Device for transferring containers comprising a guide wheel with variable geometry

• US 20030106779A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sidel (Crédit Mutuel Asset Management SA)
• Original Assignee: Sidel (Crédit Mutuel Asset Management SA)
• Inventors: Stocchi, Gabriele
• Granted Patent: US 7,007,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/803.3
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/42 Soft elements to prevent damage to articles, e.g. bristles, foam
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 29/00 Rotary conveyors, e.g. rotating discs, arms, star-wheels or cones mechanical projectors B65G31/00; screw or rotary spiral conveyors B65G33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/846 Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2003/2668 Means for adapting the filling head to various sizes of containers

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for transferring containers wherein the containers (12) are transferred on an arc-shaped path about a central axis (A1) of the transfer device (10), which device comprises at least a support wheel (20) and a guide wheel (24) driven with the same rotational movement about the axis (A1) of the device, and wherein the guide wheel (24) has at its periphery, cells whereof the dimensions are adapted to the dimension of the containers (12) to be transferred. The invention is characterised in that the guide wheel (24) comprises means for varying the dimension of the cells so as to adapt them to the dimensions of the containers (12) to be transferred.

Claims

1. Container transfer device, of the type in which the containers (12) are transferred on a path in an arc of circle around a central axis (A1) of the transfer device (10), of the type in which the device has at least one support wheel (20) and one guide wheel (24) that are driven in the same rotational movement around the axis (A1) of the device, and of the type in which the guide wheel (24) has, at its periphery, guide slots (28) that are made as radial cavities with respect to an outer envelope circle of the guide wheel (24), and the dimensions of which are adapted to the size of the containers (12) to be transferred,

characterized in that the guide wheel (24) has means for varying the size of the guide slots (28) so that they can be adapted to the size of the containers (12) to be transferred.

2. Transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide wheel (24) has two superposed concentric plates (30, 32), each plate being provided with a series of teeth (34, 36) projecting radially outward, each tooth (34, 36) having a left edge and a right edge, in that the width of each guide slot (28) of the guide wheel (24) is delimited by the left edge (38) of a tooth (34) of a first (30) of the two plates and by the right edge (40) of a tooth (36) of the second (32) of the two plates, and in that, by varying the relative angular position of the two plates (30, 32) around their axis (A1), the width of all of the guide slots (28) of the guide wheel (24) is varied simultaneously.

3. Transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the teeth (34, 36) of the two plates (30, 32) has two tensioners (44) that are placed, one at the head of the tooth, the other at the foot of the tooth, and which are arranged along the edge (38, 40) of the tooth that serves to delimit a guide slot (28), and in that the guide wheel (24) has a belt (46) that is stretched on the tensioners (44) so as to appreciably follow the envelope circle between two guide slots (28).

4. Transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that the belt (46) can be extended to adapt to the variation in length of the distance delimited by the tensioners (44) when the two plates (30, 32) are moved with respect to each other in order to vary the width of the guide slots (28).

5. Transfer device according to either of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the containers (12) rest against the belt (46).

6. Transfer device according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, during an operation to change the width of the guide slots (28), the two plates (30, 32) are each angularly offset by the same angular value along the two opposite directions so that the overall position of the guide slots (28) on the guide wheel (24) does not vary.

7. Transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that each plate (30, 32) is provided with an elongated opening (68, 70) that extends in an arc of circle around the axis (A1) of the device, the elongated openings (38 [sic], 70) of the two plates being arranged so that they are axially facing each other, in that the elongated opening (70) of one of the two plates is provided with a rack (76) on its inner radial edge while the elongated opening (68) of the other plate is provided with a rack (74) on its outer radial edge, and in that the device has a driving pinion (72) that is engaged axially in the elongated openings (68, 70) in order to cooperate simultaneously on one side with the rack (76) placed at the inner radial edge, and on the other side with the rack (74) placed at the outer radial edge, so that the rotation of the pinion (72) around its axis (A2) causes an angular movement of each of the two plates (30, 32) by the same angular value but in opposite directions around the axis (A1) of the device (10).

8. Transfer device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support wheel (20) is a wheel that is suitable for picking up the containers (12) at their open end (14), and in that the guide wheel (24) cooperates with the body of the containers.

9. Transfer device according to claim 8, characterized in that it has a second guide wheel (26) that is designed to cooperate with the bottom of the containers (12), and in that said second wheel (26) is adjustable in height and has a funnel-shaped contact surface against which the bottom of the containers (12) rests radially toward the exterior.