IN-LINE DEVICE FOR POSITIONING BETWEEN A SUPPLY CONVEYOR AND A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR

Abstract: In-line device for the transformation of containers (6) supplied beside and behind each other by a supply conveyor (1) into a single line for removal by a discharge conveyor (3) moving at a higher speed, said conveyors (1,3) being positioned on either side of a transfer conveyor (2) consisting of a number of tracks (5) driven with various speeds. Guiding rods (7,8) are present for guiding the containers (6). The upper surface of the conveyors (1,2,3), viewed transverse to the direction of movement (P) of the conveyors, makes a varying angle (α) with the horizontal plane. When the supply conveyor (1) is making a positive angle (+α) with the horizontal plane this angle decreases in the direction of movement (P) and is changing into a negative angle (-α) near the discharge conveyor (3).

Description: The invention relates to an in-line device for the transformation of containers, such as bottles, tins, cans and the like, supplied standing erect beside and behind each other by means of a supply conveyor, into a smaller and in particular single line for removal by means of a discharge conveyor moving at a higher speed than the supply conveyor and in such a way that the speeds of the tracks of the supply and discharge conveyor are about inversely proportional to the widths of the related conveyors, said supply conveyor and discharge conveyor being positioned on either side of a transfer conveyor consisting of a number of transfer tracks which are driven with various speeds such that a stepwise transition is present between the speed of the supply conveyor and of the discharge conveyor, guiding rods being present on the side of the succeeding conveyors for guiding the containers from the supply conveyor to the discharge conveyor and the upper surface of the conveyors, viewed transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyors, may be inclined in respect of the horizontal plane. Such devices e.g. are described in the European Patent Application 0 033 773 and in the French patent specification 2,533,200. In said European Patent Application it is stated that the upper surface of the conveyors is making such an angle with the horizontal plane, that the containers supplied by the supply conveyor will tend to slide to the transfer conveyor by which, in particular when bottles are conveyed, the created noise will be diminished whilst lying bottles may roll away passing the guiding rod. In case of said French patent specification on the other hand the upper surface of the conveyors is just brought into the other position in respect of the horizontal plane, also with the intention to decrease the noise created during operation of the device. In this patent specification the removal of overturned containers is not discussed. In case of the ever increasing conveying speeds of such devices the danger that containers, in particular bottles, will overturn is increased. In lying position such containers require more space on the conveyors so that the space available for erected containers is becoming smaller so that these relatively, will bump more against each other. Although in case of the device according to the above mentioned European patent application overturned containers may roll away in consequence of the inclined position of the conveyors, this will only be the case for containers lying free from other containers. The object of the invention is now to execute a device of the type described above in such a way that overturned containers, if any, may remove themselves easier from the conveyors. According to the invention this is attained by that when the supply conveyor is making a positive angle with the horizontal plane this angle is decreasing in the direction towards the discharge conveyor and is changing into a negative angle near the discharge conveyor. In this way it is attained, that overturned containers, which cannot easily roll away because they are enclosed by standing containers, may roll away afterwards to wit to the other side than the first containers. In practice it has appeared that the angle which the upper surface of the conveyors is making with the horizontal plane, in particular can lie between -5° and +5°. In many cases the angle may still be smaller but this depends on the type of containers, on the material from which the containers are made, etc. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it will be provided, that the angle which the upper surface of the conveyors is making with the horizontal plane near the supply conveyor is directed such that when bringing the containers on the transfer conveyor the containers have to be pressed upwardly. In this case overturned containers, if any, will only roll down from the supply conveyor and will not roll over the tracks of the transfer conveyor. Overturned containers which are lying closer to the transfer conveyor, may roll away afterwards at the side of the discharge conveyor and also then will not have to go a long way over the conveyors. Also by this the created noise will be maintained within certain limits. The invention is now described by means of an embodiment, shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a top view of a device according to the present invention; and Fig. 2, 3 and 4 show cross-sections along the lines II-II; III-III and IV-IV respectively of Fig. 1. The device shown in the drawing comprises the supply conveyor 1, the transfer conveyor 2 and the discharge conveyor 3. The supply conveyor 1 and the transfer conveyor 2 each consist of a number of conveyor tracks 4 and 5 respectively, each having a width which substantially corresponds with the width of the containers which have to be conveyed, like the bottles 6. The discharge conveyor 3 comprises only one conveyor track. Guiding rods 7 and 8 serve for guiding the bottles 6 and extend themselves at both sides of the bottles standing on the conveyors to guide the bottles in the right way from the supply conveyor 1 towards the discharge conveyor 3 so that they will leave the device in the direction of the arrow P in Fig. 1. As appears from Fig. 2 the upper surface of the supply conveyor 1 and of the transfer conveyor 2 are making an angle +α with the horizontal plane, such that at the beginning of the transfer conveyor 2 the bottles 6 will have to be pressed somewhat upwardly by the guiding rod 7. An overturned bottle 6′, see Fig. 1, present close to the guiding rod 7 may easily leave the supply conveyor 1 in the direction of the arrow R. During the further movement of the bottles these are arriving on the upper surface of the transfer conveyor 2 running about horizontal, as this is shown in Fig. 3. During still further movement of the bottles they arrive above a portion of the transfer conveyor and of the discharge conveyor 3 which is inclined in the other direction than indicated in Fig. 2. In Fig. 4 this is indicated by the angle -α. Over the section of the conveyors lying between the cross-sections shown in the Figs. 3 and 4, overturned bottles 6″ may easily roll down from the conveyors. In the known way the speeds of the succeeding conveyor tracks 5 of the transfer conveyor 2 will increase stepwise from the speed of the supply conveyor 1 till the speed of the discharge conveyor 3. These speeds can be adjustable for adjusting the capacity of the device to the capacity desired at a given moment. Further the device can be executed such that the angles +α and -α are adjustable whereby the value α need not to be equal in both cases. The value +α e.g. can be higher than the value -α because in the first case overturned bottles 6′ can be more enclosed by upstanding bottles and so will less easier roll down from the conveyors. Obviously the possibility exists that the inclinations of the conveyors shown in the Figs. 2 and 4 are reversed, in which case the bottles 6 will quicker leave the supply conveyor 1 and will follow more the guiding rod 8. All these possibilities, however, will be obvious for the expert and need no further explanation.

Claims: In-line device for the transformation of containers (6), such as bottles, tins, cans and the like, supplied standing erect beside and behind each other by means of a supply conveyor (1) into a smaller and in particular single line for removal by means of a discharge conveyor (3) moving at a higher speed than the supply conveyor (1) and in such a way that the speeds of the tracks (4,3) of the supply and discharge conveyor (1,3) are about inversely proportional to the widths of the related conveyors, said supply conveyor (1) and discharge conveyor (3) being positioned on either side of a transfer conveyor (2) consisting of a number of transfer tracks (5) which are driven with various speeds such that a stepwise transition is present between the speed of the supply conveyor (1) and of the discharge conveyor (3), guiding rods (7,8) being present on the side of the succeeding conveyors (1,2,3) for guiding the containers (6) from the supply conveyor (1) to the discharge conveyor (3) and the upper surface of the conveyors (1,2,3), viewed transverse to the direction of movement (P) of the conveyors, may make angle (α) with the horizontal plane, characterized in that when the supply conveyor (1) is making a positive angle (+α) with the horizontal plane, this angle is decreasing in the direction towards the discharge conveyor (3) and is changing into a negative angle (-α) near the discharge conveyor (3). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle (α) which the upper surface of the conveyors (1,2,3) is making with the horizontal plane lies between -5° and +5°. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the angle (+α) which the upper surface of the conveyors (1,2,3) is making with the horizontal plane near the supply conveyor (1) is directed such that when bringing the containers (6) on the transfer conveyor (2) the containers (6) have to be pressed upwardly.

Inventors: VAN UITERT, JOHANNES HENDRIKUS
Applicants: SPECIAAL-MACHINEFABRIEK J.H. VAN UITERT B.V.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65G47
IPC codes: B65G47