Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/10—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs
  • B65B9/13—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs the preformed tubular webs being supplied in a flattened state
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B21/00—Packaging or unpacking of bottles
  • B65B21/24—Enclosing bottles in wrappers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C3/00—Labelling other than flat surfaces
  • B65C3/06—Affixing labels to short rigid containers
  • B65C3/065—Affixing labels to short rigid containers by placing tubular labels around the container

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for providing a sleeve round a container, in particular a bottle, wherein the sleeve is held by one edge by gripping means and is subsequently pulled over said container to a predetermined position by said gripping means, and placed tightly round said container in that position.
• Said placing of the sleeve tightly round the container may take place by using a stretch foil, whereby the diameter of the sleeve is reduced by extending the sleeve in axial direction.
• shrink foil may be used, whereby the sleeve will shrink round the container as a result of being heated.
• the sleeve round the container may not only function as a label or for carrying certain information, it may also function to stiffen the container.
• the term bottle used herein is understood to include also other types of containers .
• bottles When bottles are to be provided with a sleeve it is usual to feed such bottles to the device that provides the sleeve by means of a conveyor belt.
• the bottle In said device the bottle is positioned at the predetermined place, after which a gripping means, which holds one edge of the sleeve, pulls the sleeve over the bottle.
• the bottle After the sleeve has been provided, the bottle is carried off, also by means of a conveyor belt, for example.
• the gripping means move down over the bottle and subsequently up again. This makes it necessary for the bottle to remain in a stationary position for a considerable length of time, which slows down the passing of the bottles.
• the object of the invention is to provide a method wherein containers can be provided with a sleeve in a quick, efficient and reliable manner.
• the container is according to the invention moved along while the sleeve is being provided, at least with respect to the machine that provides said sleeve, and the gripping means make a movement which is the resultant of a motion component corresponding with the movement of the container and a downwardly directed motion component.
• the container is moved along on a conveyor belt, and the gripping means make a rectilinear movement parallel to the vertical plane through said conveyor belt, which movement in downward direction includes an acute angle with the direction of movement of the containers.
• the velocity at which the gripping means make a rectilinear movement can be precisely adjusted thereby, in dependence on the velocity of movement of the container, so that the gripping means make an exactly vertical movement relative to the container.
• the velocity of movement of the containers is kept constant at all times, whilst the number of containers to be handled per time unit is adjusted in that the spacing between the moving containers is changed by control means.
• the velocity at which the gripping means are moved will remain constant, which contributes to a satisfactory operation of the gripping means.
• the bottles are detected by detection means upon approaching the gripping means, whereby the detection means initiate the downward movement of the gripping means when a bottle passes.
• the positioning of a bottle in the transverse direction of a conveyor belt may take place in a simple manner, for example by means of a guide rail, whilst the positioning of a bottle in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt is not relevant for a correct provision of the sleeve, because the bottle itself causes the signal that triggers the gripping means . In this manner it is achieved that positioning of the container with respect to the gripping means is possible.
• a positioning element comprising circumferential recesses, in which containers being moved along may be present, can according to another aspect of the invention be rotated in such a manner that one container at a time will be released, with the spacing between the containers being adapted to the amount of containers to be handled per time unit.
• the conveyor belt may thereby be set to maximum velocity at all times, independently of the number of containers to be handled per time unit.
• the positioning element is capable of rotating at a varying rotational speed, such that the rotational speed is increased each time before the container is released.
• the invention furthermore relates to a device for providing a sleeve round a container, in particular a bottle, comprising gripping means for holding one edge of said sleeve and moving means for moving the gripping means in downward direction in order to pull the sleeve over the container,
• a device for providing a sleeve round a container in particular a bottle
• gripping means for holding one edge of said sleeve
• moving means for moving the gripping means in downward direction in order to pull the sleeve over the container
• conveying means for moving the containers along while the sleeve is being provided and by moving means which move the gripping means obliquely to the direction of transport of the conveying means.
• the device is designed to enable adjusting the amount of travel of the gripping means, for example when a different type of container is to be provided with a sleeve. In addition to that it is possible to change the angle of downward movement of the moving means when a different constant velocity of the conveying means is set.
• the gripping means are secured to a substantially U-shaped member, which member extends substantially in a horizontal plane, whereby the open side of said U points in the downstream direction of the conveying means.
• the container can move through the open side of said U after the sleeve has been provided, whilst the gripping means move obliquely upwards.
• Figure 1 is a front view of the device; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the device.
• the Figures are merely diagrammatic representations of an embodiment.
• the embodiment comprises a conveyor belt 1, on which bottles are placed.
• the conveyor belt moves to the right ( Figure 1) and in the direction indicated by arrow 3 ( Figure 2) .
• Conveyor belt 1 has a constant velocity, which is selected such that the maximum amount of bottles per time unit can be provided with a sleeve.
• a rotatable positioning element 4 is provided, which rotates about a vertical axis at such a speed that the desired spacing between the bottles is effected.
• end positioning element 4 is circumferentially provided with recesses 5, which may come into engagement with the bottles 2 that are present on conveyor belt 1.
• a guide rail 6 ( Figure 2) is provided opposite positioning element 4 in order to ensure an accurate positioning of bottles 2 in the transverse direction of the belt.
• positioning element 4 rotates at a varying rotational speed, such that the rotational speed is increased before the container is released from one of the recesses 5, as a result of which the velocity of the released container can be adapted to the velocity of the conveyor belt.
• the device furthermore comprises a supply reel 7, on which a tubular plastic foil 8 is wound, which plastic foil 8 is unwound in order to separate pieces therefrom, which pieces form the sleeves. Said pieces may be cut off, or, if a perforation is provided, be torn off.
• Said separating of pieces from the plastic foil 8 may be carried out by one fixed clamping means 12 and two vertically movable clamping means 9. Said three clamping means are all provided with clamping elements (not shown) .
• the two movable clamping means 9 can move conjointly in vertical direction with respect to fixed clamping means 12, and are thereby capable of taking along plastic foil 8 each time they move downwards.
• the separating of the pieces of plastic foil takes place between the two clamping means 9, by means of a diagrammatically indicated cutting device 10. If the cutting device 10 is designed to move along with the clamping means 9, said cutting of the plastic foil 8 can take place during the downward movement.
• fixed clamping means 12 and movable clamping means 9 may each be provided with nozzles (not shown) , which direct an air flow in such a manner that the plastic foil is positioned between the clamping elements of the clamping means.
• nozzles not shown
• This facilitates not only the unwinding of the plastic foil 8 from supply reel 7, but it also makes it easier to pass foil 8 between the clamping elements, as for example takes place when a new supply reel 7 is put into use.
• the air flow moreover ensures that the cut edge of the plastic foil will remain correctly positioned, in spite of the vertical movement, for being passed between the clamping elements of the lower one of the two movable clamping means 9.
• the sleeve 11 that has been separated from the plastic foil is engaged by gripping means, which are provided in a frame 15.
• the gripping means themselves are not shown in the drawing.
• Said frame 15 comprising the gripping means is capable of movement along a sloping, straight guide rail 13.
• the velocity at which the gripping means move along guide rail 13 is such that the gripping means make a rectilinear movement with respect to conveyor belt 1, which rectilinear movement is perpendicular to conveyor belt 1. This makes it possible for the gripping means to pull sleeve 11 over the bottle in a movement exactly parallel to the central axis of the bottle.
• a detection means 14 in the form of a photocell is provided at the place where bottles 2 pass, at a speed of one per second, for example, after being released by positioning element 4, which detection means 14 detects the passage of a bottle 2. At that moment the movement of gripping means is initiated, whereby the location of detection means 14 is such that the sleeve is accurately provided round the bottle.
• Control portion 16 comprises a display screen 17 and a keyboard 18, for example for checking the operation and for programming the device respectively.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19763008

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Citations (4)

• 1996
  • 1996-06-13 NL NL1003326A patent/NL1003326C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1997
  • 1997-06-11 AU AU31084/97A patent/AU3108497A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-06-11 WO PCT/NL1997/000332 patent/WO1997047523A1/nl active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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