WO2010116314A1

WO2010116314A1 - Apparatus and process for trigger cap alignment

Info

Publication number: WO2010116314A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/051457
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renzo Vesentini
Original assignee: Rejves S.R.L.
Priority date: 2009-04-06
Filing date: 2010-04-02
Publication date: 2010-10-14
Also published as: ITPR20090024A1

Abstract

A process and an apparatus for aligning trigger pump caps. Particularly trigger caps are rotated by holding their body (5); rotation occurring continuously while gripping the trigger cap (2). The apparatus (1) comprises gripping means (6) for gripping the ring (4) or the body (5) of the trigger cap (2) and rotating means (7) for taking and rotating the body (5) and orient it in the same manner as the other bodies of the apparatus. These gripping (6) and rotating (7) means being arranged on two levels (P1, P2) of said apparatus (1) and rotating about a central axis (AA); said first level corresponding to the trigger cap body gripping means (6), and said second level corresponding to integral rotating means (7); said first level being either above or below said second level.

Description

TITLE : Apparatus and process for trigger cap alignment

SPECIFICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention finds application in the field of systems for unscrambling/alignment of trigger pumps , commonly known as trigger caps . A trigger pump cap has a plunger , a tube designed to be introduced into the container, and a body (comprising the trigger and the liquid delivery nozzle) ; a free or press-fitted ring may be provided, for association with corresponding threads formed on the neck of the container to be capped.

However, the present alignment apparatus is capable of handling and orienting any currently available type of trigger cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current trigger cap feeding systems consist of an unscrambling apparatus in which trigger caps are loaded in bulk and are delivered at the exit, after a number of known operations, with the plunger facing upwards and the body facing downwards .

Nevertheless, referring to the above exit configuration, two additional body orienting arrangements are possible, i.e. those that identify the exit direction of the trigger cap nozzle.

For this reason, trigger caps are delivered from the unscrambler to linear or star wheel systems , consisting of a pair of spaced belts/tracks, allowing central coupling with the plunger, whereupon they: - are separated and rotated as a result of the different feeding speeds imparted to the plunger until the body abuts against a stop means, and remains in this position, oriented in the same direction as the other triggers . Another possible system is a combined star wheel/belt system; i.e. a star wheel equipped with suction means that hold the body with the plunger facing upwards , the plunger slipping on the stationary belt along an arc of rotation, and hence rotating.

Multiple drawbacks can be noted: o these are poorly effective systems, because not all plungers are centered in the trigger cap body, which causes unbalance and clogging, o problems arise when plungers are not straight, but curved, as currently required by manufacturers that require increased suction height to reduce product wastes, such situation (curved plunger) involving the risk of : ■ jams due to imperfect rotations,

■ rotation of the curved plunger, which is no longer aligned with the trigger or the body,

^■ plunger loss . DISCLOSURE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to obviate the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a novel trigger cap orienting apparatus , which does not operate on the plunger for rotation but directly on the trigger cap body.

A trigger cap body-based feeding and orienting machine is already known, and consists of a trigger- carrying channel , with trigger caps falling into an intermittently operating star wheel with trigger cap body holding cells : a tracing tool touches the trigger of the trigger cap and, according to the desired orientation, actuates a gate that transfers the trigger caps to be rotated to a rotating disk, that rotates them by 180° and reintroduces it into the star wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine that continuously operates during rotary transfer of the trigger cap.

The invention further relates to a novel process for trigger cap alignment, that allows rotation of said trigger caps by holding their body and provides continuous operation as the trigger cap is being gripped.

This provides the following advantages :

- high speed,

- no stop element, gate or air blows for moving the trigger caps in other directions , with no risk of jamming,

- progressive handling of pieces with no need for any stop,

- plunger maintained in the starting/proper position. These objects and advantages are achieved by the trigger cap alignment apparatus of this invention, which is characterized as set out in the annexed claims .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES This and other features will be more apparent from the following description of a few embodiments , which are shown by way of example and without limitation in the accompanying drawings .

Figure 1 : a broken away view of the full rotating unit,

Figure 2 : a plan view with grippers , - Figure 3 : a rotating head with the gripper open,

Figure 4 : a rotating head with the gripper closed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Particularly referring to the above figures, numeral 1 designated a trigger cap alignment apparatus, which is conveniently used in combination with a trigger cap feeding system or a trigger cap unscrambling machine; in this situation, trigger caps are already unscrambled and oriented with the plunger facing upwards and the body-ring assembly facing downwards .

The trigger cap is designated by numeral 2 _/ a trigger pump cap having a plunger 3 (a tube designed to be introduced in the container) , a toothed ring 4 free of rotating relative to the body 5 of the pump and internally threaded for association with the corresponding threads formed on the neck of the container to be capped. The trigger cap body 5 further includes the trigger and the liquid delivery nozzle contained in the capped container.

In addition to the free ring embodiment, the invention may be also used with trigger caps having press-fitted rings or in any other type of currently available trigger caps .

As the trigger cap comes out of the unscrambler, it is usually gripped either by a star wheel having a suction system and held by vacuum or through mechanical lock means .

Nevertheless, referring to the above exit configuration, two additional body orienting arrangements are possible, which identify the exit direction of the trigger cap nozzle.

The present apparatus is designed to grip the triggers that come out of the unscrambler (or any other feeding system) and present them rotated in the same direction . The apparatus 1 consists of a star wheel rotating about its vertical axis of rotation, designated as AA.

The star wheel rotates a plurality of gripping means 6, which are adapted to grip the ring 4 or the body 5 of the trigger cap 2 and rotating means 7 , adapted to rotate the trigger cap 2 so gripped and picked up by the holding means 6.

The gripping means 6 include means for picking up, as mentioned above, the trigger cap with the plunger facing upwards and move it into rotation in the star wheel.

On the other hand, the rotating means 7 are adapted to take and rotate the trigger cap 2 (held by the gripping means 6) about the axis of the body 5 and/or the ring 4 and orient it in the same manner as the other trigger caps in the star wheel .

The star wheel has the gripping means 6 and the rotating means 7 arranged on two different levels (or planes) : a first level Pl contains all the gripping means 6 arranged over 360° , and a second level P2 contains a plurality of integral rotating means 7. Therefore, said first and second levels are parallel and coaxial (on the same star wheel having the axis AA) . Furthermore, the first level may be situated either above or below said second level . In the embodiment as shown herein, the first gripping means level is situated above the second level . The gripping means and the rotating means are provided in identical numbers on the star wheel of the apparatus 1 , with each gripping means 6 having a rotating means 7 corresponding thereto .

The gripping means 6 are, for instance, gripper systems

The rotating means 7 for rotating the trigger caps for alignment include : a. means 10 and 11 for causing a sliding motion towards the first level Pl, i.e. towards the body 5 of the trigger cap 2 held by the gripping means 6 b . means 8 for holding the trigger body for rotation c . means 9 for causing full rotation of the trigger cap to a desired position (defined by mechanical stop members) .

Also, the rotating means 7 include a mechanical and/or magnetic clutch 12, to allow or prevent transfer or rotary motion . Electric motors may be also used. EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

In the embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings, the apparatus 1 rotating about the axis AA has a first star wheel Pl carrying a plurality of grippers 6, arranged over 360°, with pairs of jaws 6A, 6B adapted to pick up the ring 4 from the upstream feeding system and release said ring 4 at the discharge point of the star wheel, after rotation thereof. The gripping means 6 may possibly open and release the ring 4 as it is rotated by the rotating means 7 , if the ring 4 is fixed relative to the body S of the trigger cap 2. Anyway, the grippers 6 are moved to the open and closed state by mechanical systems for operating on the trigger cap and holding it to the desired position.

An additional star wheel P2 is provided under the star wheel Pl , coaxially AA with the star wheel Pl and carries a plurality of rotating means 7 arranged over 360° .

The means 6 are as many as the means 7 , with each means 6 corresponding to a means 7 ; furthermore, the means 7 operates about the axis BB defined by the position of the ring 4 or the body 5; the operation axis CC of each gripping means 7 is substantially vertical and coincident with the axis BB.

The rotating means 7 is capable of vertically sliding along the axis CC, by being dragged by cam means 10 (shaped profiles) or other equivalent systems operating on a corresponding rod 11.

The sliding motion of the means 7 identifies two limit positions , indicated in the figures by references

Sl (lower position) and S2 (upper position) : in the position Sl, the trigger cap 2 can be gripped and released by the means 6, because it does not interfere therewith, whereas in the position S2 , the means 7 are lifted and in a gripping configuration on the body 5, which will cause the rotation thereof to a position defined by its stop means 25.

As the rod 11 is displaced, the jaws 8 are controlled to the open (in Sl) or closed (in S2) state, for encircling, as mentioned above, the body 5 held by the upper gripping means 6. According to a further variant embodiment, the jaws 8 may be fixed and will thus coincide with the body 5.

The action of opening/closing the grippers 8 is controlled both by a specially shaped cylinder 13 and by thrust springs Ml and M2 , which hold the jaws 8 open and the rod 11 and the means 7 in the lowered position in the idle state.

The spring M2 has a vertical operation along the axis CC, whereas the spring Ml has a horizontal operation towards opening of the jaws 8.

The rotation of the trigger cap 2 , once the means 7 is lifted to the corresponding position S2 and the jaws 8 are clamped on the body 5, occurs as the trigger cap 2 is moved on the apparatus 1, and is a continuous rotation that occurs in response to the actuation of the means 7 along the axis CC, by means of toothed sector systems 9 arranged along the arc of rotation of the star wheel P2. In other words, the gripper 8 is lifted (in the illustrated embodiment) , grips the body 5 and rotates it as the trigger cap moves forward on the apparatus 1. A clutch 12 is provided in the means 7 for allowing or preventing the transfer of rotary motion between the toothed sectors 9 and the jaws 8; once a reference stop means is reached, any rotation of the body 5 will be prevented due to the action of said clutch 12.

The above apparatus 1 will provide trigger caps 2 oriented with the nozzles or triggers oriented in the same direction.

It should be noted that the trigger cap is always rotated: if the trigger cap 2 is already in position the clutch is actuated, otherwise the desired rotation is imparted. The maximum rotation imparted by the means 7 is 180° .

As mentioned above, during rotation, the gripper means 6 might be opened thereby leaving the body free to rotate, or closed onto the ring 4, if the ring is free of rotating relative to the body 5.

While reference has been made herein to a condition in which the means 6 were situated above the means 7 , the latter being lifted to proximity to said means 6, the apparatus might have a reversed configuration, with the means 6 located below, and the means 7 arranged above and facing downwards to move towards the corresponding trigger caps, without departure from the scope of the invention. While particular reference has been made herein to a star wheel apparatus having a circular star wheel, such example shall not be intended to limit the requested protection, as the apparatus may also have an oval star wheel or a semi-linear system for chain return of the gripping means 6 and the rotating means 7.

Claims

1. A method for aligning trigger pump caps characterized in that it carries out the rotation of said triggers by holding the latter at the body (5) thereof; said rotation being performed continuously while gripping and dragging the trigger (2) .

2. The aligning apparatus (1) for triggers (2) characterized in that it comprises : a. holding means (6) suitable to hold the ring

(4) or body (5) of the trigger (2) , b. rotation means (7) suitable to grip and rotate the body (5) and arrange the latter in an identical manner relative to the other bodies in the apparatus ; said gripping (6) and rotation (7) means being arranged on two levels (Pl₇ P2) of said apparatus (1) and rotating according to middle axis (AA.) ; said first level carrying the gripping means (6) of the trigger body, and said second level carrying the rotation means (7) integral thereto; said first level can be upper or lower with respect to said second level .

3. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a rotation means (7) of the second level (P2) is matched to each gripping means (6) of the first level (Pl) .

4. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotation means (7) comprise : d. means (10, 11) for sliding in the direction of the trigger body being hold by the gripping means according to two different vertical strokes (Sl, S2) e. means (8) for holding and rotating the body

(5) f . means (9) suitable to carry out, continuously and during the movement of the apparatus (1) , the rotation of the trigger (2) by holding the latter at the body (5) thereof, until it reaches the desired position as defined by mechanical stops .

5. The alignment, apparatus for trigger pump caps according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotation means (7) comprise a clutch (12) to allow the transmission of the rotary motion.

6. The alignment apparatus for trigger pump caps according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means (6) are opened to release the trigger (2) upon rotation by the rotating means (7) .

7. The alignment apparatus for trigger pump caps according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means (6) remain closed on the trigger (2) upon rotation by the rotating means (7) .

8. The alignment apparatus for trigger pump caps according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (8) are jaws suitable to grip the body (5) ; said jaws (8) being either movable between opened and closed positions or fixed.