FR2672030A1 - Method and machine for loading objects such as bottles into and unloading them from crates - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a machine making it possible to take rows of bottles (13) or similar objects placed in line and to place them head-to-tail in a container (21, 22), or to carry out the operation in reverse. The machine comprises a grasping head (7) carried by an arm (4) sliding vertically on a carriage (3) moving on a gantry (1, 2). The head (7) can pivot about a horizontal axis (8) through 90 DEG on each side of a median position in which the bottles (13) are laid. The bottles (13) arrive upright in two superimposed lines (26, 27). The head (7) moves firstly to the right (A) of the lines, takes two rows of bottles (13) and pivots in a first direction and then lays them on their sides and places them in the container (21). It then moves to the left (D) of the lines in order to take two further rows of bottles which it lays on their sides by pivoting in the opposite direction. The same operations can be carried out in reverse by the machine in order to empty a container. Application: mechanically loading elongate objects into and unloading them from crates.

Description

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR CASING OR SUBSCRIBING OBJECTS
SUCH AS BOTTLES
The present invention relates to a process for the mechanical packing of elongated objects having a narrowed end, in particular of bottles, in which the objects are brought in at least one continuous line in the standing position, are grasped in groups and are deposited in the lying position in a container, in superimposed layers, each of which comprises at least one pair of nested rows of objects arranged head to tail.

The invention also relates to a method of mechanical disbanding of elongated objects having a narrowed end, in particular of bottles, in which the objects, initially arranged in the lying position in a container, in superimposed layers each of which comprises at least one pair of nested rows objects placed head to tail, are seized in groups and are placed in a standing position.

For the implementation of one or the other of these methods, the invention also relates to a machine for cashing or disassembling elongated objects having a narrowed end, in particular bottles, in which the objects are grasped and handled in groups. between at least one feeding or evacuation station where the objects are arranged in a standing position, and a container where the objects are arranged in superimposed layers, each of which comprises at least one pair of nested rows of objects arranged head- spade, the machine comprising a gripping head mounted on a mobile assembly and provided with at least one horizontal row of gripping members arranged to grip together a row of objects, a frame on which the mobile assembly is mounted so to bring the gripping head alternately near said station and in the container, and actuating means arranged to produce operating cycles of the eq mobile uipage and gripping head.

The invention relates more particularly to the handling of wine bottles, but it is also applicable to other objects which come close to it by their shape and their method of crating for transport. It is known that wine bottles are generally transported n lying position in containers such as cases or cartons, in superimposed layers in which the bottles are arranged head to tail, in order to occupy the least possible space. As the mechanical filling of the containers is generally carried out from a conveyor feed where the bottles all arrive in the same position, it is necessary to overturn every second bottle to obtain a head-to-tail arrangement. known method consists in bringing the bottles into a standing position and laying them alternately on one side and the other to form two rows of bottles whose necks are interposed between each other, then to manipulate together the group formed by these two rows of bottles in order to deposit it layer by layer in a container. The process can be used in reverse to remove bottles from a container and put them in rows of upright bottles.

Patent application FR-A-2 481 685 describes a machine operating in this way and comprising a gripping plate capable of gripping, transporting and placing two opposite rows of bottles in the lying position, to fill or empty layer by layer a container.

This tray is suspended from a carriage by means of a hoist capable of vertically moving the tray, while the carriage is movable horizontally between the vertical of the container and the vertical of the supply or discharge station for the bottles. For packing, the bottles are brought by conveyors in two parallel rows to the feeding station, where it is a question of laying them down opposite one another to form the two rows of bottles head to tail. This operation requires either manpower or relatively complex and bulky mechanical means. Similar disadvantages arise in the case of mechanical unpacking, to separate the two opposite rows and put all the zfans bottles in the same position.

The object of the present invention is to create a method and a machine making it possible to avoid the abovementioned drawbacks and performing simple manipulations of the objects, whether for casing or for disbursing.

For this purpose, a first aspect of the invention relates to the mechanical boxing process mentioned above, characterized in that each group entered comprises objects all having the same orientation, and in that said pair of rows is formed nested directly in the container, by successively depositing at least a first row of objects placed in a first orientation, then a second row of objects placed in an orientation opposite to the first.

Preferably, each row of objects is grasped, moved and deposited by means of a gripping head which is applied laterally against the objects to grasp them, and to form one of said layers, the gripping head is placed one side of the line to grab a first row of objects, then tilt in a given direction around a horizontal axis to put this row in the supine position and put it down, then the gripping head is placed on the other side of the file to grab a second row of objects, then tilt in the opposite direction around the horizontal axis to put this second row in the lying position and drop it.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a mechanical disbonding method of the kind indicated above, characterized in that each group seized comprises objects all having the same orientation, and in that the objects are placed in the standing position under the shape of at least one line of objects on a conveyor, by gripping into the container and successively depositing in this line a first row of objects having a first orientation in the container, then a second row of objects having a opposite orientation in the container.

Preferably, each row of objects is grasped, moved and deposited by means of a gripping head which is applied laterally against the objects to grasp them, and to put in a row the two rows of objects arranged head to tail in a layer, the gripping head grabs the first row, swings in a given direction around a horizontal axis, to put the objects of this row in a standing position, then is placed on one side of the file to deposit this first row on the conveyor, then the gripping head grabs the second row, tilts in the opposite direction around the horizontal axis to put these objects in a standing position, then is placed on the other side of the queue to deposit this second row on the conveyor.

 According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a machine of the kind indicated above, characterized in that the gripping head is mounted on the movable assembly so as to be able to tilt about a horizontal axis, on at least 90 " each side of a middle position where the objects it carries are in the supine position, so that the gripping head has two tilted positions which are offset by 1800 and in which its gripping members can be placed respectively by a either side of the object queue.

The horizontal axis of tilting of the gripping head can have a constant orientation, that is to say that another pivot axis, in particular vertical, of the head or of the moving element is not necessary.

In an advantageous embodiment from the point of view of machine efficiency, the evacuation post DU includes two superimposed conveyors of objects, for two superimposed rows of objects, and in that the gripping head comprises two rows of gripping members, corresponding to the two rows of objects.

The gripping head may include means for laterally shifting all of the gripping members parallel to the horizontal tilting axis, to an extent equal to half the distance between the axes of two adjacent objects.

In addition, at one end of each row of gripping members, the gripping head may include a gripping member which is retractable on command so as to reduce by one unit the number of objects aligned in this row of members gripping.

Preferably, said movable assembly comprises a vertical arm arranged to slide vertically on a carriage with horizontal displacement, in that the gripping head is pivotally mounted at a lower end of this arm, and in that a motor controlling the tilting movement of the head is placed at an upper end of this arm. The motor controlling the tilting can be numerically controlled. In a preferred form, the carriage is arranged to move in translation along a horizontal beam of a gantry, above the container and the feed or discharge station, and in that motors controlling respectively the translation of the carriage and the sliding of the vertical arm are mounted on this gantry.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figure I is a schematic side elevational view of a
machine according to the invention, capable of collecting and disbursing
bottles arranged in layers of four rows in containers, - Figure 2 is a schematic enlarged view, in front elevation,
of a gripping head of the machine of Figure 1, and - Figure 3 is a schematic bottom view of the head of
gripping.

With reference to FIG. 1, the machine shown comprises a stationary frame in the form of a gantry comprising a horizontal beam 1 mounted on posts 2. On this beam 1 moves a mobile assembly comprising a translation carriage 3, traveling along the beam I, and a vertical arm 4 mounted on the carriage 3 so that it can slide vertically. The displacements of the carriage 3 and of the arm 4 are produced respectively by means of a translation motor 5 and an elevation motor 6, which are installed on the beam 1, and of transmission with chains or toothed belts (not shown) extending along the beam 1.The lower end of the arm 4 carries a gripping head 7 which is mounted on the arm so as to be able to tilt about a horizontal axis 8, thanks to a tilting motor 9 mounted on the arm 4 and connected to the head 7 by a transmission with toothed chains or belts 10. The head 7 is equipped with two rows of gripping members 11 and 12, preferably with suction cups, for gripping bottles 13 and transport them. The suction cups 11 and 12 are actuated all together by means of a pneumatic installation of known type, which need not be described here in detail.

The machine is intended to handle the bottles 13 so as to transport them in one direction or the other between a supply or discharge station 20 and containers 21 and 22 of the usual type, for example standard cases of the type called "box" in which the bottles 13 are stored in layers each comprising two first rows 23 whose bottles have their neck directed to the left in the case of FIG. 1, and two second rows 24 whose bottles have their neck directed towards the right. The machine can operate, as will be described below, so as to collect From "emboxing" the bottles 13 by taking them to the feeding station 20 to place them in the container 21 or 22. However, it can also operate in the opposite direction, to disburse or "deoxox" the bottles 13 from a container in order to place them standing in the evacuation station 20. This operating mode is the reverse of the previous one and it will therefore not be described in detail. If necessary, this machine could also transfer bottles from one container to another.

For packing, the bottles 13 are brought to the supply station 20 in the standing position, in two superimposed continuous rows 26 and 27, by means of two horizontal conveyors 28 and 29 of known type. Stops 30 and 31 stop the rows of bottles in exactly superimposed positions.

The gripping head 7 is shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, but some elements are not shown in order to simplify the drawing. The horizontal axis 8 for tilting the head is materialized by a shaft 32 fitted with two toothed pulleys 33 driven by the toothed belts 10 (FIG. 1) and the motor 9. The shaft 32 is rotatable in bearings 34 supported by the arm 4 by means of belt tension adjusting devices 35. On the shaft 32 are fixed two transverse supports 36 integral with two parallel slides 37 on which a frame 38 of the head 7 can slide, comprising in particular four sliding bearings 39 and two parallel beams 40 which each support a row of thirteen suction cups 1 1 and 12. The sliding of the chassis 38 is necessary by the nested position of the two rows of bottles arranged head to tail, that is to say that its amplitude is equal to half the distance between the axes of the bottles and suction cups 11 and 12. This sliding is produced by a pneumatic translation cylinder 41, fixed on the chassis 38 and pressing against one of the supports 36 as in FIG. 2.

In order to increase the lateral play during its descent into the container, the gripping head 7 comprises, at one end of the rows of suction cups 11 and 12, two retractable suction cups 11a and 12a, mounted on a cornmun support 42 carried by connecting rods lower 43 and upper 44 arranged in parallelogram, as shown in Figure 2. In this figure, there is shown in solid lines the normal position of the suction cups 1a, 12a aligned with the other suction cups, and in broken lines their retracted position. These positions are controlled by the mayen of a pneumatic cylinder 45 attacking a lever 46 secured to a rotary shaft 47 carrying the lower connecting rods 43. Once the head has reached the position of laying at the bottom of the container, the suction cups 11a and 12a are returned to normal position to complete the row of bottles to be deposited. Thanks to this construction, the gripping head 7 can also handle rows of different lengths, if the staggered arrangement of the bottles in the container is such that the first row deposited occupies the entire length of the container and the second row comprises a bottle less than the first.

The machine described above operates in the following manner, for storing in the container 21 the bottles arriving in two superimposed rows 26 and 27 in the supply station 20. First of all the gripping head 7 is brought to the station 20 on the right of the rows 26 and 27 (in the view of FIG. I) along the arrow A. At the same time, it is tilted in the direction of the arrow B so that its suction cups 11 are applied against the bottles of the upper file 26, and its suction cups 12 against the bottles of the lower file 27. The suction cups are actuated to grip the bottles by suction, then the head is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow A, by appropriate movements of the carriage 3 and of arm 4, before being tilted in the direction opposite to arrow B and lowered into container 21 along arrow
C, the arm 4 and the head 7 occupying in plan a predetermined position relative to the container. The arrival of the bottles 13 at the bottom of the container being detected by an appropriate sensor, the suction cups are deactivated and the first two rows 23 of bottles will be deposited. The head 7 then rises and is brought to the left side of the station 20 along the arrow D, tilting another 90 "in the direction opposite to the arrow B.

At the same time, the jack 45 is activated so as to retract the additional suction cups 11a and 12a. The suction cups 11 will be applied against the bottles in the lower queue 27 and the suction cups 12 against the bottles in the upper queue 26. Once the bottles are gripped, the head is brought back towards the container 21 in the opposite direction to D, in at the same time that it rocks in the direction of arrow B to lay the bottles 13 and that the jack 41 is activated to shift the second rows 24 laterally, which will thus be deposited on the first rows 23 when the head is lowered into the container .

Then, the head 7 is raised, the additional suction cups Ia and 12a are returned to the normal position and the cycle begins again according to arrow A to deposit another layer of bottles in the container 21.

All the movements described above can be controlled automatically by a centralized device, for example with digital control, acting on the motors 5, 6 and 9, as well as on the pneumatic equipment of the gripping head 7. During these operations, it is possible to evacuate the second container 22 previously filled and to replace it with a new empty container.

Because the tilting gripping head can orient each row of bottles in the desired direction, by alternately placing itself on one side and the other of the line and tilting in the appropriate direction, it does not need pivot around a vertical axis, as would be the case with a conventional manipulator. Compared to the known machine mentioned above, the machine according to the invention avoids an additional operation of coating the bottles head to tail before gripping and crating, which makes it possible to gain flexibility and speed, as well as in size. In addition, it is possible to hold the bottles in an inclined position during their introduction into the container, for example in order to avoid contact with the walls. Furthermore, the same machine can be used to handle objects in a standing position, without lying them down, or even to turn them completely.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but it extends to any modification or variant obvious to a person skilled in the art. In particular, the same process and the same machine can be envisaged by handling only one row of bottles at a time, if the supply or discharge station has only one row of bottles.

Claims (12)

Claims 1. Method of mechanically casing elongated objects having a narrowed end, in particular of bottles, in which the objects (13) are brought in at least one continuous line (26, 27) in the standing position, are seized in groups and are deposited in the supine position in a container (21, 22), in superimposed layers, each of which comprises at least one pair of nested rows of objects arranged head to tail, characterized in that each group seized comprises objects (13) all having the same orientation, and in that said pair of nested rows (23,24) is formed directly in the container, by successively depositing at least a first row (23) of objects placed in a first orientation, then a second row (24) of objects placed in an orientation  , s. fi opposite the first. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each row of objects is grasped, moved and deposited by means of a gripping head (7) applying laterally against the objects to grasp them, and in that for form one of said layers, the gripping head is placed on one side (A) of the file to grab a first row of objects, then rocks in a given direction around a horizontal axis (8) to put this row in the supine position and put it down, then the gripping head is placed on the other side (D) of the line to grab a second row of objects, then rocks in the opposite direction around the horizontal axis (8) to put this second row in the lying position and put it down. 3. Method for mechanical disbanding of elongated objects having a narrowed end, in particular of bottles, in which the objects (13), initially arranged in the lying position in a container (21,22), in superimposed layers each of which comprises at least one pair of nested rows of objects (23,24) arranged head to tail, are grasped in groups and are placed in a standing position, characterized in that each group grasped comprises objects (13) all having the same orientation, and in that that the objects are placed in a standing position in the form of at least one file (26,27) of objects on a conveyor, by gripping in the container and successively depositing in this file a first row (23) d objects having a first orientation in the container, then a second row (24) of objects having an opposite orientation in the container. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that each row of objects is grasped, moved and deposited by means of a gripping head (7) which is applied laterally against the objects to grasp them, and in that, to file the two rows of objects arranged head to tail in a layer, the gripping head grasps the first row (23), swings in a given direction around a horizontal axis (8), to put the objects of this row in the standing position, then is placed on one side (A) of the line to deposit this first row on the conveyor, then the gripping head grasps the second row (24), tilts in the opposite direction around the 'horizontal axis (8) to put these objects in a standing position, then is placed on the other side (D) of the line to deposit this second row on the conveyor. 5. Machine for implementing a method according to claim 1 or 3, for cashing or disbursing elongated objects (13) having a narrowed end, in particular bottles, in which the objects are grasped and handled in groups between the minus a feed or discharge station (20) where the objects are arranged in a line (26,27) in the standing position, and a container (21,22) where the objects are arranged in superimposed layers, each of which comprises at least a pair of overlapping rows (23,24) of objects arranged head to tail, the machine comprising a gripping head (7) mounted on a mobile assembly (3,4) and provided with at least one horizontal row of members gripping devices arranged to grasp together a row of objects, a frame (1,2) on which the mobile assembly is mounted so as to bring the gripping head alternately near said station and in the container, and means for actuation (5,6,9) arranged to produce operating cycles of the moving element and of the gripping head, characterized in that the gripping head (7) is mounted on the moving element so that it can tilt around a horizontal axis (8), on at minus 90C on each side of a middle position where the objects (13) which it carries are in the lying position, so that the gripping head has two tilted positions which are offset by 1800 and in which its gripping members ( 11,12) can be placed respectively on one side or the other of the line (26,27) of objects. 6. Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the horizontal tilting axis (8) has a constant orientation. 7. Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the supply or discharge station (20) comprises two superimposed conveyors (28,29), for two superimposed rows (26, 27) of objects, and in that that the gripping head (7) comprises two rows of gripping members (II, 12), corresponding to the two rows of objects. 8. Machine according to claim 5 or 7, characterized in that the gripping head (7) comprises means (37,39,41) for laterally shifting all of the gripping members (11,12) parallel to the horizontal tilting axis (8), to an extent equal to half the center of two adjacent objects (13). 9. Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that at one end of each row of gripping members (11,12), the gripping head (7) comprises a gripping member (11a, 12a) which is retractable on command so as to reduce the number of objects (13) aligned in this row of gripping members by one. 10. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said movable assembly comprises a vertical arm (4) arranged to slide vertically on a carriage (3) with horizontal movement, in that the gripping head (7) is mounted so tilting at a lower end of this arm, and in that a motor (9) controlling the tilting movement of the head (7) is placed at an upper end of this arm. 11. Machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the motor (9) controlling the tilting is numerically controlled. 12. Machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the carriage (3) is arranged to move in translation along a horizontal beam (1) of a gantry, above the container (21, 22) and of the feed or discharge station (20), and in that motors (5,6) respectively controlling the translation of the carriage (3) and the sliding of the vertical arm (4) are mounted on this gantry (1, 2).