EP1070013A1 - Grappin reglable pour conteneurs, en particulier pour transporteur en etoile - Google Patents

Grappin reglable pour conteneurs, en particulier pour transporteur en etoile

Info

Publication number
EP1070013A1
EP1070013A1 EP99916029A EP99916029A EP1070013A1 EP 1070013 A1 EP1070013 A1 EP 1070013A1 EP 99916029 A EP99916029 A EP 99916029A EP 99916029 A EP99916029 A EP 99916029A EP 1070013 A1 EP1070013 A1 EP 1070013A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
gripper
containers
star conveyor
gripping elements
pin
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99916029A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Vanni Zacche'
Fabrizio Preti
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SASIB SpA Bologna
Sidel SpA
Original Assignee
SASIB SpA Bologna
Sasib Labeling Machinery SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SASIB SpA Bologna, Sasib Labeling Machinery SpA filed Critical SASIB SpA Bologna
Publication of EP1070013A1 publication Critical patent/EP1070013A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C7/00—Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations
    • B67C7/0006—Conveying; Synchronising
    • B67C7/004—Conveying; Synchronising the containers travelling along a circular path
    • B67C7/0046—Infeed and outfeed devices
    • B67C7/0053—Infeed and outfeed devices using grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G29/00—Rotary conveyors, e.g. rotating discs, arms, star-wheels or cones
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/84—Star-shaped wheels or devices having endless travelling belts or chains, the wheels or devices being equipped with article-engaging elements
    • B65G47/846—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements
    • B65G47/847—Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements the article-engaging elements being grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/74—Feeding, transfer, or discharging devices of particular kinds or types
    • B65G47/90—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
    • B65G47/908—Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials with inflatable picking-up means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
    • B65G2201/02—Articles
    • B65G2201/0235—Containers
    • B65G2201/0244—Bottles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C7/00—Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations
    • B67C7/0006—Conveying; Synchronising
    • B67C2007/006—Devices particularly adapted for container filling

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an adjustable g ⁇ pper for containers, m particular for a star conveyor
  • PET containers are normally conveyed supported by their projecting collar, while glass containers require a support underneath their base and are retained laterally on the body
  • One of these conveyors is illustrated in DE 29501897 which shows a star conveyor for containers, provided with a plurality of peripheral recesses which contain jaws which open and close with movements in a horizontal plane performed by an actuating device comp ⁇ sing a cam rotatable between the counter-arms of the jaws so as to separate them or allow their movement towards each other in the presence of a recall spring which tends to bias the jaws nto the open position
  • individual recesses may be replaced, but the device operating the j aws is particularly complex Adaptation, where required, of the star wheel m order to process containers of different sizes is also complicated
  • WO 94/16976 discloses a star conveyor provided with a plurality of peripheral recesses for transportation of containers, one for each recess, with the aid of an external guide and a bottom support surface on which the containers rest and are conveyed In this case the recesses cannot be replaced individually since formed on the same disk Adaptation of the conveyor to different sizes of container is simplified with respect to the preceding case, although the adaptation operations are still somewhat laborious since it is necessary to adjust the external guide as well.
  • EP-A-0743267 illustrates a star conveyor provided with grippers formed by two jaws, the opening and closing movement of which is adjusted by means of an eccentric cam which acts on the counter-arms of the jaws and is provided with several self-locking positions, each associated with a particular opening position of the jaws.
  • star conveyors of the known art One of the main problems of the star conveyors of the known art is that of the need for complex operations in the event of a change in the size of containers to be processed, as well as the difficulty of access in the event of cleaning and maintenance operations.
  • Another star conveyor is known from the patent EP 0629569 of one of the Applicants, which refers, however, to the processing of PET containers with a projecting neck and in any case requires an external guide for the containers.
  • This patent describes the possibility of adjustment of peripheral recesses of the star wheel by means of a mutual rotation of two disks arranged on top of each other, with a particularly simple and effective operating device. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION.
  • the object of the present invention is that of eliminating the abovementioned drawbacks and providing a gripper which is constructionally simple and low-cost and which allows processing, in an optimum manner, of containers of different sizes without requiring complex adaptation operations.
  • a further object is that of allowing, when applied to a star conveyor, operation of the star conveyor as a sorting device for deviating the incoming containers towards more than one exit path, according to the requirements (for example so as to sort quality-approved containers from containers which must be rejected).
  • Another object is that of avoiding the use of guides or external counter-guides for retaining the containers inside the star conveyors, so as to avoid further adjustments in the event of a change in size of the containers to be processed and so as to reduce the costs of cleaning the base of the machine, increasing at the same time the accessibility to operators.
  • Another object is that of being able to combine two or more star conveyors, arranging them so that they are at the same height and are not offset with respect to one another.
  • the adjustable gripper which is characterized by the contents of the claims indicated below and in particular by the fact that it comprises means for adjusting the grippers and the adaptability to containers of different diameter, which are formed so as to co-operate with the means for moving the grippers so that the adjusting means provide, depending on their position, a plurality of basic configurations for the grippers, each suitable for particular diameters of the containers to be processed, while the moving means perform, for each of said basic configurations, opening and closing of the grippers so as to grip or release individual containers.
  • the container gripping operation occurs along the pitch diameter of the star conveyor with which the gripper is associated.
  • the moving means comprise for example a support which has, fixed to it, the gripping elements of the gripper and at least one roller travelling in a cam rotating integrally with the star conveyor. Said support is movable radially on a pin as a result of the rotational movement of the star conveyor.
  • the gripping elements comprise preferably two gripping elements acting on one side of the container and a third gripping element acting on the opposite side and positioned at an intermediate height between the two gripping elements and formed so as to be arranged between the bottom level of the upper gripping element and the top level of the lower gripping element.
  • the adjusting means comprise, for example, a vertical pin which is fixed at the bottom to a transverse pin movable radially in the star conveyor; a shaped profile followed by the vertical pin by means of resilient compensation means and provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces or ramps which are equal in number to the grippers associated with the star conveyor.
  • the displacement of the vertical pin on the shaped profile towards the outside or towards the inside of the star conveyor causes respectively a greater degree of opening or a smaller degree of opening of the gripping elements of the gripper and allows gripping of containers of predefined size always along the pitch diameter of the star conveyor.
  • FIG. 1 shows a vertically sectioned view of the gripper applied to a star conveyor
  • - Figure 2 shows the profile of a positive cam of the star conveyor according to Figure 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 and 4 show respectively a vertically sectioned view and a plan view of the gripper
  • - Figure 5 shows a plan view of the gripper operating stages indicated by the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F;
  • - Figures 6A, 6B and 6C show a plan view of the gripper configured for three different increasing diameters of the containers to be processed;
  • FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the combined arrangement of two different star conveyors provided with grippers.
  • 1 denotes in its entirety a star conveyor for containers 2 which may be made of glass or plastic material such as PET for example.
  • the conveyor 1 is provided with a plurality of grippers 3 on its external periphery, each of which is intended to grip and release individual containers.
  • Each gripper 3 comprises gripping elements 4 consisting of thin plates 5 of music steel lined with a sheathing 6 of plastic material and forming the jaws of the gripper.
  • the plates 5 are fixed to the same pin 7 movable radially and provided with a front spring
  • roller 9 denotes a positive cam (a section of which is shown in detail in Figure 2) and in which a pair of rollers 10 travel, said rollers being attached to a vertical support 11 to which the grippers are also fixed.
  • the vertical support 11 may slide radially on the pin 7.
  • the conveyor 1 For each gripper 3 the conveyor 1 comprises a pin 7 and a cam portion 9 such as that illustrated in Figure 2.
  • each plate denotes a three-hinged arch which connects together the plates of the gripping elements.
  • Each plate in fact, has, associated with it, a small pin 13 supporting a small link bar 14, the other end of which is attached to a central pin 15 which passes through the pin 7 and is integral therewith, so that the radial movement of the pin 7 towards the outside or towards the inside of the conveyor 1 causes, for the same positioning of the support 11, a variation in the opening of the gripping elements, depending on the position of the three-hinged arch.
  • the gripping elements are kept normally in the closed position by means of a pair of sp ⁇ ngs 16 which form resilient means for connecting together the gripping elements 4
  • the gripping elements are three in number m the case shown, two being positioned so as to grip the container on one side and the third being positioned so as to grip the container on the opposite side and being arranged heightwise so that the third gripping element is located at an intermediate height between the levels of the two other elements so as not to create interference during the possible combination of several star conveyors provided with grippers according to the present invention, as shown m
  • Figure 7 17 denotes a vertical pm which is fixed to the pin 7 and which forms, together with a shaped profile 18, eyelet 19 and spring 8, means for adjusting the grippers and the adaptability to containers of different diameter
  • the vertical p 17 has a front compensating system consisting of the sp ⁇ ng 8 (which also provides compensation for the pm 7 and the cam 9 and forms resilient compensating means) and a rear abutment formed by the shaped profile 18 comp ⁇ smg as many inclined surfaces or ramps as there are grippers or pe ⁇ pheral recesses of the star conveyor
  • the shaped profile 18 is normally integral with the star conveyor 1 and rotates together therewith, but when there is a change in the size of the containers to be processed, said profile ma) be rotated so as to produce the simultaneous radial displacement, towards the outside or towards the inside, of all the vertical pins 17, thus allowing the simultaneous adjustment of all the grippers
  • varying the position of the vertical pin 17 inside the eyelet 19 causes a va ⁇ ation in the basic distance between the central pm 15 of the three- hinged arch and the support 1 1 of the grippers, so that a reduction in this distance results in a smaller degree of opening of the grippers themselves, but m particular the
  • Basic adjustment is performed by sliding the pin 7 with respect to the support 11, by means of operation (rotation) of the shaped profile 18, which has a plurality of steps or ramps equal in number to the grippers which are mounted on the star conveyor. Further sliding of the support 11 with respect to the pin 7 occurs during the operating cycle of the grippers (as shown in Figure 5 in the successive steps A to F) so as to control the opening and closing movements of the grippers: this is performed by means of the cam 9, the profile of which produces the radial displacement of the support 11 on the pin 7 during rotation of the star conveyor about its central axis of rotation.
  • the vertical pin 17 provides a basic setting for the opening and closing movements of the grippers which are then adjusted by the cams 9, the rollers 10 and the support 11.
  • the basic setting is intended both for the adaptability to the various diameters of the containers to be processed and for obtaining limitation of torque during closing of the grippers so as to be able to process also containers which are fairly pliable without crushing them or deforming them.
  • the vertical pin 17 is set so that the support 11 does not come into contact with it, but remains at a distance of a few millimetres, while in the case of PET containers (which have a more precise diameter) the basic adjustment is performed so that, during gripping of the container, the support 11 is in contact with the vertical pin 17. It is also envisaged using a graduated vernier for the glass and for the PET so as to perform, with rapidity, the abovementioned adjustments when there is a change in the size or a change in the type of containers to be processed. 8
  • the support 11 sliding on the pin 7, the rollers 10 and the cam 9 form means for moving the gripping elements 4 so as to close and open.
  • the grippers according to the present invention together with the associated adjusting and moving means, allow the processing of containers with a variation in diameter of more than 20 mm, for example are able to process containers which have a diameter of between about 57 mm and about 80 mm, which is not possible with the devices according to the known art.
  • the star conveyor 12 together with the original grippers according to the present invention is also able to operate as a sorting conveyor: it is sufficient to replace the cam 9 with a plurality of actuators, one for each gripper, consisting for example of pneumatic cylinders which are controlled by a centralized control and operating logic system and which are designed to act on the rollers 10 or directly on the supports 11.
  • An important characteristic feature of the star conveyor described above consists in the fact that, in the rest condition, the grippers are positioned inside the pitch diameter of the conveyor and, only in the operative conditions where the container is gripped, do they operate along a diameter which is greater than the pitch diameter, as illustrated in Figure 8.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention se rapporte à un grappin (3) utilisé dans un transporteur en étoile (1) pour conteneurs (2), ce grappin comprenant des moyens (17, 18, 8) servant à régler le grappin (3) et son adaptabilité à des conteneurs (2) de diamètre différent, ces moyens étant conçus pour coopérer avec des moyens (9, 10, 11) destinés à déplacer le grappin pour que les moyens de réglage forment, selon leur position, plusieurs configurations de base pour le grappin (3), qui sont chacune adaptées à des diamètres particuliers des conteneurs (2) à transporter, tandis que les moyens de déplacement assurent, pour chacune de ces configurations de base, les opérations d'ouverture et de fermeture du grappin (3) afin de saisir ou relâcher des conteneurs individuels (2).
EP99916029A 1998-04-07 1999-03-29 Grappin reglable pour conteneurs, en particulier pour transporteur en etoile Withdrawn EP1070013A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITPR980021 IT1306044B1 (it) 1998-04-07 1998-04-07 Pinza regolabile per contenitori,in particolare per trasportatorea stella
ITPR980021 1998-04-07
PCT/IT1999/000072 WO1999051514A1 (fr) 1998-04-07 1999-03-29 Grappin reglable pour conteneurs, en particulier pour transporteur en etoile

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1070013A1 true EP1070013A1 (fr) 2001-01-24

Family

ID=11396182

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99916029A Withdrawn EP1070013A1 (fr) 1998-04-07 1999-03-29 Grappin reglable pour conteneurs, en particulier pour transporteur en etoile

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1070013A1 (fr)
IT (1) IT1306044B1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1999051514A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4026793A1 (fr) * 2020-05-20 2022-07-13 Krones Ag Dispositif de serrage permettant de maintenir un récipient et dispositif de manipulation de récipients

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITPR20010050A1 (it) * 2001-07-31 2003-01-31 Sig Simonazzi Beverage S P A Pinza, in particolare per trattenere contenitori.
DE10140315A1 (de) * 2001-08-16 2003-03-06 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance Greifer zum Haltern und Bewegen von Hohlkörpern
NO321229B1 (no) * 2004-07-08 2006-04-10 Repant As Anordning ved flaskereiser
DE102005014838A1 (de) * 2005-03-30 2006-10-05 Krones Ag Klammer zum Halten von Gefäßen
EP2020389B1 (fr) * 2007-08-01 2012-01-25 Sidel Holdings & Technology S.A. Couronne de distribution avec pinces adaptables
DE102014101959A1 (de) * 2014-02-17 2015-08-20 Khs Gmbh Werkzeuglos befestigter Schutzkörper zum Schutz von Glasflaschen in Sterntaschen
CN109179297B (zh) * 2018-11-23 2020-11-27 浮来春集团股份有限公司 一种白酒灌装前自动化传送设备及白酒瓶自动传送工艺
DE102021117666A1 (de) 2021-07-08 2023-01-12 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Behälterklammer für unterschiedliche Behälterarten
IT202200021870A1 (it) 2022-10-24 2024-04-24 Kosme Srl Unipersonale Organo di trattenimento per il trattenimento di un contenitore e dispositivo di trattenimento e apparecchiatura comprendenti tale organo di trattenimento

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4984680A (en) * 1988-10-26 1991-01-15 Shibuya Kogyo Co., Ltd. Article transfer apparatus with clamper
DE9301126U1 (de) 1993-01-28 1994-03-17 Kronseder, Hermann, 93086 Wörth Transportvorrichtung für Gefäße
IT1270504B (it) 1993-05-19 1997-05-06 Simonazzi Spa Trasportatore a stella con dispositivo di regolazione per contenitori di vario formato.
JPH0725454A (ja) * 1993-07-09 1995-01-27 Shibuya Kogyo Co Ltd クランプ式容器搬送装置
DE29501897U1 (de) 1995-02-07 1995-03-23 Kronseder, Hermann, Dr.-Ing.E.h., 93086 Wörth Transportstern für Gefäße
EP0743267B1 (fr) * 1995-05-13 1999-02-03 Hermann Kronseder Roue convoyeuse à étoile pour récipients

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9951514A1 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4026793A1 (fr) * 2020-05-20 2022-07-13 Krones Ag Dispositif de serrage permettant de maintenir un récipient et dispositif de manipulation de récipients

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1306044B1 (it) 2001-05-29
WO1999051514A1 (fr) 1999-10-14
ITPR980021A1 (it) 1999-10-07

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