EP0774415B1 - Method for applying wicker coverings on bottles, automatic machine to perform this method, pile of wicker coverings for feeding this machine, method and machine for producing this pile - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a method for placing sides on bottles, as well as an automatic machine for implement this process.

It also relates to a stack of sides for power this machine, as well as a method and a machine for carry out said stacking.

We know that the sides are objects presenting themselves generally in the form of sleeves consisting of threads large stitches that are placed on containers such as bottles, either to ensure the safety of their contents, or in a decoration purpose.

These sides are most often made up of wires small diameter metal and are therefore easily deformable.

We already know automatic machines to perform the sides which allow to unwind fine metal wires around suitably arranged studs and in some places to tie these wires twos by twisting them together to form stitches.

The sides are usually placed on the bottles manually or using partially automatic machines which require a large workforce.

We know from document FR-A-2 718 106 a machine partially automatic with a fixed frame and a carriage serving as a support for the bottle fitted with its coupler, chassis likely to be moved between a first link position of the game bottom of the strand wires and a second position of sectioning of the lower part of these.

The present invention makes it possible to carry out at a rapid rate the placing of sides on bottles in a completely automatic and with an extremely reduced workforce which has only for the purpose of monitoring the proper functioning of the machine.

The sides thus laid can be either of the type which completely covers the bottle by resting on the part of the neck, or of the type in which the upper part of the bottle protrudes upward passing through a clisse mesh.

The present invention relates to a method according to claim 1.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, we controls the displacement of the fishplates by gripping members such as hooks that grip the wires that connect between them the lower ends of the different sides and which bring each slide successively into the various positions that the latter must occupy by immobilizing it in the position where it must be shaped by the mandrel, then in the position in which the bottle is engaged inside the rail.

According to the invention, it is advantageous to give the nail a horizontal rectilinear displacement, while the mandrel, which is normally located below the sides, is moved to the high to engage in the top that is above him and the get in shape.

Likewise, it is advantageous to ensure that the bottles move along a path parallel to the movement of fences, but being located at a lower level by a distance larger than the height of the bottles, and immobilize the bottle which must receive the rail to move it then laterally until it is below the rail previously formed by the mandrel, then causing the lifting of the bottle to engage it inside the rail.

It is also advantageous, according to an embodiment preferred of the invention, then to grasp the neck of the bottle fitted with the rail using a gripping device, by pneumatic example, which allows, on the one hand to hold the bottle and on the other hand to put the latter in rotation around its vertical axis while gathering the lower part of the wires from the slides towards the axis of the bottle, while we lower the latter so as to achieve a twist connection of lower ends of the fishplate wires.

According to the invention, it is also advantageous, after having cut the wires below their connection point to release the bottle, lower it to its original level and move it laterally to cause it to be evacuated in parallel to the path of the fence but on the opposite side to that by which it has arrived.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of invention, and to increase the production capacity of the machine, it is advantageous to use a plurality of mandrels for simultaneously formatting a plurality of sides, which then makes it possible to simultaneously engage a plurality of bottles in the sides thus preformed, with the result increase the pace of work significantly proportional to the number of mandrels used.

The present invention also relates to a machine according to claim 10.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for continuous supply of ribs consists of three bars passing through the mesh of the stacking of the ribs, these bars being arranged horizontally, one at the part upper and two others at the bottom of the sides, said bars being held alternately by two groups gripping members arranged, a first in the vicinity of the supply end of the bars and a second substantially towards their middle.

In this way, holding the bars by the second group of gripping organs, we can introduce a stack of nailed by the front end of the bars, because the gripping the first group are open.

It is then sufficient to close the gripping members of the second group and open those of the first to be able to power the machine behind the scenes.

We understand that by holding the bars alternately by the gripping organs of each group can be engaged on the successively bars the stacks of sides which are necessary, without interrupting the operation of the machine.

It suffices to manually subject the ends lower strands of the last streak of the last stack to those of the threads of the first streak of the next stack.

The spacing of each of the neighboring sides which are found in the stacked state is advantageously carried out according to the invention using a spacer device which consists of the combination of an offset to the outside of the end of each of the two lower rods and two additional rods which are slightly tilted upwards, and are arranged between the ends of the two lower rods, which has the effect of braking moving the fishplates and opening their lower parts, neighboring sides being joined together by two wires which are substantially perpendicular to the stacking plane.

In accordance with the invention, the device for driving clisses is advantageously constituted by two endless chains arranged parallel to each other, on either side of fishplates and turning around two pairs of coaxial cogwheels.

Each chain carries at distances slightly greater than diameter of the bottles on which the combs, grippers which grip the wires which join the lower parts of two neighboring sides which maintain them so as to ensure the displacement of the fishplates which are necessary to implement the different phases of the process.

In a preferred embodiment, the gripping members consist of tilting hooks, the spouts of which come engage behind the wires they must grasp, these hooks being then tilted outwards by a cam so as to ensure effective support of the wires that join the lower parts sides.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the different successive movements that are necessary to ensure the machine operation is ensured using cylinders tires controlled by a PLC.

According to the invention, it is advantageous to use as bottle neck gripping device a device tire consisting of a cap provided with an internal wall elastic which engages on the neck of the bottle while maintaining the latter thanks to the compressed air which is injected around the elastic wall.

Such a gripping device easily adapts to different forms of bottlenecks.

According to the invention, it is advantageous to use a organ which brings back the wires of the fishplate located below the bottle towards the center of the latter, while lowering slightly the bottle by rotating it on itself, so as to facilitate the creation of the twist connection of lower ends of the fishplate wires.

This device can advantageously consist of a wire arranged horizontally in a plane between the bottom of the bottle and the gripping members of the sides. This thread including at least one end is held in place by elastic means such as spring is pushed back towards the axis of the bottle during the rotation of the latter.

In a preferred embodiment, the device sectioning of the lower part of the joint wires is consisting of a shear driven in a back and forth movement by a jack, for example pneumatic, which brings the shears in sectioning position of the bottom part of the rail after the wires have been bonded and which removes the shears after sectioning, each blade being articulated on a rod provided a limit stop which causes the blades to close for shear.

The present invention also relates to a stack of flattened sides usable for implementing the process described above, characterized in that two superimposed sides are connected to each other by the lower ends of the wires their neighboring tablecloths.

The present invention also relates to a method according to claim 24.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, on each of the ends of the joint wires which must be joined between them, two neighboring rings are made in which can engage pins to position and manipulate the sides to join them together to form the stack.

The present invention finally relates to a machine according to claim 25.

In order to better understand the invention, we will now describe an embodiment taken as an example not limiting and shown in the drawing.

• la figure 1 représente une vue schématique en élévation d'un mode de réalisation d'une machine à poser les clisses selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique de dessus correspondant à la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe selon III-III de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique en perspective des organes de préhension supérieur et inférieur de la figure 3 en position ouverte,
• la figure 5 est une vue en perspective du dispositif d'alimentation en clisses et du dispositif d'entraínement de ces dernières,
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique de dessus représentant un dispositif de brosses mobiles pour maintenir en position les clisses qui ont été mises en forme par les mandrins,
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe partielle selon la partie droite VII-VII de la figure 6 montrant schématiquement un dispositif de récupération des parties inférieures des clisses après leur sectionnement,
• la figure 8 est une vue en élévation d'une variante des mandrins,
• la figure 9 est une vue schématique de dessus de l'organe qui ramène la partie inférieure des fils de clisses vers l'axe de la bouteille ainsi que de la cisaille qui sectionne ces fils en dessous de leur point de liaison,
• les figures 10 et 11 sont des vues partielles de deux types de clisses qui constituent une paire,
• la figure 12 est une vue schématique de dessus de la machine automatique d'empilage des clisses,
• la figure 13 est une vue en perspective de la tête du manipulateur de clisses de la machine de la figure 9,
• la figure 13A est une vue en perspective partielle de la tête manipulateur de la figure 10 montrant la position de la clisse en dessous de cette tête,
• la figure 14 est une vue en perspective de la partie de la machine qui réalise la liaison entre les différentes clisses de l'empilage, et
• les figures 15 à 24 sont des vues schématiques en élévation montrant les positions successives des différentes pièces lors de la liaison de deux clisses voisines pour former l'empilage.

On this drawing :

• FIG. 1 represents a diagrammatic elevation view of an embodiment of a machine for placing the sides according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic top view corresponding to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view along III-III of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the upper and lower gripping members of FIG. 3 in the open position,
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device for supplying sides and the device for driving the latter,
• FIG. 6 is a schematic top view showing a device for movable brushes for holding in position the ribs which have been shaped by the mandrels,
• FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view along the right part VII-VII of FIG. 6 schematically showing a device for recovering the lower parts of the ribs after their cutting,
• FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a variant of the mandrels,
• FIG. 9 is a schematic view from above of the member which brings the lower part of the comb wires towards the axis of the bottle as well as of the shears which sections these wires below their connection point,
• FIGS. 10 and 11 are partial views of two types of ribs which constitute a pair,
• FIG. 12 is a schematic top view of the automatic machine for stacking the fishplates,
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the head of the nail manipulator of the machine in FIG. 9,
• FIG. 13A is a partial perspective view of the manipulator head of FIG. 10 showing the position of the coupler below this head,
• FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the part of the machine which makes the connection between the different sides of the stack, and
• Figures 15 to 24 are schematic elevational views showing the successive positions of the different parts when connecting two neighboring sides to form the stack.

We find schematically represented in the figures and 2, the continuous supply device 1 of the sides, the device 2 for separating the sides and the device 3 training of the sides.

The feeding device 1 is constituted, in the mode of embodiment described, by an upper bar 4 and by two bars lower 5, arranged at the same level but slightly apart one from the other.

The respective positions of bars 4 and 5 are visible on Figure 3 which is a sectional view along III-III of Figure 1.

We also see in Figures 1, 2, and 3 a first group gripping members 7 which allow the bars 4 and 5 to be grasped substantially in the middle.

We also see in these figures a second group of organs gripping 8 which allow to grasp bars 4 and 5 at vicinity of their left end through which the introduction of stacks of sides 6.

There is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3 the gripping members 8 which each consist of a pair of pliers 9 a , 9 b which, by an appropriate device, for example using jacks, can be pivoted between two positions, namely a gripping position shown in solid lines and a release position shown in broken lines.

The pivoting of the two grippers 9 of each gripping device is synchronized so that the maintenance of a bar 4 or 5 is always carried out in the same position, that is to say with the longitudinal axis 4 a , 5 a of the bar which is fixed in space.

In the embodiment described, the upper clamps 9 a have a forked end so as to be applied tangentially to two generatrices of the bars 4, 5.

The lower clamps are provided with a lug 9 c with rounded conical end which comes to bear in a conical cavity 9 d produced in the corresponding bar 4,5.

This ensures precise positioning of the bars 4, 5 also much in rotation than longitudinally.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the gripping device where we see how the double clamps 9 ', 9 "which grip the upper bar 4 are offset from the double clamps 9 "', 9" "which grip a lower bar 5, this which avoids interference of the gripper trajectories and ensures the maintenance of bars 4 and 5 over a greater distance.

We understand under these conditions that we can easily carry out a continuous supply of ribs by operating as follows:

We open the pliers of the gripping members which are arranged on the left of figure 1, while maintaining the bars 4 and 5 by closing the clamps 9 of the gripping members 7 which are in the middle of the bars which are in consequence kept in their position.

We can then load a stack 6 of fencing by threading the left ends of bars 4 and 5 in the stack stitches sides.

After pushing back the stacking of combs between the organs gripping 7 and 8, the tongs are tipped over gripping members 8 which maintain the bars by their left end and just open the pliers of the organs of grip 7 to allow the displacement of the fishplates to the right with a view to their introduction into the active part of the machine.

We understand that when there is only a limited number of sides simply close the pliers of the gripping members 7 to hold the bars in their middle and open the clamps gripping members 8 to be able to engage a new stack of fence on the bars, then proceed as indicated above.

It only remains to ensure continuity between the two stacks by manually tying the lower ends of the wires of the last slide of the stack in use with those of the wires of the first streak of the new stack.

We see in Figures 1 and 2 how a mode is constituted of the device for spacing the sides one of the other.

For this, the lower bars 5 are offset outwards at 5 a , while additional bars 10 are arranged between the spaced apart parts 5 a bars 5 while making an angle upwards, as seen in the figure 1.

This device has the effect, when the sides are pulled to the right as will be explained later, on the one hand slow down the movement of the fishplates by causing a widening of their lower meshes which have to be placed on the parts 5a, which must overcome the upper end of the two bars 10, and on the other hand to open the lower end of the sides which are arranged vertically with their part upper still flattened, their lower periphery occurring substantially in the form of a rectangle, two neighboring sides being joined by 12 twisted wires which can be gripped by the gripping members 13 of the drive device.

In the embodiment described, this device drive consists of two endless chains 14 which revolve around two pairs of coaxial pinions 15.

As will be explained later, the device has hooks that engage around the son 12 and which train the sides to allow them to be placed on the bottles.

The device which is represented on the drawing makes it possible to place two sides simultaneously on a group of two bottles, but it goes without saying that according to the invention it is possible to treat simultaneously any number of bottles, which is a function of the production capacity that we want to give to the machine.

As soon as the first two sides have been taken care of by the drive device which has just been described, they are immobilized in the positions represented at 16 in FIG. 2, where they are above two mandrels 17 which are normally located below the chain 14 but which can be moved vertically upwards to engage inside the two sides to give them a shape which corresponds substantially to that of the bottles on which these sides are to be placed.

The two mandrels 17 are then returned to their position low, and the drive moves to bring the sides 16 thus formed in position 18 of the Figure 2 in which two bottles will be able to be engaged at the inside of the two sides.

For this, a conveyor chain brings from the left a series of bottles 19 as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The movement of these cylinders is controlled by a helical feed screw 20 which locates the first two bottles 19 has between the face of both the covers 18 have been formatted.

A device shown schematically in Figure 2 by a dashed line frame 21 allows to move the bottles 19 a to bring them coaxially below the sides 18 which have been shaped.

This device 21 also makes it possible to lift the two bottles 19 a in order to engage them inside the sides 18, until their neck protrudes through the upper central orifice of the sides 18.

A gripping device 22 constituted for example by a cap having an elastic inner wall inflatable by compressed air is lowered to come to engage on the necks of the bottles 19 a and to be fixed there when it is put under pressure.

Each cap 22 is integral with a device rotational drive 23 and it is mounted so that it can be raised and lowered as will be indicated below.

As soon as the caps 22 are secured to bottles 19 of the neck has, they cause the latter to rotate slightly lowering while the lower portions of the son clisse are bonded together by the rotation effect.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous to let the bottles drop slightly in lowering the caps 22, while bringing back towards the axis of the bottle the lower ends of the strands of the so as to favor their connection by torsion.

This displacement towards the axis of the bottle of the part of the wire sides which is located between the base of the bottle and the gripping organs can be obtained by various means.

We have, by way of example, represented in FIG. 6, how a frame 34 open at one end can be moved horizontally below the bottle 18 in the direction of the axis of this last, as represented by the double arrow 35.

A flexible cable 36 fixed at one end to a first branch 34 a of the frame 34 rotates around a roller 37 pivoting on the end of the second branch 34 b while being pulled at its other end by a spring 38 secured to the frame 34.

The position of the cable 36 at the when it rests on the lower ends of the wires sides to push them towards the axis of the bottle 18 and allow thus to link them by torsion thanks to the rotation of the latter.

Only one of these devices has been represented in FIG. 6, but it goes without saying that there are as many as there are bottles to treat simultaneously.

When the gripping caps have imposed a sufficient number of turns for the bottle 18, they immobilize it and using any type of disconnecting device, cut the lower ends of the wires from the bottom rail from their point of connection.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of the mandrels 17 and of the bottles 19 b during the fitting of the sides.

To keep the sides that have been shaped by the mandrels 17, we have in this mode preferred embodiment of two endless belts 70 which are located at the near the upper part of the body of the bottles and which rotate around the wheels 71 at the same speed as the forward speed of the bottles.

These strips are provided with substantially rigid bristles 72, at the way of a brush.

When moving to the right these bands 70 and sides which are shaped by the mandrels, the wires of the fishplates engage between the hairs 72 as soon as the mandrels are folded down so that the sides are held vertically which greatly facilitates the engagement of the neck of the bottles in the holes provided for this purpose at the upper part of sides.

FIG. 7 schematically represents a device consisting of two rollers 73 and 74 which pinch the part between them remaining 75 of the nail stack so as to send it by example in container 76.

FIG. 8 represents a variant of the mandrel 17 which is produced in two parts 17 a and 17 b to allow a good positioning of the upper orifice of the rail through which the neck of the bottle must be engaged when the rail does not cover the top end of the bottle.

To this end, the mandrel has an orifice 17 c at the upper part of its main body 17 a while a punch 17 b can be lowered at the end of the forming operation to engage in the orifice 17 c thus perfectly calibrating the orifice of the rail in which the neck of the bottle must engage.

Such a device must of course not be used with fishplates which come to rest on the top of the neck of the bottle.

There is shown in the upper part of Figure 9 a mode of preferred embodiment of the sectioning device according to the invention which includes a shear whose blades 39 are articulated at 40 on the end of the piston of a pneumatic cylinder 41.

Each blade 39 is controlled by being articulated on a rod 42 sliding in supports 43 and 44.

Each rod 42 has its limited stroke perpendicular to the path of the sides by two stops.

The right shear is represented during its journey towards the axis of the bottle 18, its movement being ensured by the piston 41.

When the stops 46 come into contact with the support 44, as this is the case for the left shears, the blades which are already engaged on both sides of the fishplate wires previously linked in 47 close under the pull of the rods 42 and thus cause the sectioning of the wires below the connection.

The jack 41 then moves the shears back until the stops 45 come into contact with support 43.

It can therefore be seen that the supports 43, 44 and the stops 45, 46 have the function of controlling the closing and opening of the blades 39 of the shears, which allows a simple and inexpensive construction.

The caps then drop down to rest the bottles thus fitted with their sides on the device for transfer 21 which brings the bottles back to their original level and moves laterally to bring them on the conveyor chain 24 who evacuates them.

We find in the perspective view of Figure 5 the bars 4, 5 and 10 of the supply device for sides as well as the chains 14 of the drive device for the sides.

In this embodiment, the hooking members of the wires fishplates which are arranged at regular intervals on the chains 14 each consist of a support block 25 integral a link in the chain and on which is hooked a hook 26 constantly pushed back by a spring so that, at rest, this hook 26 is arranged in a substantially horizontal manner, the beak 27 of hook 26 being directed upwards when the block support 25 is located on the upper strand of the chain 14.

The support block 25 also supports a stop 28 by by means of two slightly flexible rods 29.

The stop 28 has at its upper part a slot 30 which opens into a trapezoidal notch 31.

The hook 26 with its beak 27 as well as the stop 28, have shapes such as when the hook 26 is tilted around the axis which connects it to the support block 25, the body of the hook 26 comes engage in the trapezoidal notch, while its beak 27 engages in slot 30.

A wall 32 in the form of a cam is disposed on each side between the chains 14 so that when the latter are rotated, the hook 26 bears on the inclined end 32 a of the plate 32, which has the effect to pivot the hook 26 to bring it to bear against the internal walls of the trapezoidal notch 31 of the stop 28 while thus maintaining the wire of the joint which was caught in the beak of the hook during the tilting of this latest.

FIG. 5 shows the gripping members of each holding a wire connecting two neighboring fishplates with their tilted hook of which we can see the spout 27 engaged in the slot 30.

Given the flexibility of the rods 29 which connect the stop 28 at support block 25, the wire which connects the two sides neighbors is retained by the hook while being able to slide longitudinally.

Such a slip which is useful for good engagement of sides on the drive, may however prevent the rotational drive of the coupler when the neck of the bottle is rotated by the pneumatic cap.

To avoid this inconvenience, in each stop position of the device for driving the sides, a cylinder is provided tire 33 which, when the drive device is stopped, strongly applies the stop 28 against the plate 32, which causes jamming of the splicing wire between the body 26 of the hook and the trapezoidal surfaces of the notch 21 of the stop 28.

In this way, the nail wire cannot slip longitudinally, both during the insertion of the mandrel for its setting shaped, that when introducing the bottle for fixing of the slide on the bottle.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show the two types of sides which are joined successively to each other to realize a stack according to the invention.

Only the lower parts of the sides have been shown.

We see that the four lower ends of the each rail has two contiguous rings 48 and 49 to serve handling them as will be explained later.

We also see that the two types of sides in Figures 10 and 11 differ from each other only in that in the Figure 10, the even ends B and D of the wires belong to the upper layer of the streak while the odd ends A and C of the wires belong to the tablecloth bottom of the rail, while in the rail of Figure 11 this are the odd ends A and C which belong to the tablecloth upper and the even ends B and D which belong to the lower tablecloth.

This difference is particularly visible at the points of apparent crossing of the threads of the two layers which are surrounded by circles.

It is clear that thanks to this characteristic, it is possible to stack stacks alternately of types which are successively linked to each other by the even wires (B, D) and odd wires (A, C) of two neighboring sides.

FIGS. 12, 13, 13A and 14 show a mode of production of a machine according to the invention for producing the stacks of sides.

We see in Figure 12 a schematic top view of this machine which comprises: a manipulator 50 sliding on the slides 51 in the direction of the double arrow 52; a shear 53 arranged at a fixed station; a torsion device 54 provided with rotating lugs 55; and a separation device 56 provided with two groups of blades 57 and 58 which can each be moved in the direction of the double arrow 59 to engage on or between the wires of the sides. A fixed protection plate 59 a is placed in front of the blades 57, 58

The torsion device 54 as well as the partition 56 are mounted so that they can be raised or lowered simultaneously, for example using a jack.

The manipulator 50 comprises a head provided with fixed lugs 60 directed downwards and tilting lugs 61 mounted on an arm 62 which pivots around an axis 63 on the action of a pneumatic cylinder 64, so that the tilting pins 61 can be placed either in the position of figure 10, either next to and at the same level as the lugs 60.

A machine for making the sides of known type, allows successively place a rail of each of the types described above and shown in Figures 10 and 11 below the plate 65 where it is held, on the one hand by the fact that the rings 48, 49 located at the ends of wires A, B, C and D are engaged on the pins 60, 61 (the latter being folded towards the bottom) and on the other hand, by support rods 66 which are arranged below the plate 65.

Figure 13A corresponds to Figure 13 after removal of all the organs which are above the rail 67.

We see in this figure 13A how the rail 67 is thus supported by the rods 66 and the pins 60. For the clarity of the drawing the tilting lugs 61 are supposed to be reassembled in the position of figure 10, but they are actually engaged in the rings 49.

All the pins 60, 61 thus being engaged in the orifices correspondents 48 and 49 of the slide, the manipulator 50 can be moved according to the double arrow 52 of FIG. 12 to bring the ends of wires A, B, C and D below the blade of the shears 53 which cuts them at a determined distance beyond the rings 49.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blade mobile of the shears 53 has a pressing counter blade which holds the strand wires in position, before and during their sectioning.

The tilting lugs 61 are then raised while the strand wires are held by the pressing blade. Then the blade mobile of the shears 53 is raised.

To explain how the machine works, we assume that, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the ends A and C wires of fishplates are engaged by their rings 49 on the pins corresponding turns 55 while the ends B and D are joined to the other sides which constitute the stack, the Figure 14 shows only the upper rail, this stack being shown schematically in Figures 15 and following by a series of horizontal lines located below the ends B and D of the bottom rail.

As seen in Figure 15, the blade 58 holds towards the bottom stack of sides already made, the ends A and C of the last streak being engaged by their rings 49 on the 55 odd lugs, while its ends B and D connected to the stack are kept below the blade 58.

The manipulator 50 has just brought a new slide, the ends A ', B', C 'and D' have their rings 49 located above lugs 55.

The assembly constituted by the blades 57 and 58 and by the pins turns 55, goes up in the position of figure 16 causing engagement on the lugs 55 of the rings 49 of the ends A ', B', C ' and D 'of the new slide.

The blade 57 is then moved to the left, as shown in FIG. 17, to keep the rings 49 engaged on the lugs 55.

We rotate the odd pins by several turns to make the connection of the ends A and A 'on the one hand, and C and C' on the other hand, which brings the new rail to the upper rail of the stack already formed, and the odd pins are stopped by bottom direction as shown in figure 18.

The blade 58 is then moved to the right, as shown in figure 19.

As shown in Figure 20, the odd ejection pads 68 which push the ends A, A ' and C, C 'when they have been linked together, bringing them to a level below the blade 58.

The blade 58 is then brought to the left, as shown in Figure 21, and we go back to their initial position odd ejection pads 68 while the odd ends A, A 'and C, C' of the last two sides that have been linked together are held on top of the stack of ribs as shown in figure 22.

The assembly constituted by the manipulator 50 is then lowered, the blades 57 and 58 as well as the rotating lugs 55 for positioning in the position of figure 23 ..

As shown in FIG. 24, the knife 57 is brought back to the right while the manipulator 50 brings a new clisse whose lower layer is the one with the ends pairs B ", D" which will be assembled with the ends pairs B 'and From the previous slide by renewing the operations that come to be described.

We note that, as indicated above, we assemble successively different types of sides to constitute stacking.

To take into account the fact that the ends of the tablecloth from the bottom of the first streak of the stack and the ends of the tablecloth from the top of the last stacking streak should not be subject to torsion, (because they must remain free to allow manual assembly of two stacks), when process the first and last sides, we move backwards the rotating pins corresponding to the ends which must not be assembled by the machine so that these pins become inactive.

We see that the invention allows in a simple and fast way automatically place the sides on the bottles, without human intervention other than that necessary for surveillance of the machine.

The machine to make the stacking of fences which comes to be described is advantageously coupled with a machine automatic of known type which makes it possible to carry out alternately the two types of fishplates according to the invention and to place successively each click on the manipulator which has been described.

A programmable controller preferably ensures synchronism between the manufacture of the rails and their stacking.

It is understood that the embodiment which has been described above is in no way limiting and that it will be able to receive any desirable modifications without leaving for that of the scope of the claims.

In particular, it is clear that the drive device sides can be made differently, without departing from the scope of the claims.

Likewise, the devices that cause the displacement of mandrels and bottles can be made so different insofar as they provide the desired kinematics, without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims (30)

1. Process for automatic positioning of covers (6) made of metal wires or wires deformable in a similar manner on bottles or similar recipients, in which a stack is created of covers (6) in flattened state, where the lower ends of wires of two adjacent covers (6) are joined together to ensure a mechanical continuity of the various covers constituting the stack; the lower links of each of the covers are eliminated successively so as to create an opening giving access to the interior of each cover; a mandrel (17) is inserted successively into each cover via the opening thus created so as to give the cover concerned approximately the shape of the bottle (19a) on which it must be placed; the mandrel (17) is extracted from the cover (16); a bottle (19a) is inserted the cover thus shaped; the bottle thus covered with the cover is pivoted about its axis in relation to the lower part of the wires of the cover to link the latter together by twisting and apply the cover against the surface of the bottle; and the lower parts of the wires which project below the resulting link are cut.
2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that the movement of the covers is controlled by handling elements (13) such as hooks (26) which engage around the wires linking together the lower ends of the various covers and which bring each cover successively into the various positions it must assume by immobilising it in the position where it must be shaped by the mandrel (17) and the position in which the bottle (19a) is inserted inside the cover.
3. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the covers are given a straight horizontal movement.
4. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the mandrel (17) is inserted in the axis of the cover (16) from below.
5. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the bottles are moved on a path parallel to the movement of the covers but at a level lower by a distance greater than the height of the bottles; that the bottle to receive the cover is immobilised; that it is then moved sideways until it is located below the cover previously shaped by the mandrel; and that the bottle is then raised to be inserted inside the cover.
6. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the neck of the bottle fitted with the collar (18) is grasped by means of a handling device (22), for example pneumatic, which allows the bottle to be held while being rotated to ensure that the wires of the cover are linked beneath the bottle.
7. Process according to claim 6, characterised in that by rotating the bottle, the wires of the cover which are beneath the bottle are brought towards its axis while the bottle is slightly lowered.
8. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that after the wires of the cover have been cut off below their link point, the bottle is returned to its initial level and moved sideways to be evacuated.
9. Process according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that several mandrels (17) are inserted simultaneously in the corresponding covers then the same number of bottles are inserted in the covers thus previously shaped.
10. Machine for automatic application of covers (6) to bottles according to the process in claims 1 to 9, comprising in combination: a continuous supply device (1) for covers (6) supporting a stack of covers linked together by the lower ends of their wires so as to form a continuous whole; a separating device (2) for the covers to separate the latter from each other by deforming the lower ends of their wires in order to create an opening; a drive device (3) for the covers comprising hook elements (13) which grasp the wires joining the lower parts of the two adjacent covers in order to hold them and move them during their shaping and application on the bottles; a mandrel (17) arranged below a cover and coaxial with this, the said mandrel comprising a device which allows it to be raised to be engaged inside the cover (16) in order to shape it and then lowered to be released from the cover thus shaped; a control device which allows the cover to be immobilised in the position where it can receive the mandrel and to move the cover thus shaped to bring this to a position where it can receive the bottle to be covered; a device (20, 21) to receive the bottles to be covered with the covers and to position the bottle (19a) to receive the cover (18) by bringing it below the cover previously shaped, the said device being able to raise the bottle to insert it in the cover; a handling device (22) arranged above the bottle to grasp the neck of the bottle so as to rotate it while the lower ends of the wires of the cover continue to be held by the drive device (2) so as to link together by twisting all lower parts of the wires of the cover; a device for cutting the lower part of the wires of the cover below this link; and a device to receive the bottle thus fitted with its cover and lower it sufficiently to be able to move it sideways to be evacuated.
11. Machine according to claim 10, characterised in that the continuous supply device for covers consists of three bars (4, 5) passing through the mesh of the stack of covers (6), these bars being arranged horizontally, one (4) in the upper part and the other two (5) in the lower part of the covers, the said bars being held alternately by two groups (7, 8) of handling devices arranged, the first (8) next to the supply end of the bars and the second (7) approximately in their centre.
12. Machine according to claim 11, characterised in that the end of the two lower bars (5) located on the cover supply side are offset towards the outside (5a) whereas two additional rods (10) are arranged between the ends of two lower rods (5) and are slightly angled upwards.
13. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 12,
    characterised in that the drive device (3) consists of two endless chains (14) arranged parallel to each other on either side of the covers and turning about two pairs of coaxial toothed wheels (15).
14. Machine according to claim 13, characterised in that each chain carries, at distances slightly greater than the diameter of the bottles on which are to be placed the covers, handling elements (13) which grasp the wires connecting the lower parts of two adjacent covers and hold these to ensure the movements of the covers which are necessary to implement the various phases of the process.
15. Machine according to claims 13 and 14, characterised in that the handling elements (13) consist of swinging hooks (26), the tips (27) of which engage behind the wires they must grasp, these hooks being then swung out by a cam (32) so as to ensure an effective holding of the wires which link the lower parts of the cover.
16. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 15,
    characterised in that it comprises a device (34) to bring the lower parts of the wires of the covers towards the axis of the bottle (47) with a view to linking them, consisting for example of a deformable wire (36) subjected to spring action (38).
17. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 16,
    characterised in that it comprises a device for cutting the lower part of the cover wires, consisting of shears of which the two blades (39) are hinged at the end (40) of the piston of an actuator (41) which co-operates with the stops (43, 44, 45, 46) to control both the movement of the shears towards their operating position and the opening and closing of the blades (39) of the shears.
18. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 17,
    characterised in that it comprises a pair of endless belts (70) fitted with bristles (72) to hold the covers in position after shaping by the mandrels.
19. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 18,
    characterised in that it comprises a drive device for example with rollers (73, 74) to bring into a receptacle (76) the lower part of the covers after cutting.
20. Machine according to any of claims 10 to 19,
    characterised in that the mandrels (17) comprise a mobile upper part (17b) to form the upper opening of the casing through which the neck of the bottle must be introduced.
21. Stack of flattened covers (6) consisting of metal wires or wires deformable in a similar manner, used to implement the process according to any of claims 1 to 9, in which stack two adjacent covers are linked together by the lower ends of some of their constituent wires.
22. Stack of covers according to claim 21, characterised in that the covers are alternately of two different types distinguished by the fact that the lower layer of a cover of the first type (fig 10) is identical to the upper layer of a cover of the second type (fig 11).
23. Stack of covers according to any of claims 21 or 22, characterised in that it comprises a cover with two rings (48, 49) at the end (A, B, C, D) of its wires with a view to its handling.
24. Process to produce a stack of covers (6) according to claim 21 or 22, in which alternately two types of cover are produced (fig 10, fig 11) which are distinguished in their flattened state only by the fact that the path of the wires on the upper layer of a cover of the first type is identical to the path of the wires on the lower layer of the other cover of the second type, the lower ends of the wires of the cover being offset in relation to each other; that the covers thus formed are superimposed by alternating their type; and that they are joined by twisting alternately every second end of the wires of the superimposed covers.
25. Machine to implement automatically the process according to claim 24 comprising in combination: a handling device (50) fitted with lugs (60, 61) able to be engaged in rings (48, 49) produced on the ends of the wires of the cover to bring the latter successively to various working stations; shears (53) to cut the ends of the wires of the cover beyond the said rings; a twist device comprising turning lugs (55) able to engage in the end rings (49) of the wires of two superimposed covers and to turn these coaxially to link them; a device to turn alternately all even lugs and all odd lugs during assembly of the successive covers; and a separating device (58) which engages between the even and odd ends of the covers to separate them from each other.
26. Machine according to claim 25, characterised in that the handling device (50) has a head fitted with fixed lugs (60) pointing downwards and swivelling lugs (61) which can be placed either at the side of the fixed lugs (60) and also pointed downwards or removed from the vicinity of the latter.
27. Machine according to any of claims 25 and 26,
    characterised in that it comprises shears (53) fitted with a counter blade which holds in position the wires of the covers before and during their cutting.
28. Machine according to any of claims 25 to 27,
    characterised in that the turning lugs (55) can be rotated independently by actioning either the lugs of the even row or the lugs of the odd row, where the said lugs can be immobilised either in a position pointing upwards or in a position pointing downwards.
29. Machine according to any of claims 25 to 28,
    characterised in that the separating device consists of mobile blades which allow the wires of the covers to be held in position on the lugs during the manipulation of the covers.
30. Machine according to any of the claims 25 to 29,
    characterised in that it comprises ejector plates (68) which can rest on the top of the ends of the wires of the covers between their two rings (48, 49) to release them from the lugs (55).

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