US3753589A

US3753589A - Multiple bottle gripper

Info

Publication number: US3753589A
Application number: US00229791A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Hahn
Original assignee: Holstein und Kappert Maschinenfabrik Phonix GmbH
Current assignee: Holstein und Kappert Maschinenfabrik Phonix GmbH
Priority date: 1971-02-26
Filing date: 1972-02-28
Publication date: 1973-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-21
Also published as: JPS4876691A; BE779340A; AU3939372A; IT947916B; NL7202374A; AU460947B2

Abstract

Multiple bottle gripper in which a plurality of gripper bells or lifting cups are supported on support means in a plurality of transverse rows and in each row spaced from each other so as to be also arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows and in which adjusting means are provided for adjusting the position of the gripper bells relative to each other in the direction of the transverse rows and in a direction normal thereto.

Description

United States Patent [191 Hahn [ 1 Aug. 21, 1973 MULTIPLE BOTTLE GRIPPER 75 Inventor: Winfrled Hahn, Dortmund-Brackel,

Germany [73] Assignees Holstein & Kappert Maschinenfabrick Phonix GmbH, Dortmund, Germany [22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 229,791

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb, 26, 1971 Germany P 21 09 172.5

[52] 11.8. Cl.. 294/87 R [51] Int. Cl. B65g 47/26 [58] Field of Search 294/63 R, 64 R, 65, 294/87 R, 87 A, 87, 2, 90; 214/1 BS, 1 ET, 1 BH [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,506,140 4/1970 Koch et a1. 294/87 A X 1,110,409 9/1914 Sutherland 294/65 2,903,290 9/1959 Morris et al. 3,542,412 11/1970 Koch et a1. 294/65 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney-Michael S. Striker [5 7] ABSTRACT Multiple bottle gripper in which a plurality of gripper bells or lifting cups are supported on support means in a plurality of transverse rows and in each row spaced from each other so as to be also arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows and in which adjusting means are provided for adjusting the position of the gripper bells relative to each other in the direction of the transverse rows and in a direction normal thereto.

22 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 I5 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,589

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

54/ 8 L\1 I 'r\\ 1 I N1 -2 /Il FM H A ll Fig. 3

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,589

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 4

Fig. 5

MULTIPLE BOTTLE GRIPPER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multiple bottle gripper in which a plurality of gripper bells or lifting cups are arranged spaced from each other on a gripper head in a plurality of transverse rows preferably extending substantially normal to a center line of the gripper head and in each row spaced from each other so as to be also arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows substantially parallel to this center line. Such multiple gripper heads are known in the art and may for instance comprise a metal plate provided with a plurality of openings arranged in the plate according to the desired pattern of the gripper bells and in which the individual gripper bells are fastened in the openings provided in the plate.

Quite often it is, however, desired to change the arrangement of the gripper bells with respect to each other, for instance, to change the distance of the transverse rows from each other or the spacing of the gripper bells in each row and in such an event it is necessary with multiple bottle grippers known in the art to exchange the whole bottle gripper against another bottle gripper in which the openings in the plate are arranged in the difi'erent desired manner. This required the provision of a plurality of bottle grippers each constructed with the desired arrangement of the gripper bells thereon and exchange of one bottle gripper for another one in the apparatus in which such multiple bottle grippers have been used. This solution has evidently considerable disadvantages, especially if the apparatus in which the multiple bottle gripper has been used required quite often a different arrangement of the individual gripper bells on the gripper head, since in this case a great number of multiple bottle grippers had to be provided while the exchange of one multiple bottle gripper for another one caused also a considerable loss of time in which the machine using the multiple bottle gripper had to be stopped during such exchange of one against another bottle gripper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of multiple bottle grippers known in the art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple bottle gripper provided with a plurality of gripper bells in which the position of the gripper bells with respect to each other may be changed without requiring exchange of one multiple bottle gripper for another one.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple bottle gripper in which a plurality of gripper bells are arranged in a plurality of transverse rows in each row spaced from each other so as be also arranged in a plurality for longitudinal rows and in which the position of the gripper bells with respect to each other may be quickly changed.

With these and other objects in view, the multiple bottle gripper according to the present invention basically comprises a plurality of gripper bells, support means supporting the plurality of gripper bells in a plurality of transverse rows which extends in a first direction and which are spaced in a second direction from each other and in which the bells in each row are arranged spaced from each other in the first direction so as to be also arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows extending in said second direction and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the bells relative to each other in said first and second direction while maintaining the arrangement of the bells in a plurality of transverse rows.

The support means may comprise a mounting plate member and a plurality of first guide means for the gripper bells arranged in accordance with said plurality of longitudinal and transverse rows, whereas the adjusting means may comprise at least two slide members extending in the first direction adjacent to the mounting plate member, a plurality of second guide means for the gripper bells on the slide members arranged in accordance with said longitudinal rows, and means mounting the members movable relative to each other in said second direction. The plurality of first guide means respectively extend inclined at an angle relative to the plurality of second guide means and partly overlap the latter.

In such an arrangement it is possible to quickly change the position of the gripper bells with respect to each other by moving the slide members relative to the plate or the latter relative to the slide members in said second direction without the necessity of exchanging the multiple bottle gripper and without the necessity of stopping the machine in which the multiple bottle gripper is used for an extended time during change of the position of the gripper bells of the bottle gripper.

In a preferred arrangement, the plurality of first guide means may be constituted by a plurality of elongated slots formed in the mounting plate member and, likewise, the plurality of second guide means may be constituted by slots formed in the respective slide members and wherein each of the gripper bells has a mounting shaft which extends through the overlapping portions of the aforementioned slots.

Preferably, the slots in the mounting plate member are arranged in such a manner that continuations of the center lines of each slot pass through the center point of the mounting plate, that is the point of the plate in which the longitudinal center line and the transverse center line thereof intersect. It is further advantageous to maintain the mounting plate stationarily and to mount the slide members on guide means located laterally to opposite side of the plate and extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal center line of the plate.

Preferably, the mounting shaft for each of the gripper bells has a pair of square portions respectively located in and guided by the aforementioned slots formed in the mounting plate member and in each of the slide members and such square portions of the shaft are preferably angularly offset with respect to each other and tumable about the shaft axis.

The novel features which are considered are characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of the multiple bottle gripper according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross section through FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 turned through 90 with respect to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section, drawn to a smaller scale, through slightly modified arrangement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing, and especially to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the same, it will be seen that the multiple bottle gripper according to the present invention mainly comprises a mounting plate member I which may have, as shown in FIG. 1, a rectangular configuration and in which a plurality of elongated slots 6 are provided. The slots 6 are arranged in a plurality of rows extending transverse to the center line 8 of the plate and in each row the slots are preferably arranged, as shown in FIG. 1, symmetically with respect to the center line. As clearly shown in FIG. 1 the center lines of each slot 6 are arranged in such a manner that continuation of these center lines will meet at the center point 7 of the mounting plate member 1. As is further evident from FIG. 1 the projections of the lengths of the slots in each transverse row onto the center line 8 or onto a longitudinal edge of plate 1 are substantially equal.

Fixedly connected in any convenient manner to opposite ends 9 of the mounting plate member 1 are a pair of brackets 10, which are provided laterally of the plate 1 with upwardly extending projections, as best shown in FIG. 2, and which are formed with bores extending parallel to the center line 8 therethrough in which a pair of guide rods 11 extending parallel to the center line 8 are located and which are held in these bores by heads provided at opposite ends of the guide rods. A plurality of slide members 12, one for each transverse row of slots 6 in the mounting plate member are guided on the guide rods 11 for movement in longitudinal direction of the same. For this purpose, each of the guide members 12 is provided at opposite ends thereof with upwardly projecting blocks, as best shown in FIG. 2, formed with bores 13 therethrough which slidingly receive the guide rods 11. Each of the slide members 12 is provided with a plurality of second guide means shown in the drawing as elongated slots 14 which are preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line 8. The slots 14 are preferably arranged substantially normal to the center line. In the arrangement as shown in FIG. I, in which only three slots are provided on each slide member 12, there is a short slot 14 provided symetrically with respect to the center line and two longer slots to opposite sides of the center line and also symetrically arranged with respect thereto. As further clearly shown in FIG. 1 the slots 6 in the plate member I partly overlap the slots 14 in the respective slide members.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the gripper bells or lifting cups 4 is provided with an elongated mounting shaft projecting coaxially from the upper end of the respective bell through the overlapping portions of the

slots

6 and 14, respectively. Thus, the bells 4 are arranged in a plurality of transverse rows 2 extending substantially normal to the center line 8, and the bells in the plurality of transverse rows 2 are arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows 3 extending parallel to the center line 8. The number of slide members 12 will correspond to the numbers of transverse rows 2 and the slots 14 in each guide member has to correspond to the number of longitudinal rows 3.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, each of the mounting shafts 5 is provided in the region of the upper end thereof with a pair of

square portions

15 and 16 respectively slidingly arranged in the

slots

6 and 14. As clearly shown in FIG. 3 the

square portions

15 and 16 are angularly displaced with respect to each other so as to properly fit into the

respective slots

6 and 14, which as mentioned before, are inclined at an angle with respect to each other. Instead of forming the

square portions

15 and 16 integral with the remainder of the respective shaft 5, it is also possible, and actually preferred, to make these square portions turnable about the shaft axis.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a holding member 17 is connected in any convenient manner to the upper end of each shaft 5 which holds the

square portions

15 and 16 in the respective slots and which prevents also axial movement of the gripper bell in downward direction. The shafts 5 of the gripper bells are preferably made from elastic material and a coil compression spring 18 surrounding each of the shafts applies downward pressure on the respective gripper bell while pressing the holding member 17 against the upper face of the mounting plate member I.

As evident from the above description, the position of the gripper bells 4 in each row 2 may be changed by moving the slide member 12 of the respective row along the guide rods 11 relative to the mounting plate member during which movement the square portions 16 will move in longitudinal direction of the slots 6 while the square portions 15 will move in longitudinal direction of the slots 14 formed in the respective slide member so that the position of the gripper bells may for instance be moved from the position shown in the uppermost row of FIG. 1 in full lines to the positions shown in dash-dotted lines. In other words during movement of the uppermost slide member 12 shown in FIG. 1 in downward direction as viewed in this Figure, the gripper bells in the respective row 2 will move in longitudinal direction of the center line 8 and the gripper bells to opposite sides of the center line will at the same time move towards the center line. It will be noted from FIG. 1 that during such adjustment the gripper bells in each row will maintain their symmetrical arrangement with respect to the center line 8.

Each of the slide members 12 may be fixed in any adjusted position on the rods 11 in any convenient manner, for instance by means of a set screw 26 passing through a threaded bore in the upwardly projecting block of the slide member and engaging the respective guide rod 11.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the abovedescribed arrangement. FIG. 5 is, as mentioned above, a longitudinal cross section through the arrangement drawn to a smaller scale than the preceding Figures.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 there are pro vided different means for holding the slide members in a fixed position with respect to each other. These means comprise a plate member 20 arranged parallel to the mounting plate member 1 and provided at the bottom face thereof with downwardly extending projections 21 fixed thereto in any convenient manner which are arranged spaced from each other so as to engage the upwardly projecting blocks on opposite ends of the slide members 12. The plate 29 is connected by screws or the like as schematically indicated at 22 with the brackets 10. As further shown in FIG. 5 the plate 20 may be provided at the upper face 23 thereof with two additional projections 24 which are arranged spaced from each other such a distance to engage the outer faces of the two outermost slide members 12 when the slide members are moved into engagement with each other. The slide members may then be held in this adjusted position simply by reversing the plate 20.

It will be evident that with the above-described arrangements and with the specific arrangement of the

slots

6 and 14 the position of the gripper may be adjusted with respect to each other in such a manner that the gripper bells will be maintained in a plurality of transverse rows extending transverse to the longitudinal center line 8 and in each adjusted position the gripper bells will be maintained in each transverse row symmetrically with respect to the aforementioned center line.

The specific construction of the gripper bells 4 itself does not form part of the present invention and such gripper bells may be for instance constructed in the manner as disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 2,873,996 or in any other known manner.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of multiple bottle grippers having a plurality of gripper bells in which the position of the gripper bells with respect to each other may be easily adjusted, differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a multiple bottle gripper with a plurality of gripper bells arranged in a plurality of transverse rows extending transverse to a longitudinal center line of the arrangement and in each row symmetrically arranged with respect to the center line, and in which the position of the gripper bells with respect to each other may be easily and quickly changed while maintaining the symmetrical arrangement with regard to the center line, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

1 claim:

1. A multiple bottle gripper comprising a plurality of gripper bells; support means supporting said plurality of gripper bells in a plurality of transverse rows which extend in a first direction spaced from each other in a second direction and in which the bells in said transverse rows are arranged spaced from each other in said first direction so as to be also arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows which extend in said second direction; and adjusting means for adjusting the spacing between said transverse rows in said second direction and for adjusting the position of the gripper bells in each of the transverse rows relative to each other in said first direction.

2. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a mounting plate member and a plurality of first guide means for said gripper bells arranged on said mounting plate member in accordance with said plurality of longitudinal and transverse rows, and wherein said adjusting means comprises at least two slide members extending in said first direction adjacent to said mounting plate member, a plurality of second guide means for said gripper bells on said slide members arranged thereon in accordance with said plurality of longitudinal rows, and mounting means mounting said members movable relative to each other in said second direction, said plurality of first guide means respectively extending inclined at an angle relative to said plurality of second guide means and partly overlapping the latter.

3. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of first guide means comprises an elongated slot formed in said mounting plate member.

4. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 3, wherein said mounting plate has a center point and wherein each of the slots in said mounting plate member has a center line the continuation of which passes through said center point.

5. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 4, wherein said slots in said mounting plate are arranged in a plurality of rows respectively normal to second direction and wherein the projections of the length of the slots in each row onto a line extending in said second direction are substantially equal.

6. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of second guide means comprises a slot formed in the respective slide member.

7. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein all of said gripper bells are mounted in said first plurality of guide means on said mounting plate member.

8. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 7, wherein a slide member is provided for each of said transverse rows and wherein the guide means on each of the slide members mount only the gripper bells of the respective row.

9. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein said mounting means for said slide members are located laterally of said mounting plate member.

10. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, including means for fixing the position of said slide member relative to said mounting plate.

11. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for mounting said slide members are fixedly connected to said mounting plate.

12. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of first guide means comprises an elongated slot formed in said mounting plate member and each of said plurality of second guide means comprises a slot formed in the respective slide member, wherein each of said gripper bells has a mounting shaft, and wherein the mounting shafts of said bells extend respectively through said slots in said mounting plate and through the slots in the respective slide member.

13. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 12, wherein each of said mounting shafts has a pair of square portions respectively located in the respective slots of said mounting plate and in the respective slot of one of said slide members.

14. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 13,

wherein said square shaft portions of each pair are angularly offset with respect to each other.

15. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 14, wherein said square shaft portions on each shaft are aligned along the shaft axis and turnable about said axis with respect to each other and the remainder of said shaft.

16. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 15, and including a holding member fixed to each shaft in the region of the free end thereof for preventing movement of said square portions towards said free end.

17. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 16, including biasing means for urging said aquare portions on each shaft towards said holding member.

18. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 17, wherein each of said biasing means comprises a coil spring about each shaft between said square portions and the bell carried by the shaft.

19. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, wherein said mounting plate member has a center line extending normal to first direction, wherein said plurality of first guide means on said mounting plate member are arranged in each transverse row symmetrically with respect to said center line, and wherein the plurality of second guide means on each slide member are also arranged symmetrically with respect to said center line.

20. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 2, and including stop means for fixing the position of said slide members relative to said mounting plate member.

21. A multiple bottie gripper as defined in claim 20, and including a plate substantially parallel to said mounting plate and wherein said stop means comprise a plurality of projections projecting spaced from each other from one side of said plate fixed thereto and engaging said slide members.

22. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 21, wherein said plate is also provided with a second plurality of projections projecting from the other side thereof and being spaced from each other different than the projections projecting from said one side of said plate, said second plurality of projections may be brought in engagement with said slide members upon reversal of said plate.

Claims

14. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 13, wherein said square shaft portions of each pair are angularly offset with respect to each other.

21. A multiple bottle gripper as defined in claim 20, and including a plate substantially parallel to said mounting plate and wherein said stop means comprise a plurality of projections projecting spaced from each other from one side of said plate fixed thereto and engaging said slide members.