JPS6144760B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a machine for removing lids from containers with screw lids.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Caps placed on bottles and other containers that are collected for reuse after the contents of the bottles have been used are often very difficult to open. This can be caused by the contents remaining on the threaded part of the container and the lid sticking to it, the lid being incorrectly screwed onto the container, the neck of the container being deformed, or a combination of these factors. This is because there are cases where The present invention is a machine that applies a gripping force around the lid to remove the lid from the container in the above-mentioned cases, and in particular, the gripping force is generated only when the lid is present at the neck of the container, and the lid is not applied. The case relates to the field of lid removal devices in which no gripping forces are generated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hitherto, lid removal machines are known which have a rotating body with a stylet that engages the lid when the body is lowered towards the lid. The stylet was fixed to a lever arrangement which engaged the lid engaging means to the lid. For this reason, when the main body descends toward the container, the downward force of the main body toward the container acts on the top of the lid via the probe.On the other hand, the lid is generally made of a fairly thin aluminum sheet. As a result, such known devices did not function as proper cap removal machines because the top of the cap was easily torn by the force of the probe.

A disadvantage of known lid remover hooks is also that the lever device moves the lid engaging means all the same distance, so that two pairs of opposing lid engaging means are used, and in some cases. The gripping force provided by one pair of opposing lid engaging means may be different from the gripping force provided by another pair of opposing lid engaging means, resulting in failure to achieve proper lid removal. This tendency is particularly strong when the cross section of the neck of the container is somewhat elliptical, the core is not protruding, or the container is tilted. However, such deformation often occurs in glass containers.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional device, the thin lid was easily torn by the pressing force of the probe, making it impossible to properly remove the lid. Further, with conventional devices, it has been difficult to achieve proper lid removal when the neck of the container has a somewhat elliptical cross-section, is misaligned, or is tilted. Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve these problems.

Means for Solving the Problems The probe is slidably provided on a main body provided with a lid engaging means, and is elastically held in the direction of the lid.

Each of the plurality of occlusal tools, the lid engaging means for engaging opposite sides of the lid, is provided with a piston-cylinder activation means.

Effect: The probe moves to the container side together with the main body. When the probe collides with the lid of the container, the probe is held at the top of the lid and remains stationary even though the main body itself moves further toward the container.As a result, the probe moves relative to the main body and the lid Move in the opposite direction to the top. Therefore, there is no risk of the probe breaking the lid.

On the other hand, the lid engaging means attached to the main body is positioned around the lid as the lid main body moves. Each of the lid engaging means is actuated by a piston and cylinder actuating means each operating independently of the other. Therefore, even if the cross section of the container neck portion is slightly deformed, the lid engaging means always performs optimal lid gripping engagement, thereby ensuring reliable lid removal at all times.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the figures, numeral 3 designates one of a number of head supports mounted in circumferentially spaced relation to each vertical slide 3a on a turret rotating about a central vertical axis. ing. Each head support 3
is suspended from the cam follower 4. The cam follower 4 engages a fixed cam track (not shown) extending about the axis of the turret and engages the cam track when the head support moves on a rotating frame about the axis of the turret. The head support 3 is moved up and down by the slider 3 on the turret.
Move within a. Each support 3 supports a vertically rotating spindle 10 in a bearing 5. The spindle 10
has an elongated pinion 6 fixed thereto, which meshes with a fixed toothed wheel 7 centered on the central axis of rotation, so that the spindle 10 is connected to the turret and head support. It rotates to move around the central axis. The spindle 10 has a central passage 11 and the upper end of the spindle is received in a socket 8 of the head support 3. This socket 8 and the central passage 11 of the spindle 10 are formed by a flexible tube 9
The turret is alternately connected to a source of high pressure air and to an outlet by valves that are timed with respect to the position of the spindle during movement about the turret axis.

The flange 12 at the lower end of the spindle 10 engages a nut 13 which is screwed into one body part 14 of the two-part body. This first body portion 14 is annular and provides a continuation of the central air passage of the spindle 10, with air leakage being directed to an O-ring 16 sandwiched between the flange 12 and the top of the portion 14. It is prevented by twisting. A drive pin 17 is provided for transmitting rotational drive from the spindle 10 to the body part.

A second body portion 18 is axially slidably mounted on the reduced diameter portion 19 of the first body portion 14 .
The second body portion 18 has a drive bolt 2 extending slidably upwardly through a hole in the portion and secured to a threaded socket in the first body portion 14.
1 is forced downwardly with respect to the first body part 14 by three springs 20, each disposed around the first body part 14. A circular clip 18a located in a groove in the head of the bolt 21 and the lower end of the first body portion 14.
limits downward movement of second body portion 18 with respect to first body portion 14 .

The second body portion 18 has three cylinders 22 facing radially outwardly thereof. These three cylinders are equally spaced about the central axis of the section 18. The pistons 23 that respectively engage these cylinders have axially extending grooves in their skirt portions for accommodating portions of the lever arms 24. The lever arm 24 is connected to the second body portion 1
8 is located in an axial groove 25 on the outer surface of 8. Each arm 24 is supported by body portion 18 and rests on a pivot pin 26 extending across groove 25.

The arm 24 has a protrusion 27 that is partially cylindrical.
is provided, the projection 27 of which forms a contact surface for engaging the piston 23. These contact surfaces are held against the piston by springs 28 (see FIGS. 1B and 2) extending between posts 29 of adjacent arms 24. At the inner end of the radial movement of the arm 24, the piston impinges on the inner end of the cylinder.

The lower end of each arm 24 extends below the lower end of second body portion 18 to support an occlusal tool 30 .
All three of these tools simultaneously grip the cap 31 to be removed from a bottle or other container. Tool 30 has a groove support 32 . This support 32 is fixed to the lower end of the arm 24 by a screw 33 and a shoe 34.
The rear surface has a groove for receiving a dovetail tenon.
The front face of the shoe 34 has a partially cylindrical groove 35 that frictionally engages the periphery of the cap. The front surface of the shoe is vertically inclined as shown (FIG. 1B).

In the preferred embodiment, each shoe is attached directly to the lower end of the arm by a horizontal bolt, about which it can pivot somewhat to accommodate a cap that is misplaced relative to the container. ing. The partially cylindrical front surface of the shoe is knurled to enhance frictional engagement with the cap.

The radial inward movement of each tool 30 can be individually adjusted by means of a stop screw 36 that threadably engages the arm. The inner end of this screw 36 abuts the radial wall of the groove 25 and the screw can be locked in place by a locking nut 37.

A stylet 38 is slidably mounted within the central hole of the second body portion 14, the lower end of the needle 38 projects below the portion 14, and the needle 38 is secured to the center by an O-ring 39. Sealed against the hole. The stylet 38 has a stem 40 of reduced diameter, which together with the wall of the borehole forms a circular extension 11a of the central air passage 11. This circular extension 11a communicates with the three cylindrical cylinders 22 via radial passages 41 and axial grooves 41a in the reduced diameter section 19 and radial passages 42 in the second body part 18. The passage 42 opens into the cylinder to a recess in the convex portion of the piston 23. A flange 44a is provided at the upper end of the stem 40 of the probe 38, and a rubber seal ring 44 is joined to this flange to form a valve. This ring 44 forms a seal with the annular shoulder 18b in the bore of the first body part 14, closing the communication between the air passage 11 and its extension 11a. A spring 38a seated on the shoulder of the rotating spindle 10 normally acts on the flange 44a to hold the seal ring 44 to its seating surface or shoulder 18b.

In operation, as the cap removal device, rotating about the turret axis, passes through the loading station, containers with threaded lids to be removed are fed underneath the successive cap removal device. During further movement of the device about the turret axis, passage 1
1 is connected to a high-pressure air supply, and the rotary drive spindle is lowered integrally towards the container by the action of a fixed cam track and a cam follower on the head support. In the first phase of this downward movement of the drive spindle, the stylet 38 impinges on the lid to be removed, so that this lid prevents it from descending further. When the drive spindle continues its downward movement,
Seal shoulder 18b moves downwardly from seal ring 44, compressing spring 38a, and high pressure air flows from passage 11 through extension 11a, radial passage 41, axial groove 41a, and radial passage 42 into cylinder 22. The flow causes the piston 23 to move radially outward so that the shoe 34 grips and engages the skirt portion of the threaded lid 31. Rotation of the drive spindle opens the lid such that an upward force applied to tool 30 and arm 24 causes second body portion 18 to move upwardly with respect to first portion 14 and compression spring 20. The upward movement of the lid still gripped by the tool also forces the needle upwards and continues until the lid is completely unwound and remains on the container. As the turret continues to rotate, the fixed cam track and cam follower 4 lift the head support so that it initially
4 is lifted and the spring 20 returns the second body part 18 to its initial position relative to the first part 14, and the lid thus gripped separates from the container as the upward movement of the head support continues. At the unloading point in the rotation of the head support around the turret axis,
This container is removed from below the head support, for example by the action of a star wheel, and in the loading station another container whose lid is to be removed is brought into position below the head support. At a predetermined point between the unloading station and the loading station, the central air passage 11 in the drive spindle is opened via the tube 9 to the outlet, so that the arm 24 is returned to its initial position by the spring 28. The lid is then released from the shoe's grip, which then allows the needle to return to its lowest position by means of spring 38a, so that it seats on sealing ring 44.

If there is no lid on the container, the needle will not experience any drag during its downward movement and will therefore not be able to disengage from the sealing ring 44 and introduce air into the motor cylinder. The tool 30 is thus not moved inwardly by the arm 24 and there is no risk of damage to the container or equipment.

Effects of the Invention In the present invention, the probe in contact with the top of the lid simply opens and closes the valve without affecting the gripping force of the lid engaging means, so the probe does not break the lid and always ensures reliable operation. The lid can be removed.

Furthermore, if the container is not capped, the stylet does not open the valve, so the articulating tool does not approach the neck of the container and will not cause damage to the container or device.

Furthermore, since the articulating tool is actuated by a piston-cylinder actuating means that operates independently of the others, it can reliably engage the lid even if the container neck is deformed, and therefore always achieve reliable lid removal. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1A and 1B show an axial cross-section of a lid removal device according to the invention. 2 and 3 are views along lines 2-2 and 3-3 of FIG. 1B, respectively. Figures 4 and 5 are line 4- of Figure 1B.
4 and 5-5. Explanation of symbols, 3: Head support, 4: Cam follower, 10: Rotating spindle, 11: Central passage, 1
1a: Extension part, 12: Flange, 14: One side main body part, 17: Drive pin, 18: Most part of second main body,
18a: Clip, 18b: Shoulder, 20: Spring,
21: Drive bolt, 22: Cylinder, 23: Piston, 24: Lever arm, 30: Tool, 3
1: Lid, 34: Shower, 38: Probe, 38a:
Spring, 41: Radial passage, 41a: Axial groove,
42: Passage, 44: Seal ring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An annular rotating body that rotates around an axis and also moves in the axial direction toward and away from the top of the container, and an opposite side of the lid on the container that is on the body. a piston/cylinder activation means for activating the lid engaging means; a probe provided on the main body and protruding toward the top of the container and contacting the lid; valves 44, 44A for controlling the supply of pressurized fluid to cylinder actuating means; from a container with a threaded lid, the lid engaging means for engaging opposite sides of the lid comprising a plurality of articulating tools 30; In the machine for removing caps, each articulating tool 30 has a separate piston-cylinder activation means 22, 23 mounted on the body 14, 18.
the stylet is slidably held in a rotating body and elastically loaded in the direction of the lid, and the stylet is moved towards the lid on the container while the body moves in the direction of the container; When abutting, the stylet moves relative to the body in a direction opposite to the direction of the container and closes the valve 4.
4. A lid removing machine characterized in that the lid removal machine is configured to actuate all of the activation means by activating the activation means 4 and 44A to supply pressure fluid.