Field of the invention The invention relates to a device and method for moving and handling plurality of articles; especially moulded or cast articles such as soap simultaneously.

Background of the invention We use a lot of moulded and extruded articles in everyday life. These include edible as well as non-edible articles. Edible articles include ice cream, bars of chocolate and candies. Non-edible articles include soap or non-soap detergent bar, candles and carbon filters. The articles are generally manufactured by extrusion or moulding (die- casting).

Extrusion involves various steps such as homogenization, shear working and forming into a suitable shape. At the time of milling, chips of soap are pushed through a machine called a plodder where colour, perfume and other ingredients are added to produce a continuous extruded billet of soap. A plodder or an extruder lends the desired shape to the billets. The billets are continuously cut into smaller-sized and ready to use logs tables (also called bars or cakes). Such tablets may be further stamped to lend them a desired, usually distinctive shape.

Moulding or casting is another well-known method for soaps, especially transparent framed soap. To enable casting, the composition should be capable of being molten without charring at reasonable temperatures, say in the range of 60 to 150 °C, and should turn solid when cooled. Casting was traditionally carried out in unitary moulds which were filled with molten composition and cooled to form tablets of soap. Unitary moulds were replaced by Schicht coolers which have multiple, usually an array of tubular moulds where the molten composition is filled and cooled thereafter. Once the composition has solidified it is ejected and cut into individual tablets of desired size. A typical industrial Schicht cooler has a holding tank and plurality of elongate moulds of e.g., 9X10 or 9X9 array below the holding tank. The dimensions of the mould define the shape and size of the billets. Chilled water is circulated around the moulds to cool and form solid billets out of a non-solid soap composition. Advent of Schicht coolers led to a steep increase in the production rate of moulded articles, especially bars of soap.

A typical batch process for making cast-melt soap begins with the filing of the holding tank with molten soap material, temperature of which is usually around 90 °C. As the molten material is poured into the holding tank, it first fills the empty moulds from bottom upwards, or the other way around. The quantity of the material is generally more than that required to completely fill all the moulds. This excess molten material collects inside the holding tank. It eventually solidifies to form a thin layer but the layer is not as hard or solid as the billets because it is not specifically cooled by circulation of any coolant. Thickness of this layer varies depending on the quantity of excess molten material poured into the tank and also on the dimensions of the tank but it usually forms a sheet or layer of a semi-solid material of about 1 to 2 cm. A reason for pouring excess molten material is to have adequate material to fill each mould completely leaving no air gaps inside. However the molten material gets aerated while it is being poured into the holding tank but the air bubbles gradually rise to the surface. If there is no material for the bubbles to collect, the bubbles would remain inside the mould and the resulting articles would contain air pockets. The layer acts as a sink for all or most of the air bubbles as they steadily rise upwards.

Once the cooling cycle is over, the usual process involves a step of scraping the partially solid layer so that the bars may be removed by ejection or otherwise. Unless this layer is removed it is not possible to eject the bars lying beneath in their respective moulds. When the entire layer has been scraped-off, all the bars are pushed out of their individual moulds in the form of an array of bars. Each bar is then manually lifted and transferred to containers or trays for further steps of cutting, stamping and packaging. The steps of scraping, lifting and transferring are labour intensive and pose long-term health issues for the workers. Thus there is an unmet need for a faster, efficient, ergonomic and less labour intensive method.

Summary of the invention

In accordance with a first aspect is disclosed a device for moving plurality of articles simultaneously, comprising:

(i) a pair of superimposable plates comprising a first plate having plurality of pins and a second plate comprising holes for said pins to pass therethrough to penetrate and releasably engage with a respective article;

(ii) a mechanism for moving said plates; and,

(iii) a mechanism for separating said articles from said pins.

In accordance with a second aspect is disclosed a method for moving plurality of articles simultaneously, comprising the steps of:

(i) placing a pair of superimposable plates of a device of the first aspect in juxtaposition with an array of moulded or extruded articles such that each pin is proximate to an article;

(ii) causing free end of each pin to penetrate the article adjacent thereto to cause a releasable engagement therewith;

(iii) moving said pair of plates with said articles to a second position; and,

(iv) separating said articles from said pins. In accordance with a third aspect is disclosed a method for moving plurality of articles simultaneously, comprising the steps of:

(i) placing a pair of superimposable plates of a device of the first aspect in juxtaposition with an array of moulds for moulding plurality of articles such that each pin is proximate to a mould;

(ii) causing free end of each pin to enter a mould adjacent thereto;

(iii) filling each mould with a non-solid material which is capable of

transforming into solid material, such that said free end of pin is submerged in the material; (iv) solidifying the material in each mould to turn it into a moulded article, each releasably engaged with a pin;

(v) moving said pair of plates with said articles to a second position; and, (vi) separating said articles from said pins.

Brief description of the figures

Fig.1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a device showing a movable pair of superimposed plates. Below the device is seen a Schicht cooler containing plurality of empty moulds for making melt cast soap.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the Fig. 1 showing the articles

(cylindrical soap bars/billets) being lifted half way by the plates through the pins. Fig.3 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig.1 showing the plurality of articles completely outside the moulds being lifted by the lifting pins and assembly of plates.

Fig.4 is an isometric view of the embodiment of the device of Fig.1 in sectional plane showing the plurality of articles completely outside the moulds and ready to be moved from first position to a second position.

Fig.5 is another isometric view of the embodiment of Fig.1 in sectional plane showing the plurality of articles released at a second position. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the superimposed plates showing their relative positions corresponding to Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the superimposed plates showing their relative positions corresponding to Fig. 5.

Detailed description of the figures

In the description of the figures, like numerals have been used to indicate like parts. Seen in Fig.1 is a preferred embodiment of a device (1 ) in sectional view. The device contains a first plate (2) superimposed onto a second plate (3) which together form a [movable] pair in the present embodiment and are rectangular in shape. The plates are ready to be placed in juxtaposition to an array of moulds for moulding plurality of articles. Major surface (4) of the first plate (2) has plurality of pins (all collectively labelled as (5)) which are perpendicular to the surface (4). Each pin further has a retaining member in the form of a ring (not labelled in this figure). The plates are movable (with respect to each other) along the vertical direction by a hydraulic mechanism (6) which in made movable by a pair of shafts (7 and 8) coupled with respective locking mechanisms (9 and 10). The locking mechanism arrests the movement of the shafts thereby in turn restraining vertical movement of plates any further than required. The device (1 ) generally contains a metallic frame defined by sides (1 1 ) and (12). The plates are collectively made vertically movable over a pair of rods (13) and (14) but movement of helical screws but other suitable means may also be used. In the current embodiment, the thickness of plate (2) matches that of plate (3) but these may be different as per the weight of the articles to be carried and it will depend on machine design.

Also seen in the figure is a separate device (15) which is a Schicht cooler having an array of empty moulds (all collectively labelled as 16).

The device also includes a drive mechanism (not shown) to drive the helical screws and move the plates up and down. Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 in operation. Seen here (in addition to the features which can be seen in Fig. 1 are a plurality of billets of moulded soap (17) which are formed inside the moulds and are being pulled out of the moulds by the pair of plates (2) and (3) with the help of pins (5). A thin layer of cast soap material (18) is also seen towards the top end of the billets (18). Each of pin (5) has passed through the layer (18) and has penetrated a billet (17), securing a releasable engagement aided by the flared ends of the pins. The thin layer (18), which in the usual procedure is scraped-off is used beneficially to aid the lifting and transfer of the plurality of articles, which in this case is, billets of soap (17). In comparison to Fig.1 , the plates are farther apart from each other.

Fig. 3 shows the device of Fig. 2 at a further stage of the process. The billets (17) are completely out of the moulds (18). Role of the pins comes into picture when the articles are taken outside of the moulds by any mechanism such as a push-up mechanism and in the current figures the pins take over the weight from the cooler. But certain other articles like ice creams may be pulled by the pins themselves in the absence of any push-up or upward displacement mechanism.

In Fig.4, a sectional plane of the embodiment of Fig.1 is shown in a partially cut-away isometric view. The array of billets of soap (17) is now better visible. The billets (17) are completely outside the moulds and are ready to be moved to a second position. Seen here also in a better view are the rectangular shapes of the first and second plates (2 and 3). The pins (5) are also shown in the view though strictly speaking, if the first plate (2) is not transparent, the pins would not be visible in this view. The first plate (2) contains two ribs (19) and (20). The ribs, positioned diagonally, add strength to the plate. As in the case of the first plate (2), the second plate (3) also has two ribs (21 ) and (22).

In Fig.5 the plurality of billets (17) are shown in a released/ejected state inside a container (23).

In order to show that the mechanism for separating the articles preferably involves movement of second plate (3) away from the first plate (2), reference will now be made to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7.

In Fig. 6 is shown an enlarged sectional view of the superimposed plates showing their relative positions as in Fig. 3, i.e. when the free ends of the pins are releasbly engaged with the plurality of articles. The plates (2) and (3) are spaced apart and the minimum distance between the plates is limited by the retaining members collectively labelled as (24). The members ensure that the two plates do not collide. In other words, the retaining members (24) also ensure that the pins (5) do not penetrate the articles too far so as to cause problems during release of the articles.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the superimposed plates showing their relative positions as in Fig. 5. The soap billets are released by movement of second plate (3) away from the first plate (2). Once this is done, the distance between the plates increases and this is also shown by an arrow. The thin layer of soap (18) gets separated along with the all the billets. Use of the device will now be explained in details with reference to non-limiting embodiment of one of the methods.

A Schicht cooler having 9X10 array of cylindrical moulds arranged in a rectangular receptacle is taken. The moulds are filled with non-solid material which is hot molten soap. It is intended to be moulded and cast into billets. The molten material is poured into the receptacle. It starts filling the moulds. Once the moulds are filled to capacity, the excess liquid material is allowed to accumulate over the moulds.

Chilled water is circulated around the moulds to cool and solidify the material inside.

The pair of superimposable plates of the claimed device is placed in juxtaposition with the array of moulds such that each pin is proximate to a mould. The free end of each pin is pushed in a mould adjacent which is proximate to it The free end first passes through the excess liquid material and only thereafter it enters into a respective mould or the material may be poured later after the pin takes its position Cooling continues until the non-solid material turns into a solid cast-melt soap billet in each mould. The array of the billets is then moved upward to a second position. Once the array has moved sufficiently upward, the billets are moved horizontally to so that they may be separated from the pins. The soap billets are separated by moving the second plate away from the first.

The separated array of billets is ready for further processing such as cutting and packaging. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Non-limiting examples of articles which can be moved by the disclosed device are cleansing articles and food articles. Non-limiting examples of food articles include articles which are made by melt-cast route such as ice-cream, ice-confection, yoghurt based frozen products, chocolate and hard boiled candy. Non-limiting examples of cleansing articles include soaps and detergents such as milled-plodded soap, melt-cast soap, non-soap detergent (NSD) bars and laundry bars. Other consumer products include applicators like lipsticks and deo-sticks. Another example is candles.

The plates can be made of any suitable material such as metal, alloys, plastic, glass, ceramic or any other similar hard material. The plates may of any suitable shape and size. A preferred, though not limiting, shape is rectangular. Plates are superimposable when unassembled or dismantled. In use, the plates are superimposed. Preferably the two plates are of the same shape and size. It is preferred that thickness of each plate, is 4 mm to 100 mm. This will vary according to the intended use and the number of articles to be moved. It is preferred that area of a major surface of each plate is 900 to 1300 mm ² . This area is not limiting. Though not necessary, it is preferred that thickness of the plates is identical. Each plate preferably includes ribs to add strength to the plate. In use, when the array of moulded articles is being moved, the plates are prone to severe stress load of the articles, especially towards the

extremities. In the absence of a support, the weight of the moulded articles may cause the plates to bend. If this happens, it may lead to a situation where all the articles may not be easily placed in a container or receptacle. It may also lead to a situation in which the articles touch each other and thereby make separation difficult. The ribs provide a technical solution by increasing the strength of the plates. Another, less preferred, solution lies in using thicker plates but this implies consumption of more power to move the plates vertically and horizontally. While the first plate has pins on a surface, preferably the major surface; the second plate has holes which are preferably equal in number to the pins so that each pin can pass through a hole to penetrate and releasably engage with a respective article. It is preferred that each pin is perpendicular to the first plate. The pins should be long enough for the free end to pass through the holes in the second plate and penetrate a respective article. Therefore in a preferred embodiment, the pins are capable of projecting 15 to 100 mm beyond said second plate when superimposed.

It is further preferred that the free end of each pin is configured for an increased contact area with said respective article. This helps to increase the engagement between the head of the pin and the respective article. Preferably the free end is flared but it could also have any other equivalent feature.

In a preferred device, the first plate has 12 to 1000 pins. The number of pins may be varied to suit the requirement, especially that of the number of articles. The pins are preferably arranged in the form of an array such as an array of 9X10 or 10X12 pins. The holes on the second plate are arranged accordingly.

The superimposable plates are movable horizontally and vertically. Horizontal movement (out of plane or lateral movement) is to enable easy removal of the articles once they have been lifted and transferred from a first position to a second position. The vertical movement allows the articles to be taken out of a forming/casting chamber or apparatus such as a Schicht cooler which is used to make billets of transparent soap by melt-cast route.

The vertical movement of the superimposable plates could be provided by any known means, preferably, hydraulic, pneumatic or motorised.

The horizontal movement of the superimposable plates could also be provided by any known means, preferably, hydraulic, pneumatic or motorised.

The device contains a mechanism for separating the plurality of articles from the pins. In a preferred embodiment, this mechanism is movement of one plate with respect to the other. Further preferably the second plate is moved away from the first plate. This movement could also be provided by any known means, preferably, hydraulic, pneumatic or motorised. When the plates are lowered over the moulds causing the flared end of each pin to enter the non-solid material inside a given mould, the plates are moved closer to each other. At this point, it is preferred that there is a certain minimum distance between the plates as otherwise the plates would collapse against each other. The other consequence would be that the pins would enter a bit further into each mould thereby causing a greater length of a pin to be engaged with an article once it is formed in the mould. It is preferable to keep this engagement to a minimum so that minimum amount of the article is wasted/damaged. In order to achieve this technical effect, it is preferred that a substantial number of pins have retaining members associated therewith to keep the plates minimum distance apart. The retaining members can be in the form of rings. Further preferably, each pin has a retaining member associated therewith.

The disclosure provides a faster, efficient, ergonomic and less labour intensive method for moving the plurality of soap or any other cast or moulded articles simultaneously.