GB2071626A - A can decanting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine comprises a perforated base plate (1) for supporting cans (9), means (5, 12, 16, 17) for guiding the cans to be decanted to and for retaining them in a working zone on the plate, means (21, 23, 25, 27) for piercing the bottoms and tops of the cans in the working zone, means (13) for removing the pierced cans from the working zone, a collector (3) for receiving the liquid flowing from the cans through the perforated plate, control means (40) for causing the correct sequence of the retaining, piercing and removing steps, and a hinged flap (19), Fig. 1 (not shown), actuated by the leading can to be pierced, for operating the control means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A can decanting machine The invention relates to a machine for decanting cans containing liquid and is intended to be used by beer or soft drinks manufacturers in conjunction with a known can shredder to dispose of filled and closed cans which are then found to be faulty.

A machine according to the invention comprises a perforated base plate for supporting the cans, means for guiding the cans to be decanted to and for retaining them in a working zone on the plate, means for piercing the bottoms and tops of the cans in the working zone, means for removing the pierced cans from the working zone, a collector for receiving the liquid flowing from the cans through the perforated plate, control means for causing the correct sequence of the retaining, piercing and removing steps, and means, actuated by one of the cans to be pierced, for operating the control means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 is a front elevation, and Figure 3 is a detail of Figure 1.

The machine comprises a perforated plate 1 made e.g. of metal and supported on legs 2. The legs 2 are individually adjustable in height to ensure that the machine is firmly supported on the floor and the plate 1 is substantially horizontal.

The legs 2 also carry a tank 3 which is situated below the plate 1 and has downwardly converging walls to provide at the bottom thereof an outlet controlled by a tap 4.

On the plate 1 are arranged inlet guides 5, 6 and outlet guides 7, 8 for cans 9. The inlet end of the inlet guides 5, 6 is at the inlet edge of the plate 1, which is the front edge in Fig. 1. The outlet end of the outlet guides is at the outlet edge of the plate 1 which is the left edge in Fig. 1. A can shredder, which is not part of the present invention, is situated at the outlet end of the outlet guides 7, 8.

The inlet end of the inlet guides 5, 6 communicates with a conveyor 10. The conveyor, which may be a slat conveyor and does not form part of the machine, feeds the cans 9 between the inlet guides 5 and 6, which delimit a path for the cans 9, leading to a working zone delimited between a plate 12 and an angle section 17. The plate 12 forms part of a cross pusher 11 and is attached to a piston rod of a cylinder-end-piston means 1 3. All the cylinder-end-piston means used in this machine are operated pneumatically and are hereinbefore and hereinafter called "cylinder" for simplicity. The plate 12 is displaceable by the cylinder 13 horizontally above the plate 1 in a direction to and away from the outlet edge of the plate 1 between an extended position and a withdrawn position.

The angle section 17 forms part of an edge guide 1 6 for guiding the top and sides of the cans 9 and is connected to a piston rod of a cylinder 18, by which it is displaceable vertically between a raised and a lowered position.

The working zone ends at a hinged flap 19 arranged to actuate a pneumatic valve (not shown).

The machine further comprises a row of spaced apart upper piercing tools 21 which are vertically displaceable by a common cylinder 23, and a row of spaced apart lower piercing tools 25 which are vertically displaceable by a common cylinder 27.

The two cylinders 23 and 27 work in opposite directions so that all the upper piercing tools 21 and all the lower piercing tools 25 move simultaneously towards the cans 9 to a position in which they pierce the tops and bottoms of the cans (this position being herein referred to as "piercing tools closed"), or away from the cans 9 to a position in which they are out of contact with the cans (this position being herein referred to as "piercing tools opened").

An infeed clamp 29 is situated above the can path and comprises a plate vertically displaceable by a cylinder 30 between a lowered position in which it presses at least one can from above so that it prevents the movement of that can and thereby blocks the movement of the cans upstream therefrom, or to a raised position in which it is out of contact with the cans.

The machine is adjustable for decanting cans of different diameter and height. The adjustment for a different diameter is obtained by the displacement of the inlet guide 5 nearer to or further away from the guide 6, and by displacement of the outlet guide 7 nearer to or further from the guide 8. In fact in the illustrated embodiment the guides 5 and 7 are integral so that they are displaced simultaneously. Also the angle section 17 of the edge guide 16 may be moved nearer to or further from the plate 12 of the cross pusher 11. The adjustment to cans of different height is obtained by a height adjustment mechanism which includes a hand wheel 32 which is situated on a threaded shaft 33 and carries a chain wheel 34 connected by a chain 35 to a chain wheel 36 on a threaded shaft 37.To this height adjustment mechanism are connected the edge guide 16, the upper piercing tools 21 and the infeed clamp 29.

The sequence of the operational steps, which will be described hereinafter, is ensured by a pneumatic control cabinet including a so-called cascade system.

In operation the cans 9 are fed by the conveyor 10 between the inlet guides 5, 6.

The initial position is: infeed clamp 29 raised, piercing tools 21,25 open, edge guide 16 lowered and cross pusher 11 in the withdrawn position.

As soon as the frontmost can 9 is pressed onto the hinged flap 19, the flap actuates said pneumatic valve and the following sequence of steps takes place: (1) The infeed clamp 29 is by a cylinder 30 lowered and pressed onto the can or cans below it, thus preventing any more cans being pushed into the working zone between the plate 12 and section 17.

(2) The piercing tools 21,25 are closed by the cylinders 23,27 thus piercing the tops and bottoms of the cans 9 in the working zone. The liquid contained in the cans 9 starts flowing through a gap provided for the lower piercing tools 25 into the tank 3.

(3) The piercing tools 21,25 are opened by the cylinders 23,27.

(4) The edge guide 16 is raised by the cylinder 18.

(5) The cross pusher 11 is displaced by the cylinder 13 forwardly into its extended position and pushes thereby the rows of cans from the working zone sideways between the outlet guides 7, 8 towards the outlet edge over the said perforated plate 1, so that the liquid from the cans 9 may continue to drain out through the perforations in that plate 1.

(6) The cross pusher 11 is by the cylinder 13 brought back into its initial withdrawn position, and the edge guide 16 is by the cylinder 18 brought back into its initial lowered position.

(7) The infeed clamp 29 is brought by the cylinder 30 back into its initial raised position and the whole sequence can be repeated.

The machine is also provided with an emergency stop button (not shown) which may be pressed during the cycle. If that happens, the sequence continues up to the last step, but the infeed clamp 29 is not lifted, so that no further cans are delivered to the working zone. When the reason for pressing the emergency stop button has been dealt with, the button is reset, the infeed clamp 29 is lifted and the process may continue.

As the cans 9 are pushed by the cross pusher 11 from the working zone they push the cans downstream of them along the perforated plate 1 further to its outlet edge. The plate 1 is made so long that the cans 9 are completely drained of any liquid before they fall over the outlet end into the can shredder.

Claims (8)

1. A machine for decanting cans containing liquid, the machine comprising a perforated base plate for supporting the cans, means for guiding the cans to be decanted to and for retaining them in a working zone on the plate, means for piercing the bottoms and tops of the cans in the working zone, means for removing the pierced cans from the working zone, a collector for receiving the liquid flowing from the cans through the perforated plate, control means for causing the correct sequence of the retaining, piercing and removing steps, and means, actuated by one of the cans to be pierced, for operating the control means.

2. A machine according to Claim 1 wherein the means for guiding the cans include said means for removing the pierced cans.

3. A machine according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for operating the control means include a hinged flap.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for guiding the cans include edge guide means.

5. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the machine includes clamp means for preventing the movement of cans to the working zone.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein several of said means are adjustable for the treatment of cans of different sizes.

7. A machine according to Claim 6 wherein the machine includes adjustment means for simultaneous adjustment of several said means.

8. A machine for decanting cans containing liquid constructed, arranged, and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.