deposited onto a rotating disc and fed partially oriented with their respective central axes disposed in a vertical plane into a tangentially extending exit chute. A unique sensing device in the exit chute senses the moving seals and ejects seals facing open side down back onto the rotating disc for recycling, allowing fully oriented seals facing open side up to pass through the exit chute. The apparatus for carrying out this operation is compact, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and capable of feeding high speed closure manufacturing and applying operations.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide an improved method of feeding container closures.

Another object is to provide apparatus for carrying out that method.

A further object is to provide a method and apparatus for feeding circular closure seals having a recessed center panel surrounded by an annular sealing channel.

A further object is to provide a simplified apparatus capable of feeding oriented recessed center panel closure seals at a high rate of speed.

Other and more detailed objects will in part be pointed out and part be obvious as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of the closure feeding apparatus of the invention and for carrying out method thereof partly broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the closure orienting station of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the closure orienting station;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view taken on line 4--4 in FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 in FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is sectional view taken on line 6--6 in FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows showing a properly oriented closure;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the closure orienting station with parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8--8 in FIG. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows showing an improperly oriented closure; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9--9 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 1 illustrates the closure feeding apparatus of the invention wherein numeral 1 indicates a flat circular disc mounted on a central shaft 2 rotationally driven by a pulley 3 and drive belt 4 connected to a motor (not shown). A cylindrical housing wall 5 surrounds the disc 1 and is provided with an interruption 6. A mounting block 7 is secured to the housing wall 5 exteriorly of the interruption 6. A spacer plate 8 is secured to the mounting block 7 and has an inwardly facing curved edge 9 corresponding to the circumference of the disc 1. An air passage 10 is provided in the plate 8 which communicates with the upper surface of plate 8 as indicated at 11. An elongated discharge member 12 is secured to the upper surface of the plate 8 so as to overlie the periphery of the disc 1. The discharge member 12 has a pair of guide rails 13 and 13a secured to its under surface. An aperture 14 is formed in the discharge member 12 provided with a radially inwardly disposed edge 15 having a downwardly and radially outwardly facing chamfered surface 16 as clearly seen in FIGS. 6 and 8. An elongated air passage 17 is formed in the guide rail 13 as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 which communicates with the chamfered surface 16 as indicated at 18. An air line 19 is connected to the passage 17 at a point on the discharge member 12 remote from the aperture 14. A radially inwardly directed air jet 20 is positioned above the discharge member 12 so as to direct a stream of air over the aperture 14. A lead in block 21 is secured to the inner surface of the retaining wall 5 at the forward end of the discharge member 12. An air line 22 is connected to an air passage 23, shown in FIG. 5, in the lead in block 21, communicates with the bottom surface of the block 21 at 24 so as to direct a stream of air downwardly and tangentially into the inner end of discharge member 12. An exit chute 25 is connected to the outer end of the discharge member 12 and extends from the disc 1 to a subsequent work station (not shown). The chute 25 is made up of a bottom plate 26 bordered by a pair upstanding longitudinally extending L-shaped rails 27 each of which has an upper foot 28 partially overlying the bottom plate 26.

As clearly illustrated in FIG. 6 the lightweight metal closure number 30 which the feeding apparatus of the invention is particularly suited for handling comprises a circular recessed center panel 31 surrounded by an annular inverted U-shape sealing channel 32. The sealing channel has upstanding inner wall 33, a base wall 34 and a peripheral outer wall 35.

In operation randomly oriented closure members 30 are deposited onto the rotating disc 1 and are urged under the influence of centrifugal force to the periphery of the disc 1 with the closure member center panels 31 lying in a horizontal plane. In this position the closure members 30 are conveyed in a single file path by the disc 1 underneath the lead in block 21 where the closure member is brought under the influence of the air jet directed through the opening 24. The closure member 30 is accordingly accelerated into the discharge member 12. As the closure member 30 approaches the center of the aperture 14 in the discharge member 12, the air jet directed through the opening 18 in the chamfered surface 16 urges the closure member 30 against the guide rail 13a. Upon reaching the center of the aperture 14 the closure member channel 32 is positioned over the air jet directed through the opening 11. At this point a closure member having its channel portion 32 opening downwardly is blown upwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 8, out through the aperture 14 in the discharge member 12 and back onto the disc 1. The chamfered surface 16 bordering the inner edge of the aperture 14 assists in the movement of the closure member 30 out of the discharge member 12. In addition, the air jet 20 acts against the underside of the closure member as it is lifted up through the aperture 14 by the air jet directed through the opening 11. The air jet 20 directs the closure back onto the disc 1 for recycling.

A closure member entering the discharge member 12 with its annular channel 32 opening upwardly is conveyed over the air jet through the opening 11 so that the air jet acts against the channel base wall 34. The resulting increased air velocity creates a subatmospheric air pressure zone between the channel base wall 34 and the upper surface of the plate 8 whereby the closure member 30 is urged downwardly by atmospheric pressure against the spacer plate 8 as the closure is conveyed thereover. Accordingly, closure members properly oriented with their respective sealing channels opening upwardly are conveyed through the discharge member 12 by the air jet directed through the opening 24 into the exit chute 25 for feeding to a subsequent work station in fully properly oriented condition.

Claims

Having described my invention what I claim as follows:

1. The method of orienting and feeding circular closure members having a recessed center panel surrounded by an annular shape sealing channel, said method comprising the steps of depositing a group of randomly oriented closure members onto a rotating disc, moving said closure members radially outwardly toward the periphery of said disc by centrifugal force and partially orienting said closure members with said center panels lying in a horizontal plane, arranging said partially oriented closure members along a single file path, sensing the orientation of said closure members in response to said arranging, conveying closure members having their sealing channels similarly properly oriented to a subsequent work station and directing improperly oriented closure members back onto said disc for recycling.

2. The method as in claim 1 and effecting said directing by ejecting said improperly oriented closure members upwardly out of said path.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein said sensing acts on the base of said sealing channels and distinguishes between closure members having their respective sealing channels opening upwardly and closure members having their respective sealing channels opening downwardly.

4. The method as in claim 1 and conveying said properly oriented closure members having their respective sealing channels opening upwardly.

5. The method as in claim 4 and retaining said properly oriented closure members in said path by creating a subatmospheric air pressure zone beneath said sealing channels.

6. Apparatus for feeding oriented closure members comprising closure member delivery means, drive means for said delivery means, an exit station juxtaposed said delivery means, said exit station including an enclosed passageway, an upwardly opening aperture in said passageway, closure member sensing means located within said passageway for distinguishing between properly and improperly oriented closure members, means operative in conjunction with said sensing means for ejecting improperly oriented closure members out through said aperture and means for conveying properly oriented closure members through said passageway.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 and including an exit chute connected to said exit station for conveying properly oriented closure members to a subsequent work station.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said sensing means comprises an upwardly directed air jet.

9. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said ejecting means includes a radially inwardly directed air jet.

10. Apparatus for feeding oriented closure members having a recessed center panel surrounded by a U-shape sealing channel comprising a horizontally disposed circular disc, drive means for rotating said disc, a tangential exit station juxtaposed said disc, closure sensing means located within said exit station for distinguishing between properly oriented closure members and improperly oriented closure members, means operative in conjunction with said sensing means for ejecting improperly oriented closure members out of said exit station, an exit chute connected to said exit station, means for conveying properly oriented closure members into said exit chute, said exit station including an enclosed passageway and an upwardly opening aperture in said passageway through which said improperly oriented closure members are ejected.