Setup table for bottle handling machines

• US 6,276,113 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS Maschinen-und Anlagenbau AG (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Bernhard, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARADISO, JOHN ROGER
• Application Number:
  US09/282,975
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 531/371, 532/02, 532/82, 533/17, 533/19, 533/315, 532/53, 414/568
• US Class Current: 53/253
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/22 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 7/002 General lay-out of bottle-handling machines

Abstract

A setup table on a bottle handling machine which includes feed-end and delivery-end star wheels and associated guide tracks for the bottles as well as drive devices for the individual star wheels and handling stations, and a support plate that covers the drive devices. A plurality of handling machines are combined into a unit, and the axis of rotation of a rinser is located on a first line, and the axes of rotation of the feed-end and delivery-end star wheels of the rinser and of the filling machine are located on a second line that runs at some distance from the first. The axis of the delivery-end star wheel of the filling machine and the axis of rotation of a crown corker are located on an additional line that runs at an angle to the second line. The axis of an additional capping machine and the axis of the delivery-end star wheel of the crown corker and of the additional capping machine are located on an additional line that runs parallel to this third line.

Claims

1. A bottle handling arrangement having a rinser, a filling machine, a crown corker, and a screw-top capping machine, said bottle handling arrangement comprising:

a first star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said first star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive bottles;

said star wheel of said first star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a rinser;

said rinser being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from said first star wheel arrangement;

said rinser being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a second star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said second star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from said rinser;

said star wheel of said second star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a filling machine;

said filling machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from said second star wheel arrangement;

said filling machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a third star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said third star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from said filling machine;

a crown corker;

a screw-top capping machine;

said star wheel of said third star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles from said filling machine to one of said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine;

each of said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from said third star wheel arrangement;

each of said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a fourth star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said fourth star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles directly from either of said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine;

a conveyor apparatus;

said star wheel of said fourth star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles from either of said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine to said conveyor apparatus;

said star wheels of said star wheel arrangements, said rinser, said filling machine, said crown corker, and said screw-top capping machine being disposed to define a bottle transport plane along which bottles are moved;

each of said first star wheel arrangement, said second star wheel arrangement, said filling machine, said third star wheel arrangement, said crown corker, said screw-top capping machine, and said fourth star wheel arrangement comprising an axis of rotation;

said axes of rotation of said first star wheel arrangement, said second star wheel arrangement, and said filling machine each being disposed in a first alignment to lie on a first straight line lying in said bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said filling machine, said third star wheel arrangement, and said crown corker each being disposed in a second alignment to lie on a second straight line lying in said bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said screw-top capping machine and said fourth star wheel arrangement each being disposed in a third alignment to lie on a third straight line lying in said bottle transport plane; and

said third straight line lying in said bottle transport plane being parallel to said second straight line of the second alignment defined by the axes of rotation of said filling machine, said third star wheel arrangement, and said crown corker.

2. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 1, wherein:

said axes of rotation of said third star wheel arrangement, said crown corker, said screw-top capping machine, and said fourth star wheel arrangement each being disposed in a fourth alignment to form the corners of at least one of;

a square, a rectangle, and a parallelogram;

said second straight line runs at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to said first straight line;

each of said star wheel arrangements, said rinser, said filling machine, said crown corker, and said screw-top capping machine comprises a bottle transport arrangement configured to transport said bottles; and

each of said bottle transport arrangements comprises;

a drive device configured and disposed to provide a driving force to rotate its corresponding bottle transport arrangement;

each of said drive devices is located underneath and at a substantial distance away from said bottle transport plane;

a protective hood configured and disposed to cover and protect its corresponding drive device;

a drive shaft;

said drive shaft is connected to its corresponding drive device and its corresponding bottle transport arrangement to transmit said driving force from said corresponding drive device to said corresponding bottle transport arrangement; and

each of said drive shafts are enclosed by a tower-like housing, which housing is connected in a sealed manner to said protective hood and extends from said protective hood to said bottle transport plane.

3. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 2, wherein:

said protective hood is configured and disposed to provide support for said tower-like housing;

each of said protective hoods has a circumference;

each of said drive devices has a circumference;

said circumference of each of said protective hoods is substantially similar to the circumference of its corresponding drive device;

each of said tower-like housings has a tapered, conical portion substantially in the shape of a truncated cone or pyramid;

each of said protective hoods is substantially cone-shaped and comprises a top portion and a base portion disposed opposite said top portion, which base portion is substantially wider than said top portion;

said top portion is disposed adjacent said tower-like housing;

each of said protective hoods comprises a side surface, which side surface extends from said base portion to said top portion;

each of said side surfaces is one of;

a curved surface and a flat surface;

each of said protective hoods is in the form of one of;

a single-level casting and a welded body;

each of said tower-like housings of said star wheel arrangements comprises a support structure disposed at said bottle transport plane to support its corresponding star wheel; and

each of said star wheels comprises support arms which extend outward from the support structure in the shape of a star.

4. A bottle handling arrangement having a rinser, a filling machine, a first capping machine, and a second capping machine, said bottle handling arrangement comprising:

a first star wheel;

said first star wheel being configured and disposed to receive bottles;

said first star wheel being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a rinser;

said rinser being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said first star wheel;

said rinser being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a second star wheel;

said second star wheel being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said rinser;

said second star wheel being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a filling machine;

said filling machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said second star wheel;

said filling machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a third star wheel;

said third star wheel being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said filling machine;

a first capping machine;

a second capping machine;

said third star wheel being configured to rotate to move said bottles from said filling machine to one of said first capping machine and said second capping machine;

each of said first capping machine and said second capping machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said third star wheel;

each of said first capping machine and said second capping machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a fourth star wheel;

said fourth star wheel being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from either of said first capping machine and said second capping machine;

a conveyor apparatus;

said fourth star wheel being configured to rotate to move said bottles from either of said first capping machine and said second capping machine to said conveyor apparatus;

said star wheels, said rinser, said filling machine, said first capping machine, and said second capping machine being disposed to define a bottle transport plane along which bottles are moved;

each of said first star wheel, said second star wheel, said filling machine, said third star wheel, said first capping machine, said second capping machine, and said fourth star wheel comprising an axis of rotation;

said axes of rotation of said first star wheel, said second star wheel, and said filling machine each being disposed to lie on a first straight line lying in the bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said filling machine, said third star wheel, and said first capping machine each being disposed to lie on a second straight line lying in the bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said second capping machine and said fourth star wheel being disposed to lie on a third straight line lying in the bottle transport plane; and

said third straight line lying in said bottle transport plane being disposed substantially parallel to the second straight line lying in the bottle transport plane.

5. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 4, wherein:

said first capping machine comprises one of;

a crown corker and a screw-top capping machine; and

said second capping machine comprises the other one of;

said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine.

6. A bottle handling arrangement having a rinser, a filling machine, a first capping machine, and a second capping machine, said bottle handling arrangement comprising:

a first star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said first star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive bottles;

said star wheel of said first star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a rinser;

said rinser being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said first star wheel arrangement;

said rinser being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a second star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said second star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said rinser;

said star wheel of said second star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a filling machine;

said filling machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said second star wheel arrangement;

said filling machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a third star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said third star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said filling machine;

a first capping machine;

a second capping machine;

said star wheel of said third star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles from said filling machine to one of said first capping machine and said second capping machine;

each of said first capping machine and said second capping machine being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from said third star wheel arrangement;

each of said first capping machine and said second capping machine being configured to rotate to move said bottles;

a fourth star wheel arrangement comprising a star wheel;

said fourth star wheel arrangement being configured and disposed to receive said bottles from either of said first capping machine and said second capping machine;

a conveyor apparatus;

said star wheel of said fourth star wheel arrangement being configured to rotate to move said bottles from either of said first capping machine and said second capping machine to said conveyor apparatus;

said star wheels of said star wheel arrangements, said rinser, said filling machine, said first capping machine, and said second capping machine being disposed to define a bottle transport plane along which bottles are moved;

each of said first star wheel arrangement, said second star wheel arrangement, said filling machine, said third star wheel arrangement, said first capping machine, said second capping machine, and said fourth star wheel arrangement comprising an axis of rotation;

said axes of rotation of said first star wheel arrangement, said second star wheel arrangement, and said filling machine each being aligned in a first alignment lying in said bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said filling machine, said third star wheel arrangement, and said first capping machine each being aligned in a second alignment lying in said bottle transport plane;

said axes of rotation of said second capping machine and said fourth star wheel arrangement being aligned in a third alignment lying in said bottle transport plane; and

the third alignment being aligned substantially parallel to the second alignment.

7. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 6, wherein:

said first capping machine comprises one of;

a crown corker and a screw-top capping machine; and

said second capping machine comprises the other one of;

said crown corker and said screw-top capping machine.

8. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said axes of rotation of said third star wheel arrangement, said first capping machine, said second capping machine, and said fourth star wheel arrangement each being disposed in a fourth alignment to form the corners of at least one of:

a square, a rectangle, and a parallelogram.

9. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 8, wherein:

each of said star wheel arrangements, said rinser, said filling machine, said first capping machine, and said second capping machine comprises a bottle transport arrangement configured to transport said bottles; and

each of said bottle transport arrangements comprises;

a drive device configured and disposed to provide a driving force to rotate its corresponding bottle transport arrangement;

each of said drive devices is located underneath and at a substantial distance away from said bottle transport plane;

a protective hood configured and disposed to cover and protect its corresponding drive device;

a drive shaft;

said drive shaft is connected to its corresponding drive device and its corresponding bottle transport arrangement to transmit said driving force from said corresponding drive device to said corresponding bottle transport arrangement; and

each of said drive shafts are enclosed by a tower-like housing, which housing is connected in a sealed manner to said protective hood and extends from said protective hood to said bottle transport plane.

10. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said second straight line runs at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to said first straight line.

11. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 10, wherein:

said protective hood is configured and disposed to provide support for said tower-like housing;

each of said protective hoods has a circumference;

each of said drive devices has a circumference; and

said circumference of each of said protective hoods is substantially similar to the circumference of its corresponding drive device.

12. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 11, wherein:

each of said tower-like housings has a tapered, conical portion substantially in the shape of a truncated cone or pyramid;

each of said protective hoods is substantially cone-shaped and comprises a top portion and a base portion disposed opposite said top portion, which base portion is substantially wider than said top portion; and

said top portion is disposed adjacent said tower-like housing.

13. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 12, wherein:

each of said protective hoods comprises a side surface, which side surface extends from said base portion to said top portion; and

each of said side surfaces is one of;

a curved surface and a flat surface.

14. The bottle handling arrangement according to claim 13, wherein:

each of said protective hoods is in the form of one of;

a single-level casting and a welded body;

each of said tower-like housings of said star wheel arrangements comprises a support structure disposed at said bottle transport plane to support its corresponding star wheel; and

each of said star wheels comprises support arms which extend outward from the support structure in the shape of a star.