GB2103171A

GB2103171A - Worm conveyor for objects such as shaped bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2103171A
Application number: GB08222323A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rudolf Zodrow; Hermann Boms; Rainer Buchholz
Original assignee: Jagenberg Werke AG
Current assignee: Jagenberg Werke AG
Priority date: 1981-08-06
Filing date: 1982-08-03
Publication date: 1983-02-16
Also published as: IT1153150B; ES274656U; BE893945A; IT8222679A0; DE3131102C1; FR2510975A1; GB2103171B; FR2510975B1; IT8222679A1; ES274656Y

Abstract

A worm conveyor for objects, such as shaped bottles, in particular with a subsequent alignment apparatus for a bottle-processing machine, comprises two worms (4, 5) arranged opposite each other and driven in synchronism, whereof the worm threads have a pitch increasing in the conveying direction and whereof the radial support faces at least on the initial section have a variable radial height such that the objects are moved at right angles to the conveying direction extending parallel to the axes of the worms. The two worms (4, 5) have a double thread and, as shown, only one thread of each worm brings about a transverse displacement. Alternatively both threads of each worm bring about transverse displacements in opposite directions as when conveying bottles of triangular section. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Worm conveyor for objects, such as shaped bottles The invention relates to a worm conveyor for objects, such as shaped bottles, in particular with a subsequent alignment apparatus for a bottleprocessing machine, consisting of two worms arranged opposite each other and driven in synchronism, whereof the worm threads have a pitch increasing in the conveying direction and whereof the radial support faces at least on the initial section have a variable radial height such that the objects are moved at right angles to the conveying direction extending parallel to the axes of the worms.

Worm conveyors serve to separate the objects arriving in a closed single row, during their conveyance in the direction of the bottleprocessing machine, by a certain distance (spacing), in order that the objects can be transferred in synchronism to the individual locations of the bottle-processing machine, in particular its inlet drum. Provided that the row of bottles forming a line has recesses in the sides, as is the case with round bottles, no insuperable problems occur as the bottles enter the worm conveyor. However, if the line of bottles has closed sides, as in the case of square bottles or triangular bottles, problems occur at the entrance to the worm conveyor, because the worm conveyor cannot engage behind the bottles by its top which is at first narrow, on account of the absence of recesses in the line of bottles.

In order to overcome these difficulties in the case of square bottles, a worm conveyor consisting of two worms arranged opposite each other and driven in synchronism is known, in which on account of a radial height of the support face increasing in the conveying direction, all the bottles are displaced at right angles to the conveying direction. During this displacement, the rear edges of the bottles are exposed on one side, so that they present an engagement face to the worm conveyor. The worm conveyor engages the bottles on the free rear edge and moves them so far apart that there is spaced for the top of the worm increasing in the axial extent in the conveying direction.Further along the conveying path, only a guide rail is provided in place of the second worm and the radial height of the support surface of the other worm decreases, so that the bottles are returned to the centre line of their original conveying path and then arrive tangentially in the receiving recesses of the inlet drum (German OS 2 919 488).

It is the object of the invention to provide a worm conveyor, by which bottles of any shape, in particular square bottles and three cornered bottles, can be moved apart.

This object is achieved according to the invention due to the fact that the two worms have a double thread and that only one thread of each worm brings about a transverse displacement or that both threads of each worm bring about transverse displacements in opposite directions.

Whereas, in the known worm conveyor, all the bottles are moved to the same side and then back again, in the case of the invention it is only necessary for every other bottle to be moved transversely. If every first bottle is also moved transversely, it is not moved to the same side, but in the opposite direction. The energy and power consumption involved therein is low in comparison with that of the known worm conveyor. The fact that each worm conveyor has a double thread makes it possible to process bottles of any shape, in particular three cornered bottles. This is not possible with the known worm conveyor, because it is based on the principle that each bottle should be shifted in the same direction.However, since every other three cornered bottle to be shifted in this direction does not present an engagement surface for this shifting on account of the facing top, this known apparatus cannot be used for three cornered bottles.

According to one embodiment, the objects whose centres of gravity before entering the worm conveyor are located beside the centre line of the common conveying path, are moved transversely towards the centre line. A displacement of this type takes place with three cornered bottles. With this single transverse displacement, not only are engagement surfaces for the worm conveyor exposed, but the bottles are also brought onto the conveying path, which is favourable for transfer to the inlet drum.

Objects whose centres of gravity before entering the worm conveyor are located on the centre line of the common conveying path, are moved back to the common centre line before transfer to the inlet drum or to the alignment apparatus equipped with controllable rotary tables as a turntable.

Particularly in the case of an inlet drum comprising pockets as receiving locations, in order to be able to transfer the objects without coliision into the pockets, the centre line of the common conveying path may travel past the circular path of the receiving locations. In this case, in the transfer region, the worm threads have a radial height increasing in the conveying direction, so that superimposed on the movement in the conveying direction is a movement in the direction of the inlet drum, on account of which the objects are introduced radially in a collision free manner into the pockets.

The invention is described in detail hereafter with reference to the drawings illustrating two embodiments diagrammatically and in which: Figure 1 shows a worm conveyor with inlet drum and transfer drum for square bottles, Figure 2 shows a worm conveyor with an inlet drum constructed as an alignment apparatus, a transfer drum and bottle-processing machine for three cornered bottles and Figure 3 shows an inlet drum constructed as an alignment apparatus but modified with respect to that of Figure 3.

Square bottles 1 pass in a closed single row by way of a conveyor belt 2 to the inlet of a worm conveyor, which consists of two worms 4,5 located on opposite sides of the centre line 3 of the common conveying path of the bottles 1. The two worms 4,5 have two threads and rotate in synchronism with respect to each other, but in the opposite direction of rotation. The worms 4,5 are also driven in synchronism with the inlet drum 6, the transfer drum 7 and the bottle-processing machine (not shown) at half speed with respect to a worm having a single thread. On its outer periphery, the inlet drum 6 has a plurality of receiving locations, which lie on the circle shown in dot dash lines. As shown in the drawing, the centre line 3 of the common conveying path of the bottles 1 is tangential to this circle.The two worm threads of each worm 4,5 have a pitch increasing in the conveying direction, so that as they are conveyed in the direction of the inlet drum 6, the bottles 1 are spread apart with a predetermined spacing, which corresponds to the spacing of the receiving locations of the inlet drum 6, so that the bottles 1 are transferred in synchronism to the receiving locations.

At least one worm thread of each worm 4,5 has a support face whereof the radial height increases in the conveying direction so that the bottles 1 engaged by these worm threads are moved at right angles to the centre line 3 to the side remote from the inlet drum 6. It is thus ensured that the rear edges of the bottles are exposed for engagement by the worms 4,5.

Directly before the transfer region or in the transfer region, the radial height of the support face changes in the opposite direction as at the beginning, in order that the bottles are moved back onto the centre line 3 in a manner suitable for the transfer to the receiving locations.

As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, only every other bottle is moved transversely. This means that less energy and less power are required than in the case of a transverse displacement of each bottle. instead of moving only every other bottle transversely, all the bottles could be moved transversely with the same effect, but in opposite directions and by solely half the amount In this case, the bottles must be moved back before the transfer or during the transfer, in order that a trouble free transfer to the inlet drum 6 is possible. Above all, it is also conceivable that.

the centre line 3 is not tangential to the circle of the inlet drum 6, but moves past the circle at a slight distance therefrom. In this case, the transverse displacement of each second bottle in the direction of the inlet drum 6 could take place on a line which is tangential to the circle of the inlet drum 6, so that these bottles no longer need to be moved transversely at the time of transfer, solely the first bottles must then be moved transversely by the amount of the entire displacement.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, the three cornered bottles 8 arrive in an uninterrupted row, however their centres of gravity being located laterally beside the centre line 9 of the conveying path, which is tangential to the circle of the centre points of the receiving locations 10 of an inlet drum 11. In this case, all the bottles 8 are moved transversely in the direction of the centre line 9 by the two worms 12,13 each comprising two worm threads and located on both sides of the centre line 9, so that their centres of gravity are located on the centre line. During this transverse displacement, the rear edges are exposed so that the worms 12,13 are able to engage therebehind.

As they are conveyed further, the bottles 8 are given a spacing corresponding to the division of the inlet drum 11, on account of the increasing pitch of the worm threads.

It will be understood that in this case also, the same result could be achieved if only every other bottle is moved transversely, but by twice the amount The centres of gravity of the other bottles should then already be located on the line which is tangential to the circle of the receiving locations 10. If this is not the case and if the line of the centre points of these bottles is located outside the circle of the inlet drum 1 , then these bottles must also be moved transversely by the worms in the direction of the inlet drum, at the time of transfer to the inlet drum.

Since the bottles transferred one behind the other to the inlet drum 11 are staggered by 1 80C with respect to each other, for labelling of the bottles 8 on the same side, it is necessary to align the bottles in the inlet drum 11. In this case, the receiving locations 10 are equipped with rotary tables which can be driven and heads, between which the bottles 8 are gripped. A sensor 14 scans the bottles 8 and sends a control signal to the drive until the bottles have reaches the desired rotary position. The sensor 14 may respond to the shape (three sides or four sides bottle) or to markings on the bottle.

As an alternative to the inlet drum 11 of the embodiment of Figure 2, the inlet drum may also have a curved guide 15, against which the edges of the bottles 8 bear. The bottles retained so that they are able to rotate freely in the inlet drum then likewise assume the desired rotary position.

Claims

1. Worm conveyor for objects, such as shaped bottles, in particular with a subsequent alignment apparatus for a bottle-processing machine comprising two worms arranged opposite each other and driven in synchronysm, whereof the worm threads have a pitch increasing in the conveying direction and whereof the radial support faces at least on the initial section have a variable radial height such that the objects are moved at right angles to the conveying direction extending parallel to the axes of the worms, wherein the two worms have a double thread and that only one thread of each worm brings about a transverse displacement or that both threads of each worm bring about transverse displacements in opposite directions.

2. Worm conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the objects, whose centres of gravity before entering the worm conveyor are located beside the centre line of the common conveying path, are moved transversely towards the centre line.

3. Worm conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the objects whose centres of gravity before entering the worm conveyor are located on the centre line of the common conveying path, are moved back to the common centre line before transfer to the inlet drum or to the alignment apparatus equipped with controllable rotary tables such as a turntable.

4. Worm conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the transfer region, the support faces of the worm threads have a radial height increasing in the conveying direction so that superimposed on the movement along the axes of the worms is a movement extending at right angles thereto in the direction of the inlet drum, on the basis of which the objects can be transferred to the inlet drum without any collisions.

5. Worm conveyor for objects, such as shaped bottles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.