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(11) | EP 1 145 966 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Container supporting and orienting device |
| (57) A container supporting and orienting device for a bottling-line machine, comprising
a rotating pad (7) with a seat (7b) for the container on the upper face and with a
toothed ring (6) on the lower face, and an underlying rotor (8) which comprises a
first reference (10), which is pushed by elastic means against the bottom of the container
and is adapted to enter the notch provided in the bottom, and a second reference (11),
which is connected to the first reference (10) and is adapted to enter a hollow of
the toothed ring. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a container supporting and orienting device for a bottling-line machine.
[0002] It is known that rotary labeling machines which comprise a rotating carousel provided with a plurality of supporting devices, each meant to accommodate a container, are often required to apply labels to containers in a very specific position on the surface of the containers; accordingly, it is necessary to provide for the orientation of the containers by using an appropriately provided reference located at the bottom or at the wall so that the containers are arranged in a suitable position at the beginning of the labeling operations.
[0003] This orientation is provided by turning the container about its own axis while the carousel of the labeling machine turns through the angle between a position for loading the container onto the appropriately provided support located on the carousel and a position in which the labeling operations begin; in conventional labeling machines, the rotation of the container occurs so that the bottom slides on the supporting surface, causing a consequent wear of the surface.
[0004] What has been described above with reference to labeling machines also applies to other machines included in bottling lines, such as capsule applicators, wire cap fitting machines, and others.
[0005] The aim of the present invention is to provide a support and orientation device for a container having a reference notch at the bottom which is capable of orienting the container without sliding its bottom against the supporting surface.
[0006] This aim is achieved by a container supporting and orienting device for a bottling-line machine, according to the invention, the container being provided with an appropriate notch at its bottom, characterized in that it comprises an annular pad which rotates about its own axis and is provided with a seat for the container at the upper face and with a toothed ring at the lower face, and an underlying coaxial rotor which comprises a first reference, which is pushed by elastic means against the bottom of the container that rests on the pad and is adapted to enter the notch provided in the bottom, and a second reference, which is connected to the first one and is adapted to enter a hollow of the toothed ring.
[0007] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of two preferred but not exclusive embodiments thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a rotary labeling machine;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of a container provided with a reference notch;
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views, taken along a diametrical plane, of the device according to a first embodiment in two different steps of operation;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the invention according to a first embodiment thereof;
Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the invention according to a second embodiment thereof.
[0008] With reference to Figures 1 to 5, the numeral 1 generally designates a carousel of a rotary labeling machine which comprises a plurality of devices 2 and 3 for supporting and orienting containers 4 and 5, which are locked by means of hoods 4a, 5a; the containers are of the type shown in Figure 2 and have, at their bottom, a notch 5b for the container 5 which is adapted to allow the correct orientation of the containers, as described hereinafter.
[0009] All the supporting and orientation devices 2 and 3 are perfectly identical and therefore only the device designated by the reference numeral 3 is described with particular reference to Figures 3, 4 and 5.
[0010] The device 3 comprises the cup 3a, which is fixed to the carousel 1 and supports, at its upper end, the ring 6, which is fixed thereto by screws 6a and is provided with radial pins 6b which are adapted to enter the circumferential slot 7a of the annular pad 7, which can thus rotate within the device.
[0011] The annular pad 7 is provided, at its upper face, with a seat 7b, which is adapted to receive the container 5, and, at its lower face, with a toothed ring 7c.
[0012] The reference numeral 8 designates a rotor which is contained within the cup 3a below the pad 7 and coaxially thereto and is turned by kinematic systems which are connected to the carousel 1.
[0013] More specifically, the kinematic systems comprise a toothed sector 8a, which is supported in a cantilever fashion by a hub 8b which rotates on a pivot 8c which is moved by a wheel 8d associated with a cam 8e and meshes with a pinion 8f, which is keyed on a shaft 8g which is in turn rigidly coupled to the rotor 8. The kinematic systems are adapted to produce at least one full turn of the rotor about its own axis during the partial rotation of the carousel 1 between a position for loading the container onto the pad and a position where the labeling of the container begins.
[0014] The rotor 8 includes a cylinder 9, which can slide in a guide 9a, being pushed upward by a spring 9b; the cylinder comprises a first reference 10, which is monolithically connected thereto and is adapted to enter the notch 5b provided on the bottom of the container 5; a second reference 11 is in turn monolithically connected to the first reference and is adapted to enter a hollow of the toothed ring 7c of the pad 7, as explained in greater detail during the description of operation of the device.
[0015] The rotor 8 is completed by the presence of a device for expelling the container 5 inserted in the seat 7b at the end of the labeling operation; the expelling device comprises a pad 12, which is adapted to make contact with the bottom of the container, and is provided with a stem 13 with an underlying spring 14.
[0017] The carousel 1 conveys, in its rotation, the device 3 at the loading star conveyor of the labeling machine, and the container 5 is thus conveyed onto the pad 7 so as to rest on the seat 7b and be retained in position by the hood 5a.
[0018] In other words, the situation shown in Figure 3 is provided, with the first reference 10 lowered and pushed by the spring 9b against the bottom of the container 5 and the second reference 11 arranged so as to face the toothed ring 7c of the pad 7, spaced from it.
[0019] The rotor 8 is turned by the described kinematic systems and therefore at a certain moment the first reference 10 enters the notch 5b provided in the bottom of the container 5: the upward motion of the reference, pushed by the spring 9b, consequently causes the insertion of the second reference 11 in a hollow of the toothed ring 7c of the pad 7, which therefore, from that point onward, is turned together with the rotor 8 with the container 5 rigidly coupled thereto, so as to determine, at the end of the rotation, which occurs when the carousel has moved into the position for beginning to label the container, the perfect orientation of the container, which is positioned so as to be ready to begin the labeling operations.
[0021] A second embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to Figure 6. The second embodiment again provides for the presence of the rotating pad 7 provided with a seat 7b and with a toothed ring 7c, which is retained by the ring 6 which is fixed at the top of a cup such as 3a which internally comprises the rotor 8, moved by kinematic systems as described above.
[0022] In this embodiment, the rotor 8 comprises a first reference 15 and a second reference 16, which are pushed by independent elastic means, not shown in the figure, respectively against the bottom of the container that rests on the pad 7 and toward the toothed ring 7c of said pad, and are interconnected by means of an arm 17, which protrudes monolithically from the first reference 15 and is adapted to make contact at an arc-like recess 17a with the upward-facing surface region of a tab 18 which is fixed to the second reference 16.
[0023] In this manner, when the first reference 15 is in the fully lowered position and is pressed against the bottom of a container, the arm 17 keeps the second reference 16 in a similar position, out of contact with the overlying toothed ring 7c.
[0024] When the first reference 15, as a consequence of the motion of the rotor 8, is located at the notch provided in the bottom of the overlying container, the second reference 16 may be located at a crest of the overlying toothed ring 7c, but this poses no problem.
[0025] The first reference 15, disengaged in its upward motion from the second reference 16, in fact performs its entire stroke, entering said notch, while the second reference is locked by contact with the crest of the toothed ring; however, this abnormal condition, in which the container turns together with the rotor 8 because it is moved by the first reference 15 while the pad 7 is not moving because it is not engaged by the second reference 16, lasts only an instant, since a further minimal rotation angle of the rotor 8, with penetration of the second reference 16 in the hollow of the toothed ring 7c that lies directly after the crest on which it was locked, is sufficient to restore the normal operating conditions by also turning the pad 7.
[0026] The described invention is susceptible of numerous other modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
[0027] It is also noted that devices such as those described above, applied to a rotary labeling machine, can be installed in different machines included in bottling lines, particularly in capsule applicators and wire cap fitting machines.
[0028] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MN2000A000018 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0029] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. A container supporting and orienting device for a bottling-line machine, the container
being provided with an appropriate notch at its bottom, characterized in that it comprises an annular pad which rotates about its own axis and is provided with
a seat for the container at the upper face and with a toothed ring at the lower face,
and an underlying coaxial rotor which comprises a first reference, which is pushed
by elastic means against the bottom of the container that rests on the pad and is
adapted to enter the notch provided in said bottom, and a second reference, which
is connected to the first reference and is adapted to enter a hollow of said toothed
ring.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that kinematic systems connected to the carousel of the machine are adapted to determine
at least one full turn of the rotor about its own axis during the rotation of said
carousel between a position for loading the container onto the pad and a position
where the process on said container begins.
3. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second reference is monolithically connected to the first reference.
4. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second references are pushed by independent elastic means respectively
against the bottom of the container that rests on the pad and toward the toothed ring
provided on said pad, and are connected by means which cause the first reference to
move the second reference only in the motion that occurs in contrast with the action
of said elastic means and so as to allow the insertion of said second reference in
a hollow of said toothed ring when said first reference is inserted in the notch provided
in the bottom of the container.
5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first reference is monolithically provided with an arm adapted to make contact
with a surface region, that is directed toward the toothed ring, of a tab which protrudes
monolithically from the second reference.
6. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor is provided with a spring-loaded device for expelling the container that
rests on the overlying pad.
7. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor is contained within a cup which supports the rotating pad at its upper
end.
8. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotor is contained within a cup which supports, at its upper end, a fixed ring
provided with radial pins which are adapted to enter a circumferential slot which
is comprised within the rotating pad.