GB2137182A - Automatic Keg Processing Machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A guide means for a process head (12) of a keg processing machine includes a V-shaped guide element (35) presenting opposed limbs (37, 38) defining respective guide surfaces, convergent in the direction of keg movement through the machine, for engagement by the neck of an inverted keg moving to a process position to bring the keg properly into alignment with the process head. Means (42, 43, 11, 14) are provided to effect translational motion of the guide means between a position in which the same lies in the path of movement of the neck of the keg and a position remote from such path. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic Keg Processing Machines The invention concerns washing machines, and has more particular reference to automatic keg washing and racking machines.

In automatic keg washing and racking machines, hereinafter, for convenience referred to as "keg processing machines", as used, for example, in the brewing industry, it is known to progress a keg along a track through a succession of work stations, the position of the keg longitudinally of the machine being determined by suitable sensor means and an appropriate step of the washing and filling process being carried out on the keg at a relevant work station in response to such sensor means.

In conventional equipment the positioning of the keg laterally of the machine is effected by reference to its rim, there being guide rails on the machine into contact with which an advancing keg moves on passage into the machine and by which the keg is centralised with respect to the track.

While the conventional practice of effecting centralisation by means of the guide rails has proved generally satisfactory, difficulties do sometimes arise in the case of kegs of which the rims have been damaged, in that such a keg may reach a particular work station in a position wherein the neck thereof is out of alignment with the process head provided thereat. As a result, the process head, in moving towards and into engagement with the neck, fails to make proper sealing contact therewith and the keg is accordingly rejected by the machine automatically, the work station being passed without any processing of the keg, The object of the present invention is to provide a means for ensuring correct location of the keg on the track and thus avoid, at least in part, the non-alignment problems sometimes experienced in conventional keg processing machines.

The present invention is predicated upon the appreciation that, whereas, in normal usage, the keg rim is susceptible to damage and distortion, the neck is ordinarily protected by the presence of such rim, and thus location by reference to such neck couid be expected to reduce the incidence of non-alignment of a keg with a process head in the lateral direction of the machine such as does arise as a result of rim damage.

According to the present invention, there is proposed, in or for a keg processing machine having one or more work stations to which kegs are delivered in succession, and are movable into and out of sealing engagement with the neck of the said keg and by which treatment fluids are delivered to the interior of the keg, a retractable guide means cooperable with the neck and adapted to bring such neck into axial register with a process head on movement of the keg to the work station, the guide means including opposed mutually convergent guide surfaces for contact by respective, generally opposite, sides of the neck and symmetrically disposed in relation to the axis of reciprocation of the process head (or movable parts thereof).

According to a preferred feature, the guide means is mounted on the process head for movement with such head in the axial direction thereof.

According to a further preferred feature, the guide means comprises.a V-shaped element lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of reciprocation of the process head.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken through a conventional process head modified by the addition thereto of the guide means of the invention; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the guide means of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, a process head for location at a work station of an automatic keg processing machine comprises a primary piston 11 slidably mounted in a cylinder assembly 12 secured in vertical disposition upon the framework (not shown) of the machine, the primary piston 11 having a free end 1 3 extending outwardiy from the cylinder assembly 12, a secondary cylinder 14 secured to the free end 1 3 of the primary piston 11 and extending coaxially therefrom, and a secondary piston 1 5 slidably mounted in the secondary cylinder 14 and having respective axially directed piston rods 1 6, 1 7 extending from opposite faces thereof, means being provided for delivering pressure fluid to the undersides of the primary and secondary pistons 11, 1 5 respectively.

The cylinder assembly 12 comprises a cylinder sleeve 1 8 arranged coaxially with and at one side of the collar 1 9, the lower end of the sleeve 18 being closed by an end cap 20 having a feed port 21 therein. The assembly 12 also includes an open-ended sleeve 22 at the opposite side of the collar to cylinder sleeve 18, the bore of sleeve 22 being of lesser diameter than cylinder sleeve 1 8 and such sleeve having an elongate slot 23 therein extending throughout substantially the full length thereof.

The primary piston 11 is a free sliding fit in sleeve 22, being supported therein by bushes 24, and the lower end thereof carries a piston ring 25 in sealing engagement with the cylinder sleeve 1 8. In its fully retracted position primary piston 11 extends outwardly from the cylinder assembly 12, and the uppermost part thereof is provided with a blind axial bore 26 which terminates in a radial bore 27 in register with the lower end of the slot 23 when the piston is in such retracted position.

The secondary cylinder 14 has a stepped bore thereto defined by lower and upper cavities 28, 29 separated by a shoulder 30, the bore of the lower cavity 28 corresponding to the outside diameter of the free end 1 3 of the primary piston 11 and the secondary cylinder 14 being mounted on such free end. Secondary piston 1 5 is freely slidable in lower cavity 28 and is movable therein under the effect of pressure fluid fed to the underside of the piston 15 through feed port 31.

A through bore 32 is provided axially of piston rods 1 6, 17 and piston 15, such bore 32 being in fluid flow connection with blind bore 26 in primary piston 11. Upper cavity 29 connects with a radial port 33, and has a bore in excess of the outside diameter of the upper piston rod 17, such rod 17 moving into upper cavity 29 on application of pressure fluid to the underside of secondary piston 1 5. Piston rod 16 engages in the upper end of bore 26 in primary piston 11.

A seal 34 is provided in the end face of the secondary cylinder for sealing engagement with the annular end face of the neck of a keg.

The structure thus far described is generally of known form and operates in conventional manner. Thus, with an inverted keg in position relative to the process head with the neck thereof aligned with the head, fluid under pressure is fed to the underside of the primary piston 11 through feed port 21. The primary piston moves axially of the cylinder assembly 12 to bring the seal 34 into engagement with the annular end face of the neck of the keg.

Pressure fluid is then applied to the underside of the secondary piston to bring piston rod 1 7 to the dotted line position shown in the drawing, in which position the rod operates to open the valve in the keg and allow passage of treatment fluids to or from the keg, such fluids being fed to the keg through bores 26, 27 in primary piston 11 and bore 32 and drained from the keg through upper cavity 29 and radial port 33.

In accordance with the present invention, the process head is provided with guide means to receive the depending neck of the keg as the same moves into position above the process head, the guide means operating primarily to bring the neck into an appropriate position laterally of the path of movement of the keg to the work station. Thus, referring now both to Figs. 1 and 2, the guide means comprises a V-shaped guide element 35 screw-threadedly mounted on the remote end of the secondary cylinder 14, by a collar 36, the element 35 being disposed generally horizontally in a predetermined angular disposition and the limbs 37, 38 thereof diverging towards an incoming keg. The collar is angularly located relative to the secondary cylinder 14 by means of a plate 39 engaged with a complementary recess 40 in the periphery of the collar and secured to the cylinder 14 by screw means 41.The guide element 35 is positioned such that the axis of the process head, as defined by the axis of the secondary cylinder 14, lies in the plane of symmetry of the element 35, and such plane of symmetry also includes the line of intended movement of the incoming keg.

Conveniently the degree of divergence of the limbs 37, 38 of the guide element 35, in relation to the diameter of the keg neck, is such as also to locate the neck in relation to the process head in the direction of movement of the incoming keg, although external sensing means may be used, if desired, for determining the position of the keg in this particular regard.

In addition to the provision of the guide element-35, the process head is further modified by the addition of means for bodily moving the guide element into and from the path of movement of the neck of the incoming keg, it being understood that the neck of the keg is at the keg side of a plane containing the edge of the rim of the keg and thus the guide element must necessarily be moved into (or from) the path of movement of the keg after (or before) the relevant part of the rim has passed a given datum point.

In the embodiment illustrated the means for moving the guide element into or from its operative position includes a supplementary piston and cylinder arrangement 42 operating on the underside of the primary piston 11 and serving to displace the same by an appropriate distance in advance of the conventional neck engaging operation of the head. Thus, supplementary piston and cylinder arrangement 42 is mounted on the end cap 20 of the cylinder assembly 12, and the piston rod 43 thereof extends through an aperture 44 in such cap into contact with the primary piston. Energisation of the supplementary arrangement 42 shifts piston rod 43 axially and moves the primary piston 11 and the secondary cylinder 14 by a like amount.

Appiication of fluid pressure to the underside of the primary piston 11 on proper alignment of the keg neck with the process head, as detected by any suitable means, will bring seal 34 into engagement with the neck, whilst subsequent application of pressure fluids to the underside of the secondary piston 1 5 will open the valve in the keg in conventional manner.

The invention is not restricted to the exact features of the embodiment disclosed, since alternatives will present themselves to one skilled in the art. Thus, whilst it is found convenient to mount the guide means on the process head and provide for an initial movement of that head to bring the guide element into the path of movement of the neck of the keg, such guide means can be independently mounted and operated if preferred.

Furthermore, whilst a V-shaped guide element has been found to be particularly convenient, separate elements each providing a respective guide surface may be found equally effective.

In its simplest form the invention contemplates a manually actuable guide element (or elements) movable to or from an operative position according to the position of a keg longitudinally of its path to the work station and the invention is to be construed accordingly.

Claims (12)

1. In or for a keg processing machine having one or more work stations to which kegs are delivered in succession and are movable into and out of sealing engagement with the neck of the said keg and by which treatment fluids are delivered to the interior of the keg, a retractable guide means cooperable with the neck and adapted to bring such neck into axial register with a process head on movement of the keg to the work station, the guide means including opposed mutually convergent guide surfaces for contact by respective, generally opposite, sides of the neck and symmetrically disposed in relation to the axis of reciprocation of the process head (or movable parts thereof).

2. Guide means as claimed in claim 1, adapted and arranged for mounting on the process head for movement with such head in the axial direction thereof.

3. Guide means as claimed in claim 2, including a mounting collar engageable with the process head and angularly locatable relative to the axis thereof.

4. Guide means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising cooperating guide elements lying in a common plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the guide means in moving between operative and inoperative positions and having respective opposed guide surfaces convergent in the direction of intended movement of the keg.

5. Guide means as claimed in claim 4, including a V-shaped element defining the cooperating guide elements aforesaid.

6. In or for a keg processing plant a guide means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A process head for a keg processing machine including a guide means therefor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

8. A process head as claimed in claim 7, including displacement means adapted to effect translational motion of the guide means to and from a position in the path of movement of the neck of a keg.

9. A process head as claimed in claim 8, including a primary piston and a secondary cylinder mounted coaxially thereon for motion therewith, the guide means being carried by the secondary cylinder, the displacement means comprising a supplementary piston and cylinder arrangement operable on the primary piston to effect axial adjustment thereof.

1 0. A process head substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A keg processing plant including retractable guide means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6.

12. A keg processing plant including a process head as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 7 to 10.