LANFRANCHI, Mario (Via Scondocello 41/e, Collecchio, I-43044, IT)
| CLAIMS 1. A system for changing the size of the neck guide in an overhead conveyor apparatus (1) for plastic containers (2) or preforms, which extends along a conveying track (3) ; said plastic containers (2) or preforms having a projecting collar (4) adapted to slide along a pair of lateral guides (5, 6) that define said track (3) , characterized in that it includes means (7, 8, 9) for adjusting the distance between the guides (5, 6) , said means consisting of at least one gearmotor (7) meshing with a horizontal threaded bar (8) , whose inner end has a support (9) integral therewith, which is in turn integral with said guides (5, 6) . |
DESCRIPTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting the lateral distance of a sliding track of an overhead plastic item conveyor.
Particularly, the present invention provides a mechanism that can be selectively controlled to adjust the lateral spacing between the guides of an overhead conveyor that is used for overhead conveyance of plastic bottles or preforms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Air conveyors are typically employed for fast handling of empty bottles or alternatively preforms , both made of plastic, and having an annular disk at the base of the neck to allow sliding conveyance of said ring along lateral guides .
A typical air conveyor comprises a pair of spaced guides to define a sliding track for the bottle or container or preform, supported at the ring; the guides are spaced to such an extent as to allow the passage of the neck (immediately below the ring) , but not the ring, whereby they remain in a hanging condition: a number of air ducts are arranged along said conveyor and are oriented to cause an air flow to contact the plastic bottles, which are thus pushed along the path defined by the conveyor.
The possibility of adjusting the lateral distance between the neck guides of air conveyors is strongly felt in the art, so that one conveyor belt may be used for plastic bottles of different diameters or necks. Certain known apparatus have a manual guide adjustment feature, nevertheless this type of air conveyor has the drawback of requiring time for adapting or changing the lateral spacing between the guides of each conveyor section.
Certain prior art apparatus also provide guide adjustment by pneumatic actuators.
The object of the present invention is to provide a further system for adjusting the spacing between the bottle supporting guides in an overhead conveyor, which system comprises one or more electrically controlled gearmotors for controlling, by corresponding threaded bars , the lateral spacing of a conveying track of the overhead conveyor, for quickly adapting said conveyor and allow conveyance of plastic bottles of various sizes and collar diameters .
These objects and advantages are achieved by the system for changing the size of the neck guide in an overhead plastic container or preform conveyor apparatus according to the present invention, which is characterized by the content of the annexed claims .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
This and other features will be more apparent from the following description of a few embodiments , which are shown by way of example and without limitation in the accompanying drawings .
Figure 1: a system for changing the size of the neck guide in an overhead plastic container or preform conveyor apparatus
- Figure 2: the system of Figure 1, with a container of different size.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As mentioned above, the present invention relates to a mechanism or system for quickly changing the spacing between the pairs of neck guides all along the lateral width of overhead conveyors .
A plurality of L-brackets are mounted to both lower sections of each guide that forms the channel or track of the air conveyor.
Each of such L-shaped supports has a horizontal arm connected to the lower portion of each guide, whereas the vertical arm is integral with the end of a horizontally moving threaded bar engaged with a nut screw of at least one electrically operated gearmotor and having a double action, for two-way adjustment of the threaded bar and for increasing or reducing the spacing between the guides .
EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
Particularly referring to Figures 1 and 2 , one embodiment is shown in detail .
The apparatus , designated by numeral 1 , is an air conveyor system for plastic containers 2, 12 or preforms, which have a collar 4 projecting out of the container neck.
The conveyor system extends along a conveying track 3 defined by a pair of guides 5 and 6, that are spaced to such an extent as to allow the passage of the bottle or preform neck.
The container (bottle 2, 12 or preform) is supported below its collar 4 by the bar guides 5 and 6; air jets, not shown, that are generated by fans arranged along the container transfer path, push the containers in one direction.
The apparatus 1 comprises means 7 , 8 , 9 for adjusting the distance between the guides 5, 6, and namely said means consist of at least one gearmotor (7) meshing with a threaded bar 8, whose inner end (i.e. the one facing toward the track 3) is integral with an L-shaped support 9 which, as mentioned above, is in turn integral with said guides 5, 6.
The spacing of the track or channel 3 may be controlled by the gearmotors that independently operate on each side of the guides 5 and 6 to cause a significant width change, according to the size of the container and particularly of its neck.
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