Lid applicator system

Abstract

A lid applicator has a main body that receives a conveyor. Containers are placed on the conveyor, and lids are loaded into a chute in the lid applicator. As the containers move towards the lid applicator, the rim of the container contacts the lip of the lid that is being advanced downwardly and at an angle by a plurality of worm screws of the main body. The forward momentum of the container on the conveyor carries the lid away from worm screws, and forms a loose contact between the lid and container. The container and lid then pass under a platform of the main body with a flat surface, fully sealing the lid onto the container. As a next container approaches the chute, a sensor on the main body sends a signal causing the worm screws to dispense another lid at an angle to receive the next container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lid applicator system, comprising:
 a main body having a front side, a rear side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side, the main body including a chute, a plurality of worm screws, and a lid compression element, the chute disposed between the front side and the rear side and configured to hold a nested stack of lids, the worm screws disposed between the chute and the bottom side of the main body and configured to advance the nested stack of lids toward the bottom side of the main body, separate an individual lid from the nested stack of lids where the individual lid is bottommost in the nested stack of lids, and deposit the individual lid onto a container, and the lid compression element disposed on the bottom side of the main body adjacent to the rear side and configured to press the individual lid onto the container as the container is moved adjacent to the lid compression element; and   a conveyor disposed beneath the bottom side of the main body and spaced apart from the chute and the lid compression element of the main body, the conveyor together with the bottom side of the main body defining a passage for receiving the container, the conveyor configured to move the container through the passage from the front side of the main body to the rear side of the main body, beneath the chute, and to the lid compression element to cause the individual lid to be sealed with the container.   
     
     
         2 . The lid applicator system of  claim 1 , wherein the main body has at least one sensor and at least one motor. 
     
     
         3 . The lid applicator system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect the presence of the container on the conveyor as it is moved through the passage by the conveyor. 
     
     
         4 . The lid applicator system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a motion sensor disposed adjacent the front side of the main body. 
     
     
         5 . The lid applicator system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one motor is configured to selectively rotate the plurality of worm screws to deposit the individual lid onto the container. 
     
     
         6 . The lid applicator system of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of worm screws includes a first worm screw, a second worm screw, a third worm screw, and a fourth worm screw, the first worm screw and the second worm screw disposed adjacent the front side of the main body, and the third worm screw and the fourth worm screw disposed adjacent the rear side of the main body opposite the first worm screw and the second worm screw. 
     
     
         7 . The lid applicator system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one motor is connected to the worm screws through a plurality of drive shafts and a plurality of bevel gears, and the plurality of worm screws are configured to move simultaneously by operation of the at least one motor. 
     
     
         8 . The lid applicator system of  claim 7 , wherein each of the worm screws has a cylinder body with an upper end and a lower end, and a spiral thread disposed on an outer surface of the cylinder body between the upper end and the lower end, and a density in spacing of the spiral thread adjacent the upper end being greater than the density in spacing of the spiral thread adjacent the lower end. 
     
     
         9 . The lid applicator system of  claim 8 , wherein the cylinder body of at least one of the worm screws has a spiral rib disposed on the outer surface of the cylinder body adjacent to the lower end of the cylinder body, the spiral thread having a first width and the spiral rib having a second width, and the second width being greater than the first width. 
     
     
         10 . The lid applicator system of  claim 9 , wherein each of the lids of the nested stack of lids has a flange that is configured to be contacted by the spiral threads adjacent the upper ends of the cylinder bodies to advance the lids downwardly by rotation of each of the worm screws. 
     
     
         11 . The lid applicator system of  claim 10 , where the flange of the individual lid is also configured to be contacted by the spiral threads adjacent the lower ends of the cylinder bodies to separate the individual lid from the nested stack of lids to deposit the individual lid onto the container. 
     
     
         12 . The lid applicator system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of worm screws is configured to separate the individual lid from the nested stack of lids at an angle relative to the conveyor, with a leading edge of the individual lid being disposed closer to the conveyor than a trailing edge of the individual lid. 
     
     
         13 . The lid applicator system of  claim 1 , wherein the chute includes a plurality of guide bars extending upwardly from the main body, the plurality of guide bars attached to one another with a plurality of tie bars, and the plurality of guide bars and the plurality of tie bars together configured to hold the nested stack of lids. 
     
     
         14 . The lid applicator system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of guide bars and the plurality of tie bars together define an open side of the chute that is configured to receive the nested stack of lids. 
     
     
         15 . The lid applicator system of  claim 1 , wherein the lid compression element has a lid compression surface with a leading edge and a trailing edge, the lid compression surface oriented at an angle relative to the conveyor. 
     
     
         16 . The lid applicator system of  claim 15 , wherein the lid compression element is a plastic bar affixed to the main body at an end of the passage. 
     
     
         17 . The lid applicator system of  claim 16 , wherein the plastic bar is formed from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. 
     
     
         18 . A lid applicator system, comprising:
 a main body having a front side, a rear side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side, the main body including a chute, a plurality of worm screws, and a lid compression element, the chute disposed between the front side and the rear side and configured to hold a nested stack of lids, the worm screws disposed between the chute and the bottom side of the main body and configured to advance the nested stack of lids toward the bottom side of the main body, separate an individual lid from the nested stack of lids where the individual lid is bottommost in the nested stack of lids, and deposit the individual lid onto a container, and the lid compression element disposed on the bottom side of the main body adjacent to the rear side and configured to press the individual lid onto the container as the container is moved adjacent to the lid compression element, wherein the main body has at least one sensor and at least one motor, the at least one sensor is configured to detect the presence of the container on the conveyor as it is moved through the passage by the conveyor, and the at least one motor is configured to selectively rotate the plurality of worm screws to deposit the individual lid onto the container, wherein each of the worm screws has a cylinder body with an upper end and a lower end, and a spiral thread disposed on an outer surface of the cylinder body between the upper end and the lower end, and a density in spacing of the spiral thread adjacent the upper end being greater than the density in spacing of the spiral thread adjacent the lower end, and wherein the lid compression element has a lid compression surface with a leading edge and a trailing edge, the lid compression surface oriented at an angle relative to the conveyor; and   a conveyor disposed beneath the bottom side of the main body and spaced apart from the chute and the lid compression element of the main body, the conveyor together with the bottom side of the main body defining a passage for receiving the container, the conveyor configured to move the container through the passage from the front side of the main body to the rear side of the main body, beneath the chute, and to the lid compression element to cause the individual lid to be sealed with the container.   
     
     
         19 . A lid application method comprising the steps of:
 providing a lid applicator system including a main body and a conveyor, the main body having a front side, a rear side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side, the main body including a chute, a plurality of worm screws, and a lid compression element, the chute disposed between the front side and the rear side and configured to hold a nested stack of lids, the worm screws disposed between the chute and the bottom side of the main body and configured to advance the nested stack of lids toward the bottom side of the main body, separate an individual lid from the nested stack of lids where the individual lid is bottommost in the nested stack of lids, and deposit the individual lid onto a container, and the lid compression element disposed on the bottom side of the main body adjacent to the rear side and configured to press the individual lid onto the container as the container is moved adjacent to the lid compression element, and the conveyor disposed beneath the bottom side of the main body and spaced apart from the chute and the lid compression element of the main body, the conveyor together with the bottom side of the main body defining a passage for receiving the container, the conveyor configured to move the container through the passage from the front side of the main body to the rear side of the main body, beneath the chute, and to the lid compression element to cause the individual lid to be seated onto the container;   placing the nested stack of lids within the chute;   placing the container onto the conveyor;   moving, by the conveyor, the container through the passage from the front side of the main body toward the rear side of the main body;   detecting the presence of the container on the conveyor;   rotating, in response to the detecting of the presence of the container on the conveyor, each of the plurality of worm screws to cause a separation of the individual lid from the nested stack of lids at a position adjacent the chute and to cause a deposition of the individual lid onto the container, whereby the individual lid is loosely disposed on the container; and   moving, by the conveyor, the individual lid and container beneath the lid compression element to cause a pressing of the individual lid onto the container by the lid compression element, whereby the individual lid is sealed with the container.   
     
     
         20 . The lid application method of  claim 19 , wherein the individual lid is separated from the nested stack of lids at an angle relative to the conveyor, with a leading edge of the individual lid being disposed closer to the conveyor than a trailing edge of the individual lid.