Ejector fingers for a device for supplying classified closure elements and method of manufacture by moulding

Abstract

The invention relates to an ejector finger (3) for ejecting closure elements (1), comprising a body (31) provided with a base (30) and a distal end (33) on the opposite side, the distal end (33) comprising a front area (34) for contact with the closure elements (1) to be ejected, and at least one distal end (33) comprising an insert (4) provided with at least one front surface (40), the front surface (40) being dimensioned to at least partially cover the front area (34). The invention also relates to a device for supplying classified closure elements (1), the device having an ejector device (25) comprising at least one such finger (3). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an ejector finger (3) by moulding, preferably by overmoulding an insert (4) or by adding material.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of supplying classified closure elements in order to supply downstream workstations on a production line. BACKGROUND

[0002] Such closure elements comprise caps or capsules for closing containers, in particular flasks or bottles made of plastic, glass or metal, in particular aluminum. The closure elements can be made of any type of material, in particular plastic or metal.

[0003] Furthermore, the containers generally comprise an opening in the form of a lip located on the upper part of the neck. After filling, the opening of the container is hermetically closed by a closure element such as a capsule or a cap. This type of closure element has a generally flattened tubular shape, similar to a hollow disc. The closure element is closed by a concave bottom in order to internally contain a seal forming a seal when positioned in contact with the lip.

[0004] In the context of the present invention, the terms "closure element", "cap" and "capsule" are equivalent unless otherwise stated.

[0005] In a known manner, the supply of closure elements in the form of caps is achieved by a classification module generally called "cap feeder". Such a classification module receives as input the said caps loosely inclined into a storage unit such as a hopper. This module on the one hand processes the classification of these caps in order to arrange them in the appropriate places and on the other hand continuously supplies the classified caps to a workstation located downstream of the production line. The main role of this downstream workstation is to cooperate and / or to close the containers by the classified caps. For example, this downstream workstation can comprise a bottling module provided with a unit for capping the containers or a unit for sterilizing the closure elements.

[0006] In other words, the sorting module makes it possible to receive initially randomly oriented caps and to correctly orient all these caps in a process of at least supplying a regular and continuous flow to a downstream workstation whose function is to close each container by a cap. Moreover, this classification module makes it possible to control the consistency of the closure elements, in particular the size, the color(s), the integrity, the possible presence of a tamper-evident ring, etc.

[0007] One existing sorting module comprises, at the lower part, a storage unit which houses the loose closure elements, and a lifter conveyor which is immersed in the storage unit, the lifter conveyor being generally formed by a vertically oriented endless belt and being driven in such a way as to extract and lift the caps. More precisely, the belt comprises, on the outer surface, a succession of juxtaposed cleats over its length. The cleats take the form of flat bars of overall rectangular parallelepiped shape. The cleats are spaced apart so as to form housings which extend transversely from one side of the belt to the other, the spacing between two cleats corresponding approximately to the diameter of the cap which is to be housed in the storage unit. Furthermore, the inclination of the belt, the configuration and the dimensions of the cleats ensure the specific positioning of the caps which are housed.

[0008] In practice, the caps which are housed in the housings with a configuration other than the desired configuration, for example upside down or out of place, find themselves unbalanced, and, as the vertical movement of the conveyor continues, the caps tip out of their housings and fall naturally under the effect of gravity. Thus, once the end of travel is reached, only the caps which are oriented in the selected configuration remain in the housings. This sorting technique is generally known as "cascade" (French "chute d'eau").

[0009] Once sorted and aligned, the caps which are present in each housing which has reached the upper part of the device are sent sequentially to the supply station. To do this, a plurality of existing systems can be used, with means for continuous ejection of each row of aligned caps contained in each housing. This ejector means can be operated pneumatically in the form of compressed air jets which are oriented in the same way, pushing the caps towards the extraction end. The ejector means can be mechanical, in the form of at least one pusher or "ejector finger" which is mounted so as to be able to translate longitudinally along each housing and to move inside each housing from one end to the opposite extraction end, thus pushing each row of caps towards the outlet end.

[0010] The present invention is particularly aimed at this mechanical ejection.

[0011] One example of a mechanical ejector device is known in particular from the document WO2016 / 108026, which describes ejector fingers mounted on a belt which forms an endless belt, the ejector fingers being driven in such a way as to cause movement of each finger along the housings which reach the upper part of the lifter conveyor, in synchronism with the upward movement of the belt.

[0012] Furthermore, each ejector finger comprises a body provided with a base and, on the opposite side, with a distal end. The latter is characterised by a front region for coming into contact with the last closure element of the row to be ejected.

[0013] Because of many constraints, the body is generally made in one piece from a composite material, in particular a plastic material. Indeed, the finger must have a certain elasticity so as not to damage the cap when it comes into contact with it or when it pushes the cap along the housing. Furthermore, in the event of a jam occurring when the cap is being discharged in the housing, in order to avoid damaging the discharger device or other components of the supply device, the finger must be able to deform when it is bent, sometimes like a broken bone. The finger is an attachment component fixed to the belt, replacing the finger is easier, faster and less costly than replacing other components of the device.

[0014] In a related manner, the weight of the plastic material of the discharger finger also limits the centrifugal force it is subjected to during each pass around the idler of the belt.

[0015] Herein, problems arise in terms of wear of the discharger finger, in particular due to the wear suffered by the front region in contact with the closure element. This wear will be even more pronounced if the closure element is made of metal, for example in the case of capsules, for example of the "crown cap" type (French "couronne"). SUMMARY

[0016] One object of the present invention is to mitigate the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing to increase the resistance to wear of the front region of the discharger finger while preserving the elasticity of its body, in order to correctly operate the supply device and to prevent the risk of all damage in the event of a malfunction.

[0017] To this end, the invention envisages adding, at the level of the distal end, an insert provided with a front face at least partially covering the front contact region of the finger. The material of the insert is made to be more resistant to wear, to limit wear and to increase the service life of such a finger.

[0018] Thus, according to the invention, such a discharger finger comprises a finger for discharging a closure element, the finger comprising:

[0019] - a body provided with a base and a distal end on the opposite side;

[0020] - the distal end comprises a front region for coming into contact with one of the closure elements to be discharged.

[0021] Such a discharger finger is characterized at least in that the distal end comprises an insert provided with at least one front face, the front face being sized to at least partially cover the front region.

[0022] According to additional non-limiting features, such a finger can comprise at least means for fixing the front region with the front face, the fixing means comprising a core extending at least partially inside the distal end.

[0023] The core can comprise at least one hole inside the distal end.

[0024] The hole can be a through hole.

[0025] The insert can comprise a rear surface, the front surface and the rear surface being connected by the core.

[0026] The insert can comprise at least one rounded edge.

[0027] The fingers can comprise at least one chamfer recessed from the base towards the distal end.

[0028] The body can be made of composite material, in particular of plastic material, while the insert is made of metal, in particular of stainless steel.

[0029] The present invention also relates to a device for supplying classified closure elements, having such an ejector finger.

[0030] In particular, the supply device comprises:

[0031] - a container for bulk storage of the closure elements;

[0032] - an elevator conveyor in the form of a belt provided with an ascending section passing through the storage container;

[0033] - the elevator conveyor comprises on its outer surface a plurality of clamping plates oriented transversely to the belt and spaced in such a way as to determine a housing between two adjacent clamping plates, each housing containing a plurality of the closure elements during its passage through the interior of the storage container;

[0034] - mechanical means for ejecting the closure elements present in each housing upon reaching the upper portion of the elevator conveyor.

[0035] Advantageously, the ejector device comprises at least one ejector finger according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0036] According to further non-limiting characteristics, the device can comprise means for moving the ejector device, the moving means comprising a belt supporting the base of the at least one finger.

[0037] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such an ejector finger by molding or by adding material.

[0038] Furthermore, such a manufacturing method can be implemented by molding and is characterized in that:

[0039] - the insert is loaded into a mold;

[0040] - overmoulding the insert by injecting a composite or plastic material into the mould. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear in the light of the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 schematically represents a perspective view of an embodiment of the device for supplying classified closure elements, in particular a lifter device with a plurality of clamping plates forming a housing which picks up the closure elements when passing through a storage space located in the lower part;

[0043] Figure 2 schematically represents a perspective view of a particular embodiment of the ejector device of the supply device, in particular an ejector finger mounted below a belt which drives the finger along the housing which has reached the upper part;

[0044] Figure 3 schematically represents a perspective view of an embodiment of the ejector finger, in particular the distal end provided with an insert having a front surface;

[0045] Figure 4 schematically represents a perspective view of a detail of Figure 3 , in particular the core of the insert provided with two aligned non-through holes;

[0046] Figure 5 schematically represents a vertical sectional view of Figure 4 , in particular the front surface of the insert which is integrated in the front contact area of the body via a concave chamfer;

[0047] Figure 6 schematically represents a horizontal sectional view along the line A-A' of Figure 5 ;

[0048] Figure 7 schematically represents a vertical sectional view of a variant embodiment without chamfer;

[0049] Figure 8 schematically represents a perspective view of another embodiment of the ejector finger, in particular the distal end provided with an insert having a front surface and an opposite rear surface;

[0050] Figure 9 schematically represents a partial perspective view of a detail of Figure 8 , in particular the core of the insert connecting the front and rear surfaces, the rounded chamfers at the front and rear, and the core having a through hole;

[0051] Figure 10 schematically represents a vertical section view of the device 2 along the line B-B' of figure 1. Figure 9

[0052] Figure 11 schematically represents a horizontal section view of the device 2 along the line B-B' of figure 1. Figure 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The present invention relates to the discharge of closing elements 1.

[0054] Such closing elements 1 can comprise a cap or a capsule for closing a container, in particular a flask or a bottle made of plastic, glass or metal, in particular aluminum. The closing element can be made of any type of material, in particular of plastic or metal.

[0055] Figure 2 Particularly, the caps to be discharged are shown in a row.

[0056] Such a discharge makes it possible to supply the caps in a particularly continuous and oriented flow to at least one workstation located downstream.

[0057] The supply of closing elements is carried out by a specific sorting module, generally called "cap feeder". Such a sorting module receives as input loose caps and, on the one hand, sorts them and, on the other hand, in order to arrange them in a position adapted to supply the sorted caps to a workstation downstream of the production line. The main role of such a downstream workstation is to fill containers and then to close them by the sorted caps. For example, this downstream workstation can comprise a bottling module provided with a unit for capping the containers or a unit for sterilizing the closing elements.

[0058] In order to provide the caps to the downstream workstation, the present invention relates to a device 2 for providing sorted closing elements 1.

[0059] Such a device 2 comprises a container 20 for loose closing elements 1. Such a storage container 20 can take the form of a hopper into which the caps are tipped.

[0060] The device 2 also comprises an elevator conveyor 21. Such a conveyor takes the form of a belt provided with an ascending section passing through the storage container 20. Such a belt is preferably an endless belt which passes around idler rollers, at least one of which is motorized. The conveyor 21 extends vertically or substantially vertically, moving the caps in a substantially vertical direction.

[0061] ​​To this end, the elevator conveyor 21 comprises, on its outer surface, a plurality of clamps 22 oriented transversely with respect to the belt. The clamps 22 are spaced apart in such a way as to determine, between two adjacent clamps 22, a housing 23, as a result of which each housing 23 picks up a plurality of the closure elements 1 during the passage of the closure elements 1 through the storage container 20.

[0062] More precisely, on the outer surface of the belt, the plurality of clamps 22 is oriented horizontally or substantially horizontally and is spaced apart in such a way as to determine, between the upper edge of a lower clamp and the lower edge of an upper clamp, a housing 23, the spacing between the bottom of a top clamp and the top of a bottom clamp being determined as a function of the caps to be handled by the device 2. The caps are then inserted into each housing 23 and moved along an ascending trajectory as the belt passes in the container 20.

[0063] The device 2 can also comprise a device 24 for classifying the misoriented caps present in its housings 23, the classifying device cooperating with the movement of the elevator conveyor 21 in such a way as to cause the misoriented caps present in its housings 23 to fall. In any case, during the vertical movement, a first intrinsic classification of the caps is achieved due to the dimensions of the housings 23 and the inclination of the conveyor 21. The misoriented, in particular inverted, caps are unbalanced and, due to the force of gravity, fall out of their housings 23 into the storage container 20.

[0064] This classification can be reinforced by local variations in the inclination of the conveyor 21, for example in the form of a ledge located at the height of the conveyor 21, similar to a "donkey's back". In particular, a classifying device 24 of this type of donkey's back can be seen in Figure 1 .

[0065] This classification can also be implemented by other means, for example by vibrations imparted to the belt or to the clamps 21, or again by pulsed or blown air towards the housings 23.

[0066] The device 2 also comprises a device 25 for ejecting the closure elements 1 present in each housing 23 when each housing 23 reaches the upper part of the elevator conveyor 21.

[0067] In the context of the present invention, the ejector device 25 is mechanical.

[0068] To this end, the ejector device 25 comprises at least one ejector finger 3. The ejector device 25 can comprise a plurality of fingers 3, in particular at least two ejector fingers 3.

[0069] The ejector device 25 preferably comprises only one finger 3.

[0070] The device 2 preferably comprises drive means 26 for moving the ejector device 25.

[0071] This drive device 26 is particularly used to move each finger 3 along each housing 23 and inside the housing 23 when the finger 3 reaches the upper part of the device 2. The actuation of the movement device 26 is synchronized with the upward movement of the elevator conveyor 21. The movement of the finger 3 inside the housing is thus achieved transversely or substantially transversely, i.e. along a horizontal overall trajectory with a vertical component, in such a way as to follow transversely the interior of the housing, which faces the ejector device 25, due to the upward movement of the elevator conveyor 21.

[0072] Then, each finger 3, during its movement inside the housing 23, comes into contact with the closest lid present and pushes, by means of the lids in contact with each other, all the lids of the row contained in the housing 23 in the direction of movement of this finger 3, until all the lids of the row are on the opposite side of this finger 3.

[0073] Furthermore, the ejection of each row of lids is achieved in particular through a dedicated opening present at this location in the upper part of the device 2.

[0074] It should be noted that the device 2 can comprise a downstream dedicated module, in particular able to refer to the flow of ejected lids, in order to send a regular, in particular continuous, flow of lids to a downstream workstation.

[0075] According to one embodiment, in Figure 2 It can be seen that the movement device 26 comprises a belt 260 supporting at least one finger 3, in particular the base 30 of this at least one finger 3.

[0076] The belt 260 receives the removable fixed finger 3 or fingers 3 at fixed intervals. Furthermore, the belt 260 can receive two fingers 3 then placed opposite, as Figure 2 illustrated.

[0077] Furthermore, the belt 260 can be an endless belt. The belt 260 passes around rollers or sprockets 261, at least one of which is motorized and drives the belt 260 and thus the movement of the finger or fingers 3.

[0078] In this regard, the application is particularly aimed at a finger 3 for ejecting a closure element 1.

[0079] This ejector finger 3 comprises a body 31. The body 31 can have any shape, in particular any elongated shape, in particular a polygonal, preferably square, cross-section. The body 31 has at least one front face which is located on the downstream side with respect to the direction of movement, i.e. which is oriented towards the lids to be ejected. Furthermore, the body 31 has at least one rear face opposite the front face.

[0080] Furthermore, the body 31 is provided with a base 30.

[0081] As mentioned above, this base 30 can be used as an element to fix the finger 3 to the mobile device 26, in particular through the hole 300 for cooperating with a fixing element (not shown).

[0082] This base 30 can have any shape or cross section, substantially extending orthogonally with respect to the rest of the body 31.

[0083] In Figure 3 and Figure 8 one embodiment of the base 30 is shown in more detail.

[0084] Furthermore, according to one particular embodiment, the body 31 can comprise on its front face a surplus 32, the material of which in particular has the function of stiffening the finger 3, reducing its elasticity and preventing the risk of breaking in the event of strong torsion. This surplus 32 can be of any shape. In Figure 3 and Figure 8 one example of a surplus 32 is shown in particular.

[0085] In this regard, at least this body 31 of the finger 3 can be made of a composite material, a resin or a plastic material that provides the required flexibility and rigidity, on the one hand to push the row of caps and on the other hand to retract by deforming or even breaking in the event of the caps getting stuck when the row is ejected, in order to avoid the risk of damaging other components of the device 2, such as for example the belt 260 or the clamping plate 22, or one of the drive systems of the device 2. The elasticity of the body 31 thus ensures a flexible contact against the first cap of the row to be ejected, thus preventing damage.

[0086] In this regard, on the side opposite to this base 30, the finger 3 has a distal end 33. It is this distal end 33 that pushes against the nearest cap when ejecting.

[0087] To this end, this distal end 33 comprises a front region 34 that contacts one of the closure elements 1 to be ejected, i.e. the one located in the housing 23 and closest to the finger 3.

[0088] It should be noted that the region 34 is understood as a front region with respect to the direction of movement of the finger 3.

[0089] In order to increase the strength of this front region 34, in particular to prevent wear from contact with the caps, the invention advantageously provides to reinforce at least a portion of the distal end 33 at the level of this front region 34.

[0090] To this end, the distal end 33 comprises an insert 4. The insert 4 is thus included in the finger 3.

[0091] Therefore, this insert 4 is preferably made of a material that is more solid than the material constituting the rest of the body 31 of the finger 3.

[0092] Moreover, this body 31 can be made of a composite material, in particular of a plastic material, while this insert 4 is made of metal, in particular of stainless steel or surgical steel.

[0093] The insert 4 is advantageously provided with at least one front face 40, the dimensions of which are arranged to at least partially cover this front region 34. In other words, this front face 40 is sized to extend over the front face 34 of the distal end 33, in particular at least over the level of the portion of the level of the point or points in contact with the first cover of the row to be discharged.

[0094] According to various embodiments, in particular the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 7 , the insert 4 has only one front face 40.

[0095] Moreover, such a front face 40 can take the form of a plate 40. This plate can have the overall shape of a rectangular or square parallelepiped. The dimensions of this plate 40 can be determined according to the dimensions of the distal end 33 of the body 3, in particular having the same width, in particular as Figure 6 shown.

[0096] According to other embodiments, in particular the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 11 , the insert 4 comprises a front face 40 and a rear face 42. This rear face 42 is located opposite the front face 40 on the rear face of the finger 3 and in particular makes it possible to balance the insert 4. The symmetry of the front face 40 and the rear face 42 very particularly makes it possible to compensate for the part of the centrifugal force to which the insert 4 is subjected during passage between the output and return runs, in the event of being driven by the belt 260, compared to the unbalance of the insert 4 provided with only a front face 40.

[0097] The dimensions of this rear face 42 can be substantially similar to those of the front face 40, or greater or smaller, even thicker or smaller.

[0098] The front face 40 is preferably mounted on the body 31. To do this, the finger 3 can comprise at least means of fixing this front region 34 to the front face 40.

[0099] Moreover, similar fixing means can be used to mount the rear face 42 on the rear face of the body 31.

[0100] Such fixing of the front face 40 and / or of the rear face 42 can be achieved by gluing or hot-melt gluing, using a suitable resin or glue.

[0101] The fixing device preferably comprises a core 43 extending at least partially inside the distal end 33. In other words, the core 43 is enclosed inside the body 31 of the finger 3. It can extend over a portion of its width, in particular as illustrated in the embodiment of Figures 5 to 7 .

[0102] According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 to 11 , the core 43 extends the entire width of the distal end 33 of the body 30 of the finger 3. The core 43 then connects the front face 40 and the rear face 42. In all, the core 43 passes completely through the distal end 33.

[0103] The core 43 can improve the holding force of the insert 4 in the material of the finger 3, in particular of the content of the insert 4 when manufacturing the finger 3.

[0104] In this regard, according to the various embodiments, the core 43 can comprise at least one hole 44 inside the distal end 33. In other words, the at least one hole 44 is located on a portion of the core 43 surrounded by the material of the distal end 33. Furthermore, the at least one hole 44 is filled by the material constituting the distal end 33.

[0105] The hole 44 can have any polygonal, parallelepiped, rectangular or square, or also circular, in particular circular, cross-section.

[0106] The hole 44 can be a blind hole, in particular as illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 6 .

[0107] The core 43 can also comprise a plurality of holes 44 arranged at different heights on the core 43. Furthermore, two holes 44 can be relatively aligned, i.e. have the same median longitudinal axis, in particular as illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 6 .

[0108] The at least one hole 44 is preferably a through hole, i.e. extends transversely and is open on each side of the core 43. In particular, such a through hole 44 can be seen in Figure 9 and Figure 11 .

[0109] Furthermore, the at least one hole 44 can extend in any direction with respect to the core 43, transversely with respect to the median axis of the core 43, in particular and preferably horizontally and / or orthogonally with respect to the median axis of the core 43.

[0110] According to another feature, the insert 4 can have a protruding sharp edge, but preferably has at least one rounded edge, in particular a plurality of rounded edges. The at least one rounded edge can be located at the level of any portion of the insert 4, in particular at the level of the hole 44 of the core 43, or even at the level of the plate 41 of the front face 40 and / or of the rear face 42.

[0111] According to different embodiments, the finger 3 can comprise at least one chamfer 5 which is recessed from the base 31 towards the distal end 33. Thus, such chamfer 5 is located below or at the junction of the front region 34, in particular as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 or as shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10 The at least one chamfer 5 is recessed, i.e. it penetrates towards the interior of the material of the finger 3, in particular of the distal end 33.

[0112] In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 5 , the finger 3 comprises a single bevel 5 at the level of the front face to accommodate the plate 41 of the front face 40 of the insert 4. According to the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 10 , the finger 3 comprises two bevels 5 on the front face and on the rear face of the finger 3, respectively accommodating the plate 41 of the front face 40 and the plate 41 having a rear face 42.

[0113] The at least one chamfer 5 in particular enables the plate 40 of the front face 40 and / or of the rear face 42 to be positioned at least partially within the body 31 with respect to its front face or rear face.

[0114] The dimensions of the at least one bevel 5 are preferably set so as to position the front face 40 and / or the rear face 42 flush with the front face and the rear face of the finger 3, respectively.

[0115] Figure 7 In particular, different embodiments of the finger 3 without chamfer 5 are shown. The plate 41 having a front face 40 then rests directly on the front face of the front region 34.

[0116] According to the embodiment shown in Figure 4 , the at least one bevel 5 comprises a bevel which is slightly inclined towards the distal end 33.

[0117] According to the embodiment shown in Figure 5 , the at least one bevel 5 comprises a bevel which extends orthogonally with respect to the front face of the body 31 of the finger 3.

[0118] According to the embodiments shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10 , the at least one chamfer 5 is curved.

[0119] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an ejector finger 3 as described above.

[0120] Such a manufacturing method can be implemented by adding material.

[0121] In particular, all or part of the ejector finger 3 can be manufactured by depositing material, in particular in successive layers or strata. This deposition can be achieved by a three-dimensional printing (3D printing) operation. The deposited layers can be of one material or of several different materials, such as composite, resin or plastic material, or even metal. In particular, the body 31 of the ejector finger 3 can be manufactured by depositing layers of composite or plastic material, while the insert 4 can be one piece or comprise several elements or parts fastened together. The insert 4 can be manufactured and / or assembled beforehand. This insert 4 preferably consists of a single machined or moulded part, which is then positioned by adding material during production of the body 31, so as to enclose the insert 4 at least partially in the body 31. In particular, the core 43 of the insert 4, and in particular the at least one hole 44, is incorporated into the layers deposited successively during production of the body 31.

[0122] Another technique for manufacturing the ejector finger 3 can comprise a moulding manufacturing process.

[0123] As mentioned above, the insert 4 is manufactured beforehand and then attached in such a way as to be incorporated in the material of the body 31 during its production.

[0124] To this end, the insert 4 is preferably loaded into a mould, after which the insert 4 is overmoulded by injecting composite or plastic material into the mould. The mould thus determines the final shape of the body 31, which will incorporate the insert 4, in particular its core 43, trapped in the material to be moulded, in particular by injection moulding. The body 31 is then a single piece, comprising the insert 4, in particular its core 43, embedded in the material trapped in the at least one hole 44. This moulding production technique improves the retention of the insert 4 relative to the body 31 and the homogeneity of the material of the body 31, so as to obtain the required mechanical properties, in particular the impact strength, the elasticity and the yield strength of the finger 3 produced in this way.

[0125] It should be noted that the material used to manufacture the finger 3, and in particular the insert 4, is preferably compatible with foodstuffs or agri-foodstuffs.

[0126] In an ancillary way, the application can also relate to an ejector finger 3 for a device for supplying classified closure elements 1 as described above.

Claims

1. A finger (3) for discharging a closure element (1), comprising: - The body (31) is provided with a base (30) and a distal end (33) on the opposite side. - The distal end (33) includes a front region (34) for contacting one of the closure elements (1) to be discharged and a rear surface on the opposite side of the front region. - At least the distal end (33) includes an insert (4) having at least one front surface (40) sized to at least partially cover the front region (34). The body (31) is elastic and made of a composite material, and the insert (4) includes a rear surface (42) symmetrical to the front surface (40), wherein the front surface (40) and the rear surface (42) of the insert are respectively mounted on the front region and the rear surface at the distal end.

2. The finger-like object (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finger (3) includes at least a fixing device for fixing the front region (34) to the front surface (40), the fixing device including a core (43) extending at least partially inside the distal end (33).

3. The finger-like object (3) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The core (43) includes at least one hole (44) located inside the distal end (33).

4. The finger-like object (3) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The hole (44) is a through hole.

5. The finger (3) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The front surface (40) and the rear surface (42) of the insert (4) are connected by the core (43).

6. The finger (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The insert (4) includes at least one rounded edge.

7. The finger (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The finger (3) includes at least one chamfer (5) that is recessed from the base (30) toward the distal end (33).

8. The finger-like object (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body is made of plastic material.

9. The finger-like object (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insert is made of metal.

10. The finger-like object (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insert is made of stainless steel.

11. A supply device (2) for supplying classified closure elements (1), comprising: - Container (20) for bulk storage of the enclosed element (1); - A belt-type elevator conveyor (21) having an ascending section passing through the container (20); - The elevator conveyor (21) includes a plurality of clamps (22) on its outer surface, the plurality of clamps (22) being laterally oriented relative to the belt and spaced apart in a manner that defines a housing (23) between two adjacent clamps (22), each housing (23) accommodating a plurality of the closure elements (1) during its passage through the interior of the container (20). - Discharge device (25) for discharging the enclosing element (1) present in each housing (23) upon reaching the upper part of the elevator conveyor (21). The feature is that the discharge device (25) includes at least one finger (3). The finger-like structure (3) includes: The body (31) is provided with a base (30) and a distal end (33) on the opposite side. The distal end (33) includes a front region (34) for contacting one of the closure elements (1) to be discharged and a rear surface on the opposite side of the front region; The distal end (33) includes an insert (4) having at least one front surface (40) sized to at least partially cover the front region (34). The body (31) is elastic and made of composite material, and the insert (4) includes a rear surface (42) symmetrical to the front surface (40). The front surface (40) and the rear surface (42) of the insert are respectively mounted on the front region and the rear surface at the distal end.

12. The supply device (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The supply device (2) includes a moving device (26) for moving the discharge device (25), the moving device (26) including a belt (260) supporting the base (30) of the at least one finger (3).

13. A method for manufacturing the finger (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 by molding or by adding materials.

14. The manufacturing method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The manufacturing method is achieved through molding, and is characterized in that: - Load the insert (4) of the finger into the mold; - The insert (4) is formed by overmolding the composite or plastic material into the mold.

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