Guide device for aligning containers during capping

Abstract

A guide device (1) for aligning a container (B) in a bottling apparatus is made so as to form a unit separate from the devices (1) for guiding other containers (B) being simultaneously handled in the apparatus. The device includes a guiding element (2) shaped so as to engage the container (B) along the whole contour of a region where the cooperation with the container (B) occurs, and operable independently of the guiding elements (2) of the devices (1) guiding said other containers (B) at least for an engagement and disengagement movement, performed at the beginning and the end of the handling, for alternately enabling the stabilisation of the container during handling and its exchange, at the beginning and the end of the handling, with devices feeding the apparatus with the containers to be handled and removing the handled containers from the apparatus.

Description

[0001] “Guide device for aligning containers during capping”

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to bottling apparatuses and more particularly it relates to a guide device for keeping a container in the correct position during handling in one of these apparatuses.

[0005] Preferably, though not exclusively, the invention finds application in capping machines for polyethylene (PET) bottles and the following description will refer particularly to this preferred application.

[0006] Background Art

[0007] It is known that during capping, the bottle to be capped must be steadily guided, particularly by avoiding oscillations and keeping its axis almost vertical. In fact, if the bottle is not correctly aligned with the axis of the capping head, misapplication of the cap could occur with consequent discard of the bottle or container. Similar problems also occur in other applications in the bottling industry, e.g. in bottle filling, where incorrect alignment can lead to incomplete filling with product spilling out of the bottle, resulting in product waste and contamination of the apparatus.

[0008] To achieve this, it is desired to realise guide devices that can get adapted automatically (or with minimal intervention not involving the replacement of parts) to bottle formats that are different in both size and shape.

[0009] Devices have been proposed that achieve this by working on the lower portion of the bottle. Examples thereof are described in EP2684805A1 and WO2014 / 198824A1.

[0010] Both these devices achieve guiding and centring by means of frustoconical pockets with substantially semicircular cross-section that are formed along the outer periphery of a rotating disc and designed to receive a corresponding part of the outer surface of a respective bottle. Opposite the rotating disc is a frustoconical counterguide, arranged at such a distance from the rotating disc that the bottles accommodated in the various pockets rest against the inner surface of said counter-guide during capping. The counter-guide only extends over the angle described by the rotating disc during capping to leave free access to the pockets for the introduction of bottles to be capped and the removal of capped bottles. Both the rotating disc and the counter-guide slide vertically to accommodate bottles of different heights and diameters, which will rest at different points in the respective pocket. The solutions proposed in these documents are optimal for handling cylindrical or at least substantially cylindrical bottles; however, they have serious limitations in the case of shaped bottles (particularly square and, above all, rectangular bottles) when such bottles do not already arrive oriented around their own axis of symmetry with a constant and well-determined phasing. In fact, the external counter-guide, being shaped to the primitive diameter of the capping machine, is unable to correctly hold in place a rectangular bottle arriving in any orientation. Referring to Fig. 1, where two rectangular bottles Bl, B2 can be seen, identical to each other but having a relative rotation of 90° with respect to their axis, the bottle B 1 placed in pocket C with its long side tangent to the primitive diameter of the capping machine might not be in contact with the external counter-guide G (and, therefore, not be guided correctly against the action of the centrifugal force), while the bottle B2 with its short side tangent to the primitive diameter would risk being crushed against the counter-guide G and deformed.

[0011] In order to be able to handle this type of bottles as well, the capping machine would have to be equipped with orientation means at the arrival area of the bottles to be capped and, as is known to the person skilled in the art, these means are complex to install and handle, in addition to considerably increasing the construction costs of the capping machine.

[0012] Another drawback of the solutions described in these documents is that the cavities, as well as the external counter-guide, each constitute a unique element and only allow a setting movement to adapt to different bottle formats, and not an individual engagement / disengagement movement with / from the container: therefore, they are scarcely flexible as they cannot compensate for the small differences in format that, although within the permitted tolerances, inevitably exist between nominally identical bottles.

[0013] Summary of Invention

[0014] The object of the present invention is to provide a guide device that overcomes the drawbacks of known devices.

[0015] This object is achieved with a guide device that forms a unit separate from the devices for guiding other containers handled simultaneously in the apparatus and comprises a guiding element of its own shaped in such a way as to engage with the container along the whole contour of a region where the cooperation with the container occurs. The guiding element is associated with actuating means which actuate it independently of the guiding elements of the guide devices for guiding other containers handled simultaneously in the apparatus at least for an engagement and disengagement movement performed at the beginning and the end of the handling, for alternatively enabling the stabilisation of the container during handling and its exchange, at the beginning and the end of the handling, with devices feeding the apparatus with the containers to be handled and removing the handled containers from the apparatus.

[0016] In a first embodiment of the device, the guiding element is a cup with a substantially conical or frustoconical, downwards tapered cavity, which can accommodate the lower end portion of the container and has a side surface extending substantially over 360° around the axis of the container.

[0017] The side surface of the cup may be stationary relative to the cup base, and in this case the actuating means are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make the cup slide vertically so that its upper rim, in the disengagement condition, is located under the bottom of the container.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, the side surface of the cup has a first portion stationary relative to the base and a second portion moveable relative to the first portion, and the actuating means are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make said second portion move in a first direction to bring the cup to an open disengagement condition and in the opposite direction to bring again the cup to a closed engagement condition.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the device, the guiding element is a pin having a tapered end portion the shape of which is complementary to the shape of an axial recess provided centrally of the bottom of the container, and actuating means are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make the pin slide vertically so that, in the disengagement condition, its end portion is located under the bottom of the container.

[0020] For a setting movement by which the vertical working condition of the guiding elements is adjusted depending on the format of the containers being handled, the actuating means may be arranged to operate either independently of or jointly with those of the guiding element for each of the other containers being simultaneously handled in the apparatus. In the latter case, in the case of a rotary apparatus, the guiding element is carried by a rotating flange also carrying the guiding element of each of the other containers being simultaneously handled in the apparatus, and the actuating means are arranged to adjust the vertical working position of the guiding element by adjusting the vertical position of the flange.

[0021] Preferably, in this embodiment, during at least part of the handling of a container, the flange moves over a non-rotating cam, and the actuating means are arranged to adjust the vertical position of the flange by changing the vertical position of the cam. Brief Description of Drawings

[0022] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the following description of preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings, and wherein:

[0023] Fig. l described above is a schematic plan view showing the problems of prior art;

[0024] Fig.2 is a schematic view of a guide device for a bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0025] Fig.3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing how a rectangular bottle is guided by the device of Fig. 2;

[0026] Fig.4 is a schematic view of a guide device according to a variant of the first embodiment of the invention, mounted in a rotary capping machine;

[0027] Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a second embodiment of the invention;

[0028] Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and showing a variant of the second embodiment of the invention; and

[0029] Fig.7 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 6 and showing a third embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Description of Embodiments

[0031] Referring to Fig. 2, this schematically shows a first embodiment of a guide device 1 according to the invention. The bottle to be guided is indicated with B. As is known, industrial capping machines operate simultaneously on a plurality of bottles B and the device 1 will be replicated for each of them. For clarity of description, reference will be made by way of example to a guide device 1 used in a rotary capping machine (turret), which receives the bottles to be capped from an upstream transfer star and, at the end of the arc travelled by the turret during capping of a bottle, delivers the capped bottles to a downstream transfer star.

[0032] Apart from the presence of guide device 1, the capping machine is entirely conventional and will not be described. It is still noted that during capping, the bottles B are also generally supported at the neck, particularly at the neck finish (if any). The profile of the neck support is indicated with S.

[0033] The device 1 comprises a cup 2 with a substantially conical or frustoconical, downwards tapered cavity, which accommodates the lower end portion of the bottle B and has a side surface 2a which advantageously extends over 360° around the axis A of the bottle B. The figure shows the case of a frustoconical cup 2.

[0034] The use of a complete cup (rather than a semicircular pocket and a counter-guide) is advantageous in that, whatever the orientation of a square or rectangular (or generally non-rotationally symmetrical) bottle, this will always rest on four points regardless of the orientation of the bottle and will be properly guided, as is visible in Fig. 3.

[0035] In this embodiment, the side surface 2a of the cup 2 is stationary relative to the base 2b.

[0036] In order to accommodate bottles B with different sizes, the cup 2 is mounted so as to be able to take different vertical working positions. In particular, the cup 2 can move between a lower limit position (indicated by a continuous line in the figure), which the cup takes to guide the bottles B with the maximum allowed dimensions, and an upper limit position (indicated by a dashed line), which the cup takes to guide bottles B with minimum dimensions. The movement may be either a continuous movement or a movement in discrete steps. As can be seen, bottles B with different diameters rest at different points of the inner surface of the cup 2.

[0037] Whatever vertical working position is established according to the size of the bottle B being treated, a second vertical movement of the cup 2 is required to let the capped bottle free for transferring the same to the downstream transfer star at the end of capping and for bringing again the cup 2 into engagement with a fresh bottle to be capped when said bottle arrives from the upstream transfer star. In the disengagement position, the upper rim of the cup 2 will be under the bottom of the bottle.

[0038] In summary, each cup 2 has two different types of vertical movement:

[0039] - a setting movement, performed upon a change of format, which adjusts the working height of the cup 2 to correctly engage a bottle format with a given height and diameter;

[0040] - an engagement and disengagement movement, performed at the beginning and end of capping, to alternatively allow stabilisation of the bottle during capping and exchange thereof with the upstream and downstream transfer stars.

[0041] The two vertical movements of the cup 2 are independent of the movements of the other cups 2 provided in the turret. The vertical sliding of the cup is guided by appropriate guiding elements (not shown), such as, for example, bushings, fastened to the rotary part of the capping machine and having a fixed height.

[0042] To allow the aforementioned movements, the cup 2 is mounted to the end of a vertically sliding spindle 3, as indicated by arrow Fl, the movement of which can be controlled by means of two different systems, both shown in the figure even if they are alternative to each other:

[0043] - a cam system 4, in which a roller 4a associated with the lower end of the spindle 3 slides, during capping of a bottle B, on the upper surface of a drum cam 4b whose profile is such as to cause the engagement and disengagement movement. The change in the height position 4, instead, allows to adjust setting. This change can be obtained in several ways, for example, by means of electric actuators;

[0044] - an electric actuator (or electronic cam) 5, whose shaft 6, in a completely conventional manner, drives both movements of the spindle 3. This solution has the advantage that the two cup movements are driven and controlled by a single system.

[0045] It is also possible, but not necessary, for elastic elements of any kind, e.g. mechanical or pneumatic ones (not shown), to be placed between the spindle 3 and the cup 2, to smooth the approaching of cup 2 to bottle B and to compensate for any differences in height, within blowing tolerances, among theoretically identical bottles. In the event that the vertical movements of cup 2 are driven by the actuator 5, this can also perform the function of the elastic elements by controlling the resistance load 'sensed' by the actuator.

[0046] Preferably, the side surface 2a of the cup 2 is made of a rigid material, such as hard plastics or steel, which is not deformed by any oscillations of the bottle, particularly when this is loaded on the cup. If it is necessary to protect the bottle material, said rigid material can also be coated, on the inner surface of the cup, with a soft material, for example, rubber.

[0047] Fig. 4 illustrates a guide device 101 according to a variant of the first embodiment of the invention mounted in a turret schematically represented by its rotating shaft 100.

[0048] In this variant, the cup 2 with its spindle 3 is carried by a flange 10 which also carries the cups 2 and the spindles 3 of the guide devices 101 relating to the other bottles simultaneously present in the apparatus. The flange 10 is fastened to the rotating shaft 100 and rotates therewith and can translate in height relative thereto to adjust the vertical working position of all cups. During rotation, the flange 10 is supported by an outer cam or plate 11, which is not driven by the rotary movement and on which said flange rests by means of a series or rollers 12 with vertical axis fastened to either the flange 10 or the cam 11 through respective spindles 13 and circumferentially distributed around said flange. The cam 11 is mounted to the shaft 16 of an electric actuator 15, similar to the actuator 5 of Fig. 2, by which it can be translated vertically when it is necessary to change the working position of the cups 2 at the time of a format change. During the upward movement, the plate 11 drags with it the flange 10, which will lower by gravity when the plate 11 lowers.

[0049] Alternatively, a second cam can be provided parallel to the cam 11, this second cam, too, being actuated by the actuator 15, 16 and being arranged so that the rollers 12 also rest on the surface of said second cam facing the cam 11, whereby this second cam, during lowering of the flange 10, exerts, onto the rollers 12, a thrust action which ensures that there is no loss of synchronism between cam 11 and flange 10.

[0050] During translation, the flange 10 is guided, for example, by guide columns 14, which can also serve to transmit the rotational movement of the shaft 100 to the flange 10.

[0051] The cam 11 may also not extend over 360°. However, the extension must be sufficient for the rollers 12 resting on the cam 11 to ensure the horizontal stability of the flange 10 during rotation.

[0052] This arrangement decouples the two vertical movements of the cups 2:

[0053] - the setting movement is carried out by vertically translating the flange 10;

[0054] - the engagement and disengagement movement is, instead, carried out by moving the cups 2 relative to the flange 10. The latter movement can be achieved in one of the ways described in connection with Fig. 2. For simplicity, the means of driving this movement have not been illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0055] Compared to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, this has the advantage of reducing the stroke that cup 2 has to travel, thereby allowing for shorter guiding elements.

[0056] It should be noted that a flange similar to the flange 10, but fixed vertically, can be used as a support for the elements guiding the vertical sliding of the cups in the solution illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0057] Fig. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention, suitable for bottles B whose base Ba has a recessed bottom or central tapered recess 7. This characteristic is quite common for PET bottles.

[0058] The guide device 201 of this second embodiment exerts its guiding action by means of a pin 8 that is mounted to the end of the spindle 3 and is provided with a tapered end 8a having a shape complementary to the shape of the recess 7. The axial and radial dimensions of the cooperating parts 7 and 8a should be such as to prevent the bottle from oscillating. This embodiment is similar to the one of Fig. 2 as far as the working cycle, the adjustments of the position of the pin 8 and the relative actuating systems are concerned. In this case, too, intermediate elastic elements may be present between the spindle 3 and the pins 8.

[0059] This solution has the advantage of being completely independent of the shape of the bottle B, as it works on an element that has a standardised shape (the bottom) and is placed in a position that does not create difficulties for those who have to create the bottle profile.

[0060] In the figure, to drive the engagement / disengagement movement of the pin 8, in addition to the cam system 4 arranged as in the embodiment of Fig. 2, an alternative arrangement of a cam system can be seen, in which the cam-following roller 40 is attached to the pin 8 in a position above the rotary flange, for example, near the tapered end 8a. Obviously, this arrangement can also be adopted to control the translation of the cups 2.

[0061] Referring to Fig. 6, a variant 301 of the previous embodiment has been shown, which is completely analogous to the one illustrated in Fig. 4 for the first embodiment. Like the cup 2 and the spindle 3 of Fig. 4, the pin 8 and its spindle 3 are carried by a common flange 10, identical to the flange 10 of Fig. 4 and driven like it. In this case too, the stroke to be travelled by the pin 8 and its spindle 3 will be the one strictly necessary to engage and disengage the bottle. This makes it possible to considerably reduce the length of the pin 8 and the axial guiding systems. For further details, reference is made to the description in Fig. 4.

[0062] In Fig. 7, a third embodiment of the invention has been illustrated. In this embodiment, the guide device 401 again exerts the action of centring and guiding a bottle B by means of a cup 22 which, like the cup 2 of the embodiment of Fig. 4, is carried by the flange 10 common to all the cups 2 provided in the turret. Unlike the cup 2 of Figs. 2 and 4, the side surface of the cup 22, rather than being stationary relative to the base, consists of two parts or half-cups 22', 22", one of which (the inner half-cup 22' with convexity facing the shaft 100) is stationary relative to the base, whereas the other one (the outer half-cup 22", with convexity facing away from the shaft 100) is moveable relative to the inner half-cup. For example, the outer half-cup 22" may be hinged on a pin 9, with horizontal axis (as shown in the figure) or vertical axis, and can be rotated, as indicated by arrow F2, to give access to the inner cavity of the cup 22 during the exchange steps and to close it once the exchange has taken place.

[0063] The configuration with the half-cup 22" arranged vertically (closed cup), indicated by a continuous line in the Figure, corresponds to the engagement condition, whereas the configuration with the half-cup 22" rotated downwards (open cup), indicated by a dashed line in the Figure, corresponds to the disengagement condition. Opening and closing can be driven by various types of mechanical systems, independent of those of the other cups.

[0064] In this case, too, the movement of setting the cup height required by a format change is achieved by vertically translating the flange 10. Unlike the solutions illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the movement of engagement and disengagement of the cup at each rotation of the capping machine is not provided for and is replaced with the closing and opening of the outer half-cup 22".

[0065] In this case too, elastic elements capable of smoothing the approach of the cup 22 to the bottle B and of compensating for any slight differences in height of the bottles may be arranged between the flange 10 and each cup 22.

[0066] Compared to the solutions of Figs. 4 and 6, this solution has the advantage that the stationary inner half-cup 22' can counteract oscillations of the bottle during the exchange step and help the stabilisation thereof. It is evident that the above description has been provided merely by way of example and that variants and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0067] In particular, if the engagement and disengagement movement of the cups 2 or pins 8 is driven by a drum cam located at the base of the spindle 3, this cam could be fastened to the cam 11 and therefore be adjusted in height together therewith.

[0068] Also, in the case of openable cups 22, opening and closing could be achieved by vertically translating the outer half-cup 22" rather than rotating it around the pin 9.

[0069] Finally, the movement of setting the openable cups 22 could also be controlled independently, as with the one-piece cups 2 or the pins 8 shown in Figs. 2 to 6.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Device (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) for guiding a container (B) during handling thereof in a bottling apparatus, the device being arranged to perform the guiding action by cooperating with the lower portion of the container (B), characterised in that the device (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) forms a unit separate from the devices (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) for guiding other containers (B) being simultaneously handled in the apparatus and includes a guiding element of its own (2; 8, 8a; 22) shaped so as to engage the container (B) along the whole contour of a region where the cooperation between the guide device (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) and the container (B) occurs, and in that the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) is operable by actuating means (3, 4; 40; 5, 6; 11, 12, 13, 15, 16) independently of the guiding elements (2; 8, 8a; 22) of the devices (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) guiding said other containers (B) at least for an engagement and disengagement movement, performed at the beginning and the end of the handling, for alternately enabling the stabilisation of the container during handling and its exchange, at the beginning and the end of the handling, with devices feeding the apparatus with the containers to be handled and removing the handled containers from the apparatus.

2. Device (1; 101; 401) according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element (2; 22) is a cup with a substantially conical or frustoconical, downwards tapered cavity, which can accommodate the lower end portion of the container (B) and has a side surface (2a; 22', 22") extending substantially over 360° around the axis of the container (B).

3. Device (1; 101) according to claim 2, wherein the side surface (2a) of the cup (2) is stationary relative to the cup base (2b), and the actuating means (3, 4, 4a, 4b; 40; 5, 6) are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make the cup (2) slide vertically so that its upper rim, in the disengagement condition, is located under the bottom of the container (B).

4. Device (401) according to claim 2, wherein the side surface of the cup (22) has a first portion (22') stationary relative to the base and a second portion (22") movable relative to the first portion, and the actuating means are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make said second portion (22") move in a first direction to bring the cup (22) to an open disengagement condition and in the opposite direction to bring again the cup (22) to a closed engagement condition.

5. Device (201; 301) according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element (8, 8a) is apin (8) having a tapered end portion (8a) the shape of which is complementary to the shape of an axial recess (7) provided centrally of the bottom (Ba) of the container (B), and the actuating means (3, 4; 40; 5, 6) are arranged, for the engagement and disengagement movement, to make the pin (8) slide vertically so that, in the disengagement condition, its end portion (8a) is located under the bottom (Ba) of the container (B).

6. Device (1; 201) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the actuating means (5, 6) are arranged to operate independently of the actuating means of the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) of each of the other containers (B) being simultaneously handled in the apparatus also for a setting movement by which the vertical working condition of the guiding elements (2; 8, 8a; 22) is adjusted depending of the format of the containers (B) being handled.

7. Device (101; 301; 401) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein, for a setting movement by which the vertical working condition of the guiding elements (2; 8, 8a; 22) is adjusted depending on the format of the containers (B) being handled, the actuating means (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) are arranged to operate jointly with the actuating means of the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) of each of the other containers (B) being simultaneously handled in the apparatus.

8. Device (101; 301; 401) according to claim 7, wherein the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) is carried by a rotating flange (10) also carrying the guiding elements (2; 8, 8a; 22) of the other containers (B) being simultaneously handled in the apparatus, and the actuating means (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) are arranged, for the setting movement, to adjust the vertical position of the flange (10).

9. Device (101; 301; 401) according to claim 8, wherein, during at least part of a rotation cycle, the flange (10) moves on a non-rotating cam (11), and the actuating means (11, 12, 13, 15, 16) are arranged to adjust the vertical position of the flange (10) by changing the vertical position of the cam (11).

10. Device (1; 101; 201; 301; 401) according to any of the preceding claims, including elastic elements arranged between the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) and the actuating means (3, 4, 4a, 4b; 40) driving the engagement and disengagement movement, in order to dampen the impact between the guiding element (2; 8, 8a; 22) and the container (B).

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