DEVICE FOR HANDLING CONTAINERS IN CAPPING FACILITIES.

Abstract

A handling device (1) for handling containers (2) at a capping and / or inspection station of a capping facility, wherein the device (1) includes a centering member (10) having a side opening (11) arranged to receive a neck region (2a) of a container (2), and a clamping unit (20) for holding the container (2) during capping operations, the clamping unit being mounted to be able to slide vertically between a first position, in which it is uncoupled from the container (2) and allows removal of the capped container (2) and receipt of a container (2) to be capped, and a second position, which is grasped by the clamping unit during capping and / or inspection and in which it is coupled with the container (2), the clamping unit being associated with means for controlling its vertical sliding, including first elastic means (58a,58b) configured to hold the clamping unit (20) in the second position, and to apply, in that position, an axial load to the container (2).

Description

DEVICE FOR HANDLING CONTAINERS IN CAPPING FACILITIES TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to capping installations and, more particularly, to a handling device for holding and centering a container under a capping head in such an installation. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of capping using said device. Preferably, the invention applies to capping installations in which screw caps are applied to containers having a neck provided with a collar and in which clamping and centering is carried out by acting on the neck region immediately below the collar, and the following description will speak in particular of this preferred application. In the preferred application, the containers are bottles, and the term bottles will always be used in the following description for the sake of clarity and simplicity. Furthermore, considering that in various capping installations, the capping heads also have measuring and / or inspection functions, for example, measuring the tightening / untightening torque of the cap or the pressure of the gases present between a liquid contained in the container and the cap, checking the physical or visual characteristics of the container, etc., later in the description and in the claims, the capping head will be referred to in general as a working head. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For the capping, measuring, and / or inspection operations at the capping stations of a capping plant to be carried out correctly, it is essential that the bottles are placed in a perfectly vertical position and aligned with the axis of the capping head and the cap itself, and that they maintain this position throughout the operations for which the stations are designed. For this purpose, the capping stations are equipped with devices to hold and center the bottles. These devices must ensure the correct positioning of the bottles relative to the working head and prevent bottle rotation caused by the rotary movements of the working head during capping.Furthermore, during capping, a vertical force (compensating load or top load) tends to increase the frictional force on the neck region to prevent the bottle from rotating or moving from its pre-established position. In this case... MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy The clamping and centering devices must also prevent misalignment between the axes of the bottle, the cap and the working head (and deformation in the case of plastic bottles) which prevents the proper functioning of the working head. In the case of bottles with a rigid collar, known clamping and centering devices comprise a support element having a side opening into which the bottle neck is received and on which the rigid collars rest, and a clamping member for holding the bottle in the recess. Examples of such devices are described in documents DE 1607970 Al, EP 1 712 496 Al, EP 2 383 221 Al and US 6 302 172 B1; however, these known devices do not solve the problems resulting from the top load. EP 2 439 168 Al and US 2011 / 089003 Al also describe devices in which the clamp member also performs a support function and can slide vertically between two different working positions against the action of elastic elements. In EP 2 439 168 Al, the sliding brings the clamp into contact with a fixed plate onto which the axial forces exerted by the capping head during capping are transferred, without tensioning the hinge pins of the clamp jaws. In US 2011 / 089003 Al, the sliding controls the opening / closing of the clamp. These devices also do not address the problems caused by overhead loading. Furthermore, known solutions cannot be applied to multi-format installations without having to replace, at least partially, the clamping and centering devices every time the format of the bottles to be handled changes. WO 2018 / 203242 Al describes a clamping and centering device having a centering ring resting on a flange between the neck and the neck of the container, and a plurality of jaws distributed along the circumference of the centering ring and brought, by means of radial movement, to a working condition in which they engage with the neck of the bottle. US patent 2987313 A describes a capping unit equipped with a handling device designed to handle containers and containing a clamping unit and means for applying an axial load to a container during the capping step to prevent rotation or movement of the container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a device and a method for manipulating, specifically, holding and centering a bottle under a work head in a capping installation; said device and method overcome the drawbacks of the art MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy antecedent. According to the invention, a device is provided having a centering member with a side recess arranged to receive a neck region of a container, and a clamping unit for holding the container during operations performed at the capping station.The clamping unit is mounted so that it can slide vertically between a first position, in which it is decoupled from the container and allows a container to be capped and a container to be capped to be removed, and a second position, in which it is grasped by the clamping unit during capping and / or inspection and in which it is coupled with the container, and the clamping unit is associated with means that control the vertical sliding thereof and which includes a first elastic means configured to hold the clamping unit in the second position when no tension is applied, and to apply, in that position, an axial load to the container. Advantageously, the first elastic means includes at least one compression spring disposed between a stationary support of the clamping unit and a member that slides vertically and in conjunction with the clamp, which member is driven to perform an upward movement by means of a first cam mechanism, against the action of the at least one compression spring, to move the clamp to the first position. According to another feature of the invention, the clamping unit further includes means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp, and includes a second elastic means configured to keep the clamp in a closed condition in which no tension is applied. Advantageously, the second elastic means includes a torsion spring associated with a vertical rod that can rotate about its axis; this rod is connected to the clamp jaws through a lever system and is rotated about its own axis by means of a second cam mechanism, against the action of the torsion spring to cause the clamp to open. According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for capping containers in a capping unit equipped with a plurality of handling devices according to the invention. The method includes, for each container, the following steps: - to arrange, in a first position, a clamp gripping unit of a handling device by applying a compressive tension to the first elastic medium and, to arrange, in an open condition, a clamp of the unit by applying a torsional or compressive tension to the second elastic medium; - insert a container that needs to be covered into the device MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy handling, so that a neck region of the container is received in a lateral recess of a centering member of the handling device and between the open jaws of the open jaw; - Remove the torsional or compressive tension from the second elastic medium to allow the clamp to close, while maintaining compressive tension on the first elastic medium to keep the clamp holding unit in the raised position; - remove the compressive tension from the first elastic medium to allow the clamping unit, with the clamp closed, to move to a second position, or a lowered position, in which the clamp rests on the container; - apply the lid to the container; - At the end of the capping step, move the clamping unit back to the raised position by reapplying compressive tension to the first elastic medium; during the final part or at the end of the lifting movement, move the clamp back by reapplying torsional or compressive tension to the second elastic medium; - Remove the covered container from the handling device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments provided by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a capping unit arranged in a capping installation and equipped with clamping and centering devices according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged partial view of the clamping and centering device according to the invention and of its mounting on the capping unit; Figure 3 is an isometric perspective view of the clamping unit in the open position; Figure 4 is an isometric perspective view taken at a different angle with respect to Figure 3 of the clamping unit in the closed position; Figure 5 is a symmetrical perspective view of the clamping unit clamp in the closed position; Figure 6 is a symmetrical perspective view of the clamping unit clamp in the open position; Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the cams used for MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy control the lifting and opening / closing of the clamping unit clamp; Figure 8 shows one step of the device operation during capping operations; MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy figure 9 of covered; the figure of covering operations; the figure of covering operations; the figure of covering operations; The figure, according to a variety, shows another step of the < shows another step shows another step shows another step is a partial view ar :¡on of mode of the i operation of the device of the operation of the operation of the operation of the operation of the plied operation of the device during the operations device during the device during the device during the ) of clamping and centering DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a rotary capping unit 100 belonging to the capping and / or inspection station of a capping installation is shown schematically. This unit is equipped with a plurality of devices 1 according to the invention, specifically for handling, holding, and centering bottles 2 (shown only in Figures 8 to 12), specifically bottles to which a screw cap 4 is to be applied. This cap is provided in the neck region 2a with a collar or rigid end 3. The capping unit 100 is arranged to rotate continuously between different working positions, according to a cycle in which a bottle 2 is received into the capping unit 100, capped by suitable cap applicator members, and finally exits the capping unit. Device 1 consists of two different parts: a centering member 10 and a clamping unit, referred to as a whole by reference number 20. The centering member 10 consists of a plate element having a recess or lateral opening 11 designed to receive the neck region 2a of the bottle so that the collar 3 rests on the upper face of the centering member 10 and is supported by it during capping. The centering member 10 is further provided along the edge of the recess 11 with teeth 12 (only one of which is visible in the figure) designed to engage with the lower portion of the collar 3 to hold the bottle 2 and prevent it from rotating under the action of the threading torque applied to the cap. Elements of this type are commonly used in capping units. The centering member 10 is mounted in a stationary manner, for example, by threading, to a centering member clamping plate 102, which is in turn attached to a centering member clamping flange 106 of the capping unit 100.Figure 106 is connected, by means of coupling bars 108, to another flange 110, specifically the flange that supports the capping shafts. Flanges 106 and 110 are rotationally integral with the stem 112 that transmits the aforementioned rotational motion to the capping unit 100. It should be noted that the retaining plates of the centering member 102 can also be omitted, and the centering members 10 can be mounted directly to the retaining flange of the centering member 106. Each clamping unit 20 is supported by a bracket 54, which is in turn attached to a support flange 114. This flange is also rotationally integral with the stem 112. The flange 114 can be divided into several sections that correspond to the clamping sections of the centering member 105, and are connected to the centering member clamping flange 106 by means of columns 116. The clamping unit 20 is mounted so that the clamp 22 of the clamping unit 20 is located below the centering member 10. The clamping unit 20 comprises, in addition to the clamp 22, mechanisms that control the opening and closing of the clamp 22 and its vertical sliding relative to the support 54 between a raised position, assumed by the clamp during the exchange of a capped bottle 2 and a bottle to be capped, and a lowered position, assumed by the clamp during the screwing of the cap 4, and vice versa. As will be described in more detail later, the opening and raising of the clamp 22 is carried out against the action of the elastic members that tend to keep the clamp in its closed and lowered position.In the raised position, clamp 22 rests on the neck region 2a of bottle 2, which is received in the recess 23 between the arms or jaws 22a and 22b of clamp 22. In the lowered position, clamp 22 rests on the flange formed by the connection region between the neck 2a and the body 2b of bottle 2 and applies a vertical (or axial) load to the bottle. Clamps 22a and 22b are configured so as not to contact the neck 2a in the closed, raised position of clamp 22. The shape of clamps 22a and 22b is not customized for a specific bottle 2 but is designed to accommodate a wide range of bottle shapes. The sliding mechanism also allows the device 1 to be used with bottles of different shapes, as the point of contact with the clamp unit 20 can be positioned at different heights without requiring any part replacement.The drive at the top of bottle 2 also exploits the fact that these format-related differences, especially with bottles obtained by the same means, are present. MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy preforma, are less pronounced when they approach that part. With reference to figures 3 to 6, the mechanisms that control the vertical sliding and the closing of clamp 22 will now be described. The clamp's arm or jaws 22a, 22b are articulated, for example, by means of corresponding threads 26a, 26b, to a support 24 that slides vertically and in conjunction with the clamp. The rotation of the arms 22a, 22b to open / close the clamp 22 is achieved by means of a kinematic mechanism with irreversible characteristics that prevent the clamp from opening when its arms are acted upon. More specifically, the opening is controlled by a first counterbalancing roller (cam follower) 28, which, during the rotation of the capping unit 100, moves on the side surface of an eccentric cam 27. The configuration of the cam 27 will be described later, with reference to Figure 7. The roller 28 is connected to one end of a rocker arm 30, the other end of which is integral with the lower end of a vertical rod 32 arranged to rotate about its axis within a guide sleeve 33.The guide sleeve 33 is integral with the sliding support 24, and the rod 32 is translationally integral with it. A torsion spring 44, whose ends are respectively attached to the rocker arm 30 and the sliding support 24, is wound around the outer surface of the sleeve 33. The arrangement is such that a thrust exerted on the roller 28 by its movement on the cam 27 causes the rod 32 to rotate against the action of the spring 44, which is fixed to keep the arms 22a and 22b in the closed position when no thrust is exerted on the roller 28.At its upper end, the rod 32 is integral with one end of a second swing arm 34, which is supported by the sliding support 24, and at the opposite end, it is connected to a thrust member 36 that can slide from a retracted position (assumed by said member when the clamp is closed) to an extended position (assumed by said member when the clamp is open). The sliding of the thrust member 36 is guided, for example, by a pin 38 or similar that engages in a groove 40 of the thrust member 36. One end of a pair of further levers or swing arms 42a, 42b is hinged to the thrust member 36, and the other end of said pair is hinged to the rear portion of the arms 22a, 22b in a retracted position relative to the hinge threads 26a, 26b.It is evident that, with this arrangement, the forward sliding movement of the thrust member 36 causes, through the levers 42a, 42b, the rotation of the arms 22a, 22b around the respective hinge pins in the opening direction of the clamp 22. Regarding the vertical sliding of clamp 22 and its support 24, said support is mounted to the upper end of at least one rod, preferably a pair of rods 50a, 50b, which slide vertically in the sleeves 52a, 52b carried by the stationary support 54 of MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy the clamping unit 20. At its lower end, the rods 50a, 50b are attached to another support member 56, this additional support member also being movable vertically. This additional support member has, for example, a substantially L-shaped vertical section, with a horizontal segment 56' (preferably forming an upper part thereof) to which the rods 50a, 50b are attached. The springs 58a, 58b wound around the sleeves 52a, 52b that determine the axial load applied to the bottle 2 are arranged between the front surfaces of the stationary support 54 and the horizontal segment 56' of the movable support 56. The load exerted by the springs 58 can also be adjusted by means not shown but well known to a person skilled in the art.A second counterbalancing roller 62, which moves on the upper surface of a drum cam 64 described later with reference to Figure 7 during the rotation of the capping unit 100, is mounted on the vertical segment 56 of the movable support. The arrangement is such that the thrust exerted against the roller 62 by the movement of the cam 54 raises the rods 50a and 50b against the action of the springs 58a and 58b. The rods 50a and 50b return to their lowered position when no thrust is applied to them. From the figures it can also be observed that on the upper face of the support 54 a stopping member 66 is provided which limits the downward thrust of the clamp 22 during the times when there is no bottle to be capped and the roller 62 is not in contact with the cam 64. Referring to Figure 7, cams 27 and 64 are arc-shaped elements of different lengths, corresponding to the first and second angular sectors of rotation of the capping unit 100, respectively, and mounted to the stationary part 118 of the capping installation. Cam 27 is shorter than cam 64, and its relative position is such that the thrust on roller 28 can be removed (Figures 3 and 4), allowing clamp 22 to be closed. Meanwhile, roller 62 remains offset and holds clamp 22 in the raised position, as required during certain operating steps of the capping unit.Both cams have end portions 27a and 64a, with reduced thickness (in the radial direction for cam TJ, acting through its side surface, and in the axial direction for cam 64, acting through its top face), and a central portion 27b and 64b, respectively, which has a greater, constant thickness and extends along most of the cam's length. This central portion is connected to the end portions by means of lift / lower ramps 27c and 64c, respectively. The operation of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12. This operation provides at least five interaction situations between the clamp 22 and the cams 27, 64. MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy The first situation corresponds to the current capping step. In this situation, rollers 28 and 62 are not in contact with cams 27 and 64. Consequently, springs 44, 58a, and 58b are in a rested condition and keep clamp 22 closed and in its lowered position, resting on the flange between the neck 2a and the body 2b of the bottle 2. Therefore, the vertical load held by springs 58a and 58b is applied to the bottle, and collar 3 is engaged with the teeth 12 of the centering member 10. This situation is shown in Figure 8. Once the cap 4 has been applied, the rotation of the capping unit 100 engages the roller 62 with the cam 64, causing it to move upwards to its central position 64b via the lifting ramp 64c. Roller 62 then raises the jaw 22 via the support 56 and the rods 50a and 50b, compressing the springs 58a and 58b. Due to the cam configuration, at this stage, the roller 28 is not yet in contact with the cam 27, and the jaw 22 remains closed, though not yet gripping the neck 2a. This situation is illustrated in Figure 9. Once the lifting is complete (or at the end of the lifting process), the roller 28, acting on the cam 64 via the roller, comes into contact with the cam 27 and slides along its lifting ramp 27, thereby opening the jaws 22a and 22b against the action of the torsion spring 44. The opening must be adjusted over time to allow the capped bottle 2 to be removed by means of the appropriate transfer star. This situation is shown in Figure 10. Through an additional arc of rotation of the capping unit 100, rollers 28 and 62 remain engaged with the upper portion of the respective cams 27 and 64, and thus clamp 22 remains raised and open. In this condition, device 1 can receive a bottle 2 to be capped, the neck 2a of which is placed in the opening 11 of the centering member 10 and between the open arms 22a, 22b of clamp 22 (Figure 11). Once the bottle 2 to be capped enters the capping unit 100, roller 28 is lowered into the recessed portion 27a of cam 27 via the descending ramp 27c, thereby removing the deflecting force exerted on spring 44 and causing clamp 22 to close (without yet clamping neck 2a). Conversely, roller 62 remains on the upper portion 64b of cam 64 and thus holds clamp 22 in the raised position (Figure 12). Once the clamp 22 is fully closed (or is in the final part of its closure), the roller 62 reaches the descending ramp 64c and approaches the recessed end portion 64a of the cam 64, whereupon springs 58a, 58b cause the clamp 22 to be lowered until it rests against the bottle 2. During the roller's descending step MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy 62, roller 28 is no longer in contact with cam 27. Then, roller 62 leaves cam 64 and the system returns to the condition shown in figure 8 to cap the new bottle. With the capping unit equipped with a handling device and operating in the manner described, the method of capping a bottle 2 is carried out as follows: - the clamping unit 20 is arranged in a first position (raised position) by applying a compressive tension to the compression springs 58a, 58b and the clamp 22 is held open by applying a torsional tension to the spring 44; - a container 2 that is to be covered is introduced into the handling device 1 so that a neck region 2a of the container 2 is received in the side opening 11 of a centering member 10 of the handling device 1 and between the open jaws 22a, 22b of the open jaw 22; - the torsional tension is removed from spring 44 to allow clamp 22 to close, while the clamp holding unit 20 is held in the raised position; - the compression tension is removed from springs 58a, 58b to allow the clamping unit 20, with clamp 22 closed, to move to a second position (lowered position), in which clamp 22 rests on the flange between neck 2a and body 2b; - the lid is applied to container 2; - at the end of the capping operation, the hinge clamping unit 20 is moved back to the raised position by reapplying compression tension 58a, 58b and, during the final part of the lifting or at the end of it, the clamp 22 is opened again by reapplying torsional tension to spring 44; - The covered container 2 is removed from the handling device 1. The steps described are then repeated for a new bottle 2. In the variation shown in Figure 13, the opening of the clamp is counteracted by a compression spring instead of a torsion spring. For this purpose, the connecting thrust member 36 to the rocker arm 34 passes vertically through the head of a sliding member 70. This sliding member 70 is moved by the rotation of the arm 34 in a horizontal seat formed in a sleeve around which the helical spring 72 is wound. The spring 72 is compressed by the head of the sliding member 70 during its sliding motion. The sliding motion of the sliding member 70 is simultaneous with and in harmony with that of the thrust member 36. In this arrangement, the spring 72 is thus compressed when the roller 28 slides along the lifting ramp 27c and the central portion 27b of the cam 27, causing the clamp 22 to reopen when the cam 27 is lowered to the recessed portion 27a of the cam 27 along the ramp. MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy descent 27c. The operation is exactly the same as that described in connection with the torsion spring 44. It is evident that the foregoing description has been provided only as a non-limiting example, and that the construction details and modalities may vary widely from what has been described and illustrated without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims, which form an integral part of the technical teaching of the invention provided herein. Specifically, although the invention has been described with reference to bottles that have a rigid collar in the neck region, it can also be applied to bottles without such a collar. In this case, and in a known manner, the centering member 10 can be coupled with the lower portion of the hanging strip of the tamper seal that ensures the integrity of the lid. Furthermore, the invention can also be applied to different containers, provided that such containers have a flange on which the clamp 22 can rest.

Claims

1. A handling device (1) for handling containers (2) at a capping and / or inspection station of a capping facility, wherein the device (1) includes a centering member (10) having a side opening (11) arranged to receive a neck region (2a) of a container (2), and a clamping unit (20) for holding the container (2) during operations performed at said station, the device being characterized in that the clamping unit (20) is mounted to be able to slide vertically between a first position, in which it is decoupled from the container (2) and allows the removal of the capped container (2) and the receipt of a container (2) to be capped, and a second position, which is grasped by the clamping unit during capping and / or inspection and in which it is coupled with the container (2),and because the clamping unit is associated with means that control its vertical sliding, including first elastic means (58a, 58b) configured to hold the clamping unit (20) in the second position when no tension is applied, and to apply, in that position, an axial load to the container (2).

2. The handling device (1) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first elastic means (58a, 58b) are arranged to keep the clamp (22) of the clamping unit (20), in said second position, in contact with a flange connecting a neck region (2a) and a body region (2b) of the container (2).

3. The handling device (1) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first elastic means (58a, 58b) include at least one compression spring (58a, 58b) disposed between a stationary support (54) of the clamping unit (20) and a vertically slidable member (56) together with the clamp (22) of the clamping unit (20), the member being driven to perform an upward movement by means of a first cam mechanism (62, 64), against the action of the at least one compression spring (58a, 58b), to move the clamp (22) to the first position.

4. The handling device (1) according to claim 3, further characterized in that the stationary support (54) of the clamping unit (20) is associated with a stopping member (66) arranged to limit downward travel of the clamp (22) when no container (2) is present. MA / t / ZUZÓ / UUÓUOy 5. The handling device (1) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first elastic means (58a, 58b) can be associated with means for adjusting said axial load.

6. The handling device (1) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the clamping unit (20) also includes means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp (22).

7. The handling device (1) according to claim 6, further characterized in that said means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp (22) include second elastic means (44; 72) configured to keep the clamp (22) in a closed condition when no tension is applied.

8. The handling device (1) according to claim 7, further characterized in that the second elastic means includes a torsion spring (44) associated with a vertical rod (32) that can rotate about its axis, said rod being connected to the jaws (22a, 22b) of the clamp (22) through a lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) and is rotated about its own axis by means of a second cam mechanism (27, 28), against the action of the torsion spring (44) to cause the clamp (22) to open.

9. The handling device (1) according to claim 7, further characterized in that said second elastic means includes a helical spring (72) associated with a sliding member (70) that is made to slide horizontally against the action of the helical spring (72) due to the rotation of a vertical rod (32), which is connected to the jaws (22a, 22b) of the clamp (22) through a lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) and is rotated by a second cam mechanism (27, 28) to cause the clamp (22) to open.

10. The handling device (1) according to claim 9, further characterized in that said lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) is configured to prevent the clamp (22) from opening under the action of a force applied to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b).

11. A method of capping containers (2) in a capping unit (100) equipped with a plurality of handling devices (1) according to claim 1, each handling device being designed to clamp and center a container (2) under a working head, the method being characterized in that, for each container (2), it includes the following steps: - disposing, in a first position, or raised position, of a clamping unit (20) of a handling device (1) by applying a compressive tension to the first elastic medium (58a, 58b) and, disposing, in an open condition, of a clamp (22) of the unit (20);- inserting a container (2) to be covered into the handling device (1) so that a neck region (2a) of the container (2) is received in a side opening (11) of a centering member (10) of the handling device (1) and between the open jaws (22a, 22b) of the open jaw (22); - closing the jaw (22) while continuing to apply compressive tension to the first elastic means (58a, 58b) to hold the clamping unit (20) in the raised position; - releasing the compressive tension from the first elastic means (58a, 58b) to allow the clamping unit (20), with the clamp (22) closed, to move to a second position, or a lowered position, in which the clamp (22) rests on the container (2); - applying the lid (4) to the container (2);At the end of the capping step, move the clamping unit (20) back to the raised position by reapplying compressive tension to the first elastic medium (58a, 58b) and, during the final part or at the end of the lifting movement, cause the clamp (22) to open again; - remove the capped container (2) from the handling device (1).

12. The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that the step of arranging a clamp (22) of the clamping unit (20) in an open condition by applying a torsional or compressive stress to open the closing members (44; 72) of the clamp (22).

13. The method according to claim 12, further characterized in that the step of closing the clamp (22) is carried out by removing the torsional or compressive tension applied to opening and closing members (44; 72) of the clamp (22).

14. The method according to claim 11, further characterized in that the step of closing the clamp (22) is carried out by removing the torsional or compressive tension applied to the opening and closing members (44, 72) of the clamp (22).

15. The handling device (1) according to claim 8, further characterized in that said lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) is configured to prevent the clamp (22) from opening by the action of a force applied to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b).

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