GB2061238A - Decrowning crown-capped bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically decrowning crown-capped bottles, particularly when housed in a crate, comprising a support platform 13 for the crate, an array of decrowning heads 15 for receiving the tops of the bottles 24 when the platform is elevated, each said decrowning head incorporating a decrowning claw 20, Figure 2, arranged automatically to engage under the edge of the crown 23 at one side thereof when the bottle is introduced into the decrowning head, and a decrowning plunger 17 arranged to engage the crown at a location substantially diametrically opposite said first decrowning member, so as when moved downwardly to lever off the crown in cooperation with the claw 20, Figure 6 (not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Decrowning of bottles This invention relates to the decrowning of bottles fitted with crown caps. Bottles coming from an automatic bottling line sometimes have to be rejected, for reasons such as under filling or a defect in quality, or unopened bottles may be returned from the trade for some valid reason, and it is then necessary to decrown and empty them. The number of bottles involved may often amount to some hundreds, which of course makes it impractical to decrown them by hand, and it is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic decrowning apparatus.

Thus viewed from one aspect the present invention provides apparatus for automatically decrowning crown-capped bottles, comprising support means for the bottom of a bottle, a decrowning head for receiving the top of the bottle, said decrowning head incorporating a first decrowning member arranged automatically to engage under the edge of the crown at one side thereof when the bottle is introduced into the decrowning head, means for effecting relative movement between the said support means and the decrowning head to introduce the bottle thereinto, and a second decrowning member associated with the decrowning head and movable relatively thereto towards the bottom of the bottle, the second decrowning member being arranged to engage the crown during its said relative movement at a location substantially diametrically opposite said first decrowning member, so as in cooperation with said first decrowning member to lever off the crown.

The said relative movement between the bottle support means and the decrowning head to introduce the bottle into the decrowning head may be achieved either by movement of the support means towards the stationary decrowning head, or by movement of the decrowning head towards the stationary support means, or conceivably a combination of such movements. In a preferred form of the invention the first alternative is employed to move the top of the bottle into the stationary decrowning head.

Again the relative movement between the second decrowning member and the decrowning head may be achieved by movement of either of those parts towards the stationary other part or by a combined movement, but in the preferred form of the invention mentioned above the second decrowning member moves relatively to the stationary decrowning head.

With such an arrangement the necessary movement of the bottle relative to the first decrowning member as the crown is levered off must of course be accommodated, and this can be achieved either by a simultaneous movement of the bottle support means away from the decrowning head or, as in a preferred embodiment, by such movement of the bottle support means after the introduction of the bottle into the decrowning head but prior to the decrowning step. Preferably such movement of the bottle support means is made only just sufficient to accommodate the necessary decrowning movement of the bottle before it is arrested by re-engagement with the support means, so as in turn to minimise disturbance of the liquid in the bottle which would otherwise lead to undesirable fobbing of a lively liquid.

Circumstances are conceivable in which it would be desired to carry out the decrowning operation with the bottle in a horizontal or tilted position, for example if the bottle contents were to be immeditely permitted to run out. However the invention is mainly concerned to effect decrowning with the bottle in an upright position, for emptying at a later stage, and thus in a preferred form of the invention the bottle support means is horizontal so as to support a bottle, either directly or indirectly, in an upright position, and the relative movements discussed above are all of a vertical nature.

Apparatus may conceivably be provided in accordance with the invention which is arranged to decrown only one bottle at a time. Preferably however the apparatus comprises a plurality of decrowning heads arranged in a suitable array to decrown a number of bottles simultaneously. For example a single row of decrowning heads could be located above a conveyor for a single row of bottles so as to decrown the bottles in successive batches as they progress along the conveyor. It is however a particular object of the invention to permit the decrowning of bottles in a crate without removing them from the crate and thus a preferred apparatus according to the invention comprises an array of decrowning heads arranged to decrown an array of bottles in a crate.A typical bottle crate holds 24 bottles in four rows of six and thus an apparatus according to the invention may comprise an array of 24 decrowning heads adapted to perform this particular function.

An apparatus for decrowning a plurality of bottles simultaneously preferably comprises a unitary bottle support means for supporting all of the bottles. Thus if a single row of bottles on a conveyor are to be simultaneously decrowned the support means may comprise an elongate platform extending lengthwise of the conveyor. When an array of bottles in a crate are to be decrowned simultaneously the support means may comprise a platform for supporting the crate, in which case, it will be understood, the support means supports the bottles indirectly via the base of the crate.

It will be appreciated the crowns removed from bottles in apparatus according to the invention will fall downwardly once they are free of the top of the bottle. Preferably means are provided for catching the crowns, particularly when the bottles are in a crate, so as to facilitate their subsequent retrieval.

For example an apertured plate may be fitted over the tops of the bottles in the crate, at a sufficient distance below the tops of the bottles as not to interfere with the decrowning process, to catch the crowns.

Preferably the apparatus further includes means for retrieving the crowns and depositing them at a suitable location, for example in a storage container.

Thus if, as is preferred, the apparatus incorporates a conveyor for moving crates of bottles through a decrowning station, such a crown retrieving means may be provided downstream from the decrowning station. The preferred retrieving means comprises a device for picking up the crowns at a first location, e.g. from the surface of the aforesaid apertured plate in a crate, and delivering them to a second location, e.g. to a storage receptacle, such a device comprising a magnet mounted above said first location and separated therefrom by a substantially nonmagnetisable member having a smooth underneath surface which surface extends from above said first location to above said second location, whereby crowns at said first location attracted by the magnet will be lifted into engagement with said smooth surface above said first location, means for moving the magnet relatively to said surface in such manner that crowns engaging said surface above said first location will slide along said surface towards said second location under the influence ofthe moving magnet, and means for moving the magnet away from said surface at an appropriate time to cause the crowns-to fall away from the surface and be deposited at said second location when gravity overcomes the influence of the magnet.

Such a magnetic apparatus is the subject of our co-pending Patent Application No.

The operation of the various parts of an apparatus according to the invention may be effected and controlled in any convenient manner. In a presently preferred embodiment pneumatic cylinders are employed to effect most of the operative movements of the parts and the entire operation can be automated without difficulty.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of a bottle decrowning apparatus according to the invention; Figures 2 to 6 show successive steps in the operation of the decrowning head; Figure 7 is a schematic view in side elevation of a device for arresting crates of bottles travelling through the apparatus of Figure 1; Figures 8 to 77 I illustrate successive stages in the - operation of a part of the apparatus which retrieves loose crowns and depositesthem in a storage receptacle; Figure 12 is a diagram showing the pneumatic control circuit of the apparatus; and Figure 13 shows the structure of an alternative form of decrowning head.

Referring first to Figure 1 the bottle decrowning apparatus comprises a rigid framework 1 mounting an endless conveyor 2 driven by an electric motor 3.

The conveyor is a low friction nylon chain conveyor and is driven continuously during operation of the apparatus so as to slide under bottle crates whose movement is arrested during operation. Full crates of crowned bottles are fed to the right hand end of the apparatus as seen in Figure 1 and the apparatus delivers the crates of decrowned bottles at the left hand end for subsequent decanting.

The apparatus comprises three main parts, i.e. a decrowning station 4, a crate arresting device 5 upstream of the decrowning station, and a crown retrieval apparatus 6 downstream of the decrowning station, for removing loose crowns.

The various parts of the apparatus are operated by pneumatic cylinders. To identify these in Figure 1, a cylinder 7 operates the crate arresting apparatus, cylinders 8 to 11 operate the mechanism of the decrowning station, and a cylinder 12 operates the crown retrieval apparatus. Additionally a hydraulic booster cylinder is provided at the decrowning station.

The apparatus at the decrowning station will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

A platform 13 is mounted on the cylinder 9 between the two runs of the conveyor 2 to provide underneath support for a crate 14. An array of decrowning heads 15, in this apparatus 24 in number, is provided on a stationary plate 16. A corresponding number of decrowning plungers 17, being the second decrowning members previously mentioned, are mounted on a movable plate 18 carried by the cylinders 8.

Referring now particularly to Figures 2 to 6, each decrowning head comprises a downwardly opening metal housing 19 secured to the plate 16. Afirst decrowning member in the form of a claw 20 provided on a cylindrical body 21 is mounted in a bore in the side wall of the housing 19 and urged inwardly by a compression spring 22. The decrowning claw 20 is formed for engagement under the crown 23 of the bottle 24. Rotation of the decrowning claw 20 in its bore is prevented by a pin 25 engaging in a slot 26 in the body of the decrowning member.

Figure 2 shows the position of the parts when a crate 14 in Figure 1, immediately above the -platform 13, and has been arrested by a back stop 27 whose manner of actuation, like the actuation of the other parts of the apparatus, will be described later with reference to the pneumatic circuit diagram of Figure 12.

The first step in the decrowning operation is the elevation of the platform 13 relative to the stationary decrowning heads 15 to introduce the tops of all of the bottles into their respective heads, so that they arrive at the position illustrated in Figure 3. During the movement of each bottle into its decrowning had the decrowning claw 20 is pushed back against its spring 22 so as to clear the crown 23 and the rim 28 of the bottle and thus arrive at the Figure 3 position.

The platform 13 is then lowered sufficiently for the decrowning claw 20 to engage under the rim of the crown of the bottle, as shown in Figure 4, and the lowering movement of the platform continues by a further short distance, typically about 38 inches, to accommodate the subsequent downward movement of the bottle during decrowning.

The plate 18 carrying the decrowning plungers 17 is now lowered so that the plungers engage the crowns 23 at locations substantially diametrically opposite the decrowning claws 20, and continued downward movement of the plungers relative to stationary decrowning head levers the crowns off the bottles, as shown in Figure 6, and the decrowned bottle drops the short distance back into its position in the crate.

The back stop 27 is now lowered to permit the crate of decrowned bottles to continue along the conveyor 2 to the crown retrieval apparatus 6.

Referring now particularly to Figures 8 to 11, this apparatus comprises a permanent magnet 29 mounted for pivotal movement about an axis 30 between a horizontal position shown in Figure 8 and the fully raised position shown in Figure 11. In its horizontal position the magnet rests on a plate 31 of non-magnetisable material, e.g. a suitable plastics material, having a smooth underneath surface 32.

Lifting and lowering of the magnet is effected by the cylinder 12 previously mentioned.

When a crate of decrowned bottles arrives beneath the crown retrieval apparatus the crowns 23 will be lying loosely on an apertured sheet 33 provided for this purpose and engaging over the necks of the bottles. As the crate arrives below the magnet the loose crowns are attracted onto the smooth underneath surface 32 of the plate 31, as shown in Figure 9. The crowns are now at the first location previously mentioned, from where they are to be moved to a second location from which they can fall into a receptacle 34. This is effected by raising the magnet about its pivot 30 so that it moves generally to the left as seen in Figure 8 to 11 and thereby causes the crowns to slide along the smooth surface 32 as shown in Figure 10 until, when the magnet reaches its fully raised position shown in Figure 11, gravity overcomes it attraction and the crowns fall into the receptacle 34.

Referring lastly to the crate arresting mechanism shown in Figure 7, this comprises a front stop arm 35 mounted for free swinging movement about a pivotal axis 36 so that, when the arresting mechanism is not actuated, crates can move freely past it by pushing the arm 35 out of the way. When the crate immediately upstream of a crate at the decrowning station, i.e. the crate 37 in Figure 7, is to be arrested together with other crates upstream of it, the actuating cylinder 7 is operated to engage an abutment connected to the arm 35 and thus move the arm in the upstream direction to the position shown in Figure 7, thereby pushing the crate 37, and any further crates upstream of it, back upstream so as to separate the crate 37 from the crate 14 at the decrowning station whilst the decrowning operation is carried out.

The operation of the hydraulic control circuit during one complete cycle of the apparatus will now be described with reference to Figure 12.

The cycle begins with cylinders 7,8 and 9 in the negative condition, i.e. contracted, and cylinders 10 and 11 positive, i.e. extended. This means that the front stop operated by cylinder 7 is not actuated, the platform 13 operated by cylinders 9 and 10 is in its lowest position, the back stop 27 operated by cylinder 11 is in its raised position, and the top plate 18 of the decrowning mechanism operated by cylinder 8 is raised.

The first crate 14 of crowned bottles travels along the conveyor 2, contacts the back stop 27, and is held there. The cylinder 11 carrying the back stop is pivotally mounted at 38 and urged in the upstream direction by a tension spring 39 which is strong enough to hold the cylinder substantially upright when only one crate is pushing against the back stop 27. When a second crate 37 travelling on the conveyor engages the first crate 14 the pressure of the two crates overcomes the spring 39 and pivots the cylinder 11 into contact with a sensor 40 to change over valve DV2. This sends a signal to valve V1 to make front stop cylinder 7 positive, thereby atuating front stop arm 35 to pull the second crate 37 upstream and out of contact with the first crate 14 at the decrowning station. At the same time a signal is sent to valve V5 to make valve RV2 live.

When front stop cylinder 7 is fully extended, valve RV2 signals valve V2 to change over and make platform cylinder 9 positive. Extension of platform cylinder 9 lifts the platform 13 to engage the tops of the bottles in the decrowning heads 15. Also the extension of cylinder 9 causes back stop cylinder 11 to go negative and lower the back stop 27, through a signal connected from valve V3.

When platform cylinder 9 is fully extended air is exhausted from the top of valve DV1 and allows a signal to pass to valve V4, which allows air to exhaust from cylinder 10, the other platform cylinder, thus causing that cylinder to go negative. This lowers the platform so as to leave the bottles suspended on the decrowning claws 20.

The change over of valve V4 also allows regulated air to feed hydraulic booster cylinder 41 which makes cylinder 8 positive to depress plate 18 carrying the decrowning plungers 17 and effect the decrowning operation.

At the end of the decrowning boost stroke, valve PO1 signals valves V2 and V4to reversetheir positions. This makes cylinder 9 negative and cylinder 10 positive so as to lower the platform 13 back to conveyor level, and air is removed from the booster cylinder 41 which returnsto its rest position through the action of its own return spring.

Since the back stop 27 has already been retracted as mentioned above, the crate 14 of decrowned bottles on contacting the conveyor 2 will move away from the decrowning station 4 in the downstream direction.

The leading edge of the crate 14 then operates valve RV1 and signals valve V1 to reverse and make cylinder 7 negative so as to release the front stop arm 35 and thus permit movement of the next crate 37 into the decrowning station. When the trailing edge of the out-going crate 14 contacts RV1 a signal passed to valve V3 to make backstop cylinder 11 positive and so arrest the next crate 37 at the decrowning station.

The sequence then repeats itself provided that there are two crates in position to actuate the back stop sensor 40.

The signal from valve PO1 at the end of the boost stroke mentioned above also energises cylinder 12 to raise the magnet 29 and cause the loose crowns to be deposited in the receptacle 34 in the manner already described.

The decrowning apparatus described above and illustrated in the drawings is fast and efficient, being capable of a through-put in the region of 600 dozen half-pint bottles per hour in 24 bottle crates. The decrowning mechanism itself, with its simple lever action, is gentle with the bottles and does not in fact apply substantially more pressure than conventional manual decrowning. Violent movement of the bottles during decrowning is minimised and the only free movement, i.e. when the bottles drop back into the crate at the end of the decrowning step, is not sufficientto cause undesirable fobbing of lively liquid content.

In the alternative and preferred decrowning head illustrated in Figure 13 the decrowning claw 42 is provided on a body 43 suspended in an opening 44 in the side wall of the housing 45 by way of a pin 46 extending through an apertured plate 47 of the body 43. A compression spring 48 engaging plate 47 urges the claw 42 inwardly. As the top of a bottle enters the head the claw is pushed out against the spring 48 and then returns to engage under the crown as in the previous embodiment. Then, as the decrowning plunger (not shown) descends and engages the crown, the firm engagement of the latter with the claw 42 causes frictional engagement of the top of the aperture in plate 47 with the top of the pin 46, to hold the body 43 against undesired outward movement during decrowning. This latter effect makes it possible to employ a comparatively light spring and thus minimise the force required to initially move the bottle up past the claw. Moreover a large clearance may be provided all round the body 43 between it and the boundary of the opening 44, to maintain free movement of the body despite the presence of debris which tend to interfere with a sliding type of body mounting as in the previous embodiment.

Claims (21)

1. Apparatus for automatically decrowning crown-capped bottles, comprising support means for the bottom of a bottle, a decrowning head for receiving the top of the bottle, said decrowning head incorporating a first decrowning member arranged automatically to engage under the edge of the crown at one side thereof when the bottle is introduced into the decrowning head, means for effecting relative movement between the said support means and the decrowning head to introduce the bottle thereinto, and a second decrowning member associated with the decrowning head and movable relativelythereto towards the bottom of the bottle, the second decrowning member being arranged to engage the crown during its said relative movement at a location substantially diametrically opposite said first decrowning member, so as in cooperation with said first decrowning member to lever off the crown.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said first decrowning member comprises a claw mounted at one side of a bottle-receiving space of the said decrowning head and biassed to a position to engage the bottle crown.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said decrowning claw is on a member slidably mounted in a bore in a side wall of the decrowning head and spring-biassed inwardly.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said decrowning claw is on a member suspended for swinging movement and spring-biassed to a dependant crown-engaging position.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the said claw member is arranged also to be heid in its crown-engaging position by the crown itself when the latter is urged by the said second decrowning member.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the said second decrowning member is a plunger movable through an aperture in an end wall of the decrowning head.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the said decrowning head is stationary in operation.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the said bottle support means supports the bottle in an upright position and the said relative movements of the bottle support means, decrowning head and second decrowning member are all substantially vertical.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of said decrowning heads arranged in a suitable array to decrown a plurality of bottles simultaneously.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said array of decrowning heads is arranged to decrown an array of bottles arranged in rows in a crate.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or 10, wherein said bottle support means comprises a unitary platform adapted to support all of said plurality of bottles.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including means for retrieving the crowns of decrowned bottles and delivering them at a desired location.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said crown retrieving means comprises a device for picking up the crowns at a first location and delivering them to a second location, such a device comprising a magnet mounted above said first location and separated therefrom by a substantially non-magnetisable member having a smooth underneath surface which extends from above said first location to above said second location, whereby crowns at said first location attracted by the magnet will be iifted into engagement with said smooth surface above said first location, means for moving the magnet relatively to said surface in such manner that crowns engaging said surface above said first location will slide along said surface towards said second location under the influence of the moving magnet, and means for moving the magnet away from said surface at an appropriate time to cause the crowns to fall away from the surface and be deposited at said second location when gravity overcomes the influence of the magnet.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said magnet is pivotally mounted at a location close to said second location so that lifting the magnet about its pivot causes the crowns to slide along the said surface as aforesaid.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising an endless conveyor for transporting bottles through a decrowning station of the apparatus.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 7, wherein said bottle support means is movable relative to said conveyor to lift bottles off the conveyor at the decrowning station.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 11, wherein said platform is located and movable between two parallel elements of said endless conveyor.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 17 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 13, wherein said conveyor extends also through a crown retrieving station of the apparatus.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 15 to 18, wherein said conveyor operates continuously and the apparatus includes stops for arresting bottles for operations to be performed on them at appropriate locations in the apparatus whilst the conveyor slides under the bottles.

20. Apparatus for automatically decrowning crown-capped bottles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 but modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 13 of the accompanying drawings.