DEVICE FOR POSITIONING AND ORIENTATING AN ARTCILE TO BE WRAPPED

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to the field of the packaging and it refers to a positioning and orientating device for an article to be wrapped, for example to transfer, from a conveyor to a lifting and wrapping mean of a wrapping machine, chocolates even very delicate and relatively bulky such as those containing a liqueur and chocolate-coated cherry with liqueur, also called "boeri", which traditionally are wrapped in a manner aesthetically similar to a candy.

BACKGROUND ART

In the known not specialized wrapping machines, in order to carry out various wrappers of various kind of products, such as chocolates, it is necessary to use pliers installed on vertical axis wheels.

Said known wheels has the drawback to orientate the products in inappropriate manner to carry out the wrapper chocolate-coated cherry with liqueur type.

Other drawback of said known wheels consists in that their conformation can make impossible the automatic positioning of a wrapping sheet above the product because they do not leave sufficient space for the organs fit to said positioning.

Further drawback of said known pliers wheels consists in that they can have an excessive stressing movement and they can lose the movements synchronism with risks of damaging the articles to be wrapped and the machine on which they are installed.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to propose a positioning and orientating device for an

article to be wrapped, which can be used on known type wrapping machines for general use to carry out a wrapper of chocolate-coated cherry with liqueur type.

Other object is to propose a compact device with smooth movements in order not to damage the product to be wrapped, and without the risk to lose the synchronism and the movements phase.

Other object is to propose a reliable, quick and relatively simple device, which can be used advantageously also in other applications.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The characteristics of the invention are evidenced in following with particular reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: - figure 1 illustrates a schematic, partial and vertical sectional view of the device for positioning and orientating an article to be wrapped of the present invention;

- figure 2 illustrates a view of a portion of the device of figure 1 partially sectional to show one of its transmission means;

- figure 3 illustrates a sectional view according to plane III - III of the device of figure 1;

- figure 4 illustrates a sectional view according to plane IV - IV of the device of figure 2;

- figures from 5 - 7 illustrate side views of respective portions of the device of figure 1;

- figure 8 illustrates an enlarged view of the section according to plane VIII - VIII of figure 7.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the figures 1 - 8, numeral 1 indicates the orientating and positioning device for an article 2 to be wrapped, for example consisting in a chocolate-coated cherry with liqueur, by means of a machine, for example of known type, to carry out various types of wrappers for various types of articles or products. The device 1, for example, can be

used as vertical axis wheel in said known type of machines. In alternative the device, opportunely operated, can be associated to a specialized machine or can be interposed between two machines or between a conveyor and a wrapping machine of known type and not shown.

The positioning and orientating device 1 for an article 2 comprises a support body 3 for four pliers means 5 and being approximately cylinder segment shaped and comprising a cylindrical wall 132.

A disc element 130, of the support body 3, is horizontally fixed to the upper edge of the cylindrical wall 132, for example by means of screw means.

The disc element 130 of the support body 3 is centrally fixed to an upper end of a vertical hollow rotating shaft 4 in order to rotate around a vertical axis coinciding with the main geometric axes of the cylindrical wall 132 and of the disc element 130.

Each pliers means is provided with two jaws 6, 7 equipped with respective opening means 8 to hold and to release the article 2.

Each of the four pliers means 5 protrudes towards the outside and it is connected to the cylindrical wall 132 of the support body 3 by means of respective rotation means 9.

Said rotation means 9 allow the rotation of the pliers means 5 around an axis almost radial in respect to the vertical rotation axis of the support body 3, in other words around an axis that is horizontal and crosses the geometric axis of the cylindrical wall and of the disc element. Each of the rotation means 9 comprises a first rotary body 10 supporting, by means of its coupling means 13, a respective pliers means 5. The first rotary body 10 is connected to the support body 3 by means of a first connection means 11.

The first connection means 11 is provided with rolling means 30, for example one or more bearings and/or anti-friction bushings, for the free rotation of said first rotary body 10, together with the respective pliers means, around its radial axis.

The first rotary body 10 is connected to respective transmission means 12 for the rotary motion around the respective radial axis of the same first rotary body 10 and of its joint means 13 with the pliers means 5.

Each of the transmission means 12 comprises a first gear wheel 112 fixed to the inner end, in other words the end opposite to the pliers means, of the first rotary body 10 and engaged to a second gear wheel 113 of a second rotary body 114 with vertical axis, in other words almost orthogonal to that one of first rotary body 10, and provided with a third gear wheel 115 and engaged to a fourth gear wheel 29 peripherally fixed to a fixed body 27 of the device consisting of a tubular body with symmetry axis coincident with the vertical rotation axis of the support body 3.

The first 112 and second 113 gear wheels form a conical pair, the third 115 and the fourth 29 gear wheels have vertical and parallel axes and are cylindrical with straight or helicoidal teeth. The fourth gear wheel 29 is coaxial to the fixed body 27 and therefore to the vertical rotation axis of the support body 3.

Each second rotary body 114 is connected to an inner circular crown shaped flange of the lower edge of the cylindrical wall 132 of the support body 3 by means of a respective second fixing means 133 provided with rolling means consisting, for example, of ball or needle bearings, for the rotation of said second rotary body 114 around its vertical rotation axis.

The opening means 8 of each pliers means 5, comprise two eccentric 116, 117 consisting of rollers each provided with an almost flat and radial surface 150 fit to abut with an external end of a respective rod means 19 of said opening means 8 axially driven by a respective driving means 120.

The two eccentrics are parallel and hinged to the joint means 13 of the respective pliers means 5.

Each of the eccentrics 116, 117 is fixed to a lateral arm 118, 119 connecting to a respective jaw 6, 7.

When the driving means 120 translate towards the outside the rod means 19, the end of the shaft means acts on the almost flat surfaces 150 causing the rotation of the eccentrics and the opening of the pliers means 5. When the shaft means is brought back to the inside, the pliers means 5 closes itself, for example due to effect of a compressed spring 200 acting on flat abutments of the eccentrics counter-facing the almost flat surfaces 150.

Each rod means 19 is slidingly housed in a longitudinal passing cavity of the respective first rotary body 10.

The driving means 120, of each pliers means 5, comprises a first idle wheel means 23 driven by cam means 20 connected to a control shaft 121 coaxial to the rotation shaft 4.

The first idle wheel means 23 is engaged in one respective housing 122 consisting of an annular groove carried out in, or fixed to, the inner end of the rod means 19 for the axial movement of this latter.

Each driving means 120 comprises furthermore a transmission means 123 fit to connect the first idle wheel 23 to the cam means 20.

An end of a first arm 125 of the transmission means 123 supports the first idle wheel means 23 and an end of its second arm 126 supports a second idle wheel means 124.

Said arms 125, 126 of the driving means 120 are mutually parallel and faced to each other and are interconnected by means of a respective pivot 127 perpendicular thereto.

Said pivot 127 is parallel respect to the rotation axis of the support body 3 and is engaged in rotating manner to a respective bushing 131, provided with rolling means for said pivot, and fixed to the disc element 130 of the support body 3.

The second idle wheel means 124 of the driving means 120, is sliding engaged inside a shaped groove 128 of the cam means 20.

In this manner the translation either towards the outside or towards the inside of each rod means 19 is determined by the shape of the shaped groove 128 of the cam means 20.

The control shaft 121 of the cam means 20 is rotating housed in the longitudinal passing cavity of the rotation shaft 4.

The upper end of the control shaft 121, the cam means 20 and each second idle wheel means 124 are positioned above the disc element 130 while each of the first idle wheel means 23 and each of the rod means 19 are positioned under the disc element 130.

The device comprises annular sealing means 134 interposed between the fixed body 27 and the lower end of the cylindrical wall 132 and comprises furthermore a covering element 135 fixed above the disc element 130 in order protect at least the cam means 20.

The lower ends of the rotation shaft 4 and the control shaft 121 support respective motion connection means consisting, for example, of an intermittent drives or gear wheels 151 and/or grooved terminals 152 or the like.

Preferably the transmission shaft 4 has an intermittent drive and the control shaft 121 has a connection for the intermittent rotary motion.

The operation provides that when the article 2, in a predetermined inlet position in front of the pliers means 5 is placed, for example by a pusher, between the opened jaws 6, 7 of said pliers means, said jaws hold it following their closure operated by the opening means 8.

The support body 3 and the rotary means 9 rotate the pliers means 5 and the article 2 respectively around a vertical axis and a radial axis of the support body until the article reaches a predetermined position and a predetermined outlet orientation. When the article reaches said position and orientation the opening means 8 open the jaws 6, 7 releasing the

article correctly oriented for successive workings.

In alternative, the invention provides that only one of the two jaws is mobile being connected to the rod means 19 by means of the eccentrics while the other jaw is fixed in order to facilitate the insertion of the article.

In order to allow the positioning of the wrapping sheets above the articles 2 in outlet of the device without that the machine organs which carries out said positioning of the sheet interfere with the device, the arms 118, 119 of the jaws 6, 7 of each pliers means 5, protrude from the device 1 of a length ranging between two and five times of the maximum dimension of the article to be wrapped, preferably equal to at least three times of the said maximum dimension of the article.

In alternative or furthermore to their remarkable length, the arms 118, 119 of the jaws 6, 7 can be shaped, for example, they can be bended in "L" shape or the like.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide a positioning and orientating device for an article to be wrapped, which can be used on known wrapping machine for general purpose to carry out a wrapper of chocolate-coated cherry with liqueur type.

Other advantage is provide a compact device which can be advantageously used also in other applications.

Further advantage is to provide a device with smooth movements in order not to damage the product to be wrapped and without the risk to lose the synchronism and the phase of the movements.

Other advantage is to provide a reliable, quick and relatively simple device.