EP0476251B1 - Device for rotatively orientating bottles having swing top closures - Google Patents

Description

When mechanically closing bottles with clip closures (placing the closure button on the bottle head and tensioning the clip), it is necessary to first bring the bottles into the correct rotary position. In a known device for aligning the bottles into the correct rotational position (DE 3 923 670 A1), with the bottle open, a bell is lowered onto the bottle head, which in only two rotational positions of the bottle offset by 180 ° allows the clip lock to snap into place. In order to select the correct rotational position from these two rotational positions, the unlocked bell is acted on by means of a plunger on the opened clip closure in such a way that it evades the one rotational position of the bottle, which corresponds to the desired rotational position, and in the other rotational position, the desired rotational position does not correspond, is turned so far that when the bell is lowered again it cannot snap into place. Only when the bottle is turned further can the bell snap into the desired rotational position of the bottle. That kind of Bottle alignment is only designed for bottles with the swing top open.

If the bottles are to be further treated and labeled after closure and the labels are to be applied in certain rotational positions and the bottle is to be checked again for proper closure at the end of the entire treatment, it is provided that the rotational position once found is dragged along by none Section of the further transport route the bottle is left to rotate freely. However, if there are disruptions on the further transport route, with the result that the bottle twists unintentionally, it is necessary to align it again. Alignment of the bottle may also be necessary if the individual treatments, filling and labeling, are not linked via the machine, because then the rotational position cannot be carried along.

In a known labeling machine for swing top bottles (CH-A-362968), the swing top bottles are aligned in a carrier leading to the labeling station before the bottles reach the labeling station. The alignment device consists of a spring-loaded locking element which can be swiveled laterally onto the clip closure and which is carried by a support arm of a centering head, between which and the rotating plate the individual bottles are clamped axially. The locking element has a slot which is inclined to the axis of the bottle, so that when the bottle is rotated by the turntable of the two bracket arms, only the one who has the correct inclination can snap into place.

For this type of bottle alignment, there is only a short way to the labeling station. The The bottles are fixed in the aligned rotating position solely by the locking element. A particularly precise alignment is therefore not possible. The load when aligning is also high because the clip arm snaps into the locking element when the bottle is rotating.

The invention has for its object to provide a device for aligning the rotational position of bottles closed with clip closures, with which the alignment takes place very precisely and without heavy loading of the clip closures and the elements involved in the alignment.

The invention is based on a device according to CH-A-362 968 for aligning the rotational position of bottles closed with clip closures, consisting of a rotating carrier with rotating turntables arranged in a circle thereon and clamping heads arranged between them and which can be lowered onto them the turntables, the individual bottles can be clamped axially. In such a device, the solution to the problem is that each clamping head has a non-rotatable bell, which can be put over the closure button of the clip closure, in which the bottle with the clip closure can be positively locked in two predetermined, 180 ° offset rotary positions, and one-sided and radial are assigned to the bottle head against the bow arms and with the turntable stationary locking element which is matched to the opposite skew of the two opposite bow arms of the bow lock in such a way that when the bell is disengaged only in one of the two predetermined rotational positions the bottle by the locking element against rotation by the turntable is secured in the closing direction of the clip lock.

In the device according to the invention, the interaction of bell, locking element and turntable drive ensures that the alignment takes place gently and precisely. The two possible rotary positions are set precisely by means of the bell which can be positively locked in two predetermined rotary positions offset by 180 °. The correct rotating position is identified with the locking element, which, when the bottle is stationary, only secures the bottles against twisting in one of the two rotating positions. If the rotary position selected by means of the bell is not correct, then the locking element cannot engage, so that when the torque exerted again by the rotary plate on the bottle, the bottle is rotated further. The bell can then be lowered again and the locking element can be controlled again. When the other 180 ° position is reached, the bell locks in the correct rotary position. If, on the other hand, the first rotary position is already correct, the locking element engages when the bottle is stationary and the bell is raised. The torque then exerted on the bottle by the turntable cannot rotate the bottle, so that when the bell is lowered again, the clip lock snaps into the bell and is held by it in a rotationally fixed manner. The locking element can then be released. If, as is provided according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this alignment does not take place in a bottle carrier on which the labeling station or the labeling stations are arranged, but instead takes place in a carrier arranged upstream of this carrier, the entire circulation can be used for the bottle alignment.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking element should hold the latched bracket with tangential play and the bell should Have snap-in of the bracket arms lying next to the locking button centering inlet slots. This configuration makes it possible to align flip-top bottles with flip-top flip-top closures without this being done at the expense of precise alignment. The centering inlet slots of the bell ensure the alignment is precise.

According to a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the locking element can be actuated via a spring-loaded toggle lever. With such a lever, the locking element can be guided precisely on the one hand and, on the other hand, a predetermined contact pressure can be applied for the engagement.

Figur 1

eine Etikettiermaschine für Bügelverschlußflaschen mit einer ihr vorgeordneten Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten der Drehstellung der Bügelverschlußflaschen in schematischer Darstellung in Aufsicht,

Figur 2

einen Spannkopf und einen Drehteller mit dazwischen axial eingespannter Flasche der Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Bügelverschlußflaschen gemäß Figur 1 in Seitenansicht und teilweise im Axialschnitt,

Figur 3

den Spannkopf gemäß Figur 2 im Ausschnitt in Aufsicht und teilweise im Axialschnitt nach Linie I - I der Figur 2,

Figur 4

den Spannkopf gemäß Figur 2 in einer anderen Funktionsstellung im Ausschnitt, in Seitenansicht und teilweise im Axialschnitt und

Figur 5

den Spannkopf gemäß Figur 4 in Aufsicht und teilweise im Axialschnitt.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing which represents an exemplary embodiment. In detail show:

Figure 1

1 shows a labeling machine for swing top bottles with a device upstream thereof for aligning the rotational position of the swing top bottles in a schematic representation in supervision,

Figure 2

2 shows a clamping head and a turntable with a bottle of the device for aligning swing top bottles according to FIG. 1, axially clamped in between, in a side view and partly in axial section,

Figure 3

2 the clamping head according to FIG. 2 in a detail from above and partly in axial section along line I - I of FIG. 2,

Figure 4

the clamping head according to Figure 2 in another functional position in the cutout, in side view and partially in axial section and

Figure 5

the clamping head according to Figure 4 in supervision and partially in axial section.

The labeling machine 30 shown in FIG. 1 has a revolving rotary table 31 and on its circumference three labeling stations 32, 33, 34 for labeling swing top bottles which are transported by the rotary table 31 past the labeling stations 32-34. The stirrup closure bottles pass via a conveyor 35, a feed screw 36, an inlet star 37, a device 38 for aligning the rotational position of the stirrup closure bottles, an intermediate star 39 to the turntable 31, which they leave via an outlet star 40 in the direction of a conveyor 41. Except for the device 38 for aligning the rotational position of the bottles, the parts described are part of the generally known prior art.

The device 38 for aligning the bottles has a circumferential carrier 38a with similar elements arranged thereon in a circle for treating the bottles. Such a treatment unit is shown in FIG. 2 below.

In each unit, a bottle 1, which is closed by a clip closure 2-5, is axially clamped axially between a turntable 6 driven by a cam mechanism and a resiliently supported clamping head 7 lowered onto the locking button 4 of the clip closure. The clamping head 7 is in a bell 8 arranged, which can be lowered via the locking button 4. At its lower edge it is provided with diametrically opposite inlet slots 8a, into which the bracket arms of the bracket 3 can snap in two rotational positions offset by 180 °, the bottle 1 being precisely aligned in its rotational position because of the inlet slots 8a. The bell 8 is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted on two guide pins 9 and is loaded in the direction of the locking button 4 by a spring 10. With a pair of feeler rollers 11, the bell 8 is guided in a fixed groove curve 12, of which only the lower flank is shown. The axial position of the bell 8 is thus determined by its height when moving along the groove curve 12. From the latched position shown in FIG. 2, in which the bottle 1 cannot be rotated, the bell 8 can accordingly be transferred to a disengaged, higher position, in which the bottle 1 can be rotated.

A locking element 21, which can be pivoted radially against the bracket 3 from the side, serves to identify the correct rotational position of the two predetermined 180 ° rotational positions. The locking element 21 is carried by a free end of a toggle lever 20, the two lever arm parts 20a, 20b of which are stretched by means of a spring 20c Location are held. The pivotable toggle lever 20 is clamped on a drive shaft 15 which is pivoted via a pivot arm 16 by a pair of guide rollers 17 when the carrier rotates.

The locking element 21 has a slot 21a which is inclined to the bottle axis, the inclination of which is such that, when the bottle 1 is in the desired rotational position, the likewise inclined upper bracket 3 can dip into the slot 21a when the locking element 21 is piloted. This situation is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown. So that tolerance-afflicted upper brackets 3 can easily be inserted into slot 21a, slot 21a has lateral play relative to bracket 3.

If, however, the bottle 1 is in the undesired rotational position, which is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the facing upper bracket 3 is inclined in the opposite direction to the slot 21a, so that it cannot dip into the slot 21a when the locking element is piloted, but instead the end of the locking element 21 is placed on the upper bracket 3, the toggle lever 20 being bent against the force of the spring 20c.

The device for aligning the bottle closed with the clip closure 2-5 is carried out in the following way:

The control of the bell 13 and the locking element 21 and the controlled drive of the turntable 6 are coordinated so that the following functional sequence results. In a first angular range α in the device 38 for aligning, the bottle 1 is axially clamped axially between the turntable 6 and the clamping head 7 and the bell 8 is lowered. There is a rotary movement of slightly more than 180 °. In this way it is achieved that at the latest at the end of the angular range α the brackets 3 are engaged in the inlet slots 8a of the bell 8, and thus one of the two 180 ° rotational positions is reached. In the next rotation angle range β, no torque is initially exerted on the bottle 1 by the turntable 6. If necessary after lifting the bell 8, the locking element 21 is pivoted. If the bottle 1 is in the correct position, the inclined bracket 3 snaps into the inclined slot 21a and is thereby secured against further rotation. The torque applied is effective in the closing direction of the clip closure, so that the closure does not open, but the bottom of the bottle slips against the turntable. This situation is shown in Figures 2 and 3. On the other hand, if the bottle 1 is in the wrong rotational position, the locking element 21 sits with its end face on the bracket 3 which is inclined opposite to the inclined slot 21a. This means that the locking element cannot secure the bottle 3 against rotation. This situation is shown in Figures 4 and 5.

At the latest at the beginning of the next angle of rotation range β, with the bell 8 raised and the locking element 21 still pivoted, a torque is exerted on the bottle 1 by the turntable 6. When the bracket 3 is locked in the slot 21a, this torque does not lead to the rotation of the bottle 1. In the other case, however, the turntable 6 rotates the bottle 1 by an angle of rotation which is sufficient to bring the bracket 3 out of the area of the inlet slots 8a of the bell 8 . A rotation angle of 10 to 20 ° is sufficient for this. At the end of the rotary movement exerted by the turntable 6 by 10 to 20 °, the locking element 21 is pivoted back. In the first case, in which the torque of the turntable 6 has not caused the bottle 1 to rotate, the brackets 3 snap into the inlet slots 8a. Here, the bottle 1 is aligned exactly in its rotational position, which is not possible by means of the locking element 21 alone because of the slot 21c which is designed with play relative to the bracket 3 for reasons of tolerance compensation. In the second case, the bracket 3 cannot snap into place because of its position rotated with respect to the inlet slots 8a. In this case, the bell 8 sits on the bracket 3 with its edge.

In a third rotation angle range γ, the turntable 6 again exerts a torque on the bottle 1. In the first In the case, this torque does not lead to a twisting of the bottle 1 because it is held in a rotationally fixed manner by the bell 8. In the second case, however, the bottle 1 rotates until the bracket 3 engages in the inlet slots 8a, which means that the desired correct rotational position of the bottle 1 is reached. In any case, the torque is absorbed by the two slots 8a of the bell 8 during this rotational movement in the latching position, which is more favorable than a one-sided locking by the locking element 21.

The bottles 1 aligned in this way in their rotational position are transferred to the rotating carrier 31 while maintaining the rotational position by means of the intermediate star 3, where they are clamped in a rotationally fixed manner between its rotary plate and its clamping head and at the labeling stations 32-34 in the respectively suitable rotational position be moved past.

The particular advantages of the invention are that because of the elements that run with each bottle to be aligned, there is a lot of time available for aligning the bottle in order to perform the various functions in the alignment. The interaction of the turntable 6, the bell 8 and the locking element 21 makes it possible to perform the alignment at high power without placing a heavy load on the clip closure or the elements of the device involved in the alignment and nevertheless achieve a very exact alignment of the bottles.

Claims (5)

1. Device for orientating by rotation bottles (1) with swing stoppers (2-5), consisting of a rotating carrier with controlled and driven bottle platforms (6) arranged circularly thereupon and with clamping elements (7) arranged above and to be lowered on said bottle platforms, the individual bottles (1) being axially clamped between those clamping elements (7) and the bottle platforms (6)
   wherein a fixed, non-rotating bell (8) to be slipped over the closing top (4) of the swing stopper (2-5) with which the bottle (1) with the swing stopper (2-5) can positively engage in two pre-determined rotating positions displaced by 180°, and a locking element (21) to be swiveled from the side radially with respect to the mouth of the bottle (la) toward the swing arms (2, 3) and to be precontrolled with the bottle platform (6) standing still are assigned to each clamping element (7), said locking element (21) being coordinated with respect to the opposite inclined position of the two opposed swing arms (3) of the swing stopper (2-5) in such a way that, with the bell (8) disengaged, the bottle (1) is protected by the locking element (21) from being rotated by the bottle platform (6) only in one of the two predetermined rotating positions.
2. Device, as set forth in claim 1,
   wherein said device is arranged in front of a labeller (30) and is linked to the labeller via an intermediate starwheel (39) to ensure transfer of the bottles (1) in correct register.
3. Device, as set forth in claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the locking element (21) holds the engaged swing arm (3) with tangential play and the bell (8) has centering intake slots (8a) for engagement of the swing arm lying beside the stopper top (4).
4. Device, as set forth in either of claims 1 to 3,
   wherein the locking element (21) has a slot (21a) designed such that, with the swing arm (3) engaged, the torque transferred from the bottle platform (6) to the bottle (1) will act on the swing stopper (2-5) so as to keep it closed.
5. Device, as set forth in either of claims 1 to 4,
   wherein the locking element (21) can be actuated via a spring-loaded toggle lever (20).

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