Classifications

• • 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
  • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
  • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
  • B65G47/12—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
  • B65G47/14—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
  • B65G47/1407—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
  • B65G47/1442—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl by means of movement of the bottom or a part of the wall of the container
  • B65G47/1457—Rotating movement in the plane of the rotating part
• • 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

Definitions

• TITLE METHOD FOR MOVING CONTAINERS SELECTED OR
• the present finding is inserted in the field of orienting machines and of treatment lines downstream of such machines.
• Object of the present finding is to provide the art with a new work method for the movement of the containers after the orienting machine.
• Another object of the invention is to create a more compact work system, optimizing the bulk and also the costs of the transfer lines.
• Figure 1 an orienting machine for orienting containers (bottles, preform bottles) preferably made of plastic, with transfer means and movement means associated therewith, with progression according to a non-linear i.e. non-rectilinear path;
• Figure 2 a second embodiment variant
• Figure 3 a third embodiment variant
• Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 possible configurations of the apparatus with distributed, along the non-linear path, one or more work stations with which the container undergoes at least one or more work steps, on their own or in combination,
• Figure 10 a further variant with movement with catenary.
• reference number 1 indicates an orienting machine of containers 3 (bottles, preform bottles) preferably made of plastic.
• Said orienting machine comprises means for selecting the containers, and positioning them according to a suitable position.
• the containers are selected laid-down via a series of means known with the technical term of lifting elements, then they are made to fall into cradles and separators 2 which provide for their straightening .
• the present finding already functions with the container 3 selected and in some manner arranged on the machine, ready to be extracted and moved according to a path better described hereinbelow.
• the transfer occurs during the interruption.
• Said means 5 are generically plates, trays, or equivalent systems.
• the transferred container 3 is capable of remaining with the bottom 3a abutted against the plate 5.
• the plurality of plates 5 for the movement and support of the container can be an integral part of the orienting machine, i.e. they are situated outside E the fixed and cylindrical wall 6 of the latter.
• the plates 5 are provided with the possibility to rotate according to a same axis AA corresponding to that of the orienting machine, so as to rotate concentric and outside E the fixed cylindrical wall 6.
• the container 3 is brought outside the machine, the container is moved integral with the rotating parts of the machine.
• the containers 3 rotate in the same rotation sense as the orienting machine, i.e. of the carousels of the cradles and separators.
• FIG. 1 Only one plate is illustrated in figure 1 for the sake of simplicity; such plate is provided with vertical movement, top- bottom with respect to the container slide surface, in a manner so as to arrive aligned with said slide surface and allow the transfer.
• the plate is provided with movement that is horizontal and radial with respect to the axis of the machine, hence with the possibility to position the selected and straightened container outside the machine.
• the plate is provided with movement on its axis that allows rotating on the plate itself.
• the plate is always outside the orienting machine; the container, exactly at the point in which the slide surface 4 is interrupted, freely falls below the slide surface (inside the machine), is abutted against a surface 8 and by means of an additional thrust means, the movement is actuated from inside the machine, even if in lower position, to the plate, always outside the machine in this case.
• the plate is part of the machine by means of a carousel or ring of plates which axially rotate with axis coinciding with the axis of the orienting machine.
• the horizontal exit movement is entrusted to the grip member that transfers the container.
• the orientation function is entrusted to the plate (which can rotate on itself).
• the plate runs along this concentric circular path, always driven in rotation by the rotation of the machine.
• the orientation function is entrusted to the plate (which can rotate on itself).
• the containers once selected and ordered, are arranged aligned inside and moved along a circular ring up to at least one exit or pick-up point; preferably in vertical position.
• Forming a first object of the invention is the method for moving the containers aligned in an orienting machine, which provides for picking up, from said machine, the containers selected thereby and moving at least one part of these along a path outside the machine; said path being non-linear around the machine.
• said circular portion or section is concentric with respect to the orienting machine.
• the container undergoes at least one further work step, wherein with work steps it is intended one or more, on their own or in combination, the following : steps of filling, of labeling, of sealing, of capping, of orientation, of inspection, of analysis of the seal, and so forth.
• the means can provide for one or more of the following movements:
• the apparatus for the selection and movement of bulk containers constituted by at least one orienting machine of bulk containers adapted to select the containers and movement means adapted to support at least part of the containers selected by the orienting machine, extract them and move them outside the orienting machine; said movement path being at least one non-linear path, adjacent to the orienting machine itself.
• the aforesaid non-linear path comprises at least one transfer portion or section that is circular and concentric with respect to the orienting machine.
• said support means are concentric and/or synchronized with the orienting machine.
• Said support means are independent of the orienting machine.
• the apparatus comprises, distributed along said non-linear path, one or more work stations with which the container undergoes at least one or more work steps, on their own or in combination, such as: steps of filling, labeling, sealing or capping, orientation, inspection, analysis of the seal etc.
• the means for the movement along said nonlinear external path are:
• said means on their own or in combination, allow transferring the container from the orienting machine to the outside.
• Said means for the movement are also movable according to a vertical axis thereof so as to allow the rotation according to the vertical axis, for the rotation and orientation of the container itself.
• Said movable means for the movement are vertically movable for a positioning thereof on a different level with respect to the point of pick-up of the container from the orienting machine.
• Said movable means for the movement are movable according to a radial direction of the machine and to the outside of the same.
• the apparatus comprises possible further grip or thrust means for transferring the selected container from the machine to the movement means, if the latter are external and cannot be arranged in proximity to the pick-up zone or point.
• the means for the movement and support of the containers are all arranged concentric and external and are moved : either integrally constrained to the rotation axis of the orienting machine itself, or separated and independent, but in any case able to rotate synchronized with the lifting means, i.e. the lifting elements, and/or with the internal crown of the machine itself adapted to move the straightened containers up to the exit point.
• the containers are transferred and positioned on the plates by means of the above-described systems.
• a first mode is the plate itself which picks up the container, is lowered and then exits from the machine.
• a second mode is always given by the direct gripping of the container, which awaits the fall of the container before radially exiting and being positioned on a concentric circumference.
• a third mode is that of always providing the plate positioned and rotating according to the axis of the machine and on the concentric external circumference: now, however, the extract step, i.e. the movement of the selected container from inside the machine to outside the machine, occurs with thrust means.
• grasping means such as grasping grippers, or via dedicated transfer star conveyors with means for mechanical grip or for suction.

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

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2015
  • 2015-12-21 EP EP15830856.9A patent/EP3237313A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2015-12-21 WO PCT/IB2015/059846 patent/WO2016103157A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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