GB2038296A - Feeding device in bottle closing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for feeding crown caps to a heavy duty bottle closing machine from an assorting means has stationary feed channels having a section where they are joined and feeler members as well as blocking mechanisms arranged on the feed channels. Delay-action contact-free initiators (x1; x2; x3) are provided in the cap flow direction on the feed channels (4; 5) downstream of the assorting means and on the crown cap channel (7) downstream of the junction of the feed channels (4; 5). The initiators (x1; x2; x3) and a light scanner are connected through circuits to magnet coils (y2 to y5) which are present on the feed channels (4; 5) upstream of the junction thereof as well as on the crown cap channel (7) upstream of the closing elements (8). The crown caps are only influenceable by magnetic fields. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Feeding device in bottle closing machines The invention is used in heavy-duty closing machines handling crown caps and relates to a device for feeding crown caps to closing elements in bottle closing machines from an assorting means through stationary feed channels to closing elements which move on a circular path, the feed channels having a section where they are joined and feeler members as well as blocking mechanisms being arranged on the feed channels.

Due to the continuous increase in the output of drink filling lines, the number of bottles to be closed within a specific unit of time, and thus the number of stoppers to be fed to the closing elements, also increases. In this connection, there arise difficulties, particularly when crown caps are used, with respect to their assortment and feeding to the closing elements.

To eliminate these diffulties, there is known a bottle stopper feeding device (DE 2,119,497) which comprises several aligning means. Each of these aligning means conveys the stoppers into a channel, at least two of which are joined. Each channel leading to a junction can be blocked by way of a blocking means in the stopper conveyance direction upstream of or at each junction. In each last channel portion, there is provided a control feeler member which only becomes operative whenever the channel upstream of the control feeler member becomes empty and which then by its signal blocks the last-feeding channel and opens another channel. The last channel portion is always so large that the number of stoppers disposed therein is sufficient for the closing operation to occur until the channel which is the last to feed the closing means is blocked and another is opened.

Furthermore, there is associated with each channel downstream of the aligning means a control feeler member which, when the channel upstream of the control feeler member becomes empty, triggers the activation of the associated aligning means and, when the channel upstream of the control feeler member is full, brings about the stoppage of the associated aligning means. These control feeler members comprise electronic delaying elements.

In the known device, the channels are of rectangular design, as is usual, and have a controllable siding at the point where they are joined. As the control feeler members there have been proposed light sources and photocells or mechanical feeler members, the latter consisting of levers which, under the influence of a weight, swing into recesses provided in the channels and thus detect the presence or absence of stoppers.

This device has the disadvantage that the mechanical blocking mechanisms are encumbered with weight by way of tongues and levers, i.e. they have a certain inertia and can thus only be used up to a specific output limit of the closing machine. Furthermore, mechanical blocking mechanisms are noisy.

During the transfer of the stoppers from the feed means to the closing elements themselves, there also arises trouble, which is caused particularly by stoppers which have not been machined. These stoppers, which have been fed to the closing heads from the chute, for example while the machine idles, but which are not subjected to the closing operation because there are no filled containers present, block the stoppers which are available for introduction at the free end of the chute, which leads to congestion and bridge formations during the stopper transportation. However, trouble occurring during the closing operation as a result of a stopper having been additionally introduced into the pocket of a closing head already occupied is of a more serious nature. Particularly in heavy-duty machines, this condition mostly leads to container breakage and to a prolonged machine stoppage.In order to eliminate this deficiency, it is known (DE 1,939,545) to conduct stoppers in a chute with the support of compressed air as far as a stopper stop and to remove them in the tangential direction by a dog. With each closing head there is associated such a dog, which however only becomes operative when a sensor, which is also associated with each closing head, signalises that there is not already a stopper in the respective pocket of the closing head.The sensor and the dog are arranged in the closing head so as to carry out movements which are at right angles to each other, one sensor and the dog being arranged in the closing head so as to carry out movements which are directed at right angles to each other, the sensor consisting of a pin which is capable of longitudinai movement in the horizontal and which is introduceable into the pocket and is opposite to a stopper stop in the same plane at a distance which is adapted to the stopper diameter. The dog is controlled by the sensor and, being moved from the top, engages radially in the stopper. The further transportation of the stopper is effected as far as a holding element, for example a magnet, which fixes the stopper in the processing position.In this device, it is disadvantageous that a separate sensor has to be provided for each closing element, for example 20 in the case of heavy-duty closing machines. Furthermore, the mentioned sensor has a relatively complicated construction, which also does not appear to be adequately capable of functioning on account of its mechanics.

The object of the invention is the elimination of the mentioned deficiencies and the provision of a device for feeding crown caps to closing elements which with simple means ensures reliable feeding at high capacities.

The problem underlying the invention is to feed crown caps to the closing elements of heavy-duty closing machines in an assorted manner, the crown caps to be detected, controlled and influenced in dependence on these themselves.

According to the invention, the problem is solved in that contact-free delay-action initiators are provided in the cork flow direction on the feed channels downstream of the assorting means and on the crown cap channel downstream of the feed channel junction and in that a light scanner is provided on the closing element, the initiators and the light scanner being through circuits connected to magnet coils, which are provided on the feed channels upstream of the junction as well as on the crown cap channel upstream of the closing elements, the crown caps being solely influenceable by magnetic fields.In the crown cap channel, there is provided, upstream of its opening into the closing element, on the lower sliding surface, a slope which arrests the crown caps, and above the crown cap channel there are arranged two magnet coils which are connected through a circuit to the light scanner detecting the stoppers in the closing element and to a synchronous scanner. In the circuit, the through feed channel always has priority over the feed channel comprising the turning facility so that a magnet coil arranged on the through feed channel is only excited when the supply of crown caps in the feed channel comprising the turning facility has reached its maximum level and the through feed channel does not contain a sufficient supply of crown caps, the switching-over only lasting for the time it takes until the feed channel comprising the turning facility is emptied.In the circuit, the initiators, the light scanner and the magnet coils are linked by the logical diagram, with one initiator operating as the synchronous member.

y2 : =x1x2 v x1 X2 v xs x2 v X3 y3: = xa X2 v X3 y4 : X4 X5 y4 = X4 X5 y5 : X4 X5 y5 : = X4 X5 According to another feature of the invention, the magnet coils are excited by a circuit with a counter-voltage so as to ensure an immediate demagnetization, this being effected through the actual excitation coil or by a second de-energizing coil. Furthermore, there are associated with the magnet coils pole plates which are of comb-like design and are arranged so as to be embedded in the channel wall with the lower edges of their teeth.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplified embodiment. In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatical representation of a crown cap feed unit up to the closing element; Figure 2 shows a circuit diagram for controlling the assortment and joining of the crown caps; Figure 3 shows a circuit diagram for controlling the transfer thereof to the closing element.

In heavy-duty closing machines for bottles provided with crown caps, the assortment and feeding of crown caps to the closing elements necessitates novel means in the field of control and regulation. In view of the high outputs required, there is a need for the crown closures to be detected, controlled and influenced by means which operate with minimal intentional delays in an exactly programmable and inertialess manner.

Consequently, in the device for feeding crown caps to closing elements, the detection thereof is effected in a contact-free manner with inductive initiators, the control thereof with standardized contact-free electronic components and the influencing of the crown caps in a contact-free manner through magnetic fields.

In devices which comprise several assorting means, the crown caps conveyed in channels from the various assorting means have to be joined. In devices wherein the crown caps are assorted positionwise by a turning means downstream of an assorting plate, it is also necessary to join the two crown cap streams which have been formed during the assorting operation.

In the example, there is arranged downstream of an assorting plate 1 a channel section 2, at the end of which there is a siding 3 which is not shown in greater detail. The crown caps are positionally assorted therein. Downstream thereof, there is provided a through feed channel 4 and another feed channel 5 which comprises a turning facility 6. Once the positional assortment of the crown caps and the turning thereof have been effected, these two feed channels 4; 5 are joined again to form one crown cap channel 7. This crown cap channel 7 ends in the closing element 8.For the detection of the crown caps, there are arranged delay-action inductive initiators xl; x2; x3 downstream of the assorting means on each of the feed channels 4; 5 and, downstream of the junction of the feed channels 4; 5, on the crown cap channel 7 and a light scanner X4 invthe closing element 8. Furthermore, magnet coils Y2 toy5 are located on the feed channels 4; 5 upstream ofthejunction thereof as well as on the crown cap channel 7 upstream of their transfer to the closing element 8. The last magnet coils y4 and y5 are embedded in the upper sliding surface of the crown closure channel 7. On the crown closure channel 7, there is furthermore provided, in the lower sliding surface, a slope 9 which is positioned directly forward of the mouth of the crown cap channel 7 opening into the closing element 8. A blow nozzle 10 is provided for blowing the crown caps into the closing element 8.

The electric control of the magnet coils y2 t y5 is effected by standardized logic units which are linked by the logic diagram illustrated in the mode of operation section.

The mode of operation of the device is as follows: The crown caps are separated in the assorting plate 1 and are removed within the channel section 2. Since the crown caps have not yet been assorted positionwise, there is situated at the end of the channel section 2 a known siding 3 which conveys the crown cap stream in a varying manner depending on the position of the crown caps. Those crown caps whose inside is to the front are conducted into the feed channel 5 comprising the turning facility 6 and are turned therein. Subsequently, the two crown cap streams, whose crown caps are now assorted according to position, are reunited and fed in the crown cap channel 7 to the closing elements 8.The connection of the feed channels 4; 5 is effected by the magnetic fields of the magnet coils y2 and y3 which are jointly controlled by the initiators x1 and x2 which are provided on the feed channels 4; 5; the circuit is adapted so that the magnet coil y2 is controlled and the magnet coil y3 is only actuatable in a reversal of the signal, which simultaneously has the effect that the two magnet coils y2 and y3 cannot be jointly excited. In this connection, the through feed channel always has precedence over the feed channel comprising the turning facility so that the magnet coil provided on the through feed channel is only excited when the supply of crown caps in the feed channel comprising the turning facility has reached its maximum level and the through feed channel does not contain a sufficient supply of crown caps, the switch-over only lasting the time it takes until the feed channel comprising the turning facility is emptied. The feed channel 5 comprising the turning facility 6 is therefore blocked by the magnetic field of the magnet coil y3 when crown caps are indicated by the initiators xa and x3, i.e. when crown caps are disposed at least in the through feed channel 4 or in the crown cap channel 7.

Due to this circuit arrangement, a continuous feeding of crown caps to the closing elements 8 is ensured.

In the crown cap channel 7, the crown caps are conveyed as far as the slope 9 and are lifted by the magnetic field of the magnet coil y4. The magnetic field of the magnet coil y5 provides a protection, i.e. the potential energy in the crown cap column is collected thereby. If the light scanner x4 signalizes that there is no cap in the respective closing element 8 by the blow nozzle 10. If there is still a crown cap 11 inside the closing element 8, the crown cap lifted by the magnet coil y4 is released and is blown into the closing element 8, the crown cap is retained on the magnet coil y4. With the closing machine switched on, the first cap is therefore always lifted. With the closing machine switched off, the first crown cap is arrested by the slope 9.

Claims (7)

1. A device for feeding crown caps to closing elements in bottle closing machines from an assorting means through stationary feed channels to closing members which move on a circular path, the feed channels having a section where they are joined and feeler members as well as blocking mechanisms being arranged on the feed channels, characterised in that delay-action contact-free initiators are provided in the cork flow direction on the feed channels downstream of the assorting means and on the crown cap channel downstream of the junction of the feed channels and in that a light scanner is provided on the closing element; the initiators and the light scanner being connected through circuits to magnet coils which are present on the feed channels upstream of the junction thereof as well as on the crown cap channel upstream of the closing elements, the crown caps only being influenceable by magnetic fields.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a slope, which stops the crown caps, is provided in the crown cap channel, at the lower sliding surface, before it opens into the closing element and in that in the upper sliding surface of the crown cap channel there are arranged two magnet coils which are connected through a circuit to the light scanner which detects the caps in the closing element, and to the synchronous scanner.

3. A device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, wherein the through feed channel always has precedence over the feed channel comprising the turning facility so that the magnet coil provided on the through feed channel is only excited when the supply of crown caps in the feed channel comprising the turning facility has reached its maximum level and the through feed channel has no adequate supply of crown caps, the switching-over only lasting for the time it takes until the feed channel comprising the turning facility is emptied.

4. A device as claimed in Claims 1 to 3, wherein the initiators, the light scanner and the magnet coils are linked by the logic diagram, the initiator operating as the synchronous member.

Y2: = x, X2 v x1 X2 v x1 x2 v X3 y3 = X1 X2 V X3 y4 : = X4X5 y4 : = (4 Xg y5 : = X4X5, y5 = X4X5

5. A device as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, wherein the magnet coils are excited by a circuit with a counter-voltage so as to ensure an immediate demagnetization, this being effected through the actual exciting coil or by a second de-energizing coil.

6. A device as claimed in Claims 1 to 5, wherein there are associated with the magnet coils pole plates which are of comb-like design and are arranged so as to be embedded in the channel wall with the lower edges of their teeth.

7. A device for feeding crown caps to closing elements in bottle closing machines substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.