US3879987A

US3879987A - Device for examining inner pressure resistance of glass bottle

Info

Publication number: US3879987A
Application number: US399804A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tomita Yasuhiro; Nakayama Katsutoshi
Original assignee: Yamamura Glass KK
Current assignee: Yamamura Glass KK
Priority date: 1972-12-29
Filing date: 1973-09-24
Publication date: 1975-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 1992-04-29
Also published as: DE2363492C3; DE2363492A1; FR2212543A1; JPS4991493A; JPS5249994B2; FR2212543B1; DE2363492B2

Abstract

A device for examining breaking resistance of a glass bottle by applying inner pressure thereto. The device includes endless conveying means for repeatedly transferring pressure fluid ejection head groups at equal spaces to a bottle examination zone provided on the path along which bottle to be examined are conveyed and conveyors for transferring the bottles synchronizing with the movement of the pressure fluid ejection head groups in the examination zone, each pressure ejection head including a vertically movable nozzle connected to a pressurizing fluid source and a packing capable of rapidly resiliently deforming and bulging out at one end of the nozzle. When the nozzle is inserted into the bottle, the bottle mouth is sealed by the packing which resiliently bulges outwardly, and a valve for a pressurizing fluid passageway is opened to fill the bottle with pressure fluid.

Description

United States Patent [191 Yasuhiro et al.

1 Apr. 29, 1975 1 DEVICE FOR EXAMINING INNER PRESSURE RESISTANCE 0F GLASS BOTTLE [75] Inventors: Tomita Yasuhiro. Nishinomiya;

Nakayama Katsutoshi, ltami. both of Japan [73] Assignee: Yamamura Glass Kabushiki Kaisha,

Hyogo. Japan [22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 399,804

Primary ExaminerS. Clement Swisher Attorney. Agent. or FirmH0lman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A device for examining breaking resistance of a glass bottle by applying inner pressure thereto. The device includes endless conveying means for repeatedly transferring pressure fluid ejection head groups at equal spaces to a bottle examination zone provided on the path along which bottle to be examined are conveyed and conveyors for transferring the bottles synchronizing with the movement of the pressure fluid ejection head groups in the examination zone. each pressure ejection head including a vertically movable nozzle connected to a pressurizing fluid source and a packing capable of rapidly resiliently deforming and bulging out at one end of the nozzle. When the nozzle is inserted into the bottle. the bottle mouth is sealed by the packing which resiliently bulges outwardly. and a valve for a pressurizing fluid passageway is opened to till the bottle with pressure fluid.

8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPREQIHYS I 3.879.987

Shit EL:-

Fig.1

PMENTEU APR 2 9 I975 SHEET 3 BF 9 m. N wm/ 8- 8 8 84 0 D U q U D .u n. 9 h 0 O 0 0 m N. m m? p x. O O HON m U m F a o o 0 m. U Q r w m o o o o w fi F u H n J q: T m 8 T mm mm 8 Q i a 5 8 8 8 QFWMWI O H P-M l Q W mm a up PATENTEUAPRZSIQYS SHEET 7 BF 9 Fig PATENTEU 3.879.987

SHEET 8 OF 9 Fig.12

DEVICE FOR EXAMINING INNER PRESSURE RESISTANCE OF GLASS BOTTLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A filler simulator for reducing the number of cases where glass bottles are broken when being filled with liquid on a filling machine is well known. But since this device is operated under the range of low air pressure not exceeding the stress limit ofa bottle and within the range of a pressure of vertical load. the device cannot function as a compression testing machine.

Glass bottles for pressurized beverages such as carbonated beverages. beer or the like are liable to break and are often dangerous to a person when the bottles have even very small flaws or undergo changes by effects of years or sudden changes in environmental temperature.

In order to avoid the danger of the kind described. it is only necessary to pour pressure fluid into a bottle and make a so-called hydraulic test as a means of examining the pressure resistance of the bottle. but in the prior art hydraulic test method a packing was provided on the fluid injection head to seal the mouth of the bottle. and the bottle mouth was vertically pressed and sealed. and hence the bottle was subjected to vertical load.

This load is an outer force having nothing to do with the inner pressure the bottle receives from the content fluid. and accordingly the method has the disadvantage that the correct results of the inner pressure examination are not obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for examining the inner pressure resistance ofa glass bottle and more particularly to a device for examining the inner pressure resistance of a bottle for a pressurized liquid such as carbonated beverages. beer. and the like.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a device for exactly examining the inner pressure resistance of a glass bottle by filling the bottle with fluid pressure under the same conditions as those under which the bottle is broken by a mere increase in its inner pressure in the described resistance examination of a bottle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device capable of automatically making the pressure resistance examination of a glass bottle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device capable of efficiently and within a short time examining a large number of glass bottles to be filled with liquid.

According to this invention, groups of pressure fluid injection heads are successively and repeated fed at equal pitch in an examination zone having a certain distance over the travelling path of bottles to be examined, and a means of transporting the bottles is designed to transport bottles in synehronism with the pitch of movement of the groups of heads. According to the embodiment of the invention. the pressure fluid injection heads are horizontally moved by an endless moving means from the starting point of the examination zone to the final point thereof.

Each of the pressure fluid injection heads according to the invention is provided with a nozzle connected to an examination pressure fluid tank. The nozzle is fitted with an annular packing on the outer circumference of the portion which is inserted into the mouth of the bottle to be examined. The packing is squeezed on the outer circumference of the nozzle by forces axially opposing each other. so that the packing is radially and resiliently deformed to seal the mouth of the glass bottle.

The nozzle is also provided with a valve for a supply passageway from the examination pressure fluid tank. After the bottle mouth has been sealed with the packing. the fluid pressure is charged into the bottle until predetermined pressure is obtained.

Other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from a description of the embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a front view showing an embodiment of this invention with parts partially broken away for clearness;

FIG. 2 shows the principal part of the examination zone in section, the screw conveyor that transports glass bottles being shown in a nonsectional view;

FIG. 3 is mainly a plan view of the examination zone of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are sectional views showing the respective operational states of the pressure fluid injection heads with only one of plural elements shown and the others omitted for clearness;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the head;

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the arrangement of the guide rails for the head;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing. in part. the state of connection of each each head to a distributing valve for feeding fluid to the head;

FIGS. I0 and 11 are the respective sectional views of distributing valves for feeding pressure air for upwardlymoving the nozzle and pressure applying fluid as seen along line Vl-Vl and line VIIVII of FIG. 9; and

FIGS. I2 and I3 are front and plan views showing. in part. the driving systems of the respective conveying means for the heads and bottles to be examined.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the drawings, the numeral I designates examination head means which will later be described and which will hereinafter be called head means; 2 a conveying means comprising chain conveyors having a plurality of heads 1- at equal spaces. for example, endless chain conveyors 3, 3, and 3 disposed parallelly. the respective chains 30. 3a and 3a of said chain conveyors having head holders mounted thereto, said holders 4 being mounted at a specified pitch in large numbers and each having several lines of head means I secured thereto. said means 1 being moved to an examination zone 5 one after another. The

numerals

6 and 7 designate a pair of sprockets which are spanned with a chain 3a of the conveyor. The numeral 8 designates a frame of a conveying means for transporting the glass bottles 9 to be examined to an examination zone, said frame including a conveyor I0 for transporting the glass bottles 9 to be examined in the examination zone. a conveyor II for feeding the bottles 9 to said conveyor I0, and a conveyor 12 for receiving the examined glass bottles 9 from said conveyor l0 and removing the same from the examination zone. The conveyor 10 comprises a conveyor a for transporting the glass bottles 9 and a screw conveyor 10b for correcting the arrangement of the bottles 9 at spaces adapted to the pitch in the direction of conveyance of said head means l. said bottles 9 being positioned by the side of conveying path on that side of the conveyor 1011 from which the bottles 9 to be examined enter and on which the bottles 9 are pushed to be in succession placed in a manner of packed sardines.

The screw conveyor 10!) corrects the spaces at which the bottles 9 to be examined are lined and synchronizes the spacing of the bottles 9 with the conveying means 2 of the head means 1 and feeds the bottles 9 in timed relation with the moving ofthe head means 1 which are conveyed. To this end. the conveyor 101: can maintain the state in which one head means 1 corresponds within the limits of the examination zone to one bottle 9 to be examined as long as the conveyor 10a is driven at the same speed as that at which the head means 1 are transferred by the convying means 2. As shown. the conveying means 2 and conveyor 100 are disposed laterally so as to be in vertically parallel relation with each other to use a bottle conveying path provided between the means 2 and the conveyor [0 as the examination zone 5. Also. in the embodiment illustrated. the examination heads I are plurally mounted to each holder 4 and conveying means are also disposed in plural rows correspondingly thereto. and the pressure resistance examination that will be described hereinafter is simultaneously made in each row.

The foregoing head means 1 include therein a vertically movable nozzle l4 (FIGS. 4 to 6) connected to a pressure fluid source [3 (FIG. 3) in the structure that will be described hereinafter. On the outer circumference of that portion of the lower end of the nozzle 14 which is inserted into the bottle 9 is mounted an annular packing l5, and a packing squeezing means 16 for squeezing the annular packing on the outer circumference of the nozzle 14 in the axial direction of the packing l5. deforming the packing l5 and bulging the same circumferentially by the upward movement of the nozzle I4 is provided as will later be described. Furthermore. the head means 1 includes a nozzle upwardly moving means for upwardly moving the nozzle 14 by the actuation of fluid pressure while the head means is in the examination zone. a valve means 19 for opening a pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18 for application of pressure to the nozzle by the upward movement of the nozzle 14, and a bottle guide 21 for opening a working air supply conduit for upward movement of the nozzle by being pressed against the bottle 9 when the nozzle I4 is inserted into the glass bottle 9.

The nozzle 14 is vertically movably provided within the cylinder 22a disposed in the head body 22 of the head means I. the upper end ofthe nozzle 14 being enabled to extend into a connection port 23 of the supply conduit 18 formed on the upper head 22b of the cylinder 22a, and the nozzle end [4a on the lower end being provided in the form of an insertion part which projects below a lower sleeve 22c ofthe cylinder 22:: and which is adapted to be inserted into the mouth of the bottle 9, and being provided on the outer circumference thereof with the annular packing 15. Also. the nozzle 14 is formed with a piston portion 14b in one part of the area within the cylinder portion 22a, and is moved upward within the head body 22 by the working of the fluid pressure imparted to the piston portion l4b by the supply of working fluid (to be later described) to the space between the piston portion 14b and the lower sleeve 22c of the cylinder 221:. so that the upper end of the nozzle 14 projects into said connection portion 23. The numeral 25 designates a spring adapted to urge the nozzle downward. The head body 22 is supported vertically movably within the sleeve number of a seat 26 secured to said holder 44. and is adapted to insert the nozzle 14 by being lowered from the seat 26 (to be later described) into that bottle 9 on the conveyor 10a to which the head body 22 corresponds. Furthermore, the head body 22 is urged to move upward by a spring 27 based on the holder 4.

The packing squeezing means 16 is made up of said nozzle 14 in the form ofa movable member. said member having a stepped portion 28 formed therein to receive said annular packing 15 from below, and said lower sleeve 220 of the cylinder portion 220 in the form of a fixed member. said fixed member being fitted over the outer circumference of the nozzle 14 and having the lower end thereof pressed against the upper end of the annular packing IS. The upward movement of the nozzle [4 with respect to the head body 22 squeezes the annular packing 15 in the axial. i.e. vertical direction of the nozzle 14 between the stepped portion 28 and the lower end of the lower sleeve 22: and deforms the packing l5 circumferentially and expands the diameter of the packing l5 resiliently.

A nozzle raising member is designed to move the nozzle l4 upwardly by supplying the cylinder portion 2241 with pressure air by means ofa compressor 29 (FIG. 3) through a distributing valve 30 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 9 and [0) from a pressure air supply conduit 20 through a port 200 and a port 39 formed in the cylinder portion 221:. The distributing valve 30 comprises a drum and a nonrotatable valve body in the drum 30a, said drum 30a having a plurality of connecting ports 31 leading to the air supply conduits 20 for upwardly moving the nozzle and rotating in conjunction with the movement of the head means 1. A design concerning the position between the drum 30a and valve body 30b in the distributing valve 30 makes it possible to bring connecting ports 31 corresponding to a plurality of head means 1 positioned in the examination zone into communication with said compressor 29 through the valve body 30b while the head means I are being positioned in the examination zone. thereby making it possible for the nozzle upwardly moving means to carry out timely operation.

Valve means 19, in the connecting port 23 formed in the upper head 22b of the cylinder portion 220. includes a spring 32 and a ball 34 designed to normally close that hole 33 at the upper end of the nozzle 14 which opposes the connecting port 23 by a depression force of the spring 32. Also, at the upper end of the nozzle 14, the nozzle 14 is formed with a slit 35 for bringing the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18 into communication with the nozzle hole of the nozzle through the connecting port 23 when the upper end of the nozzle 14 projects from the hole 33 into the connecting port 23 to thereby push up the ball 34. Accordingly, the pressure fluid from the pressurizing fluid conduit 18 is brought by the upward movement of the nozzle 14 with respect to the head body 22 into communication with the nozzle l4 through the slit 35.

A bottle mouth guide 21 that guides the mouth of the bottle 9 to be examined to the specified position with respect to the nozzle 14 is normally urged to lie in the lowermost position by springs 36 vertically movably fitted over the outer circumference of the cylinder portion 220 of the head body 22 and disposed in four places in plan view. The numeral 36a designates a stud guide for

spring

36, and 37 designates a stopper for regulating the lowermost position of the bottle mouth guide 21 with respect to the head body 22. the stopper being formed like a flange on the outer circumference of the lower head 22(' of the cylinder portion 221:. The bottle mouth guide 21 connects the pressure air supply conduit for the nozzle upwardly moving means to the position of the portion that maintains air tightness between the guide 21 and the outer circumference of the cylinder portion 221: by means of two O-

rings

28 and 38 mounted on the inner circumference of the guide 21. And the thus connected working fluid conduit 20 is brought into communication with the pressure air inlet port 39 of the cylinder portion 220 only when the bottle mouth guide 21 itself is in its elevated position with respect to the head body 22 as shown in FIG. 5. But when the guide 21 is in its lowered position as shown in FIG. 6, the guide blocks the port 20a of the conduit 20 with the wall of the cylinder portion 220. and the pressure air inlet port 39 is positioned above the upper end of the guide 21 to thereby place the port 39 open to the atmosphere. The nozzle [4 and the guide 21 are at their lower ends in substantially the same height as shown in FIG. 4 before they operate. When the nozzle 14 is inserted into the glass bottle 9 by the head body 22 being lowered with respect to the holder 4. the guide 21. while guiding the mouth of the bottle 9 by means of the lower end guide face 21a, has its guide face 21:: pushed over the bottle 9 and is moved upward with respect to the head body 22, with the result that the port 20a of the pressure air supply conduit 20 is brought into communication with pressure air inlet port 39.

The numeral 40 designates a defect bottle defecting means, and the means 40 includes a sleeve 43 which, when the nozzle 14 is moved upwardly to thereby open the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18, is subjected to pressurizing fluid pressure to the nozzle 14 through the slit 35 of the nozzle 14 and moves an actuator 41 up wardly against the action of a spring 42, the actuator projecting its upper end 41:: from the upper surface of the head body 22. On the other hand, a final stage unit of the examination zone is provided with a sensing switch S. which does not operate when the upper end 410 of the actuator 41 passes in the specified state of projection but which operates when the end 41a projects to a lesser degree. The sensing switch S. when the upper end 41a of the actuator 41 projects to a lesser degree. electromagnetically operates and remotely operates a reject means made up. for example, ofa blower 44 disposed alongside of a conveying line extending from the examination zone of the bottles 9 onward. Of course, this reject means is specifically set by a timer or the like to operate in timed relation with the time at which a defect bottle broken in the examination zone reaches the place of the reject means.

A distributing valve 45 common to the aforestated distributing valve 30 is disposed midway in the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18, and the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18 is connected from the valve 45 to a plurality of head means 1. The valve 45 uses the nonrotatable valve body 3012 and the drum 30a of the aforestated valve 30 with the valve 30 and permits introduction of pressurizing fluid from the valve body 30b. On the other hand, the rotation of the drum 30a constantly supplies the pressurizing fluid to all the fluid supply conduits 18 connected to the connecting ports 46 (FIG. 11) to the head means 1.

The numeral 47 designates a guide means for advancing the head means 1 (lowering the head means 1 with respect to the holder 4 in the drawing) to the side of the bottles 9 to be examined while the means I is in the examination zone 5, and the guide means 47 comprises a bilateral pair of guide rollers 48 mounted on the head body 22 of the head means 1 on the conveying means 2 and

guide rails

49 and 49 disposed in pairs with respect to each row of the head means 1 and in parallel with the conveying means 2 in such a manner that the

guide rollers

48 and 48 of the examination head 1 in the examination zone may be rotated in contact with the guide rails 49 and 49. The guide rails 49 lower the head body 22 of head means 1 provided with a pair of rollers 48 with respect to the holder 4 through a pair of guide rollers 48 rolling respectively along the guide rails 49 in the examination zone 5 while the head 1 is in the examination zone 5. and insert the nozzle 14 into the bottle 9. The numerals 50 and 51 (FIGS. 2 and 8) designate guide rails for guiding the holder 4. the

rails

50 and 51 being laid along the upper and lower chain paths except for the outer circumference of the

sprocket wheels

6 and 7 of the chain conveyor 3 of the conveying means 2, and in the upper and lower paths. the upper and

lower guide rails

50 and 51 each are designed to receive movably each holder 4 from below through guide rollers 52 provided on the side ends of the holder 4.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the character M, designates a common drive motor for the conveying means 2, conveyor 10a and screw conveyor 10b. and the motor M is related with transmission systems including a transmission system 54 (FIGS. l2 and 13) from a main shaft 53 driven by the motor M to the conveying means 2. a transmission system 55 to the conveyor 10m and a transmission system 56 to the screw conveyor 10b. and drives the conveying means 2 and the screw conveyor 1012 or conveyor 10a in synchronized relation required therebetween. Also, the conveying means 2 is of the construction in which rotation is transmitted from the transmission system 54 to one sprocket 7 mounted shaft 57 of each chain conveyor 3 of the means 2 and rotation is imparted to a drum 30a in common use by the distributing

valves

30 and 45 by another transmission system originating from the shaft 57 so as to synchronize the movement of the head means 1 with the rotation of the drum 30:1. And the distributing

valves

30 and 45 are positioned midway between the shaft 57 of each chain conveyor 3 and another shaft 59 having the other sprocket 6 mounted thereon. and the

respective supply conduits

18 and 20 from the distributing

valves

30 and 45 to examination heads 1 are radially extended from the connecting portions of the drum 30a, for example connected, as shown in FIG. 9, to a plurality of connectors 60 and 61 on the holder 4 on which the head means 1 are mounted. and are connected branchedly from the connectors 60 and 61 to each port of each head means I mounted on the holder 4. Also, a known flexible tube which has the flexibility to meet a change in connection distance consequent upon the movement by the conveyor means 2 but which does not depend is used in the supply conduits l8 and 20 from the distributing

valves

30 and 45 to the connectors 60 and 6] on the holder 4.

The numeral 62 designates a guide for the conveyor 100. the guide forming a guide face with a plurality of rotatable rollers 63 and making it possible for the conveyor a to transport the bottles 9 in the examination zone smoothly. The numerals 64 and 65 (HO. 3) designate an accumulator and a reducing valve for establish ing pressure to a desired pressure disposed in the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18. respectively. The numerals 66. 67. and 68 respectively designate a filter. a reducing valve. an oiler disposed in the pressure air supply conduit 20. and the conduit is further provided with a magnet valve 69 and a reducing valve 70 for establishing pressure to a desired pressure. The conduits l8 and 20 each are connected to the nonrotatable valve body 3011 of the distributing

valves

30 and 45 and then through each connection port of the drum 30a to the head means l as described previously.

The numeral 7] designates a water feed tank for beforehand keeping those bottles filled to the full with water which are transported by a conveyor 1] before they are transported to the examination zone 5. the tank 71 being formed on the bottom with numerous small holes (not shown) and being adapted to discharge water in showers over a group of bottles 9 to thereby fill the bottles to the full. The numeral 72 designate a storage tank placed below the group of bottles 9 transported and adapted for storing water falling from the supply tank 71. and 73 designates a clutch means mounted on the transmission system 54 from the main shaft 53 to the conveying means.

The numeral 74 designates a vertically moving means for raising the whole of the conveying means 2 together with the head means I mounted thereon from the state in FIG. I and restoring the same to its original position, and is adapted to be used for purposes other than examination. for example. for purposes of inspection, adjustment and other operation services. The means 74 comprises a screw shaft 76 threadedly fitted into a vertically movable member 75 that holds the conveying means 2 and a motor M- that drives the shaft 76, and 77 designates a crossbar secured to the member 75 to which the guide rails 49 are secured and which supports the

shafts

57 and 59 of the conveying means 2.

Referring now to the operation of the embodiment illustrated. a line of bottles conveyed by the conveyor ll are first filled with water falling in showers from the water feed tank 71, and are then conveyed line by line to each conveyor unit 10a, and are spaced apart at the same pitch as the pitch of the head means 1 by screw conveyor lOb at the entrance to the conveyor 10a. and the screw conveyor 10b corrects the positions of the bottles 9 in such a manner in which the bottles may oppose one by one each of the head means being transported. The bottles 9 that passes the screw conveyor 10 are then conveyed by the conveyor 10a at the same speed and in the same direction as the examination heads 1 and guided one after another to the examination zone 5 while the relation of one bottle 9 to head means I is being maintained. and pass the zone 5.

The head means 1 is caused by one member 49 of the guide means 47 to lower its head body 22 with respect to the holder 4 at the point of time at which the means 1 is entering the examination zone 5, and. as shown in FIG. 5. On the other hand, the bottle mouth guide 21 is not lowered but guides by its guide face 21a the bottle 9 to the specified position with respect to the nozzle [4 adapted to be inserted into the bottle 9, thus preventing the failure of the nozzle 14 in insertion due to misregistering of the head means I with the bottle 9. On the other hand. the bottle mouth guide 21 is brought into the same relation with that in which the guide 21 moves up and down with respect to the head body 22, and brings the port 20a of the pressure air supply conduit 20 into communication with the working fluid inlet port 39 in the cylinder portion 22a of the head body at the point of time at which the nozzle I4 is sufficiently inserted.

Since the time at which the means I reached the examination zone 5, the supply conduit 20 has been opened by the distributing valve 30 and working fluid is supplied to the cylinder portion 22a through the communication of the conduit 20 with the port 39 and the nozzle 14 is moved upwardly with respect to the head body 22. The packing squeezing means 16 as previously stated clamps the annular packing l5 vertically by such upward movement of the nozzle 14 and bulges the outer diameter of the packing l5 outwardly, and seals the bottle mouth in the state in which the nozzle 14 is inserted into the bottle as shown in H0. 5. and as stated. a valve means 19 opens the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18 to the nozzle 14. Because of this. the bottle 9 is filled with pressurizing fluid pressure and loaded inside with pressure.

This operation is started. for example. at the time at which the bottle 9 is in the position A shown in FIG. 1, and is thereafter maintained in the pressurized state for a certain period oftime, for example until it reaches the position B shown in FIG. 1. and hence the bottle is placed under the specified pressure for a certain period of time e.g. several seconds so as to judge the quality of the bottle 9 by whether the bottle is broken or not.

When the bottle 9 is broken in the examination zone 5, the bottle mouth guide 21 is relieved of an obstacle constituted by the bottle 9 to the lowering of the guide 21 and is urged by springs 36 to lower around the head body 22 as shown in FIG. 6. As such lowering of the guide 21 breaks communication between the pressure air supply conduit 20 and the working fluid inlet port 39 of the cylinder portion 220 and opens the port 39, the nozzle 14 is urged by a spring 25 to lower with respect to the head body 22. When the nozzle 14 is lowered. a valve means 19 closes the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18 to thereby prevent the wasteful discharge of the pressurizing fluid and loss from the discharge. On the other hand. the packing squeezing means 16 releases clamping of the annular packing 15. Even if the mouth portion of the broken bottle 8 is left attached to the nozzle 14, the bottle mouth guide 2| is urged by the springs 36 to push aside the attached broken mouth portion and is lowered.

A defect bottle detecting means 40 functions in such a manner that. when the bottle 9 is broken. a pressurizing fluid passageway within the nozzle 14 below the valve means 19 is brought into communication with the atmosphere and an actuator 41 is lowered by a spring 42 and the upper end Mr: of the actuator 4| is reduced in the degree of of projection. and accordingly when the head means 1 having the actuator 41 passes by the place where a sensing switch S is disposed. the switch S operates and a blower 44 as a reject means. when the broken bottle 9 comes to the position of the blower 44,

operates and rejects the broken bottle from the conveying means 100. Since in the invention the pressurizing fluid is water, fragments of the broken bottle are prevented from scattering by the tenacity of water and is brought into the state of being collected in a certain range, and accordingly there is no inconvenience in collecting the fragments.

When the bottle 9 is not broken. the bottle 9 passes by the sensing switch S with the pressure of the pressurizing fluid kept applied to the actuator 41 in the sleeve 43, and accordingly the switch S does not operate and consequently the reject means does not operate.

When the head means 1 has passed the position B of the examination zone. supply of pressure air through the supply conduit 20 to the cylinder portion 220 is stopped by the distributing valve 30, and also the head body 22 is gradually moved upwardly by the guide means 47 with respect to the holder 4. If at this time the bottle 9 has not been broken but is in the state of the nozzle being inserted into the mouth of the bottle 9 as shown in H6. 5, the bottle mouth guide 21 is prevented by the bottle 9 from lowering with respect to the head body 22, and the pressure air supply consult 20 is in communication with the pressure air inlet port 39 of the cylinder portion 22a but fluid supply in the supply conduit 20 is stopped by the distributing valve 30 in prior to the upward movement of the head body 22. On the other hand, when the head body 22 is moved upwardly at the end of the guide means 47 as shown in H6. 1, the pressure air inlet port 39 of the cylinder portion 22a is exposed from the upper end of the bottle mouth guide 21 and communicates with the atmosphere. Accordingly. the pressure to move the nozzle 14 upwardly with respect to the piston portion 14b is lost. and the nozzle 14 is lowered by a spring 25 with respect to the head body 22. and a valve means 19 closes the pressurizing fluid supply conduit 18, and the packing squeezing means [6 releases the clamping pressure of the annular packing l5. and the packing 15 is returned to its original state to remove the sealing of the bottle 9.

Accordingly. when the head body 22 of the head means 1 is moved upwardly with respect to the holder 4. the nozzle 14 is also moved upwardly therewith. but the bottle 9 does not follow such upward movement but the nozzle I4 is smoothly drawn out of the examined bottle 9 by the upward movement of the head body 22. When the head body 22 is moved up to a certain position. namely when the bottle mouth guide 2] reaches the position in which the guide 21 takes the lowermost position with respect to the head body 22, the bottle mouth guide 21 also follows the head body 22 and is brought into its preexamination state in FIG. 4. And the examined bottle 9 is fed by the conveyor 12 to the next processing step. and the head means 1 is cyclically transported by the conveying means 2 to the examination zone 5. the operation above being continuously repeated. Also. the pressure examination described above is simultaneously carried out in a plurality of rows.

Since in the invention the bottle is sealed by circumferentially outwardly expanding the annular packing on the circumference of the nozzle to be inserted into the bottle when the bottle is pressurized by fluid. there is no possibility of a great outer force irrelevant to pressure resistance examination being applied to the bottle as was the case with the conventional type packing which was pressed on the bottle from above. and hence a proper pressure resistance examination can be made under the conditions equal to those under which natural breakdown due to the content of the bottle occurs. with the result that reliability on the results of examination is greatly improved.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for examining the inner pressure resistance of a glass bottle. comprising. in combination:

a. a horizontal conveyor means 10a) for horizontally conveying a plurality of rows of glass bottles in succession at equal spaces;

b. an endless conveyor means (2) provided around it with a plurality of head holders (4) having a plurality of head assemblies (22) at right angles to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor means (2) at spaces equal to those of the bottles on the horizontal conveyor means (10a) and adapted to convey the head assemblies (22) horizontally in synchronism with the bottles in an examination zone;

c. head assemblies (22) vertically movably supported in the head holders (4);

(1. guide rails (49) for lowering and conveying the head assemblies (22) in the examination zone;

e. a valve means (19) provided in the head assembly (22). operatively connected to a conduit for pressurizcd fluid;

f. a nozzle 14) supported in the head assembly (22) movably with respect to the valve means (19).

g. an annular packing l5) ofa resilient material provided at the lower end of the nozzle (14);

h. a squeezing means (16, 28. 22c). provided at the lower end of the nozzle (14) and the lower portion of the head means respectively for resiliently deforming the annular packing (15) in a radial direction;

. a pressure air supply conduit for moving the nozzle l4) upward connected to the lower portion of the head assembly (22);

j. a valve means for supplying pressure air to the conduit (20);

k. a valve means for supplying pressurizing fluid to the nozzle (14);

1. whereby the annular packing (15) is resiliently deformed in a radial direction, the valve means (19) is opened, and pressurized fluid for examination from a conduit (18) connected to the valve means (19) is introduced into a bottle through the nozzle (14).

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the head assemblies (22) are vertically movably supported by seats (26) on the head holders (4) mounted at equal spaces to endless chains (30) of the endless conveyor means (2). and springs means (27) are mounted on the seats (26) of the head holders (4) for urging to the guide rails (49) rollers (48) in contact with the guide rails (49) provided in parallel with the horizontal conveyor means (10a).

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the head assembly (22) comprises a cylinder portion (22a) composed of an upper head (22b) and a lower head (221') having therebetween a piston 14b) of the nozzle (14) and the valve means (19) comprises a springloaded ball (34) in a connecting port (23) of the pressurizing fluid supply conduit (18) leading to the upper I 1 head (22b) and a hole surrounding the upper end of the nozzle (14) and closed by the ball (34).

4. The device as set forth in claim I. wherein the head assembly (22) further comprises a pressure air inlet port (39) for upward movement of the nozzle disposed between the piston 14b) of the nozzle (l4) and the lower head (22); a spring for urging the nozzle (l4) between the piston H11) and the upper head (22b); and a pressure air port (201:) in a bottle mouth guide sleeve (21) slidably mounted on the outer circumference of the head assembly (22 5. The device as set forth in claim 4. wherein the guide sleeve (21) is slidably mounted on the outer circumference of the head assembly (22) and urged downward by a spring (36). and includes a guide face (21a) for receiving a bottle mouth around the nozzle (l4) and an upper edge for bringing the pressure air inlet port (39) of the head assembly (22) into communication with the atmosphere when a bottle is broken and the guide sleeve (21 is brought to the lowest position by the spring (36) 6. The device as set forth in claim 5. which. in order to receive pressurizing fluid from a water source. further comprises a fixed valve body (301)) mounted in the center of the endless conveyor means (2). a distribut- 12 ing valve rotating in synchronism with the conveyor means (2) around the valve body (30b) and the conduits (18) for connecting the distributing valve (45) with the valve means 19) of each head assembly (22).

7. The device as set forth in claim 5, which. in order to receive pressure air from a compressor, further comprises the fixed valve body (30b) mounted in the center of the endless conveyor means (2), a distributing valve (30) rotating in synchronism with the conveyor means around the valve body and the conduits (20) for connecting the distributing valve with the pressure air inlet port (39) of each head assembly (22).

8. The device as set forth in claim 5, which further comprises a spring-loaded indicator (4!) provided within a sleeve (43) communicating with a slit- (35) formed at the upper end of the nozzle (14) with the upper end (41a) projecting from the upper head (22b) of the head assembly, (22) and a sensing means (S) mounted fixedly on the terminal portion of the endless conveyor means (2) on the path for the upper end (4111) of the indicator (41), said sensing means (8) being electrically connected to a rejecting means for removing a broken bottle.

Claims

1. A device for examining the inner pressure resistance of a glass bottle, comprising, in combination: a. a horizontal conveyor means (10a) for horizontally conveying a plurality of rows of glass bottles in succession at equal spaces; b. an endless conveyor means (2) provided around it with a plurality of head holders (4) having a plurality of head assemblies (22) at right angles to the direction of movement of the endless conveyor means (2) at spaces equal to those of the bottles on the horizontal conveyor means (10a) and adapted to convey the head assemblies (22) horizontally in synchronism with the bottles in an examination zone; c. head assemblies (22) vertically movably supported in the head holders (4); d. guide rails (49) for lowering and conveying the head assemblies (22) in the examination zone; e. a valve means (19) provided in the head assembly (22), operatively connected to a conduit for pressurized fluid; f. a nozzle (14) supported in the head assembly (22) movably with respect to the valve means (19); g. an annular packing (15) of a resilient material provided at the lower end of the nozzle (14); h. a squeezing means (16, 28, 22c), provided at the lower end of the nozzle (14) and the lower portion of the head means respectively for resiliently deforming the annular packing (15) in a radial direction; i. a pressure air supply conduit (20) for moving the nozzle (14) upward connected to the lower portion of the head assembly (22); j. a valve means (30) for supplying pressure air to the conduit (20); k. a valve means (45) for supplying pressurizing fluid to the nozzle (14); l. whereby the annular packing (15) is resiliently deformed in a radial direction, the valve means (19) is opened, and pressurized fluid for examination from a conduit (18) connected to the valve means (19) is introduced into a bottle through the nozzle (14).

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the head assemblies (22) are vertically movably supported by seats (26) on the head holders (4) mounted at equal spaces to endless chains (3a) of the endless conveyor means (2), and springs means (27) are mounted on the seats (26) of the head holders (4) for urging to the guide rails (49) rollers (48) in contact with the guide rails (49) provided in parallel with the horizontal conveyor means (10a).

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the head assembly (22) comprises a cylinder portion (22a) composed of an upper head (22b) and a lower head (22c) havinG therebetween a piston (14b) of the nozzle (14) and the valve means (19) comprises a spring-loaded ball (34) in a connecting port (23) of the pressurizing fluid supply conduit (18) leading to the upper head (22b) and a hole surrounding the upper end of the nozzle (14) and closed by the ball (34).

4. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the head assembly (22) further comprises a pressure air inlet port (39) for upward movement of the nozzle disposed between the piston (14b) of the nozzle (14) and the lower head (22c); a spring (25) for urging the nozzle (14) between the piston (14b) and the upper head (22b); and a pressure air port (20a) in a bottle mouth guide sleeve (21) slidably mounted on the outer circumference of the head assembly (22).

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the guide sleeve (21) is slidably mounted on the outer circumference of the head assembly (22) and urged downward by a spring (36), and includes a guide face (21a) for receiving a bottle mouth around the nozzle (14) and an upper edge for bringing the pressure air inlet port (39) of the head assembly (22) into communication with the atmosphere when a bottle is broken and the guide sleeve (21) is brought to the lowest position by the spring (36).

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, which, in order to receive pressurizing fluid from a water source, further comprises a fixed valve body (30b) mounted in the center of the endless conveyor means (2), a distributing valve rotating in synchronism with the conveyor means (2) around the valve body (30b) and the conduits (18) for connecting the distributing valve (45) with the valve means (19) of each head assembly (22).

7. The device as set forth in claim 5, which, in order to receive pressure air from a compressor, further comprises the fixed valve body (30b) mounted in the center of the endless conveyor means (2), a distributing valve (30) rotating in synchronism with the conveyor means around the valve body and the conduits (20) for connecting the distributing valve with the pressure air inlet port (39) of each head assembly (22).

8. The device as set forth in claim 5, which further comprises a spring-loaded indicator (41) provided within a sleeve (43) communicating with a slit (35) formed at the upper end of the nozzle (14) with the upper end (41a) projecting from the upper head (22b) of the head assembly, (22) and a sensing means (S) mounted fixedly on the terminal portion of the endless conveyor means (2) on the path for the upper end (41a) of the indicator (41), said sensing means (S) being electrically connected to a rejecting means for removing a broken bottle.