GB2102329A - Moulding bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for manufacturing bottles having base cups comprises the steps of moulding the body (8) of a bottle with a generally rounded base while the bottle is supported by the neck by support means (9), separating the body from the mould, precisely aligning a base cup (7) with a respective bottle and causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup by downward movement of a rod 10 and collar 11. The base cup (7) may be previously treated on its interior with adhesive. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to bottle manufacturing apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing plastics bottles, particularly to apparatus for manufacturing bottles incorporating base cups.

Plastics bottles are commonly used for storage of carbonated and other pressurised liquids.

These bottles may be formed with rounded, generally hemispherical bases which are adapted to withstand high internal pressures but which suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot be placed erect on a horizontal surface. Flat bottomed base cups may be inserted into the rounded bases of these bottles to overcome this drawback.

Fixture of base cups has hitherto been done at a separate location in a separate operation to that of moulding the bottles and this has entailed reorientation of the bottles after they have been discharged from the moulding apparatus. Mass production of these bottles may be seriously interrupted by as few as one bottle in a thousand being displaced when passed to a base cup application station.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a method of forming a plastics bottle successively incorporates the steps of moulding the body of a bottle with a generally rounded base while the bottle is supported by the neck by support means, separating the body from the mould, precisely aligning the bottle with a respective base cup and causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup.

The bottle is preferably subsequently released from the support means. Precise perpendicular alignment of the base cup and bottle is essential to avoid subsequent difficulties during automated filling of the bottles.

This invention overcomes the need for reorientation of bottles for base cup application after they have been ejected by positioning base cups below the bottles before ejection and allowing the ejection device to place the bottle in the base cup.

Preferably the bottle and the respective base cup are precisely coaxially disposed before engagement.

In a preferred method the bottle is released from the support means when the respective base cup is aligned, and the bottle is urged directly into engagement with the cup. Alternatively the base cup may be urged into engagement with the bottle preferably while the latter is supported by the support means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention apparatus for forming a plastics bottle comprises support means for supporting the neck of a bottle as the body of the bottle is moulded, means for moulding the body of the bottle, means for disengaging the body from the mould, means for precisely aligning a base cup and means for causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup.

Preferably the means for causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup comprises means for releasing the bottle from the support means and means for urging the base of the bottle into engagement with the base cup.

Alternatively the said means for causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup may comprise means for urging the base cup into engagement with the base of the bottle.

Furthermore it is possible that both bottle and base cup are urged into mutual contact.

Preferably the support means comprises a plurality of collets which may be separated to release the neck of a bottle. A member such as a rod or finger is preferably arranged to be inserted into the neck of a bottle as the support means releases the bottle so that the bottle is cleanly separated from the support means and does not adhere to the said means.

In a first preferred embodiment of the invention the member incorporates one or more fixed shoulders or other surfaces which contact the top of the bottle when the member is inserted into the neck, and urge the bottle into engagement with a base cup. This may occur in a single movement.

In a second preferred embodiment of the invention a conventional ejection mechanism is employed, the neck of the bottle being supported whilst the base of the bottle engages a prelocated base cup. The base cup may be moved into engagement with the base of the bottle.

In a third preferred embodiment of the invention a tube is disposed around said member.

This tube is arranged upon actuation to move into engagement with the neck of the bottle to urge the bottle into a position where the base of the bottle engages within a suitably located base cup.

Base cups which are suitable for use in accordance with this invention are preferably provided with a planar surface upon which a complete bottle may stand freely. Such cups may be generally cylindrical or conical in accordance with the shape of the moulded bottles. Square or other shaped cups may be used with corresponding shaped moulded bottle bases.

A preferred apparatus comprises a carrier or other means from which bottles are suspended by their necks as the bodies thereof are moulded, a feed for supplying base cups, a device for positioning base cups in line with moulded bottles, means for engaging each bottle with a respective base cup and means for feeding bottles with base cups attached from the apparatus.

The means for precisely aligning the base cups may comprise an endless succession of projections or fingers each defining a respective socket for engagement of a base cup. Each socket is preferably adapted to precisely locate a cup and to hold the latter in its correct shape. Slight deformations in the shapes of cups may thereby be corrected. A cup may be located in preferred apparatus between a socket of a first projection and a surface of an adjacent projection, the separation between adjacent projections being arranged so that cups are precisely located therebetween. The apparatus may be further adapted so that the separation between adjacent projections increases at a selected position, for example at bends in the path of the succession of projections, so that cups may be inserted into or removed from sockets at these positions.

The means for precisely aligning the base cups is preferably movable, for example laterally or pivotally, away from the bottle supports so that malformed or otherwise rejected bottles may be ejected from the supports without engagement with base cups.

This invention includes within its scope bottles with base cups made by the aforementioned method or in the aforementioned apparatus.

The invention may be better understood from the following description by way of an example with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a base cup feeding device; Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of an apparatus in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

The apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a feed 1 for base cups 7. The cups are individually inserted between fingers 2 on an index conveyor 5. The base cups 7 may be urged between the fingers 2 from the feed 1 alternatively by conveyor (not shown) by an index cylinder (not shown) or by one or more air jets (not shown). The fingers 2 each serve to transport a base cup onto perpendicular alignment with the location into which a respective moulded bottle is brought.

Precise alignment of each cup and bottle is carried out either by a drive motor (not shown) or by an index cylinder (not shown) which acts upon a drive wheel of the conveyor 5, accurately positioning a bank of base cups in alignment with a bank of bottles produced by the machine. A glue applicator is shown diagrammatically at 13.

Figure 2 shows a bottle 8 supported by its neck between a pair of collets 9.

A bank of such bottles 8 is transported by the moulding head (not shown) from the moulding station (not shown) to a position in alignment with respective base cups 7. A rod 10 is inserted into the neck of each bottle and the collets 9 are disengaged from the neck of the bottle.

Continued downward motion of the rod 10 causes the collar 11 to bear against the neck of the bottle and urge the latter into engagement with a base cup 7 located between consecutive fingers 2. The collar 11 may be provided as a modification to conventional bottle ejecting apparatus. Existing apparatus is commonly provided with a shoulder 12 for the rod 10. A collar 11 may if necessary be secured around the rod 10 and arranged to provide a distance between the conveyor 14 and the lower surface of the collar 11 suitable to urge a bottle precisely into a base cup when the rod 10 is at its lowest extent. After engagement of the bottle and base cup the rod 10 and collar 1 1 are withdrawn from the bottle leaving the latter free to be fed from the apparatus by the subsequent index feeding of a further bank of base cups.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the apparatus. The feed 15 for base cups is controlled by a mechanism 16 which releases cups 17 individually onto the conveyor. Groups of eight base cups 1 7 are admitted into sockets of fingers of the conveyor 18. A socket is left empty between each group of base cups to facilitate rotation of the head 1 9 carrying a bank of bottles 20 into alignment with the base cups. Each cup passes a glue applicator 21 which automatically applies drops of adhesive to the interior of each cup. The bank of eight cups is then indexed into alignment with eight bottles supported by collets 22. Rods 23 are inserted into the necks of the bottles and the collets 22 are simultaneously opened. The shoulder of collars 24 located around each rod 23 urge the bottles into respective base cups as shown. The rods 23 and collars 24 are then withdrawn and the bank of bottles indexed away from the head 19. The bottles are subsequently conducted from the conveyor by a slide 25.

The conveyor 18 is arranged to be moved laterally upon members 26 so that bottles may be ejected from the head 19 clear of the conveyor if required.

Banks of any convenient number of bottles may be handled by apparatus in accordance with this invention.

Claims (26)

1. A method of forming a plastics bottle successively incorporating the steps of moulding the body of a bottle with a generally rounded based while the bottle is supported by the neck by support means, separating the body from the mould, precisely aligning the bottle with a respective base cup and causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottle is subsequently released from the support means.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein, the bottle and base cup are coaxially disposed before engagement.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottle is released from the support means when the respective base cup is aligned and the bottle is subsequently engaged with the base cup.

5. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base cup is urged into engagement with the bottle.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the base cup is urged into engagement with the bottle while the latter is supported by the support means.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base cup is aligned by an index conveyor.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of bottles are formed simultaneously.

9. Plastics bottle forming apparatus comprising a support for supporting the neck of a bottle as the body of the bottle is moulded, means for moulding the body of a bottle, means for disengaging the body from the mould, means for precisely aligning a base cup and means for causing the base of the bottle to engage within the base cup.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, comprising means for releasing the bottle from the support and means for urging the base of the bottle into engagement with the base cup.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, comprising means for urging the base cup into engagement with the base of the bottle.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, comprising means for urging both the base cup and the bottle into engagement.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the support comprises a plurality of collets.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13, including a member adapted to be inserted into the neck of a bottle.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said member incorporates one or more surfaces fixed thereto and adapted in use to contact the top of a bottle.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said member is adapted to urge the bottle into engagement with a base cup.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein a collar disposed around said member is adapted to engage the neck of a bottle and urge the bottle into engagement with a base cup.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 17, comprising a carrier or other means from which bottles are suspended by their necks as the bodies thereof are moulded, a feed for supplying base cups, a device for aligning base cups with moulded bottles, means for engaging each bottle with a respective base cup and means for feeding bottles with base cups attached from the apparatus.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 18, wherein the means for aligning the base cups comprises an endless succesion of projections each defining a respective socket for engagement of a base cup.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, adapted to locate a base cup between a socket of a first projection and a surface of an adjacent projection.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claims 19 or 20, wherein the separation between adjacent projections increases at selected location.

22. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 21, wherein the means for aligning base cups is movable so that bottles may be ejected from the supports without engagement with base cups.

23. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 22, including means for applying adhesive to the base cups.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 23, adapted to simultaneously cause a plurality of bottles to be engaged with base cups.

25. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

26. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.