Input system for a CANS filler with lower stopping pad

Abstract

It is described Input system (1) for inputting cans in a filling machine (10) for filling the cans (W, W4, W2) with a pourable product, comprising a stopping device (4) for stopping the cans (W4) being conveyed by a feeding conveyor (3) defining a supporting surface (311), said device (4) comprising a stopping pad (41) and being configured for adopting a not operative condition in which the cans (W4) are not stopped by the stopping pad (41) to allow said feeding, and a stopping position in which the cans (W4) are stopped by the stopping pad (41) to stop said feeding, by means of the pad (41) pressing the cans (W4) laterally against a lateral guide 32); wherein the stopping pad (41) presents a vertical height along a direction which is transversal and preferably orthogonal to a supporting surface (311), the value of said height being lower than half of the height of the cans (W4).

Description

[0001]INPUT SYSTEM FOR A CANS FILLER WITH LOWER STOPPING PAD TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an input system for inputting cans in a cans filler, and a cans filler comprising the input system. BACKGROUND ART In the general field of packaging pourable products by means of containers it is known the use of cans as containers and the use of a filling apparatus for filling the cans. Typically a filling apparatus comprises a filling machine which comprises a plurality of filling devices for filling the cans, and an input system for sequentially inputting the cans in the filling machine. In the input system there is a feeding conveyor which feds the can to an input conveyor, which is configured for defining the pitch between the cans, so that cans are spaced between each other to adapt the pitch of the cans to the pitch of the filling machine. In the feeding conveyor there is a stopping device for stopping the flow of cans being conveyed, in case of need, by means of a pad exerting a pressure on the cans against a lateral guide. For example, there can be a problem on the machine which requires the stop of said flow. Typically the input conveyor is a worm screw. When the flow of cans needs to be restarted after a stop, there may a problem of synchronization between the worm screw and the feeding conveyor, leading to a not correct conveying action by the worm screw on the cans being inputted in the machine. This can produce a spoiling of the cans or also a damage of the cans. Moreover, the action of stopping the cans itself, in case of stop, can spoil the cans due to the pressure exerted on the cans. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION An input system according to any of the appended system claims or according to present description is configured for inputting the cans in a can filling machine with a reduced risk of spoiling or damaging the cans. A filling apparatus according to any of the appended apparatus claims or according to present description comprises an input system according to any of the appended system claims or according to present description. The following detailed description is related to a possible example embodiment of an input system according to present description and a possible example embodiment of a filling apparatus according to present description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description will be referred to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the filling apparatus comprising the input system; Figure 2 is a partial view of the input system from above, with a stopping device adopting a not operative condition to allow the feeding of the cans from a feeding conveyor to an input conveyor; Figure 3 is a partial view from above of the input system, with the stopping device adopting a stopping condition to prevent the feeding of the cans from the feeding conveyor to the input conveyor; Figure 4 is a close up view of the stopping device adopting the stopping condition; Figure 5 is a sectioned view of the stopping device in the not operative condition; Figure 6 is a sectioned view of the stopping device in the operative condition; Figure 7 is perspective view of the stopping device, with the cans removed; Figure 8 is a partial view from above of the input system, in which a worm screw, which defines the input conveyor, adopts a first angular position; Figure 9 is a partial view from above of the input system, while the worm screw adopts a second angular position; Figure 10 is a frontal schematic view of the worm screw to explain the meaning of angular position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The input system 1 is for inputting cans W in a filling machine 10. The machine 10 is for filling the cans W with a pourable product. The machine 10 is partially shown. Also the input system 1 is partially shown. The pourable product can be a pourable food product, for example a beverage, like for example beer. The input system 1 comprises a linear input conveyor 2 for conveying the cans, so as to define the pitch between the cans W, and for sequentially delivering the cans W with said pitch to the machine 10. The input system 1 comprises a linear feeding conveyor 3 for feeding sequentially the cans W to the linear input conveyor 2. In this way the cans are transferred from the feeding conveyor 3 to the input conveyor 2. The feeding conveyor 3 comprises a conveyor belt 31 defining a supporting surface 311 for supporting the cans W from the bottom. The feeding conveyor 3 comprises a lateral guide 32. The supporting surface 311 is shown partially from above at least in Figures 2 and 3. The profile of the supporting surface 311 is visible in Figures 5 and 6. The lateral guide is indicated in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The input system 1 comprises a stopping device 4 for stopping the flow of cans W4 being conveyed by said feeding conveyor 3. In Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 e 9, the cans indicated with W4 are cans which are positioned in the sector of the stopping device 4. The cans indicated with W2 in Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cans which are being conveyed by the input conveyor 2. In Figures 1 and 7, the cans are indicated in general with W. The stopping device 4 is configured for adopting a not operative condition in which the cans W4 are not stopped by the stopping pad 41 to allow said feeding. The stopping device 4 is configured for adopting a stopping condition in which the cans W4 are stopped by the stopping pad 41, to stop said feeding. In the stopping condition, the cans W4 are stopped by means of the pad 41 pressing the cans W4 laterally against the lateral guide 32. In Figures 2 and 5, the stopping device 4 adopts the not operative condition. In Figures 3, 4 and 6, the stopping device 4 adopts the stopping condition. The stopping pad 41 presents a vertical height along a direction which is transversal and preferably orthogonal with respect to said supporting surface 311. The value of said height is lower than half of the height of the cans W. This value being lower than half of the height of the cans W4 is visible in Figures 5 and 6. Thanks to this, the contact between the pad 41 and each can W4 can be at a lower level along the vertical extension of the can, where the can W4 can offer a higher mechanical resistance. Therefore, the risk of spoiling or damaging the cans is reduced. The not operative condition of the stopping device 4 corresponds to a retracted position of the stopping pad 41 with respect to the supporting surface 311. The stopping condition of the stopping device 4 corresponds to an extracted position of the stopping pad 41 with respect to the supporting surface 311, in which the stopping pad 41 is above the supporting surface 311. Said direction of the vertical height of the pad 41 is transversal and preferably orthogonal also with respect to the movement of said pad 41 between said positions. The input conveyor 2 comprises a worm screw 21 which is configured for conveying the cans which has been fed by the feeding conveyor 3, by means of a rotational movement of the worm screw 21 on itself. Said rotational movement corresponds to a variation of the angular position of the worm screw 21 on itself. The angular position of the worm screw is schematically indicated in Figure 10 with Z. Figure 10 shows a schematic section of the worm screw on a plane which is orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the worm screw 21. The input system comprises an automatic control system 5 configured for correlating automatically the position of the pad 41 with said angular position of the worm screw, so as to automatically control one of them as a function of the other. For example, the position of the pad 41 can be automatically controlled as a function of the angular position of the worm screw 21. For example, the angular position of the worm screw 21 can be automatically controlled as a function of the position of the pad 41. In particular, the control system 5 is configured for automatically controlling the angular position of the worm screw 21 as a function of the position of the pad 41, and / or vice-versa, in case the flow of cans needs to be restarted after a stop. In this way, the flow of cans can be better synchronized with the angular position of the worm screw 21, to reduce a risk of possible problems in the conveying action of the worm screw 21. The control system 5 is schematically represented by a box in Figure 9. In Figure 8 the worm screw is adopting an angular position which is different from the angular position adopted by the worm screw 21 in Figure 9. It can be for example that the angular position of Figure 9 is more correct for the transfer of the cans from the feeding conveyor 3 to the worm screw 21. The control system 5 provides an improvement in the control of the correctness of said transfer, by automatically controlling the position of the pad 41 as a function of the angular position of the worm screw, and / or vice-versa. The filling apparatus comprises the filling machine 10 and the input system 1. The height of the pad being lower than half of the height of the cans, allows to reduce the risk of spoiling or damaging the cans. Also the automatic control system 5 allows a reduction of this risk. Therefore, a more efficient filling apparatus is provided.

Claims

CLAIMS 1.- Input system (1) for inputting cans in a filling machine (10) for filling the cans (W, W4, W2) with a pourable product, comprising: a linear input conveyor (2) for conveying the cans (W2) to define the pitch between the cans (W2), and for sequentially delivering the cans with said pitch to said filling machine (10); a linear feeding conveyor (3) for conveying the cans to feed sequentially the cans (W2) to said linear input conveyor (2), the feeding conveyor (3) comprising a conveyor belt (31) defining a supporting surface (311) for supporting the cans (W) from the bottom, and a lateral guide (32); a stopping device (4) for stopping the cans (W4) being conveyed by said feeding conveyor (3), said device (4) comprising a stopping pad (41) and being configured for adopting a not operative condition in which the cans (W4) are not stopped by the stopping pad (41), to allow said feeding, and a stopping condition in which the cans (W4) are stopped by the stopping pad (41), to stop said feeding by means of the pad (41) pressing the cans (W4) laterally against said lateral guide (32); wherein the stopping pad (41) presents a vertical height along a direction which is transversal andpreferably orthogonal to said supporting surface (311), the value of said height being lower than half of the height of the cans (W4).

2. Machine (1) according to Claim 1, wherein: the not operative condition of the stopping device (4) corresponds to a retracted position of the stopping pad (41) with respect to the supporting surface (311), and the stopping condition of the stopping device (4) corresponds to an extracted position of the stopping pad (41) with respect to the supporting surface (311); said direction is transversal and preferably orthogonal to the movement of said pad (41) between said positions.

3. Machine (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein said input conveyor (2) comprises a worm screw (21) which is configured for conveying the fed cans (W2) by means of a rotational movement of the worm screw (21) on itself, said rotational movement corresponding to a variation of the angular position (Z) of the worm screw (21) on itself.

4. Machine (1) according to Claims 2 and 3, comprising an automatic control system (5) configured for automatically correlating the position of the pad (41) with said angular position of the worm screw (21), to automatically control one of them as a function of the other.

5. Filling apparatus for filling cans with a pourable product, comprising: - an input system (1) according to any one of the previous Claims; - a filling machine (10) for filling the inputted cans (W) with the pourable product.

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