A SELF-ADJUSTING CENTRING DEVICE

Technical Field

This invention concerns the bottling sector, and more specifically the operations of packaging and packing bottles in cardboard containers of known type.

Background Art Bottles can be conveyed not only in line on production lines on suitable conveyors, but also using pallets on which the erect bottles are arranged next to one another in various rows comprising an equal number of bottles. Before transfer onto the pallet, the bottles are ordered in various rows on a plane, in the same configuration in which they are to be arranged on the plane of the pallet.

Transfer from the ordering plane to the pallet plane is effected by robot machines controlled by a central processor, which machines have coplanar organs for gripping the bottles by the neck and transferring an already- ordered row of bottles to the pallet. No description of the devices involved in the above-mentioned operations is provided herein, since such devices are well known to persons skilled in the art.

The final transfer of the bottles is into the packaging carton in which they are dispatched to a final destination for consumption. This transfer is effected using devices of the type employed for the above- mentioned operations, in which, obviously, the coplanar organs for gripping comprise means for gripping in a same number and order as the bottles to be inserted into a elative carton. This procedure may be subject to drawbacks when there is a cardboard divider insert inside the carton, defining individual cells into each of which a bottle is to be inserted.

It can happen that the bottles tend to catch against the upper edge of the dividing insert, thus making the entire operation difficult to perform.

To obviate this problem, known means for centring exist, comprising a frame within which there is a grid having the same configuration as the divider insert, and being vertically mobile in relation to the insert, the cells of the grid being arranged to correspond to the cells of the under-lying insert.

Downwards-directed oscillating centring leads are arranged on the sides of each cell of the grid, which leads are elastically retained so as to converge towards a centre of each cell, so that when the grid is lowered onto the underlying carton, the leads easily enter a corresponding cell of the insert below.

The leads are spread apart by the bottle being inserted from above into the carton, and guide the bottle into the corresponding cell, thus preventing it from catching on the upper edge of the insert. Also known are centring devices of the above-described type wherein the leads are arranged at the points where the orthogonal sides of the grid intersect each other, rather than being arranged on the sides of the grid.

Although they perform their function well, these known grids have the drawback of being operatively linked to a specific form of carton and bottle. In other words, when a different type of carton is used, the grid of the centring device needs to be substituted or manually modified, causing serious wasting of time and increasing costs.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks with a simple, reliable and economical construction.

The aim is achieved, according to the invention, by a centring device having the characteristics illustrated in the independent claim.

The dependent claims concern particular variants or embodiments of the invention described in the independent claim.

Brief description of the Drawings.

The constructional and functional characteristics of the invention will emerge from the detailed description that follows, which concerns a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in the figures of the appended figures of the drawings, provided as a non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows the invention in plan view.

Figure 2 is the view indicated by Il in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is the view indicated by III in Figure 1 , where certain elements of the invention have been omitted for greater clarity, Figure 4 shows the section IV-IV indicated in Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows the section V-V indicated in Figure 1.

Figure 6 shows the section Vl-Vl shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows the section VII-VII shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows an enlarged detail of Figure 1. Figure 9 shows an enlarged-scale detail of Figure 5.

Figure 10 shows a partially sectioned side view of a detail of the invention.

Figure 1 1 shows the section Xl-Xl shown in Figure 10.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention.

The figures illustrate a frame 10 made of sections of extruded aluminium of predetermined dimensions, which frame 10 comprises four consecutive sides, respectively 101 , 102, 103 and 104.

Two cross members 201 and 203 are supported below the first frame, both parallel to the sides 101 and 103. The cross members 201 and 203 are slidable in a parallel direction to the sides 102 and 104. The sliding motion is commanded to be done symmetrically to the central axis of the frame 10 by means of the following mechanism.

An electric step motor 105 is constrained to one end of the side 102 and rotates, by means of a orthogonal transfer gear mechanism, a shaft 1 10 parallel to the side 102, which shaft 1 10 comprises at ends thereof two portions 106 of endless screw.

Two blocks 1 12, of which only one is visible in Figure 5, are inserted into the portions 106, which blocks 1 12 are connected respectively to the ends of the

cross members 201 and 203, and which blocks 1 12 slide suspended from two respective guides 1 13 fixed below the side 102.

One end of the shaft 1 10 has a cogged pulley 108 which is coupled to a cogged belt 109. As shown in Figure 3, the side 104, parallel to side 102, supports the slidable opposite ends of the cross members 201 and 203, which are suspended from two guides 1 13' solidly constrained to the side 104, in the same way as the ends suspended from side 102 are supported.

In particular, the opposite ends are connected to respective blocks 1 12', which are slidingly coupled to a respective guide of the guides 1 13'.

The blocks 112' are inserted into the threaded portions 106' of a shaft 1 10', parallel to the side 104, which shaft 1 10' bears at one end thereof a cogged pulley 108' connected to the pulley 108 via the belt 109.

In this way, the cross members 201 and 203 are controlledly moved symmetrically towards one another. A branch of the belt 109 runs, in the centre, on three tensioner pulleys 11 1 having the function of keeping the belt stretched. Further, an encoder 107 is keyed to the end of the shaft 1 10' opposite the pulley 108'.

As shown in Figure 1 , thirteen blocks 200 slide on each of the two cross members 201 and 203.

The pair of blocks 200 located at one end of the cross members 201 and 203 supports a metal guide 204 parallel to the side 104 and extending as far as the sides 101 and 103 of the frame 10, where it is coupled to blocks 204' which are slidable on the sides 101 and 103. Similarly at the other end, a pair of blocks 200 supports a metal guide 202 parallel to the side 102 and extending as far as the sides 101 and 103, where it is coupled to blocks 202' which are slidable on the sides 101 and 103.

The blocks 202' and 204', slidable on the side 101 , are inserted into the threaded end of a shaft 210, which is rotated by a step motor 205 (see also Figure 4).

At one end thereof the shaft 210 bears a cogged pulley 208 which by means of a cogged belt 209 draws a pulley 208' keyed to a shaft 210' which shaft

210', like shaft 210, has two threaded portions coupled with the blocks 202' and 204', which blocks 202' and 204' are slidable on the side 103. In this way the guides 202 and 204 are commanded to move symmetrically and in a controlled way in relation to the axis of the frame 10 parallel to the sides 102, 104.

The eleven pairs of blocks 200 located between the guides 202 and 204 and slidable on the cross members 201 and 203 each support a metal guide 224 having a section similar to that of the guides 202 and 204 and being parallel to the guides 202 and 204. As shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7, the blocks 200 arranged on a same cross member 201 , 203 are reciprocally connected by a pantograph device 21 1 , which ensures that in response to the movements of the guides 202, 294, the guides 224 remain reciprocally equidistant. Seven centring devices 400 slide on each of the guides 202, 224 and 204, the centring devices 400 of each guide being connected to one another by a pantograph device 311 inserted within the relative guide 202, 204 and 224 (see Figure 6).

In particular, each single guide 202, 204 and 224 consists of two reciprocally- facing shaped plates, at the interface whereof a gap is defined for receiving the relative pantograph device 311 (see Figure 9); the pantograph device 31 1 being connected to the centring devices 400 associated with the guide, by a series of pivots which project from respective holes and slots afforded by the facing plates. The centring devices 400 situated at the ends of each guide 202, 204 and 224, are further constrained respectively to one of the two blocks 200 which support the relative guide, by means of brackets (not illustrated). In this way, each individual pantograph device 31 1 ensures that in response to the movements of the cross members 201 and 203, the centring devices slide on the relative guides 202, 204 and 224, while remaining reciprocally equidistant.

Together, all the centring devices 400 define a centring grid, the cells whereof are suited to guiding in a downwards motion a respective bottle;

each of the cells is delimited by a group of four devices 400 adjacent to one other.

In particular, the centring devices 400 define the nodes of this grid.

The centring devices 400 are better illustrated in figures from 9 to 1 1. The devices each comprise an upper part composed of two halves 401 and

402 which, when assembled, afford the seating which receives the guide

202, 224, 204 on which the centring device is slidable.

The two shells inferiorly support four identical sectors 404, each bearing a suspended oscillating lead 405. The sectors 404 are oriented at 45° relative to the guide on which the centring device 400 is slidingly inserted, in such a way that the leads 405 can oscillate in the planes that include the diagonals of the respective cells of the centring grid.

In use, by activating the endless screw devices with which the frame 10 is provided, the cross members 201 , 203 and the guides 202, 204, 224 are respectively brought reciprocally closer or further away, so as to arrange the centring devices 400 in a position in which they define a centring grid having a same configuration as the cardboard insert in the carton to be filled.

Then the frame 10 is lowered vertically onto the carton, until the oscillating leads 405 belonging to each cell of the centring grid penetrate into a relative cell of the insert.

Finally the bottles, lowered from above, spread the oscillating leads 405 which guide each bottle into the relative cell of the insert, thus preventing the bottles from catching against the upper edge of the latter.