WO2007049145A1

WO2007049145A1 - Handling system for containers for feeding parcelling machines

Info

Publication number: WO2007049145A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/003077
Authority: WO
Inventors: Armando Miliotti
Original assignee: Miliotti & C. S.R.L.
Priority date: 2005-10-26
Filing date: 2006-10-25
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: ITDP20050010A1

Abstract

A handling system (1) for containers (v) to be used in packaging, sealing, filling, proportioning machines and similar ones. The handling system (1) acts from above by two arms (1.1) capable to pick up containers (v) , perfectly, preventing these latter from rotating or making undesired movements which can cause the faulty sealing of containers or rather, the jamming of the same machine .

Description

HANDLING SYSTEM FOR CONTAINERS FOR FEEDING PARCELLING MACHINES

DESCRIPTION Invention patent, of present application has for its object a handling and a feeding system for containers which are usable in industrial plants which are for sealing, filling etc. of the same ones.

In more details, present application describes an equipment which allows a quick handling for containers of various dimensions along a production line of an industrial plant and it allows an efficient sealing, filling and other possible operations.

Handling of containers to feed equipment, for filling and/or sealing of the same, has always been one of the delicate points in the operation of any type of industrial plants, because handling system has an important influence not only on feeding speed of equipment (and as a result on its time efficiency) but also on aligning precision of same container with various mechanical units of equipment, and obviously this is going to establish a greater work precision and, as a result, less possibilities of blockages, breakings, malfunctions of various kinds and productions figures in deficit such as to damage finished products for reference market, often making them unusable.

Until today feeding systems for containers to be used in equipments are made of simple moving belts, of compartment belts, belts with palettes, so called "a facchinetto" pushing-systems (like a luggage porter), various pushing devices, etc., all of these having two specifications in common, one is to drive these handling systems from lower end of equipment by means of motors, transmission devices, etc., an other is impossibility to create a versatile system and of a "multiple" use type because dimensions of containers to be handled of course effect belt dimensioning, on their width, their speed and their load capacity.

However it is difficult by means of above mentioned systems to have a very good alignment of containers with operation unit of equipment unless at very low speeds and in any case not compatible with production necessities of present industry. Dimensional stiffness of present feeding systems causes a further increase of work time because the "pitch" of feeding system cannot be suited to container dimensions if not changing structure of feeding system.

Besides handling system from a lower side makes up often a real obstacle to a perfect completion of equipment owing to electrical, mechanical units, etc. which are present under work table and are, as a result, a potential source of storing dirtiness, which is particularly dangerous, besides being illegal in a few environments such as food and pharmaceutical industry.

Object of present invention is to remove above mentioned inconveniences by means of a system and equipment which can be used in industrial plants for sealing, filling, etc., ofvarious types of containers .

By means of use of system and equipment of present invention following advantages are obtained:

1. elimination of physical and operational limitations which are connected to traditional handling systems; 2. increase in feeding speed of sealing, filling partitioning and similar equipment with consequence to increase production speed of above mentioned equipments;

3. strong reduction of breaking cases, malfunctioning and other problems due to not exact alignment of containers with other operating parts of equipment; 4. improvement in possibility of completion of handling system;

5. capacity of suitability of industrial plant to handling of containers of various dimensions and materials.

System which is reported in this invention and equipment that can make this handling system and this feeding system for containers are described in details in the following with reference to drawings of enclosed tables, which respectively describe : figure 1 - an axonometric view of equipment making up handling and feeding system for containers which are object of this invention; figure 2 - a further axonometric view and corresponding detail of equipment of figure 1 in pre-assembly state and without transmission system; figure 3 - an axonometric view, and corresponding detail, of equipment of above figures, built in an industrial plant for handling and feeding containers, in starting handling position of a small container along drive line (phase 1); figure 4 - an axonometric view, and corresponding detail, of an industrial handling and feeding system, of figure 2 with moving line in stop position and stop of

-.1 container near stop device (phase 2); figure 5 - an axonometric view, and corresponding detail, of the industrial plant for handling and feeding of previous figures during start phase and closing phase of devices which pick up the container (phase 3 ); figure 6 - an axonometric view, and corresponding detail, of handling and feeding system of previous figures during phase of lowering of stop device (phase 3); figure 7 - an axonometric view, and corresponding detail, of handling and feeding industrial system of preceding figures during phase of operation of driving arm for handling, sealing (not described) and possible filling (not described) of container (phase 4). Equipment for an execution of system which is described in this invention, shown in figures 1 and 2, consists of a driving arm 1, made up by two metallic vertical plates 1.1 shaped like an "L", connected above by a horizontal plate 1.2 shaped like a rectangle and separated by reinforcing bars 1.3. At sides of plates 1.1, connected by suitable spacers 2, in their turn connected to plates 1.1 by means of screws, , two cylindrical bushings 3 are placed, movable on special guides 4 and connected to equipment of system by means of fixing bars 5.

Bi-directional horizontal displacement (forward and backward) of cylindrical bushings 3 on guides 4, and, as a result, of driving arm 1 connected to them, is determined by a transmission system, located in high part of same arm 1, made up of an electrical motor 6 connected to system structure and provided with a motor reducer 7 on which a shaft 8 is connected, provided coaxially with a toothed wheel 9 which engages a traction belt 10 which in its own turn engages toothed plates 11 connected to higher plate L2 of transport arm 1. Operation of motor 6 determines a rotation of shaft 8 and of its corresponding toothed wheel 9 that by engaging with traction belt 10 determines a horizontal displacement of toothed plates 11 and at last of arm 1 connected to them.

Tension of belt 10 is guaranteed by suitable belt stretchers wheels 12, one of which is movable in order to guarantee possible adjustments due to possible loosening of the same belt.

Displacement speed, as bi-directional displacement (forward and backward), of driving arm 1, can be changed simply by adjustment of motor reducer 7 ( which can also be made by means of a PLC) in order to suit it to specifications of container and of feeding equipment without need of substitution of storage belt, of changing its pitch, and so on. Trick to place above described transmission system in higher part of equipment allows the same arm to undergo washing operations and to improvements without any damage to motor and to corresponding transmission devices.

Really these operations, with their needs of using water and various types of detergents, would be impossible in case of a lower position of transmission system with reference to conveyer belt.

Besides handling system from above is not subject to be either damaged or easily worn out as a consequence of contact with either structural or motion transmission parts with possible liquids either present in containers or partitioned within the same ones. (as for example liquids of control for preparation of food products).

Inside each of two plates 1.1 conveyor arm 1 is provided with a couple of sampling devices 13, said "small hands", made of two metallic structural shapes located in lower part of same arm 1, these small hands 13 have purpose to pick up previously stored containers C, in a one after the other single line, on conveyer belt floor T of equipment 1 and to locate them exactly in position P where sealing, filling, etc. operations must take place for fed equipment ( see figures from 3 to 7).

Mutual approach / removal of every small hands 13, for container locking up / releasing , is managed by a suitable proximity sensor 14 provided with a cylinder 15 whose going-out and coming-in determines movement of a plate 16 to which each of "small hands" is connected.

Each of two proximity sensors 14 and corresponding cylinder is in higher part protected by a casing 17 connected to each of two side plates 1.1 of conveyor arm by means of screws on suited fixing angles 17.1.

Picking-up of container by small hands takes place on two sides with reference to direction of forward movement of storing belt, with advantage of inhibiting container rotation about itself; besides by means of a simple inter-changeability of various types of small hands it is possible to handle containers of any shape and

dimension.

In figure 3 it is described the starting phase (phase 1) of container C loading on conveyor belt T of an industrial plant 1 for containers handling and feeding.

During this phase conveyor belt T allows to handle container C along direction d as long as it is taken to position P wherein it will undergo operations of supplied machine (sealing, filling, ....); conveyor arm 1, corresponding small hands 13 and corresponding transmission systems are in standby position. In detail of figure 3 it is described position P on conveyor belt T and stop device 18 located along conveyor belt near pickup small hands 13; this stop device, when in high position, has function to stop container when it arrives in position P, while, when in low position, has task to allow container continuation in its route.

In figure 4 phase 2 of process is described, during which, container C is arrived in position P on conveyor belt and conveyor belt stops in order to allow, for example, either a filling operation of a small tank with process liquids, or an operation of air inhaling in order to allow a preservation under vacuum, etc., for preparation of food products; in detail it is marked stop device 18 still in high position.

During phase 3, described in figure 5, proximity sensors 14, when presence of container C is found between small hands 13, operate respective cylinders 15 and then small hands 13, thereto connected through small plates 16; thus small hands get nearer one to the other and meet with container obstacle and block it causing a slight upward movement of conveyor belt T in order to avoid frictions.

At same time with phase 3 above described, there is a lowering of stop 18 in order to allow to container continuation of its forward movement 5 (see phase 4 in figure 6).

Container now blocked between small hands 13, can undergo sealing operations, filling, and so on of supplied equipment during phase 5 described in figure 7; during this phase electric motor 6 is started determining a rotation of corresponding shaft 8 and of toothed wheel 9 which engages conveyor belt 11 .

Conveyor belt 10, in its turn, by engaging toothed plates 11 connected to higher plate 1.2 of conveyor arm 1, causes a horizontal movement of same horizontal arm and of corresponding bushings 3 along guides 4.

Displacement of conveyor arm 1 , as a result, causes displacement of container C, blocked between small hands 13, from above mentioned position P as far as it arrives in a new position Q.

During displacement from position P to position Q container, in case of preparation of food products, undergoes an operation of sealing film application and then when arrived in position Q and then when released by small hands 13, it undergoes an operation of thermo-soldering of same film in order to seal it in a tight joint.

Once container goes from position P to position Q of equipment, stop 18 goes upward, for block of an other container and conveyor arm 1 goes backward and it goes to its starting position and afterwards a new cycle starts according to same above described phases.

Claims

1. " Handling and feeding system for containers to be used in equipment, sealers, fillers, proportioning devices and similar ones, and equipment to make the system" made up by a conveyor arm (1), which moves horizontally along guides (4), provided in the lower part with suitable devices for picking-up (13), capable to pick up containers previously stored one after the other in single line on a flat conveyor belt (T) and placed exactly in the point where each machine operation must take place.

2. Handling system and equipment as referred in claim 1, characterized by fact that picking up devices (13) of containers are interchangeable, in order to allow handling of containers of any shape and dimension.

3. Handling system and equipment as referred in previous claims, characterized by fact that control and movement devices of arm are located in higher part of same arm and not in lower one.

4. Handling system and equipment as referred in previous claims, characterized by fact that bi-directional movement of sliding arm is realized by an electric motor directly connected to same arm by means of a toothed belt or any other suitable similar means.