| JPH05285458 | SORTING APPARATUS |
| WO/2003/100119 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PLASMA TREATMENT OF WORK PIECES |
| JP5096144 | Equipment for transferring rod-shaped articles |
MASSARI MIRCO (IT)
| JPH08133471A | 1996-05-28 | |||
| US20030106779A1 | 2003-06-12 | |||
| DE3927897A1 | 1991-02-28 | |||
| US3771574A | 1973-11-13 | |||
| US6298638B1 | 2001-10-09 |
| CLAIMS 1. A method for conveying bottles (2) , the method comprising the step of: feeding each bottle (2) along a determined path (P) , which extends through a filling station (6) for the bottle (2) and comprises a portion (T) extending downstream of the filling station (6) in a feeding direction (15) of the bottle (2) ; and being characterised by further comprising the step of : feeding each bottle (2) along at least part of said portion (T) in a tilted position, in which a longitudinal axis (3) of the bottle (2) is oriented according to an angle other than 0° with respect to a vertical reference direction (23) . 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion (T) is curvilinear. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the path (P) extends through a capping station (24) for the bottles (2) , the method further comprising the step of: feeding each bottle (2) through the capping station (24) in an upright position, in which the respective longitudinal axis (3) is substantially parallel to said vertical reference direction (23). 4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each bottle (2) is fed along said path (P) by a feeding device (14) comprising, downstream of the filling station (6) , at least two pocket conveyors (16) , which are connected to one another at a transfer station (13), and extend along said portion (T), the method comprising the steps of: feeding each bottle (2) in said tilted position upstream and downstream of the transfer station (13) ; and feeding each bottle (2) through the transfer station (13) in an upright position, in which the respective longitudinal axis (3) is substantially parallel to said vertical reference direction (23) . 5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of : progressively straightening each bottle (2) upstream of the transfer station (13) in said feeding direction (15) . 6. The method according to claim 4 or 5 , further comprising the step of: progressively straightening each bottle (2) downstream of the transfer station (13) in said feeding direction (15) . 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the path (P) extends through a capping station (24) of the bottles (2) downstream of the transfer station (13) , the method further comprising the steps of: moving each bottle (2) in said tilted position downstream of the transfer station (13); and progressively straightening the bottle (2) between the transfer station (13) and the capping station (24) . 8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the portion (T) is curvilinear and wherein each bottle (2) has an outwardly open top neck (5), the method further comprising the steps of: retaining the neck (5) of each bottle (2) ; and moving each bottle (2) in said tilted position in virtue of the centrifugal force acting on the bottle (2) along the portion (T) . 9. A unit for conveying bottles (2), the unit comprising a feeding device (14) for feeding a sequence of bottles (2) along a determined path (P) , which extends through a filling station (6) for the bottles (2) , and comprises a portion (T) extending downstream of the filling station (6) in a feeding direction (15) of the bottles (2) ; and being characterised in that the feeding device (14) is configured to allow each bottle (2) to move, along at least part of the portion (T) , in a tilted position, in which a longitudinal axis (3) of the bottle (2) is oriented according to an angle other than 0° with respect to a vertical reference direction (23) . 10. The unit according to claim 9, wherein the portion (T) is curvilinear. 11. The unit according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the path (P) extends through a capping station (24) for the bottles (2); the feeding device (14) being configured to feed each bottle (2) through the capping station (24) in an upright position, in which the respective longitudinal axis (3) is substantially parallel to said vertical reference direction (23) . 12. The unit according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the feeding device (14) comprises, downstream of the filling station (6) , at least two pocket conveyors (16) , which are connected to one another at a transfer station (13) , extend along the portion (T) , and are configured so as to feed each bottle (2) in said tilted position upstream and downstream of the transfer station (13) and in an upright position, in which the respective longitudinal axis (3) is substantially parallel to said vertical reference direction (23) , through the transfer station (13) . 13. The unit according to claim 12, wherein each pocket conveyor (16) comprises a transfer wheel (8, 11) mounted to rotate about another respective longitudinal axis (9, 12) and a side guide (21) , which extends about said other axis (9, 12), and cooperates with the transfer wheel (8, 11) to feed each bottle (2) along a conveying channel (22) having a width (L) such as to allow each bottle (2) to move in said tilted position in virtue of the centrifugal force acting on the bottle (2) upon the rotation of the transfer wheel (8, 11) . 14. The unit according to claim 13, wherein the width (L) of the conveying channel (22) of the transfer wheel (8) arranged upstream of the transfer station (13) progressively decreases in said feeding direction (15) so as to feed each bottle (2) in its upright position through the transfer station (13) . 15. The unit according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the feeding wheel (11) arranged downstream of the transfer station (13) is mobile through a capping station (24) for the bottles (2) ; the width (L) of the corresponding conveying channel (22) progressively decreasing in said feeding direction (15) so as to feed each bottle (2) in its upright position through the capping station (24) . |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for conveying bottles.
BACKGROUND ART
In the bottling field, it is known to make a bottling system comprising a filling machine defined by rotary devices, with a filling station, of the carousel or wheel type that receives bottles in a sequence, fills them with a product, and feeds them to a capping machine defined by a capping station, of the carousel or wheel type, that caps the bottles with corresponding caps and is connected to the filling station by the interposition of at least one transfer wheel.
The transfer wheel and the wheel of the capping station (hereinafter the "capping wheel") are mounted to continuously rotate about respective longitudinal axes, have a plurality of pockets each for receiving and retaining a neck of a corresponding bottle, and cooperate with respective side guides that extend about the respective axes, and are arranged so as to maintain each bottle in a vertical position.
Known bottling systems of the above disclosed type have some drawbacks mainly resulting from the fact that the centrifugal forces acting on the bottles fed by the transfer and capping wheels may cause a portion of product contained in each bottle to escape, thus compromising the correct filling of the bottle and damaging a label which has already been applied to the bottle.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for conveying bottles which is free from the above-described drawbacks and which is simple and cost-effective to implement.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for conveying bottles as claimed in Claims 1 to 8.
The present invention also relates to a unit for conveying bottles .
According to the present invention, there is provided a unit for conveying bottles as claimed in Claims 9 to 15. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a non-limitative embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a bottling system provided with a preferred embodiment of the unit of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side, partly sectioned view, with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of Figure 2 ; and
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 and shows the detail of Figure 3 on a larger scale and with parts removed for clarity.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Number 1 in the Figures indicates as a whole a system for bottling a product in bottles 2 (Figures 3 and 4) , each of which has a determined longitudinal axis 3, is bounded at the bottom by a bottom wall 4 substantially perpendicular to axis 3, and has a top neck 5 substantially coaxial with axis 3.
System 1 comprises a filling station 6 of the carousel type, which is mounted to rotate continuously (anticlockwise in Figure 1) about a respective substantially vertical longitudinal axis 7 perpendicular to the Figure 1 plane.
Carousel of filling station 6 receives a sequence of empty bottles 2 from a known feeding device (not shown) , and releases a sequence of full bottles 2 to a first transfer wheel 8. First transfer wheel 8 is mounted to rotate continuously (clockwise in Figure 1) about a respective longitudinal axis 9 parallel to axis 7 and is connected with carousel of filling station 6 at a transfer station 10. Transfer wheel 8 feeds full bottles 2 in a sequence to a capping station comprising a second transfer wheel
11, which is mounted to rotate continuously
(anticlockwise in Figure 1) about a respective longitudinal axis parallel to axes 7 and 9. Second transfer wheel 11 is connected to first transfer wheel 8 at a transfer station 13 Each full bottle 2 is closed when supported by the wheel 11 of capping station with a corresponding known cap (not shown)
Capping station, with its wheel 11, defines together with filling station 6 and first transfer wheel 8, a feeding device 14 for bottles 2 along a determined path P and in a determined feeding direction 15 illustrated by an arrow.
As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, wheels 8, 11 comprise corresponding pocket conveyors 16, which define, downstream of station 10, a portion T of path P, and each comprise two corresponding star discs 17a, 17b, which are mounted coaxially to corresponding axes 9, 12, are arranged one 17a on the other 17b Each disk has a corresponding plurality of seats 18a, 18b, having a hemicylindrical shape, which are obtained along a peripheral edge of corresponding disc 17a, 17b and are uniformly distributed about corresponding axes 9, 12, and are radially open towards the outside.
Each seat 18a of discs 17a is configured to receive neck 5 of corresponding bottle 2, while each seat 18b of discs 17b is configured to receive an intermediate portion, like the body, of corresponding bottle 2.
Each disc 17a cooperates with a first fixed side retaining guide 19, which extends about corresponding axis 9, 12, is substantially coplanar to seats 18a, and is arranged at a distance from corresponding axis 9, 12 such as to allow guide 19 to retain bottles 2 within corresponding seats 18a of disc 17a. Guide 19 associated to disc 17a of wheel 8 extends between stations 10 and 13 in direction 15, while guide 19 associated to disc 17a of wheel 11 extends between station 13 and an output station 20 of bottles 2 from wheel 11 in said direction 15.
Each wheel 8, 11 also cooperates with a second fixed side guide 21, which extends about corresponding axis 9, 12 under corresponding guide 19, and defines together with seats 18b of corresponding disc 17b, a conveying channel 22 of bottles 2 having a radial width
L that varies in direction 15. Guide 21 associated to wheel 8 extends between stations 10 and 13 in direction 15, while guide 21 associated to wheel 11 extends between stations 13 and 20 in said direction 15.
As regards the above, it is worth specifying that: width L of channel 22 of wheel 8 decreases from station 10 to station 13 in direction 15;
- at station 10, guide 21 of wheel 8 is arranged at a distance from axis 9 such as to allow the centrifugal force acting on bottles 2 upon rotation of wheel 8 about axis 9 to orient each bottle 2 in a tilted position (Figures 3 and 4) , in which corresponding axis 3 is arranged according to an angle other than 0° with respect to a vertical reference direction 23 parallel to axes 7, 9 and 12;
- at station 13, guide 21 of wheel 8 is arranged at a distance from axis 9 such as to orient each bottle 2 in an upright position (not shown) , in which corresponding axis 3 is substantially parallel to direction 23;
- width L of channel 22 of wheel 11 decreases from station 13 to the input of a capping station 24 for bottles 2 with the corresponding caps (not shown) ;
at station 13, guide 21 of wheel 11 is arranged at a distance from axis 12 such as to allow the centrifugal force acting on bottles 2 upon rotation of wheel 11 about axis 12 to orient each bottle 2 in the cited tilted position (Figures 3 and 4) ; and
at the input of station 24, guide 21 of wheel 11 is arranged at a distance from axis 12 such as to orient each bottle 2 in the cited upright position (not shown) .
The operation of system 1 may be easily understood from the description above and does not require further explanations .
The configuration of guides 21 provides system 1 with some advantages mainly resulting from the fact that:
by combining the effects of the centrifugal force acting on bottles 2 and on the product contained in bottles 2 upon rotation of wheels 8, 11 about their respective axes 9, 12, the free upper surface 25 of the product contained in each bottle 2 is maintained substantially perpendicular to corresponding axis 3
(Figure 4) during the feeding of bottle 2 between stations 10 and 13 and between station 13 and the input of station 24 so as to prevent any product from escaping from bottle 2 ;
- each bottle 2 passes through station 13 in its upright position so as to be correctly transferred from wheel 8 to wheel 11; and
each bottle 2 passes through station 24 in its upright position so as to be correctly capped with the corresponding cap (not shown) .
Obviously, according to a variant (not shown) , the product can be prevented from escaping from bottles 2 also when portion T of path P is rectilinear, by tilting bottles 2 with respect to direction 23 so as to arrange each neck 5 at the back of corresponding bottom wall 4 in feeding direction 15.