Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
  • B67B3/00—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps
  • B67B3/26—Applications of control, warning, or safety devices in capping machinery
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
  • B67B3/00—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps
  • B67B3/20—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps by applying and rotating preformed threaded caps
  • B67B3/2073—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps by applying and rotating preformed threaded caps comprising torque limiting means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for screwing plugs.
• Numerous devices for screwing corks are known, in particular a device comprising a gripping head fixed to a rotary spindle connected to a drive shaft by means of a friction clutch, the limit of which grip corresponds to the tightening torque that you want to apply to the caps. Due to the operation of this type of device, the clutch is intended to slip when screwing each plug, so that this operation causes rapid wear of the friction elements, which implies frequent stopping of the screwing device. to adjust the friction elements to obtain the desired torque.
• a pneumatic device comprising a jack whose rod carries a rack connected by return pinions to a rotary spindle carrying the gripping head.
• the tightening torque is determined by the supply pressure of the pneumatic cylinder and its adjustment can be carried out once and for all for a given tightening torque of the plugs.
• the device due to the mechanism for returning the movements of the rack connected to the pneumatic cylinder, the device has a large size, which limits the number of screw cap devices that can be put in place on a machine.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a device for screwing plugs having good operating reliability and a reduced size.
• a device for screwing plugs comprising a gripping head fixed to a rotary spindle, and a drive shaft connected to a motor member carried by a frame, the rotary spindle and the drive shaft are connected coaxially to each other by an elastic coupling member fixed to the rotary spindle on the one hand and to the drive shaft on the other hand, and the device comprises a member for detecting a movement of relative rotation between the rotary spindle and the drive shaft, and a control member for interrupting the spindle drive when the relative rotational movement reaches a predetermined threshold.
• the device due to the coaxial mounting of the drive shaft and the rotary spindle, the device has a small footprint and due to the permanent coupling of the drive shaft and the rotary spindle, the device can operate for a very large number of cycles without the need to re-adjust the tightening torque.
• the elastic coupling member is a spring arranged between two stops. It then suffices to modify the force exerted by the spring to modify the tightening torque of the plug.
• at least one of the stops is adjustable, so that the adjustment of the force exerted by the spring is carried out in a simple manner by an adjustment of the preload thereof.
• the detection member comprises at least one disc having a position which is a function of a relative angular position between the drive shaft and the spindle, and a disc position sensor .
• the gripping head comprises a housing fixed to the rotary spindle, a bell-shaped actuating member integral in rotation with the housing and axially movable relative thereto, and gripping jaws movable radially inside of the actuating member, the actuating member and the jaws comprising inclined ramps arranged opposite one another to transform an axial movement of the actuating member into radial movement of the gripping jaws.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the device of the invention in a closed position of the jaws in section, along a vertical plane illustrated by the lines I-I in FIGS. 2 and 3,
• FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of Figure 1
• - Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 of the gripping head in the open position of the jaws .
• the device comprises a frame 1 on which a drive shaft 2 is mounted to rotate by means of bearings 3 carried by the frame.
• a drive pinion 4 is mounted on the drive shaft 2 and is associated with a toothed wheel 5 itself connected to an electric motor 6 carried by the frame 1.
• the frame 1 carries a rotary spindle
• a gripping head 9 is fixed to the lower end of the rotary spindle 7.
• the drive shaft 2 carries a coupling piece 10 while at its upper end, the rotary spindle 7 carries a coupling piece 11.
• the coupling piece 10 comprises a hub 12 carrying an arm 13 on which is mounted a screw 14 carrying a stop 15 for one end of a spring 16.
• a pallet 17 is fixed to the hub 12 and extends radially by compared to this one.
• a plate 39 is fixed to the hub 12 perpendicular thereto.
• the coupling part 11 comprises a hub 18 fixed to the upper end of the rotary spindle 7.
• an arm 19 is fixed to the hub 18 and supports a screw 20 to which is fixed a stop 21 for the second end of the spring 7.
• a pallet 22 is also fixed to the hub 18 opposite the pallet 17.
• the "pallets 17 and 22 are held in abutment one against the other under the effect of the spring 16.
• a disc 37 is mounted axially movable on the hub 12 and comprises three pins 38 regularly spaced around the axis of the drive shaft 2 and extending parallel to this axis through holes 40 in the plate 39 and bearing on a plate 41 carried by the hub 18 of the coupling piece 11.
• the disc 37 is thus secured in rotation to the drive shaft 2 while being movable axially with respect to it.
• Nipples 38 are supported on ramps formed by the walls of frustoconical bowls 22 made in the upper face of the plate 41.
• a proximity sensor 23 is carried by the frame 1 facing the disc 37 and controls a switch 24 mounted on the power supply circuit of the drive motor 6.
• the gripping head 9 comprises a housing 25 in which is mounted a bell-shaped actuating member 26 integral in rotation with the housing 25 by means of small columns 27 fixed to the housing and passing through the actuating member 26.
• the member actuator 26 is mounted axially movable on the columns 27.
• the actuator 26 is connected by a hollow actuating rod 28 to an electromagnetic actuator 29 carried by the frame 1.
• the actuator 29 comprises a switch 42 controlled by the detector 23.
• Three jaws 30 are mounted inside the actuating member 26 and are spaced from one another by springs 31 arranged in housings made in the walls opposite two adjacent jaws (see figure 3).
• the internal surface of the actuating member 26 and the external surface of the jaws 30 are frustoconical and have inclined ramps formed by the bottom of inclined grooves, respectively 32 for the actuating member 26 and * 33 for the jaws 30 , in which are arranged coupling balls 34 which solidify in rotation the jaws 30 with the actuating member 26 while allowing an axial movement of the actuating member 26 relative to the jaws 30.
• the jaws 30 are retained in an axial direction by the lower end of the balusters 27 which extend opposite the upper edge of the jaws 30.
• the gripping head preferably comprises three balusters 27 arranged in the same angular position as the grooves 33.
• the screwing device further comprises a release rod.
• presence detection 35 which extends into the hollow actuating rod 28 and opens out above the actuator 29 opposite a proximity detector 36 carried by the frame 1.
• the motor drive 6 is stopped and the jaws 30 are spaced from each other under the effect of the springs 31.
• the radial force exerted by the jaws 30 on the balls 34 pushes the actuating member in the form of bell 26 of the gripping head 9 as illustrated in FIG. 4.
• the lower end of the plug detection rod 35 extends between the jaws 30.
• the plug presence detection rod 35 is pushed up as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the proximity sensor 36 triggers the supply of the actuator 29 and of the drive motor 6.
• the supply of the actuator 29 causes a downward movement of the act organ oval bell-shaped 26, which causes a radial clamping movement of the jaws 30.
• the rotary spindle 7 and the gripping head 9 associated therewith are then rotated in the direction of the screw & sage as illustrated by the arrow in line thick in FIG. 2.
• the resistive torque on the plug is low so that the drive shaft 2 and the rotary spindle 7 form a movable unit integral under the effect of the force exerted by the spring 16.
• the coupling piece 10 shifts in rotation relative to the coupling piece 11, so that the nipples 38 move in the frustoconical cups 22 and move the disc 37 upwards.
• the proximity detector 23 channel to the switch 24 a signal which controls the stopping of the drive motor 6 and the opening of the jaws 30 by de-excitation of the actuator 29. The screwing device is then ready for a new screwing cycle.
• the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and it is possible to make variant embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
• the coupling has been illustrated by a compression spring 26 between the coupling piece 10 secured to the drive shaft 2 and the coupling piece 11 secured to the rotary spindle 7, it is possible to produce elastic coupling by any suitable means such as a torsion spring or even an elastomeric sleeve disposed between the drive shaft and the rotary spindle.
• any suitable detection device can be used, in particular optical detection devices, for example by fixing perforated discs to the shaft drive 2 and to the rotary spindle 7 and by detecting a coincidence or an offset of the perforations by means of photoelectric cells carried by the frame 1. It is also possible to carry out the invention by using gripping heads whose actuator is worn by the gripping head itself. In this regard, however, it should be noted that the device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention allows operation without using a friction contact, which constitutes an appreciable advantage as regards the operating reliability of the device.
• the drive is provided by an electric motor 6, may provide, in particular in the case of a rotary screwing carousel, a fixed drive pinion on which the pinion 4 is mounted to mesh, the frame 1 then being carried by a rotary platform driven in rotation by compared to the fixed gear.
• the starting and stopping in rotation of the gripping head 9 can be controlled by a clutch interposed at any point of the kinematic chain for rotating the drive shaft 2.
• plug which is not very fragile it is also possible to keep the spindle constantly rotating and open the jaws of the gripping device as soon as the torque has reached and close them when a new plug is detected.
• the switch 24 is omitted and the detector 23 is connected to the switch 42 only.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Sealing Of Jars (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

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• 2002
  • 2002-04-22 FR FR0204985A patent/FR2838665B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-04-15 US US10/413,467 patent/US6840138B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-04-16 JP JP2003586084A patent/JP2005527436A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2003-04-16 WO PCT/FR2003/001217 patent/WO2003089360A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-04-16 CN CNA038090015A patent/CN1646411A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-04-16 BR BR0309071-0A patent/BR0309071A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-04-16 EP EP03746843A patent/EP1497221A1/fr not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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