AT519322A1 - Device for applying container closures - Google Patents

Abstract

Shown is a device for placing small parts, such as container closures (18), on a conveying device (7) comprising at least one outlet opening (3) for container closures and a first chamber (1) with a filling opening (4) for container closures and with at least one in the operating state of the device obliquely arranged chamber wall (6), which allows slipping of container closures to the outlet opening (3). The device is characterized in that at least one second chamber (2) is provided which can be filled via a second filling opening (5), wherein first and second chambers have movable blocking means (10) for clearing the way for container closures to the common outlet opening (3 ) either to release or block.

Description

TASK DEVICE FOR CONTAINER CLOSURES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for placing small parts, such as container closures, on a conveying device, comprising at least one outlet opening for container closures and a first chamber having a filling opening for container closures and at least one chamber wall arranged obliquely in the operating state of the device, which is a chute from container closures to the outlet opening.

Such devices are used to load container closures such as corks, stoppers, caps, crown corks or other lids in a filling or packaging line onto a conveyor, e.g. on a conveyor belt, apply. The conveyor promotes the container closures e.g. to the capping machine, which then closes the containers with the container closures. The device according to the invention is also referred to as a feed container or storage container and is usually at the beginning of the conveyor line. The bottler fills the container closures to be processed into this feed bin or storage bin. It is also conceivable that the device contains parts of container closures and brings these parts with a conveyor to another processing machine for container closures. Or that finished container closures are not transported from the device to a capping machine, but in a warehouse or a buffer.

The device according to the invention is advantageously used when the bottler gets the container closures in hand boxes or sacks, and not in large containers, such as in octabin containers or lattice boxes. The hand boxes or bags are then poured by hand by the operator through the filling opening in the task or storage container. For bulk containers, there are other devices for placing container closures. However, it is also conceivable to place bulk containers on a conventional loading bridge or a conventional loading plate on a device according to the invention. For the filling of large batches, e.g. the same beverage with the same closure are usually used large containers. If a bottler fills smaller batches, then you are more likely to use packs packed in cardboard boxes or sacks. Some bottlers use but also for other reasons, preferably hand boxes, such as the

Container closure is very sensitive, or for hygienic reasons, or if bulk containers are not available from some closure suppliers.

STATE OF THE ART

Previous task or storage often met the requirements of bottlers only inadequate: If the batch of container closures is large, the volume of the reservoir should be as large as possible to refill as little as possible, so to have a lower manpower requirements. If the batch is small, you should not have too many container closures in the reservoir so that you do not have to remove too many from the container when changing grades. Of course, this can be taken into account by the operating personnel if they know that a change in the type of container closures will soon take place.

In the event of operator error, it may even be possible to fill in wrong container closures and all container closures must be removed.

So far, the following options have been available for changing the type of closure: - empty the chamber of the storage container via the conveying device located between the container and the closing machine. Usually one or more of the conveyor segments were reversible or the conveyor line branched through a switch. This works well for the fasteners in the conveyor system. However, the large volume of the reservoir led to long times. In addition, often had to be changed several times, the bin for the container closures, which is then usually not in the space of the storage container (storage room), but somewhere along the conveyor line in the filling room. - To make the reservoir slidably (e.g., on castors and rails) and to roll it away from the downstream conveyor for draining the container closures. - In the so-called delivery fork, so at the outlet opening, the container to install a simple flap (usually manual operation) to place next to the delivery button a vessel. There, however, it is often very cramped due to the downstream conveyor.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a device (ie in particular a task or storage container) for placing container closures on a conveyor device, which enables the change from one type of container closures to another type of container closures more quickly, in particular also parallel to the current production.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention this is in a device for placing small parts, in particular container closures, on a conveying device comprising at least one outlet opening for container closures and a first chamber with a filling opening for container closures and with at least one in the operating state of the device obliquely arranged chamber wall, the slipping of container closures to the outlet opening is achieved by providing at least one second chamber fillable via a second filling opening, the first and second chambers having movable blocking means for selectively clearing or blocking the path for container closures to the common outlet opening.

It can therefore be kept in stock at the same time a different kind of container closures per chamber. In a grade change, the chamber is closed with the previous sort of container closures by means of their blocking means, and in the chamber with the new type of container closures, the blocking means clears the way to the outlet opening. If more than two chambers are provided, each of these other chambers would have to have a movable locking means.

Thus, the variety change from one type to the other (changeover time, set-up time) massively accelerated or the time can be shortened. As mentioned above, both chambers could be manually filled from manual boxes or sacks. But it could also be a chamber of small containers, just hand boxes or bags, filled, the other about corresponding loading bridges or sheets from large containers, or it could be filled both chambers from large containers.

The locking devices can be adjusted manually, semi-automatically (contactor controls, control panels with press studs, touch panels) or fully automated (PLC control, master computer). The operation of the locking means itself can also be done manually in the first case, otherwise this can be done in all cases by pneumatic actuators such as pneumatic cylinders, or by motors or other drives.

In the simplest case, the blocking means may be formed as a locking slide. The gate valve may e.g. be designed as a flat sheet, which is in the locked state with the inclined chamber wall into engagement with us so prevents the container closures on slipping to the outlet opening.

The blocking means may be designed to be displaceable, namely to be displaceable from the outside by the chamber wall, which is arranged obliquely in the operating state of the device, into the interior of the first or second chamber.

So that when locking no container closures between the blocking means, so about the gate valve, and the opposite chamber boundary are clamped, it can be provided that the blocking means in the closed state leaves a free space to a chamber boundary, which is opposite to the inclined chamber wall.

In order to be able to better empty the two or more chambers, it can be provided that the chamber wall, which is arranged obliquely in the operating state of the device, has a closable opening for emptying the first or second chamber upstream of the blocking means. The closable opening may be formed as an outwardly opening flap. In this case, it can be provided that the flap in the locked

Lockable position. This has the first advantage that the flap is secured against unintentional opening of the flap in the event of failure or pressure loss of a pneumatic cylinder positioning the flap. A second advantage is that the position of the flap in the closed state can be precisely determined and no step forms the subsequent sliding surface, which could interfere with the movement of the container closures.

With the closable opening for emptying can therefore be a quick, efficient, hygienic (no contact of the chambers or container closures by the operator) and gentle emptying of the individual chambers. The emptied container closures can then even be reused.

The process of draining old container closures that are no longer needed and filling new container closures for future batches can be done in parallel to ongoing production to reduce the downtime lost by setup to as close as possible to zero.

The closing and opening of the closable opening can again be done in a dog-like manner, semi-automatically (contactor controls, control panels with press studs, touch panels) or fully automated (PLC control, master computer). The actuation of the flaps, etc., itself can also be done in the first case dog, otherwise this can be done in all cases by pneumatic actuators, such as pneumatic cylinders, or by motors or other drives.

It is also conceivable that the device has only one chamber, but both blocking means and in front of the locking means has a closable opening for emptying this chamber. Thus could also for this one chamber the

Benefits of easy emptying through the closable opening can be used.

Also conceivable are devices which indeed have two or more chambers, but not all chambers are provided with a closable opening for emptying.

In order to make the emptying of the chambers even more comfortable, a conveying device for transporting the emptied container closures can be provided under the closable opening. The conveyor can be designed so that the emptied at the bottom of the chambers container closures conveyed out and returned to a comfortable height, so that the filler a higher and larger vessel (possibly also a conventional large container, as it is used for container closures ) into which the container closures are automatically conveyed.

The volume of the chambers of the device can be chosen differently, with a large filling volume (storage volume) for large batches of container closures, or with a relatively smaller filling volume (storage volume) for smaller batches of container closures. The execution of the one or more oblique chamber walls remains the same in the rule, it will be increased or decreased only the subsequent, usually in the operating state vertically arranged chamber walls.

The filling opening of the chambers is usually closed for hygienic reasons, e.g. by sliding doors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. The drawings are exemplary and should be the

Although set out the idea of the invention, it does not restrict or even reproduce it in any way.

Showing:

Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of an inventive

Device with a conveyor for emptied container closures

Fig. 2 is an axonometric view of a device according to the invention with a tub for emptied container closures

Fig. 3 shows the interior of the device according to detail Z of FIG. 1, with pushers

4 shows a longitudinal section through the device of FIG. 1, according to line A-A from FIG. 3, FIG.

Fig. 5 shows a detail U of Fig. 4, concerning the locking of the flap

Fig. 6 is a detail of the longitudinal section through the device of Fig. 1, along line A-A of Fig. 3, with closed gate valve and closed flap, with container closures

Fig. 7 as Fig. 6, but with the flap open

WAYS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows an inventive device for applying container closures on a conveyor device 7, with an outlet opening 3 (see Fig. 3) for container closures 18 and a first chamber 1 and a second chamber 2. These first and second chambers 1,2 thus form a task or storage container. Each of the two chambers 1,2 has its own

Filling opening 4.5 for container closures 18 and at least one in the operating state of the device obliquely arranged chamber wall 6 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), which allows a slip of container closures to the common outlet opening 3.

In order to be able to transport container closures out of the chambers 1, 2, a funnel-like lining 16 is provided around the flaps 11 to be emptied later, which opens onto a conveyor 17, which moves the container closures 18 away from and below the chambers 1, 2 in a separate container 20, here an octabin container promotes.

The apparatus in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as in Fig. 1, except that it is shown in Fig. 2 from the rear and has no conveyor 17, but it is provided that under the funnel-like casing 16, a tub 15 is arranged which receives empty container closures 18. So that in case of a possible change of the full tub 15 against an empty tub 15 no container closures fall to the ground, a manually operable slide 21 is provided for closing the funnel-like panel 16 during Bottichtauschs.

Another difference from FIG. 2 to FIG. 1 is that the chambers 1, 2 in FIG. 2 have lower side walls 9, so that the chambers 1, 2 have less volume than those in FIG. 1. Consequently, a smaller one is also here Vat 15 instead of a larger container 20 is sufficient.

For good discharge of the container closures 18 after the outlet opening 3, a, in particular horizontally arranged, vibrating chute (Schüttelrutsche) 19 (see FIG. 4) can be selected. Alternatively, however, a discharge conveyor could also be selected (with smooth webbing or with ribbed or studded webbing) or alternative conveying means.

Around the outlet opening 3, a funnel 8 forming the underside of the reservoir and descending in three directions is arranged. This falls off at an angle which is slightly higher than that necessary for overcoming the static friction of the container closures 18. The goal is to achieve the largest possible volume of the device or their chambers 1.2 at low filling edge. Two walls of the funnel 8 are formed by the obliquely arranged chamber wall 6 of the first and second chambers 1,2, where each of the locking slide 10 and the flap 11 are located for emptying.

The vibrating trough 19 is approximately halfway into this funnel 8 into it (see Fig. 4), and protrudes about half length beak-like out of this. Above the funnel-like bottom protrude sidewalls 9 in the form of an attachment ring vertically up. View windows grant insight. At the top, the storage container is closed by fixed covers and integrated sliding doors 12 (either transparent or stainless steel sheet), the sliding doors 12 closing the filling openings 4, 5. This top is bevelled so that water and condensate can drain, and if possible no objects are placed on it (so-called "hygienic design").

The vibrating trough 19 is started by a litter vibrator. This is on a massive and heavy block. The entire storage tank and the massive block rest on a frame welded from round tubes and forming tubes, with rubber tubing being intermeshed for damping. Frame and storage container are as far as possible executed according to the rules of hygienic design (avoid horizontal surfaces, round tubes instead of shaped tubes, bevelled tops, smooth surfaces, only stainless steel, no cavities, etc.).

The reservoir is separated by a vertical partition 13 in two halves, just in the two chambers 1,2.

This intermediate wall 13 extends down into the conical funnel 8 to just before the confluence with the vibrating trough 19. The contour of the intermediate wall 13 is shown by two parallel dashed lines. At the front of the device, where the conveyor device 7 is arranged, the intermediate wall 13 extends vertically downwards along the side wall 19, above the outlet opening 3 horizontally to the rear and then again vertically downwards, specifically where the locking slides 10 (FIG. see Fig. 3) are located. Then, the partition 13 extends along the obliquely arranged chamber walls 6 of the two chambers 1.2 obliquely upwards to the rear to separate the chambers 1.2 from each other.

Shortly before the confluence of the two chambers 1.2 in the vibrating trough 19 is installed in the sloping bottom, namely in the obliquely arranged chamber wall 6, each chamber 1.2 from bottom to top working gate valve 10. This is shown in FIG. Each gate valve 10 is designed as a linear up-and-down sliding wall of sheet metal and is guided in a guide 22. The left locking slide 10, that is to say the one of the chamber 1, is lowered downwards in the position "outlet or production." The arrow indicates that it can be pushed upwards There are no edges or steps caused by the gate valve 10, otherwise the container closures will accumulate, since the inclination of the obliquely arranged chamber wall 6 is only as little as possible above the necessary friction angle the sheet metal of the chamber wall 6, a slight offset is formed down to the gate valve 10, and after the gate valve 10, a small drop distance to the vibrating trough 19 is provided out.

In position "outlet to" the gate valve 10, so in Fig. 3, the right gate valve of the chamber 2, raised.

The arrow indicates that the gate valve can only be moved downwards. It is important here that no container closures 18 are trapped during start-up, which possibly glide over just at the moment. This was realized by the locking slide 10 even in the raised state upwards still has air and does not abut the pressure relief plate 14 located above it (see Fig. 4). The overlying pressure relief plate 14 extends from the beak-side end wall of the reservoir into the reservoir and forms upwards an intermediate wall and limits the height and forms a passage underneath for the leaking container closures 18. Through this corridor runs only a moderately low flow of container closures 18th As a result, the locking slide 10 does not have to completely close this passage in height. The pressure relief plate 14 protrudes (seen from left to right in FIG. 4) beyond the blocking slide 10. The pressure relief plate 14 is angled here at this end down to about the height of the extended locking slide 10th

The locking slide 10 cause the two chambers 1.2 can be selectively opened and closed. One can e.g. fill both chambers 1,2 with the same container closures and drain one after the other. Or you can fill different container closures, and optionally retrieve. The locking slide 10 are actuated by a respective pneumatic cylinder, not shown in FIG.

In order to better empty the two chambers 1.2, was further in the sloping bottom of each of the two

Chambers (ie in the obliquely arranged chamber wall 6), immediately in front of the locking slide 10, depending on a downwardly folding away flap 11 installed for emptying, designed as a rotatably mounted on an axis flap. In Fig. 3, the flap 11 is closed in chamber 1 and could be opened according to the arrow, while the flap 11 is open in chamber 2 and could be closed according to the arrow.

The container closures 18 slide in the conveying direction first over the region of the axis of rotation and then over the flap 11 until they then reach the previously described locking slide 10 at the other end of the flap 11. This is illustrated in FIG. 4. In solid lines, the position of the locking slide 10 (open) and the flap 11 (closed) of the chamber 1 of FIG. 3 is shown where the

Container closures can reach the vibrating channel 19.

The position of the locking slide 10 (closed) and the flap 11 (open) of the chamber 2 from FIG. 3 are shown in double-dashed lines, where the container closures are removed from the chamber 2 by the flap 11.

Thus, the lying at the gate valve 10 end of the flap 11 in position "flap to" is really aligned with the edge of the locking slide 10 and no step is formed, the flap 11 is additionally equipped with a positioning and locking mechanism 24, which in Figs 5). Both the movement (pivoting) of each of the two flaps 11, as well as the locking is carried out respectively with its own pneumatic cylinder 23.

Overall, therefore, one has six pneumatic cylinders 23 in this example.

The flap 11 is in the operating state "chamber in production or conveying" in position "flap closed". The same applies to the

Operating state "chamber ready", which state is shown in Fig. 6. Here, the container closures 18 are applied to the closed locking slide 10. In the operating state "empty chamber" the flap 11 is open at the bottom (swung open). Before opening the flap 11 is still the positioning and locking mechanism 24 to open through the left pneumatic cylinder 23, only then can the right pneumatic cylinder 23 open the flap 11. Then, the container closures 18 (still) in the chamber 1, 2 slide downwards out of the storage container, as shown in FIG.

Normally, the container closures 18 slide into an underlying tub 15 (e.g., a plastic box).

The space between the bottom hopper 8 of the reservoir and the tub 15 is surrounded by a funnel-like panel 16 (sheet metal), so that no container closures next to the tub 15 can jump. In addition, thereby the pneumatic cylinder 23 and the flaps 11 and locking slide 10 and levers and guides etc. are protected from access (no danger to the operating personnel).

All this makes it possible to better empty the chambers 1.2. It can even be emptied one chamber 1, while the other chamber 2 container closures 18 via the conveyor 7 to the downstream system gives off (production). In order to make the emptying process even more comfortable, an additional conveyor 17, e.g. a discharge conveyor belt, be grown, which conveys the emptied at the bottom of the reservoir container closures 18 and returns at a comfortable height again, so that the user a higher and larger vessel (possibly also a conventional large container, as it is used for container closures see container 20 in Fig. 1) into which the container closures are automatically conveyed.

REFERENCE LIST 1 first chamber 2 second chamber 3 outlet opening 4 filling opening of the first chamber 1 5 filling opening of the second chamber 2 (second

Filling opening) 6 obliquely arranged chamber wall 7 conveying device 8 funnel 9 side walls 10 blocking slide (blocking means) 11 flap for emptying 12 sliding door 13 intermediate wall 14 pressure relief plate (chamber limitation) 15 tub 16 funnel-like lining 17 conveying device 18 container closures 19 vibrating chute 20 container 21 slide 22 guide for gate valve 10 23 Pneumatic cylinder 24 Positioning and locking mechanism

Claims (8)

1. A device for placing small parts, such as container closures (18), on a conveying device (7), comprising at least one outlet opening (3) for container closures and a first chamber (1) with a filling opening (4) for container closures and with at least one in Operating state of the device obliquely arranged chamber wall (6), which allows slipping of container closures to the outlet opening (3), characterized in that at least a second chamber (2) is provided, which via a second filling opening (5) can be filled, wherein first and second chamber have movable blocking means (10) for selectively releasing or blocking the path for container closures to the common outlet opening (3). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking means (10) is designed as a locking slide. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the blocking means (10) for blocking from the outside by the obliquely arranged in the operating state of the device chamber wall (6) into the interior of the first and second chamber (1,2) is displaceable. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking means (10) leaves a free space open in the closed state to a chamber boundary, which is opposite to the obliquely arranged chamber wall. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the operating state of the device obliquely arranged chamber wall (6) in front of the blocking means (10) has a closable opening for emptying the first and second chambers (1,2). 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the closable opening is formed as an outwardly opening flap (11). 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the flap (11) can be locked in the closed position. 8. Apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that below the closable opening a conveyor (17) is provided for transporting the emptied container closures.