Pneumatic Bottle Capper - Just...because.

[credible2]

dude. I want one of these. the only problem is making it, even if I do get all the parts.

 

[pwborst]

If anyone is interested in sending me the cyl, pedal, connectors, hoses, cap crimper piece, and one of their bottles, I'd be happy to trade for a completed frame assembly. I'm thinking out of Tig welded aluminum, but more like the phone booth style box with no door.

With the right regulator it would be easy to make this run off of a standard CO2 cylinder, so no air compressor required.

Anyone Interested?

 

[inexplorata]

Google found me this thread by accident. I am kicking it, because it is awesome.

 

[starman]

Oooooooh... 2000SNS-2.00 = stainless cylinder for $69. The thought of some 304 ss tube with this has me giddy. The only thing better than powered DIY homebrew project is a shiny powered DIY homebrew project.

 

[gyropilot1]

do you price your invention. I am looking to go neumatic also
Chuck P

 

[gyropilot1]

cad drawing dont work

 

[gyropilot1]

also the nut welded is the mounit nut sold by the cylinder guys or something else

 

[Hang Glider]

the welded nut is the nut that comes with the air cylinder

Most folks that post here are sharing ideas for the benefit of all - not patented, even if it is a great idea and something that might sell. So - I don't think the original poster is looking to sell his invention, just share it - you are free to make your own.

You will have to do your homework - look on Google for the air cylinder, find a local welding shop that can look at the photo and weld up something. You probably have local folks that can powder-coat it for you too. You can find feet, endcaps and pneumatic hose at McMaster Carr, for example. You'll have to take some of your own bottles and figure the height, width, depth. I would start with the air cylinder and build around it.

the bell that crimps the cap might be purchased, or you might sacrifice your hand capper -

 

[motorhead69]

and now you can buy one at Williams

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/PNEUMATIC-CAPPER-P3067.aspx

 

[BiggieB400]

I don't usually bottle beer, but if I did... I'd use a pneumatic capper!!

Nice work!!

 

[Reaver]

This got bumped up to the top again so I just found it. My comment that I don't think got mentioned would be directed at the locater block on the base. I wonder if a 'V' shaped piece of lexan would be good to locate a bottle instead of the circle. That way you could slide it against the V-stop and it would be in place instead of putting it into the circle. Just a thought. I'm loving this idea and saving it for later.

 

[blip01]

and now you can buy one at Williams

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/PNEUMATIC-CAPPER-P3067.aspx[/QUOTE

" This features dual air valves, so both green air button valves must be pressed at once to cap a bottle (which prevents an operators hand from getting crushed by the capper). "

A good feature I'd say.

 

[-TH-]

the welded nut is the nut that comes with the air cylinder

Most folks that post here are sharing ideas for the benefit of all - not patented, even if it is a great idea and something that might sell. So - I don't think the original poster is looking to sell his invention, just share it - you are free to make your own.

You will have to do your homework - look on Google for the air cylinder, find a local welding shop that can look at the photo and weld up something. You probably have local folks that can powder-coat it for you too. You can find feet, endcaps and pneumatic hose at McMaster Carr, for example. You'll have to take some of your own bottles and figure the height, width, depth. I would start with the air cylinder and build around it.

the bell that crimps the cap might be purchased, or you might sacrifice your hand capper -

Thank you for this ^^^
I couldn't have said it better myself.

For those looking for my CAD files, PM me with your email address and I will send them. The drawing doesn't have dimensions on it but everything is modeled to actual size (of course) so you can put dimensions on yourself if you want to. But really you are probably better off just getting a cylinder and building around it like Hangglider says.

Reaver, good idea with the v-stop - I like that!

Re: two hand control, I like to live dangerously with the foot pedal control. I've even let my 5 yo daughter operate the food pedal while I hold the bottles. Not a good idea really - she got me once and took a good chunk of skin out of my thumb.

 

[Reaver]

Reaver, good idea with the v-stop - I like that!

I'm an Engineer by schooling and Mentality even if I'm just a controls tech for a pay check. I'm not ashamed to say I got a little excited seeing this project.

 

[stlbeer]

and now you can buy one at Williams

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/PNEUMATIC-CAPPER-P3067.aspx[/QUOTE

" This features dual air valves, so both green air button valves must be pressed at once to cap a bottle (which prevents an operators hand from getting crushed by the capper). "

A good feature I'd say.

They must be really proud of their equipment. Kind of pricey for my tastes.

 

[ClaudiusB]

and now you can buy one at Williams

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/PNEUMATIC-CAPPER-P3067.aspx[/QUOTE

" This features dual air valves, so both green air button valves must be pressed at once to cap a bottle (which prevents an operators hand from getting crushed by the capper). "

A good feature I'd say.

Nice looking .
My almost 16 year old antique capper has the same features, plus both buttons must be released after capping or a new cycle won't start.
Like an untie-tie-down.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Reaver]

@Claudius.... is that a 2 place bottle holder... you can put one in place and slide it under to cap, then pull the freshly capped one out and replace it while the machine is cycling? And then continue side to side.
Or is it for different size bottles 12's vs 22's?

 

[ClaudiusB]

@Claudius.... is that a 2 place bottle holder... you can put one in place and slide it under to cap, then pull the freshly capped one out and replace it while the machine is cycling?
And then continue side to side.

Correct
Ideal two person capper, one loads-unloads the other runs the capper.

Or is it for different size bottles 12's vs 22's?

For different size bottles a second base is used.
The base holders are stored on each side of the capper.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Reaver]

Sweet.

 

[grupe]

Clone:

Ran mine at 85 psi and it worked great for the 13 cases we did in 2.5 hours. No broken bottles. I am going to dial it down to 80 psi the next time we bottle as it is putting a little indent in the caps and see how that goes.

 

[grupe]

Clone:

Ran mine at 85 psi and it worked great for the 13 cases we did in 2.5 hours. No broken bottles. I am going to dial it down to 80 psi the next time we bottle as it is putting a little indent in the caps and see how that goes.

 

[-TH-]

clone:

Ran mine at 85 psi and it worked great for the 13 cases we did in 2.5 hours. No broken bottles. I am going to dial it down to 80 psi the next time we bottle as it is putting a little indent in the caps and see how that goes.

very nice!!!!

 

[loud1]

LHBS perhaps?

Northern Brewer has replacement 26.5mm bell for the colonna capper.

Cost me 3.99 + 7.99 Shipping to Missouri.

 

[drkwoods]

Just curious..what's about the minimum force to push the bell over the cap and seal the bottle? I know between 250-300 lbs works but would 200 or even 100 work? Just trying to dial in a cylinder here. Thanks

 

[KPSquared]

If someone has a basic fish scale you could figure it out. Hook it on the handle of the capper, pull down and see what the force required to put the cap on is, then use the calculations the OP used to figure out the force a hand capper is capable of.

Just a thought if anyone had some spare time.

 

[loud1]

So I finished my capper and ran a couple of bottles at 80 psi which should be around 251 lbf.


It seems to hesitate a bit too long so I'm going to turn it up to 85 psi and run it there.

As far as bottle failures, I used to work at AB in St. Louis part time, running fillers and such on the weekends. When a bottle failed on the crowner at anywhere between 800 and 1200 bottles per min. most of the time there was just a crunch with no flying glass, sometimes the glass would fly out but since it was a rotary crowner it was likely just centrifugal force flinging it outwards. These crowners were mechanically driven and designed to descend a set amount so they could exert tons of pressure in a very short amount of time on any misaligned bottle.

That being said, there is a very low chance of flying glass. Safety glasses would be a smart choice and gloves to handle broken glass if you feel inclined, I may even install a safety shield if my kids want to use it for bottling root beer, but it is a fairly safe machine if used with a bit of common sense.

Louis

 

[-TH-]

^^^ Very nice job!

 

[cosmatics]

Wow beautiful work here, always fascinating stuff in the DIY. Great stuff.

 

[loud1]

^^^ Very nice job!

Thanks, built it totally out of scrap during a couple of lunch hours. The cylinder is a 2" dual acting heavy duty palmer w/a 3"stroke. I had to drill some holes in it veeery carefully to mount it, then I brazed the capping bell onto a 1 1/4" nut to thread onto the end of the shaft. I used your idea for alignment and used a giant forsner bit to bore a hole into a chunk of phenolic (that stuff is awsome! But it stinks when you cut it).

 

[rvklein]

how this cylinder work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bimba-Model-311-air-cylinder-2-bore-x-1-stroke-spring-return-/270998279600