GB2033112A - Control device for feeding stoppers in bottle-closure machines - Google Patents

Abstract

In a device for controlling the rate at which crown stoppers are supplied to a bottle-stoppering machine, several sensors x0 to x7 which may be inductive are arranged along the feed passage 2 in the feed direction, and signals from the sensors are used to regulate steplessly the speed of the machine supplying the stoppers e.g. a sorting machine so that as the number of stoppers in the passage is reduced, the supply rate is increased and vice versa. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Control device for sorting apparatus in bottle-closure machines The invention will be applied in bottle-stoppering machines and concerns a device for controlling the sorting apparatus for crown stoppers in which the driven sorting device is followed by a feed passage reaching as far as the stoppering elements, on which passage feeler members are fitted.

Characteristics ofthe known solutions In the course of increase of output of beverage-decanting installations and the interlinking of several individual machines, a regulation of the machines is necessary which mostly is effected in dependence upon the flow of bottles.

Thus one apparatus is known (German 21 12 707) for regulating the speed of throughput of a vessel-handling installation with vessel-handling machines, as for example cleaning, filling, stoppering, labelling machines and transporters for the vessels, in which a regulation takes place by machines following one machine. In this case from a machine or a transporter a variable signal is tapped corresponding to its speed, and connected in opposition as electric value to the actual value, as likewise electric value formed from the respective speeds of the other elements of the vessel-handling installation. The occurring difference of the two values is utilised for the adjustment of the speeds of throughput of all other elements.

It is also known (DD 103,216) to control the working speed of a single machine, for example a botfle-filling machine, which is connected by conveyor tracks with other machines with bottle-handling installations. The controlling is here effected by a pulse emitter arranged between two conveyor track sections and influenceable in the case of bottle transporting by the conveyor track sag, the pulses of which emitter after conversion bring about an electric or electronic rotation speed regulation.

Within bottle-handling machines it is also known to halt individual units under control and if necessary to reconnect them.

This is realised for example in an apparatus (German 21 19 497) for supplying bottle stoppers to a bottle-stoppering device. In this device with each feed passage after the orienting device there is associated a switch feeler member which, when the passage becomes full before the switch feeler member, halts the associated orienting device. The switch feeler member can here be formed from light sources and photo-electric cells, or mechanical feeler members are used.

Finally a sorting device (German 19 16 304) for bottle stoppers, especially crown corks, in high-output stoppering machines is also known which consists of a reservoir with one or more agitator mechanisms provided with their own drive. Beneath this a store of hopper form is arranged which receives the stoppers, sorted in the stoppering position, in an orderless stack, also a guide passage connected to the lower narrowed store end and extending to the stoppering elements of the machine. In the region of the passage connection switch means are arranged for halting the drive. The switch means for switching on and off the agitator drive is fitted in the plane of the upper tilling limit of the store and can be influenced by a stopper stack of this height and consists of a contactless switch (known as initiator) fitted outside the store space on a store wall.This initiator switches the agitator drive on and off through a switch member consisting of an amplifier part with associated relay.

These known solutions have the disadvantage that firstly they do not carry out a constant controlling in dependence upon the flow of bottles, but that they switch off at a maximum value and switch on again at a minimum value. Frequent swichings on and off are to be noted in this case.

Furthermore in the known devices it is necessary constantly to operate the crown stopper supply with a somewhat higher rotation speed, so that the stock of stoppers does not become empty. Constantly higher rotation speeds however result in higher costs, heavier stressing of the sorting system and of the crown stoppers and of increased noise. Additional stores require additional singling and thus higher costs and higher stressing of the stoppers.

The object of the invention is the elimination of the stated drawbacks and the provision of a sorting device which with simple means guarantees a steady and protective feed of crown stoppers.

The invention is based upon the problem, in high output stoppering machines, of achieving a steady supply to stoppering elements which preserves the crown stoppers, due to a detection of the existing supply of crown stoppers, whilst at the same time a reduction of wear and noise is to be obtained.

In accordance with the invention the problem is solved in that on the feed passage in the crown stopper supply direction there are arranged several inductive initiators by means of the signals of which, through the crown stopper supply in the feed passage, a drive of the sorting device regulated steplessly in rotation speed is controllable by means of a circuit. The circuit is here formed so that the signals of the initiators are delayed and negated by an L-O time delay member and the now identical or negated signals are linked with one another through logic members, while in each case only one end stage always bridges over a tapping of a multi-stage potentiometer, and a thyristor setting member is controllable with this tapped voltage value.

The advantage of the solution according to the invention is the constant adaptation of the sorting output to the actual operating condition of the line, especially if for example the filling machine is adapted to the line output by the flow of bottles. Due to the invention it is possible to conduct crown stoppers in a closed passage of constant width, that is to say without any intermediate reservoir, from which again singling would have to take place.

The invention is explained in greater detail with reference to drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic arrangement of initiators on the feed passage; Figures 2 and 3 show a circuit diagram for controlling the drive of the sorting disc.

The device for feeding crown stoppers to stoppering elements in bottle stoppering machines consists of a driven sorting apparatus and a feed passage. Both are components of a high output stoppering machine (not shown).

The sorting apparatus possesses a reservoir 6 the front of which consists of a sorting disc 1. This sorting disc 1 is adjoined by the feed passage 2 reaching as far as the stoppering elements. The sorting disc 1 is driven by a motor 3 which can be regulated in rotation speed steplessly. For this purpose on the feed passage 2 there are fitted at intervals several initiators x0 to X7, eight in the example, which contactlessly detect the operating condition, that is to say the stock of crown stoppers in the feed passage 2. The detection of the stock of crown stoppers is effected in that the initiators x0 to x7 work with delay by an L-O time delay member, so that the individual crown stopper flowing through normally is not recorded, but only a column of crown stoppers remaining for a certain time is detected.The obtained signals of the initiators x0 to x7 are logically linked in each case identically or negated through logic members, so that by way of a transistorised end stage the control voltage corresponding to the filling level is set over the multi-stage potentiometer 4.

Through this multi-stage potentiometer 4 the ideal value for a thyristor setting member 5 is obtained. The maximum filling level at the same time actuates a barrier yo and thus halts the drive of the sorting disc 1.

Then the adjustment of the rotation speed of the sorting disc 1 takes place in dependence upon the quantity of crown stoppers flowing through. The overall device can be considered as a self-contained regulator circuit the ideal value setting of which results automatically from the set output of the bottle-stoppering machine.

The manner of operation is as follows: The stock of crown stoppers in the feed passage 2 is contactlessly detected. Detection is effected by the initiators xO to x7 which are fitted at intervals on the feed passage 2. If the supply of crown stoppers reaches to the initiator xo, then under initiation by the signal from X7 toxO the circuit to the motor 3 is interrupted by the barrier Ye and thus the drive of the sorting disc 1 is halted.If the supply of crown stoppers in the feed passage 2 still has a height up to the initiatorxl, the multi-stage potentiometer 4 is influenced by the initiators x1 to xv, the barrier is eliminated and the starting of the motor 3 and thus also of the sorting disc 1 takes place with minimum rotation speed. Further controlling takes place in such form that when the lowermost initiatorx7 signals no crown stoppers the sorting disc 1 possesses its maximum rotation speed.

The drive of the sorting disc 1 accordingly takes place in accordance with the following logic plan in nine different working stages (stationary and eight rotation speed ranges).

yO : = xo X1 X2 X3 X4 Xg X6 X7 y: : = xo Xa X2 X3 X4 Xg X6 x7 Y2 : = Xg X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7 y3 : = Xg XR X2 X3 X4 X5 x5 X7 y4 : = Xg Xa X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7 y5 : = x0 X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 x6 x7 y6 : = x0 xa X2 X3 x4 x5 xe x7 y7 : = Xg X1 X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7 : : = x0 xa X2 X3 X4 X5 X6 X7 The operating conditions detected by the initiators x0 to x7 and the identical and negated signals obtained therefrom are processed logically into the output signals y0to Ye and converted into the different operating stages of the motor.

Claims (3)

1. Device for controlling the sorting apparatus for crown stoppers in bottle-stoppering machines, in which a driven sorting apparatus is followed by a feed passage reaching to the stoppering elements, on which passage feeler members are fitted, wherein several feeler members (inductive initiators x0 to X7) are arranged on thefeed passage in the crown stopper feed direction, by means of the signals of which members, through the crown stopper supply in the feed passage, a drive of the sorting apparatus regulated steplessly in rotation speed is controllable through a circuit.

2. Device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the signals of the initiators (xO to x7) are delayed and negated by an L-O time delay member and the now identical or negated signals are linked with one another through logic members, while only one end stage always bridges over a tapping of a multi-stage potentiometer and a thyristor setting member is actuatable with this tapped voltage value.

3. A device for controlling the sorting apparatus for crown stoppers in bottle-stoppering machines substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.