More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for transferring corks from a loading station to a work station, e. g. a bottle corking station, or a cork stamping, grinding, or gluing station.

BACKGROUND ART Devices of the above type are known, for example, E from Patent EP-A-1036754, which substantially comprise a vertical cork feed input conduit; a vertical output conduit for feeding the corks to the work station ; and a cork transfer unit interposed between the input and output conduits, and defined by two coplanar feed wheels rotating in opposite directions and having C-shaped peripheral grooves defining a circular-section channel through which the corks are fed. More specifically, a

coil spring keeps the two feed wheels adjacent to each other on opposite sides of the lateral surface of the cork traveling between them.

In actual use, as the feed wheels rotate simultaneously, tangential thrust is exerted on the lateral surface of each cork, so as to feed the cork from the input conduit to the output conduit.

Contact between the cylindrical lateral surface of each cork and the circular peripheral surface of each feed wheel being"punctiform", i. e. concentrated in a limited area of said surfaces, contact pressure is relatively high, so that, particularly in the case of corks made of cork, which crumbles fairly easily, the tangential thrust exerted by the feed wheels may result in flaking of the peripheral portion of the corks subjected to such thrust, thus resulting in loss of material.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for transferring bottle corks, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawback of known devices.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for transferring bottle corks, comprising an input station, an output station, and transfer means for feeding said corks from said input station to said output station; characterized in that said transfer means comprise guide means defining a path along which to transfer said corks from said input

station to said output station; and at least one flexible feed member extending along said path, facing said guide means, and cooperating with the lateral surfaces of said corks to feed them along the guide means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a front view of the device according to the invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Number 1 in the accompanying drawing indicates as a whole a device for transferring bottle corks 2-in the example shown, substantially cylindrical corks made of agglomerated cork.

Device 1 is suitable for feeding an orderly succession of coaxial corks 2 to a corking unit (not shown, by not forming part of the present invention) for corking bottles with respective corks 2, or to other operating units, such as stamping, grinding, or gluing units.

Device 1 substantially comprises an input station 3, an output station 4, and transfer means 5 for feeding corks 2 from input station 3 to output station 4.

More specifically, input and output stations 3,4 are defined by respective vertical straight conduits 6,7 fixed, facing each other, to a vertical supporting wall 8 and engaged coaxially by corks 2.

More specifically, conduit 6 feeds corks 2 by

gravity to transfer means 5, while conduit 7 guides vertical upward feed of corks 2 by transfer means 5 to said downstream unit.

According to an important characteristic of the present invention, transfer means 5 comprising a disk- shaped guide member 9 tangent to conduits 6,7 on diametrically opposite sides, and defining, at the bottom, along a peripheral edge 10, a semicircular path P along which to transfer corks 2 from input station 3 to output station 4; and a flexible feed member-in the example shown, a toothed belt 11-extending partly along path P, facing peripheral edge 10 of guide member 9, and cooperating with the lateral surfaces of corks 2 to feed them along guide member 9.

More specifically, guide member 9 is fixed to wall 8 with its axis perpendicular to wall 8, and comprises, along peripheral edge 10, a circumferential groove 12 having a C-shaped section open towards belt 11, communicating with conduits 6 and 7, and defining a slide channel for corks 2. That is, groove 12 of guide member 9 defines, at the bottom, a link between conduits 6 and 7, and advantageously has a cross section tapering towards the bottom to assist centering corks 2.

Belt 11 is wound into an endless loop about a number of toothed pulleys 13,14, 15,16, 17,18, one of which (13) is powered.

More specifically, pulleys 13,14, 15,16, 17,18 are fixed to and project from wall 8 with their axes

parallel to the axis of guide member 9, and are arranged about the bottom half of guide member 9 so that belt 11 has a semicircular contact portion 19 contacting corks 2 and extending along path P, facing and at a constant distance from groove 12. Being flexible, belt 11 adheres to and adapts, at contact portion 19, to the lateral surfaces of corks 2, and pushes them along groove 12 of guide member 9 without creating any severe local pressure, and therefore with no risk of the material of corks 2 flaking off.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, pulleys 13, 14, both having fixed axes, are located respectively at the inlet of conduit 7 and the outlet of conduit 6; pulleys 15,16 are located beneath and substantially aligned vertically with pulleys 13,14 ; and pulleys 17, 18 cooperate with an intermediate portion of contact portion 19 of belt 11.

Each of pulleys 15,16, 17,18 is fitted to one end of a relative rocker arm member 20, in turn hinged at an intermediate point to wall 8 and loaded at the opposite end by a coil spring 21; and the elastic reaction of springs 21 presses pulleys 15,16, 17,18 against belt 11. More specifically, pulleys 15 and 16 act as tensioners, while pulleys 17 and 18 ensure contact portion 19 of belt 11, subjected to gravity, adheres at all times to the lateral surfaces of corks 2.

The advantages of device 1 according to the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

In particular, as shown, using a flexible feed member (11) to feed corks 2 from input station 3 to output station 4 ensures the feed member contacts the whole length of the lateral surfaces of corks 2, so that, for a given tangential thrust on corks 2, the resulting pressure on the lateral surfaces of corks 2 is less than that of known transfer devices described above, thus preventing any flaking of the peripheral portion of corks 2 subjected to tangential thrust.

Clearly, changes may be made to device 1 as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the accompanying Claims.

In particular, other types of flexible feed members, such as flat belts, etc. , may be used in place of toothed belt 11.

Device 1 may also be used for transferring conical corks, or corks made of any material, from natural cork to plastic or various compounds.

Finally, conduits 6,7 need not necessarily be parallel and vertical.