Capping Machine Components: Capper Chutes

When we talk about automatic capping machines, we tend to categorize machines by focusing on the way the bottle or other container is capped.  Spindle cappers, for example, use spinning wheels to tighten caps.  Chuck Cappers use a rubber insert to apply torque.  ROPP Cappers use special knives to seal bottles.  This is the actual capping process and even on our website, you will see our capping equipment categorized in this way.  However, there are a number of other components that allow capping machines to perform quickly and reliably.  One of these components is the capping machine chute.

 

The capper chute is the component of the capping machine that holds caps in place and ready for the next bottle or container that passes through the spindles or under the chuck or knives.  The chute itself uses several components to ensure that the capping machine will be able to continuously and consistently tighten containers.  First there is a bar that stabilize the caps as they travel down the chute for presentation to the bottle or container.  As the cap nears the end of the chute, it will be held in place by a set of fingers and a tongue.  The fingers are simple metal bars that are positioned on each side of the cap as it drops to the bottom of the chute.  These fingers need to be set in a precise position so that the cap will not fall out of the chute on its own, but can be stripped by the bottle or container passing under the chute.  The tongue lays across the top of the cap and also acts as a stabilizer to keep the cap level as it reaches the bottom of the chute.  These two components, working in combination, apply just the right amount of pressure to keep the cap positioned for proper placement on the bottle or container just before it enters the capping area of the packaging machine.

 

The cap chute is also a versatile component of the capping machine.  The track that the cap travels down the chute can easily be widened or narrowed with the simple turn of a knob.  the stabilizer bar drops and rises using the same concept.  Therefore, by simply turning a couple of knobs, the cap chute can handle a wide range of different cap types and sizes.  Imagine capping containers without the use of a cap delivery system like the capper chute component on automatic cappers.  Combined with cap elevators and sorting bowls, the cap chute is truly what makes the capping machine an automatic packaging machine.  Spindle cappers and chuck cappers can be manufactured as semi-automatic machinery as well.  These machines normally use the same frame as automatic machinery, with the difference being that each cap must be placed on the bottle by hand before sending it through the capping area.  While semi-automatic machinery works well for a number of different facilities, it is no surprise that the production levels of semi-automatic cappers fall far short of the production levels of automatic machinery.

 

If you would like to learn more about automatic capping machines, contact a Packaging Specialist at Liquid Packaging Solutions, Inc., toll free today at 1-888-393-3693!