Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01M99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B15/00—Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
  • B05B15/50—Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
  • G01P13/00—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement
  • G01P13/0006—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
  • G01P13/00—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement
  • G01P13/0006—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances
  • G01P13/0066—Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances by using differences of pressure in the fluid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/08—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
  • B05B12/082—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for checking nozzles, in particular spraying nozzles of rotary rinsing machines in bottling plants.
• the object of the present invention is that of eliminating the abovementioned drawbacks and providing a method and an apparatus for checking the nozzles which ensure a high degree of reliability and efficiency together with a low installation and operating cost. Said objects are fully achieved by the method according to the present invention, which is characterized by the contents of the claims indicated below and in particular by the fact that it involves the following steps:
• the present invention also relates to a device which is characterized by the contents of the claims indicated below and in particular by the fact that it comprises a load cell provided with a sensing element formed so as to fully receive the fluid spray of one or more nozzles in order to actuate the load cell in such a way that, upon recording of a spray parameter which is below a predefined threshold, an alarm procedure signalling incorrect operation of the nozzles is activated.
• Said parameter consists in the force with which the spray acts on the flow sensing element.
• a single load cell which is contained inside a pressurised casing and supported, via said casing, by a fixed frame of the machine, is provided.
• 1 schematically denotes a fixed frame of a rotary machine, in the specific case a rotary rinsing machine provided with a plurality of peripheral nozzles rotating together with a movable platform of the rinsing machine, each of which nozzles is intended to spray upwards a flushing fluid inside containers 3 which reach each nozzle in the overturned position, in accordance with a known technique.
• 7 denotes the original device according to the invention, which comprises a load cell 8 enclosed and fixed inside a stainless-steel casing 9 internally pressurised by means of a duct 10 which supplies pressurisation air.
• the casing 9 is fixed by means of a support 1 1 to the fixed frame 1 of the rinsing machine.
• 12 denotes a sensing element which is intended to be struck by the fluid sprayed by the nozzles which pass underneath said element. Interception of the fluid by the sensing element produces on the latter a force in accordance with the principle of variation of the momentum.
• the sensing element 12, which is outside the casing 9, is connected to the load cell by means of a connector 13, as illustrated in Figure 1, in such a way that the casing 9 is kept pressurised, so as to allow operation of the load cell even under particular conditions of use, for example in corrosive environments.
• the sensing element 12 preferably consists of a metal plate which is folded at the ends with dimensions such that its surface receives fully the spray jets of the nozzles which pass underneath it.
• the device 7 which is only one for the whole rinsing machine, is positioned along the initial section of the rinsing machine or in the zone where there are no containers located over the nozzles and the spraying area is free from obstacles.
• the sensing element is acted on by the spray of three nozzles (two of which are partial) and during subsequent steps is acted on by the entire spray of two nozzles.
• the flow rate remains constant, however, equal to the full throughput of two nozzles.
• Activation of emission of the flushing fluid when the nozzle is located underneath the sensing element may be performed with a rotating central header and a fixed synchronised distributor or with a fixed cam which actuates distribution valves associated with each nozzle or by means of solenoid valves managed by a PLC.
• the force of the fluid spray is transmitted by means of the sensing element to the load cell which reads this information in the form of an analog signal, sending it to an electronic circuit, not shown, which compares it with a preset alarm threshold. If the value read is greater than the preset threshold, operation is optimal since it means that the nozzles are functioning correctly and the fluid strikes the amplifying element in an adequate quantity and with sufficient force.
• the rinsing machine is stopped and checking of the possible causes of the malfunction is performed.
• These causes may consist in blockage of one or more nozzles or damage to the supply valve of the nozzles or lowering of the pressure of the treatment fluid.
• a force is obtained (according to the principle of momentum), which, converted into an electric signal, diminishes with a lessening in the throughput of the nozzle (for example, following a reduction in pressure or cross-section) until it reaches an alarm threshold below which the container does not undergo a correct washing treatment.
• a fluid typically water, air or flushing fluid
• the present method and device have been specifically described applied to a rotary rinsing machine, but may be applied, more generally, to checking the operation of nozzles in operating machines of any kind.
• said method and device may be applied, for example, to blowing machines for checking blowing nozzles.
• a movable sensing element which is intended to perform a certain displacement (linear, or angular if pivotably mounted) when it intercepts the fluid flow and is subsequently recalled into the rest position by a spring or a counterweight, the operating force of which is adjustable in accordance with known techniques.
• the force is converted into movement, i.e. the parameter "displacement” rather than the parameter "force” is detected.
• the load cell 8 and the position sensor form means for detecting a parameter relating to the fluid spray. If the displacement of the sensing element, detected by a position sensor, is insufficient, i.e. less than a predefined threshold, an alarm situation arises because the nozzle is not operating correctly.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11396142

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (10)

Citations (4)

• 1997
  • 1997-11-28 IT IT97PR000073A patent/IT1296419B1/it active IP Right Grant
• 1998
  • 1998-11-16 WO PCT/IT1998/000322 patent/WO1999028043A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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