Anti-rotation wear plate for capping machine

Abstract

A bottle support structure and wear plate for use in a rotary capping machine used to apply caps onto the upper threaded neck of a series of plastic containers. The plastic containers have a generally cylindrical body with an outer cylindrical periphery with a diameter and a pedaloid base with spaced pads separated by radial recesses extending from a center recess. The bottle support structure supports the weight of the bottle as the bottle is being capped be prevent the body and base of the bottle from being deformed or crushed during the capping process. The wear plate is a flat ring rotated in unison with a star wheel about a machine axis. The ring has an upwardly facing flat surface and a series of container receiving nests movable in the circular path as the ring is rotated. Each of the nests has at least one elongated bar-like abutment projecting upwardly from the flat surface a given vertical distance. The one or more abutments prevent the bottle from rotating during the capping process.

Having thus defined the invention, the following is claimed:  
     
         1 . A capping machine which applies a downward force to apply caps onto the upper threaded neck of a series of containers, said capping machine including a bottle support and a wear plate, said containers having a pedaloid base with spaced pads separated by radial recesses extending from a center of the bottom of the container, said bottle support adapted to at least partially counter the downward force as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said bottle, said bottle support engaging said bottle at least closely adjacent to the neck of said bottle, said wear plate including a series of container receiving nests, each of said nests having at least one abutment adapted to inhibit rotation of said bottle as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said bottle.  
     
     
         2 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said bottle support fully counter the downward force as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said container.  
     
     
         3 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said bottle support at least partially supports the weight of said container.  
     
     
         4 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said bottle support supports at least the majority of the weight of said container.  
     
     
         5 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said container includes a flange at least partially extending radially from said neck of said container, said bottle support at least partially engaging a lower surface of said flange.  
     
     
         6 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said container includes a flange at least partially extending radially from said neck of said container, said bottle support at least partially engaging a lower surface of said flange.  
     
     
         7 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said container includes a flange at least partially extending radially from said neck of said container, said bottle support at least partially engaging a lower surface of said flange.  
     
     
         8 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said nest includes a surface, whereby said at least one abutment projects upwardly therefrom, said container being supported by said bottle support such that said base is spaced above said surface of said nest.  
     
     
         9 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said nest includes a surface, whereby said at least one abutment projects upwardly therefrom, said container being supported by said bottle support such that said base is spaced above said surface of said nest.  
     
     
         10 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said nest includes a surface, whereby said at least one abutment projects upwardly therefrom, said container being supported by said bottle support such that said base is spaced above said surface of said nest.  
     
     
         11 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said nest includes a surface, whereby said at least one abutment projects upwardly therefrom, said container being supported by said bottle support such that said base is spaced above said surface of said nest.  
     
     
         12 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said nest includes a surface, whereby said at least one abutment projects upwardly therefrom, said container being supported by said bottle support such that said base is spaced above said surface of said nest.  
     
     
         13 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said space of said base of said container above said surface of said nest is about 0.001-0.5 inch.  
     
     
         14 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one abutment extends upwardly into at least one radial recess in said base of said container when said container is at least partially supported by said bottle support, said at least one abutment being spaced from the surface of said at least one radial recess.  
     
     
         15 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said at least one abutment extends upwardly into at least one radial recess in said base of said container when said container is at least partially supported by said bottle support, said at least one abutment being spaced from the surface of said at least one radial recess.  
     
     
         16 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said at least one abutment extends upwardly into at least one radial recess in said base of said container when said container is at least partially supported by said bottle support, said at least one abutment being spaced from the surface of said at least one radial recess.  
     
     
         17 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one abutment extends upwardly into at least one radial recess in said base of said container when said container is at least partially supported by said bottle support, said at least one abutment being spaced from the surface of said at least one radial recess.  
     
     
         18 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said at least one abutment extends upwardly into at least one radial recess in said base of said container when said container is at least partially supported by said bottle support, said at least one abutment being spaced from the surface of said at least one radial recess.  
     
     
         19 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 14 , wherein space of said radial recess from the surface of said nest is about 0.001-0.5 inch.  
     
     
         20 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , including a star wheel, said bottle support connected to said star wheel to move said containers along a generally circular path, said wear plate and said bottle support moving in unison with said star wheel about a machine axis.  
     
     
         21 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one abutment has a bar-like shape.  
     
     
         22 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said at least one bar-like abutment is generally semi-circular in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         23 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said at least one bar-like abutment is generally rectangular in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         24 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said at least one bar-like abutment is generally square in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         25 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one bar-like abutment is generally square in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         26 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said at least one bar-like abutment is generally square in transverse cross-section.  
     
     
         27 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said nest has X pads and including a second abutment extending in a direction radial of an inner area of said nest at an angle of 360°/X from said first mentioned abutment.  
     
     
         28 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said nest has X pads and including a second abutment extending in a direction radial of an inner area of said nest at an angle of 360°/X from said first mentioned abutment.  
     
     
         29 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 18 , wherein said nest has X pads and including a second abutment extending in a direction radial of an inner area of said nest at an angle of 360°/X from said first mentioned abutment.  
     
     
         30 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said wear plate having an outer curved periphery, said base of said containers positioned in said nest at least partially extend outwardly over said outer periphery of said wear plate.  
     
     
         31 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said wear plate includes at least two sections and means for holding said sections together into a circular ring.  
     
     
         32 . The capping machine as defined in  claim 1 , where at least one of said abutments are removably connected in said nest.  
     
     
         33 . A bottle support to at least partially support the weight of a container being capped on a capping machine as the capping machine applies a downward force on the container to apply caps onto an upper threaded neck of a containers, said capping machine including a bottle support and a wear plate, said bottle support engaging said bottle at least closely adjacent to the neck of said bottle to at least partially counter the downward force applied to said bottle as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said bottle thereby substantially maintaining the vertical position of said container relative to said capping machine.  
     
     
         34 . The bottle support as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said bottle support fully counters the downward force on said container as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said container.  
     
     
         35 . The bottle support as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said bottle support at least partially counters the downward force on said container as said cap is threaded onto the neck of said container.  
     
     
         36 . The bottle support as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said bottle support fully supports the weight of said container.  
     
     
         37 . The bottle support as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said bottle support partially supports the weight of said container.  
     
     
         38 . The bottle support as defined in  claim 33 , wherein said container includes a flange at least partially extending radially from said neck of said container, said bottle support at least partially engaging a lower surface of said flange.  
     
     
         39 . A method of preventing the rotation of a container and the deformation or crushing of a body or base of the container during the insertion of a cap onto the upper threaded neck of the container, comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a capping head which applies a cap to the neck of said container by applying a downward force as the cap is rotated onto said neck of said container;    b. providing a bottle support that at least partially engages said container closely adjacent to said neck of said container, said bottle support at least partially countering the downward force applied by said capping head; and    c. providing at least one abutment that interferes with a base of said container when said container moves about a longitudinal axis of said container.