EP0639530B1 - Device for mechanically withdrawing threaded caps from bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for mechanically withdrawing threaded caps from bottles (2), such as caps (13) from juice or mineral water or even beer bottles, having at least one assembly which rotates the cap in the opening direction and at least one lifting assembly (6) which is used to transport the bottles is to be devised, by means of which it is possible to reduce the operations of the known devices and therefore to reduce the outlay on construction entailed by them. To achieve this, provision is made according to the invention for both a device (12) for holding and removing the bottles and a device (27) for rotating the caps (13) in the opening direction to be arranged coaxially with one another in the lifting assembly (6). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for the mechanical removal of screw caps from bottles, such as caps from juice, mineral water or also beer bottles, with at least one unit rotating the lid in the opening direction and at least one lifting unit used to transport the bottles and held in a carrier plate. in which both a device for holding and removing the bottles and a device for rotating the lid in the opening direction are arranged.

A device of the type described above is known from DE-A 2 132 244. In the known device, gripper heads are fastened to holding plates which can be moved horizontally and vertically by means of a swivel drive and, when they are brought into a corresponding position by the holding plate, can be placed on the bottles in order to grip one bottle each with an associated gripping head. During the transport of a seized bottle, it is either uncapped or capped with a screwdriver.

All screwing and unscrewing are driven by the swivel drive for the holding plate. The entire unscrewing and unscrewing of the known device are thus simultaneously activated by a common rotary drive, regardless of whether each gripper head of the holding plate has gripped a bottle or not.

A drive common to all gripping heads can have a disadvantageous effect on the operational safety of the known device, because e.g. Mechanical malfunctions in only one of the unscrewing and unscrewing devices result in all unscrewing and unscrewing devices failing. The entire device must then be taken out of operation for a longer period of time for the corresponding repair work.

These disadvantages are avoided in a device which is characterized according to the invention in that each lifting unit is each provided with a separate rotary drive, that a drive pin of the drive extends vertically through a receiving bore in the carrier plate and continues via a coupling member as a drive shaft, the Drive shaft is mounted in a non-rotatably, but liftable and lowerable in the support plate seated piston shaft, inside which it runs coaxially, that the piston shaft is arranged coaxially inside a cylinder housing connected to the support plate, the piston shaft relative to the cylinder housing vertically downwards, can therefore be pressed against the bottle to be freed from the fact that the piston skirt is provided with a cone arranged at its lower end, which enters between at least two support rollers which are articulated on the cylinder housing and are connected in a fixed position with a lever s are, at the lower end via a further joint on the bottle engaging gripper jaws are pivotally arranged, and that between the lower end of the drive shaft and the cover to be removed, couplings are provided which are arranged at the shaft end and act on the cover.

With this arrangement it is achieved that both the lifting process and the process of twisting off the cover can be accomplished with a single unit.

In addition to saving additional intermediate conveyors and separate devices, the device according to the invention thus has the advantage that the cover can be unscrewed at the same time as the lifting process. The individual parts of the unit can also be attacked on the bottle or on its lid at the same time.

The device according to the invention can preferably be applied to bottles which are temporarily stored in the above-mentioned collecting containers ("boxes"). In such a case, it can be particularly expedient if the spacing and the number of lifting units of the type mentioned are used which correspond to the bottles arranged in the collecting container. The use of such a device means that the removal and replacement of the bottles can be carried out very quickly.

On the other hand, this results in relatively large and heavy devices, since, for example, 24 units have to be used for a box that accommodates 24 beer bottles for the simultaneous exchange.

For this reason, it is particularly advantageous if one or more horizontally displaceable devices are used in particular for containers with numerous bottles, in which the number of aggregates is smaller than the number of bottles, so that the aggregates are only assigned to a part of the bottles . For example, in the case of a container which holds 8 bottles which are arranged in two rows of four, the lids of four of these bottles, which are therefore square to one another, could be removed one after the other by a device provided with correspondingly square lifting units. It is also possible to use devices that work simultaneously, each time but only remove a limited number of bottles. In the example above, two devices would be required, each with four lifting units, which simultaneously grasp the existing bottles and unscrew the lids there. Such a division has the advantage that the device allows the existing bottles to be acted upon both in succession and simultaneously. In extreme cases, it may even be sufficient if a single movable unit is present, which captures the bottles one after the other and can be moved horizontally in a frame assigned to the carrier plate on rails arranged there, the movement being fixable in its initial and final position by a switch or the like is.

If several units are used, they can be assigned a separate carrier which holds the units together and which carries out the shifting, it being possible for more than one unit to be shifted at the same time.

If several units are used at the same time, there is the same advantage as with an arrangement in which each bottle is assigned an unit, whereby it is advantageous that in the event of a fault or repair, it is not necessary to replace the entire device, but in case of doubt only a partial assembly of units .

In a particularly advantageous manner, the individual units are each provided with a separate drive, which can be an electric motor. Of course, it is also possible to use a pneumatic or hydraulic motor here. However, since the rotational speed of the shaft of the motor must be relatively low, intermediate gears are required in an electric motor, while a hydraulic motor is set in this way can be that it runs slowly.

It is expedient here that the drive pin of the drive, which runs centrally through the receiving bore of the support plate, e.g. of the electric motor, extends perpendicularly through the receiving bore, and continues beyond a coupling member as the drive shaft, the drive shaft in turn being mounted in the piston shaft, inside which it extends coaxially. Since the piston shaft in turn sits coaxially in the interior of a cylinder housing, the device can be provided with a pneumatic drive which presses the piston shaft downwards relative to the cylinder housing when it is triggered, that is, against the bottle to be freed from the lid.

So when the piston shaft moves down towards the bottle, the support rollers are pushed apart and thus the lever is turned counterclockwise or clockwise, so that the jaws are pressed against the neck of the bottle or the top of the bottle against the force of springs provided here that the bottle is carried by the piston on a return stroke.

In this embodiment, a shaft section which is connected to the shaft of the drive motor or formed by the shaft itself is expediently provided coaxially within the piston shaft and rotates slowly within the piston shaft. This driven shaft section is also carried by the piston when the piston moves downward, roller bearings being provided between the shaft and the piston shaft. It is therefore necessary for the shaft or its section to perform a relative movement with respect to the motor drive or its shaft, for example as a result can come about that, in a manner known per se, two sections of a coupling member are provided which interlock telescopically, the torque being transferable by means of teeth which enable longitudinal displacement.

In order to transmit the rotational movement of the shaft to the cover to be rotated, couplings of various types can be provided between the shaft end and cover in the event that these two parts come into contact. Such a coupling can - as described - consist, for example, that gripper-like jaws are connected to the shaft, which act on the cover under frictional force.

It is particularly advantageous if the connection between the shaft end and the cover is achieved by the fact that at least one eccentrically arranged pointed pin is present at the shaft end, which penetrates the cover when the shaft moves downward and thus a fixed connection between the shaft pin and the shaft Lids. As soon as the pin has penetrated the cover, it is taken away by the shaft. Due to the low rotational speed, such a connection can be made while the shaft is running. Of course, it is also possible to carry out an additional switch-on by means of circulation contacts or the like, which brings about a coupling of the type described above at a standstill. The arrangement described above has the essential advantage that construction material is saved.

Finally, it is also possible to convey the cover, which may be adhering to a plurality of pins of this type, out of the device by means of an ejector, the ejector consisting of a pin which is located in the center of the shaft and is arranged there to be longitudinally displaceable is. In the case of a pneumatic version, this ejector can be acted upon by a correspondingly small compressed air unit in the ejector direction, ie downwards; however, mechanical devices are also conceivable which are arranged in the interior of the piston skirt due to eccentrics or the like and which, in a specific position, strike the upper end of the ejector.

Instead of the pin or pins, grippers can also be provided for the cover, which produce the frictional connection with the shaft. The ejection may be simplified if an air flow is generated which is directed against the cover from above and separates it from the tips.

In order to improve the adhesion of the gripper jaws to the bottles and to prevent them from falling out of the device during the lifting process, the gripper jaws can be provided with adhesion-increasing bristles or the like which face the neck of the bottle. At this point, rubber coatings or coatings made of rubber-like plastic can also be provided.

In the case of a pneumatic drive, the essential parts of the pneumatic system can be arranged in the upper part of the cylinder head, which in turn is connected to the carrier plate via a flange which can be held by three screws and which thus reliably holds the unit. On the other hand, such a connection makes it possible to detach the entire assembly including the shaft, ejector and gripper and to remove it from the traverse with minimal downtime for the purpose of replacement.

Fig. 1

zeigt in schematischer perspektivischer Darstellung eine Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, mit welcher gleichzeitig sämtliche Seiten eines Sammelbehälters beaufschlagt werden können.

Fig. 2

zeigt in schematischer Darstellung eine Ausführungsform von Greifern oder Backen, die dem Festhalten der Flaschen dienen.

Fig. 3

zeigt in schematischer Darstellung im Schnitt eine andere Ausführungsform für die Ausbildung der Greifer oder Backen.

Fig. 4

zeigt in schematischer Darstellung eine Ausführungsform zur pneumatischen Betätigung der Vorrichtung.

Fig. 5

ist der Schnitt V/V nach Fig. 6.

Fig. 6

zeigt einen Längsschnitt durch die Vorrichtung.

Fig. 7

zeigt die Vorrichtung nach Fig. 6 in Ansicht.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments in the drawing.

Fig. 1

shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, with which all sides of a collecting container can be loaded simultaneously.

Fig. 2

shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of grippers or jaws, which serve to hold the bottles.

Fig. 3

shows a schematic representation in section of another embodiment for the formation of the gripper or jaws.

Fig. 4

shows a schematic representation of an embodiment for pneumatic actuation of the device.

Fig. 5

is the section V / V according to FIG. 6.

Fig. 6

shows a longitudinal section through the device.

Fig. 7

shows the device of FIG. 6 in view.

According to FIG. 1, a device 1 is assigned to a collecting container 3 which holds eight bottles 2 arranged next to one another in rows of four, this collecting container 3 being commercially available and used for the simultaneous sale of several filled bottles 2.

The device 1 assigned to the collecting container 3 and shown in FIG. 1 exists according to the illustrated embodiment from a frame 4 which can accommodate a carrier plate 5, the carrier plate 5 serving to hold (in the exemplary embodiment shown: eight) lifting units 6, one of which is assigned to one of the bottles 2 in the collecting container 3. The frame 4 and thus the support plate 5 are arranged displaceably on rails 7 and 8, the rails 7 and 8 being arranged at right angles to one another in the exemplary embodiment shown, but need not be. The rails 7 and 8 can engage above and below the frame 4 or the carrier plate 5 and can be locked in their respective setting position.

The rails 7 and 8 make it possible, for example, when using relatively few units (for example four units in the exemplary embodiment shown) to achieve the number of bottles not achieved in each case by moving the carrier plate 5 with the frame 4 appropriately and quickly over the bottles not previously taken.

1 shows the device 1 seen from below, the individual units 6 protruding downward from the carrier plate 5, ie in the direction of the bottles 2. Of the units 6, the outer cylinder housing 9 is visible in FIG. 1, from each of which a piston shaft 10 emerges from below. This piston shaft 10 serves on the one hand to actuate a gripper 11 which holds the respective bottle 2 by means of articulated gripper jaws 12, the lid 13 of which is to be removed (cf. FIG. 2). For this purpose, at least two levers 14 can be provided in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, each of which can be pivoted about a fixed articulation point 15 and at whose ends pointing towards the bottle 2 the articulated holders 17 of the gripper jaws 12 are articulated via joints 16.

The gripper jaws 12 are thus brought into contact with the bottle 2 in the neck region thereof when their upper ends 18 are pressed apart in the direction of the double arrow 19. This pushing apart, like all other operations, can be done pneumatically.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of this actuation of the jaws 12, the spreading apart in the direction of the double arrow 19 being carried out by the piston shaft 10, at the end facing the jaws 12 a cone 20 is arranged, which acts on stationary support rollers 21 spread the levers 14 apart and thus bring the gripper jaws 12 against the bottle 2 in the opposite direction.

In Fig. 3, the support plate 5 is still shown, which holds the entire lifting unit.

Fig. 4 shows the individual components in their single stage, i.e. at a time when the cone 20 has not yet acted on the support rollers 21 in the opening direction and thus on the gripper jaws 12 in the closing direction.

4 also shows a centrally arranged ejector 30, which serves to eject the turned-off cover 13. Like all other components, the ejector designed as a pin can be pressurized with compressed air.

Fig. 6 shows the overall device with its details in section. Thereafter, the piston shaft 10 is arranged vertically displaceably and pneumatically acted upon, in the interior of which a drive shaft 26 is rotatably mounted about its vertical axis via roller bearings 25, which unscrews the cover 13 serves. The driver for this is a pin 127, which is inserted into the cover 13 outside of the center from above, so that the continued rotation of the shaft 26 leads to a drive of the cover 13 and thus to a rotation in the opening direction. Of course, several carriers of this type can also be provided.

As can further be seen from FIG. 6, coaxial within the shaft 26 is the ejector 30, which can be moved vertically downward in the direction of arrow 35 via its air connections 31 and 32 (cf. FIG. 4), so that the removed and twisted cover 13 is promoted downwards.

FIG. 5 is the section V / V in FIG. 6 and illustrates the coaxial engagement of the ejector 30, the drive shaft 26 of the piston shaft 10 and the cylinder housing 9.

As can further be seen from FIG. 6, the gripper jaws 12 can additionally be acted upon by springs 36 in the contact direction.

7 shows the overall assembly in a side view and illustrates its mounting, in particular on the carrier plate 5.

Claims (13)

1. Device for mechanically removing screw caps (13) from bottles (2), such as caps of juice, mineral water or else beer bottles, having at least one unit which rotates the caps (13) in the opening direction and at least one lifting unit (6) which serves to transport the bottles (2), is held in a bearing plate (5) and in which there are arranged both a device for holding and removing the bottles and a device for rotating the caps (13) in the opening direction, characterized in that each lifting unit (6) is in each case provided with a separate rotary drive (40), in that an output pin (26') of the drive (40) extends vertically through a receiving bore in the bearing plate (5) and continues as drive shaft (26) beyond a coupling member (27), the drive shaft (26) being mounted in a piston shaft (10) which is positioned in the bearing plate (5) so as to be rotationally fixed but able to move upwards and downwards, the drive shaft running coaxially in the interior of the said piston shaft, in that the piston shaft (10) is arranged coaxially in the interior of a cylinder housing (9) which is connected to the bearing plate (5), it being possible to press the piston shaft (10) vertically downwards, that is to say against the bottle (2) from which the cap (13) is to be removed, relative to the cylinder housing (9), in that the piston shaft (10) is provided with a cone (20) which is arranged on its lower end and passes between at least two support rollers (21), which are mounted articulatedly on the cylinder housing (9) and are connected in a fixed manner to a lever (14), at the lower end of which gripper jaws (12), which engage on the bottle via a further joint, are pivotably arranged, and in that couplings which are arranged at the shaft end and engage on the cap (13) are provided between the lower end of the drive shaft (26) and the cap (13) to be removed.
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the rotary drive (40) is a hydraulic motor.
3. Device according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it is provided with a pneumatic lifting drive which, when actuated appropriately, presses the piston shaft (10) downwards relative to the cylinder housing (9) against the bottle (2) from which the cap (13) is to be removed.
4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the important parts of the pneumatic unit for the pneumatic lifting drive are arranged in the upper part of the head of the cylinder housing (9), which in turn is connected to the bearing plate (5) via a flange.
5. Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the flange is held on the bearing plate (5) by means of three screws distributed uniformly over the periphery of the said flange, it being possible to exchange the entire lifting unit (6) after loosening the screws.
6. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the couplings arranged at the lower end of the drive shaft (26) are gripper-like jaws which engage frictionally on the cap (13).
7. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the couplings between the end of the shaft (26) and the cap (13) comprise at least one pin (127) which is injection-moulded eccentrically at the end of the shaft (26) and penetrates through the cap (13) when the shaft (26) is moved downwards, resulting in a fixed connection between the pin (127) and the shaft (26) and the cap (13).
8. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the cap (13) which is attached to the shaft end can be removed by means of an ejector (30)
9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the ejector (30) comprises a pin which is situated in the centre of the drive shaft (26) and is arranged so as to be longitudinally displaceable therein.
10. Device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the ejector (30), if it is of pneumatic design, can be acted on by compressed air in the ejection direction, i.e. downwards.
11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing plate (5) is horizontally movable in an associated frame (4) on rails (7, 8) arranged at that location.
12. Device according to Claim 11, characterized in that the starting and end positions of its movement can be fixed by means of a switch or the like.
13. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the gripper jaws (12) are provided, on their side facing the bottle neck, with adhesion-promoting means.

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