US3433371A - Tipplers for turning over beer kegs and like containers - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1969 M. RUDDICK 3,433,371

TIPPLERS FOR TURNING OVER BEER KEGS AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 2, 1968 Sheet 7 of 2 I- I2 |o 22 l8 l5 s L I ll I I {L H H j b 12' |9-- |4 2&25

lrwenlar Maumc: RuumcK By I v v- KAI-L 06 Attorneys M. RUDDICK March 18, 1969 TIPPLERS FOR TURNING OVER BEER KEGS AND LIKE CONTAINERS Sheet Filed Feb. 2, 19

Inventor Maumce Ruumcx v t m ttorney 5 United States Patent C) 10,706/67 U.S. 01. 214-1 Int. Cl. Bj 3/00,- B65g 47/00 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tippler for turning over metal kegs or like containers comprises a cradle formed by a carrier which is pivotally mounted to enable it to rock about a horizontal axis and two platforms extending one from each end of the carrier. The platforms diverge from each other at a substantial angle in a direction away from the carrier, preferably symmetrically so that there is an included angle of about 110 between each platform and the carrier, so that rocking of the carrier through an angle of substantially less than 180 moves the cradle from a position with one platform horizontal to a position with the other platform horizontal to turn over a container. The rocking of the carrier is brought about by a pivotally mounted fluid pressureoperated ram connected to the carrier so that the part of the carrier between its pivotal axis and the connection of the ram forms a crank which is rocked by the ram to rock the cradle between the two positions in which the platforms are horizontal.

Metal kegs or like containers which are now commonly used for holding beer and other potable liquids are washed and filled by automatic machines and are mechanically conveyed between these machines in breweries and other filling places. In the course of their conveyance and other handling, it is often necessary to turn the kegs over from a position in which their necks or bungs are uppermost to one in which they are lowermost or vice versa. For example, it is most satisfactory to wash the containers when they are inverted, that is with the bungs lowermost so that all the washing water or other liquid can be drained out, but it is usually best to fill the containers in an upright position and it is thus necessary to turn the containers over in their passage between the washing machine and filling machine.

A variety of forms of tippler are currently in use for turning over the containers, but all these tipplers have rather complex mechanisms and are therefore expensive to manufacture. One particular form of tippler comprises a cradle which is channel-shaped as seen from the side, with the two sides of the channel forming platforms which are parallel to each other and both of which extend at right angles to the base of the channel. The base of the channel, which forms a carrier for the platform, is centrally pivoted so that it can turn through a 180 from a position in which one platform is lowermost and horizontal into a position in which the other platform is lowermost and horizontal. In use, a container is fed onto the lowermost horizontal platform on which it rests on one of its ends and the cradle and the container with it are then turned through a 180 so that the container is turned over and then rests on the other platform on its other end. Largely because the cradle must rock through an angle of a full 180", the mechanism for turning the cradle is complex and the tippler suffers from the disadvantage, already mentioned, of being expensive and its operating mechanism also requires a considerable amount of maintenance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tippler which can be operated by an extremely simple mechanism so that not only is the tippler cheaper to manufacture than those previously made, but its maintenance requirements are much less.

To this end, according to this invention, such a tippler comprises a cradle formed by a carrier which is ivotally mounted to enable it to rock about a horizontal axis, and two platforms extending one from each end of the carrier, the platforms diverging from each other at a substantial angle in a direction away from the carrier so that rocking of the carrier through an angle of substantially less than 180 moves the cradle from a position with one platform horizontal to a position with the other platform horizontal to turn over a container, and a pivotally mounted fluid pressure-operated ram connected to the carrier so that the part of the carrier between its pivotal axis and the connection of the ram forms a crank which is rocked by the ram to rock the cradle between the two positions in which the platforms are horizontal.

The operating mechanism thus consisting almost solely of the fluid-pressure operated ram is extremely simple and therefore cheap to manufacture and very easily maintained.

This simple construction results from the inventors realisation that to turn over the container it is not necessary to turn it through a 180' by turning the cradle of the tippler through this angle, but to turn the cradle and the container through an angle somewhat less than 180 and to cause the remaining movement of the container to take place by allowing the container to roll over to a limited extent on the cradle as the cradle turns so that although the cradle turns through less than 180, the container itself turns through 180 and is thus completely inverted.

With the previous arrangement in which the two platforms forming part of the cradle were parallel to each other, the container remained on one platform until it had turned through just over and it then slid down the cradle directly into contact with the other platform without itself turning relatively to the cradle.

With the arrangement in accordance with the present invention, after the cradle has turned through quite a small angle, the container tumbles over onto its side onto the carrier part of the cradle extending between the two platforms and subsequently as the cradle turns still further, the container tumbles further so that its other end comes into contact with the second platform and its side turns out of contact with the carrier.

Preferably the platforms extend symmetrically from the carrier, the included angle between each platform and the carrier being substantially greater than a right angle. In one example the included angle between each platform and the carrier is Thus with one platform horizontal, the carrier extends upwards from the platform to its pivot at an angle of 70 to the horizontal. As the cradle turns, the container on the platform tumbles through an angle of 20 until it is in contact with and carried by the carrier and then as turning of the cradle continues, the container tumbles through a further 20 onto the other platform. Rocking of the cradle through an angle of by the fluid pressure-operated ram brings the other platform on which the container now rests into a horizontal position.

It is because the cradle only has to rock through a 140 or an angle of about this magnitude that the rock ing movement can be brought about by the directly acting fluid pressure-operated ram as the crank which is formed by part of the carrier does not pass through a dead-centre position. It was impossible to use a ram in this way with the previous arrangement, where the cradle moves through a because if the ram were arranged to provide a turning moment with the cradle in one end position, the cradle would have to pass through a deadcentre position at which the ram would give no turning moment before it reached the other end position with the other platform horizontal.

An example of a tippler constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away to show details; and,

FIGURE 2 is a plan.

The tippler comprises a base frame formed by two parallel rolled steel angles 1, one of which only is shown in FIGURE 1. The two angles 1 are interconnected by a cross channel 2 and two channels 3 and 4 which form a guide track for containers conveyed to the tippler are supported above the base frame by supports 5, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1.

Two channel stanchions 6 extend upwards from the angles 1 and are braced by being bolted by bolts 7 to the guide channels 3 and 4. The stanchions 6 are shown partly broken away in FIGURE 1 to reveal the parts between them. At the tops of the two stanchions 6 are bearings 8 in which a horizontal shaft 9 is mounted. The shaft 9 carries a cradle 10 and by turning in the bearings 8 allows the cradle 10 to rock.

The cradle 10 includes a carrier formed by two parallel Ts 11 which are welded at the mid points of their flanges to the shaft 9 and are connected together by bracing strips 12. Two L-shaped bars 13 are welded one to each of the T3 11 and together with the Ts 11 and the strips 12 complete the carrier part of the cradle.

Two further Ts 14 are welded one to the bottom of each of the Ts 11 and, with the Ts 11 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, extend horizontally towards the right between the guide channels 3 and 4. The Ts 14 are fixed together by a bracing strip 15 and together with the bracing strip 15 form one platform. At the other end of the Ts 11 is a further platform formed by two further Ts 16 and a bracing strip 17 between them. The Ts 1 4 and 16 are Welded directly to the ends of the T s 11 and further stiffening pieces 18 are also welded in at the junctions.

A pneumatic ram 19 has the bottom of its cylinder 20 pivotally attached to a bracket 21 fixed to the centre of the channel 2 and its position rod 22 pivotally connected to a rod 23 extending between two brackets 24 which are fixed one to each of the Ts 11 and only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1.

When the pneumatic ram 19 has its piston rod 22 retracted as is shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the platform formed by the Ts 14 is horizontal and the bracing strip 15 rests on a resilient pad 25 carried on an angle 26 which extends between and is fixed by brackets to the undersides of the guide channels 3 and 4. There is an included angle of 110 between the Ts 14 and the corresponding Ts 11 and therefore with the platform formed by the Ts 14 horizontal, the carrier formed by the Ts 11 and the parts attached to them extend upwards at an angle of 70 to the horizontal. The parts of the T5 11 between the brackets 24 and the shaft 19 form a crank which is rotated when the pneumatic ram 19 is extended. When this happens, the whole of the cradle 10 is turned through an angle of 140 and this brings the platform formed by the Ts 16 into a horizontal position since there is also an included angle of 110 between the Ts 16 and the corresponding Ts 11. The position adopted by the cradle 10 when the ram 19 has been fully extended is shown in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and with the cradle in this turned position, the strip 17 rests on a resilient pad 27 which is supported on an angle 28 fixed by brackets to the undersides of the guide channels 3 and 4 in the same way as the angle 26.

In use, a beer keg or like container is conveyed to the tippler by means of a conveyor consisting of a pair of endless chains or an endless belt extending horizontally between the guide channels 3 and 4. With the cradle 10 in the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the container comes to rest on the platform formed by the Ts 14 inbetween the arms of the L-shaped rods 13. The ram 19 is then operated so that its position rod is extended and the cradle 10 starts to turn in a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 1. After it has turned through a small angle, the container tumbles over on the platform 14 until it is resting on its side on the carrier formed by the Ts 11 and the bracing strips 12 extending between them. Further rotation of the cradle 10 after the Ts 11 have passed through a horizontal position causes the container to tumble further until it is resting on what was originally its upper end on the platform formed by the T5 16. When this platform reaches the position shown at 16 in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 1, the container is moved off the platform and conveyed onwards by the conveyor.

I claim:

1. A tippler for turning over kegs and like containers, said tippler including a fixed support and a cradle, said cradle comprising a carrier, means pivotally mounting said carrier on said fixed support for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, two platforms, means fixing said platforms one to each end of said carrier, said platforms diverging from each other at a substantial angle in a direction away from said carrier whereby rocking movement of said carrier though an angle of substantially less than 130 moves said cradle from a position wherein one of said platforms is horizontal to a position wherein the other of said platforms is horizontal, a fluid pressureoperated ram and means pivotally connecting said ram to said fixed support and to said carrier at a position spaced from said pivot means whereby a part of said carrier between said pivot means and said means connecting said ram to said carrier forms a crank which is rocked by said ram to move said cradle between said first position and said second position.

2. A tippler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platforms extend symmetrically from said carrier and the included angle between each of said platforms and said carrier is substantially greater than a right angle.

3. A tippler as claimed in claim 2, wherein said included angle is about References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,085,936 7/1937 Wolf.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 19833

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