Pliers with movable jaws for gripping bottles or the like for mounting preferably on an automatic rinsing-sterilizing machine

Abstract: The pliers consist of a pair of pivoted jaws (2) which show rear parts in respect of pins (3), such rear parts being cam-shaped extensions (9). The cam-shaped extensions (9) are inserted between pairs of pins (10) and (11) which are fixed to a central sliding block (12). A preloaded spring acts against the central sliding block (12) which may slide between the extensions (9) and appendixes (6) of a bracket (4) in order to open or close the jaws. The cam-shaped extensions of the jaws may be arranged with different angles according to the wished opening capacity and clamping force of the jaws.

Description: The present patent relates to pliers with movable jaws for gripping bottles, vases or the like, in glass, ceramic, plastic material or other. The subject pliers permit the aforesaid containers to be gripped and moved during the washing, rinsing or sterilizing operations which are carried out by automatic or semiautomatic, carrousel or linear machines. The prior art provides particular automatic machines for washing, rinsing and/or sterilizing bottles or the like. Such automatic machines comprise bottle gripping devices which move the bottles according to a fixed course in which the bottles are, in general, overturned so that their mouth-pieces are positioned over nozzles which deliver the treating substances such as water, disinfectants, air, gas or other. The known gripping devices are carried out according to a few patterns which comprise, in general, pliers which consist of a pair of pivoted jaws which grip the bottle-neck through the action of means which may provoke both the clamping and the opening of the jaws. The opening and closing movements of the jaws may be carried out through pushing devices which cause the displacement of control parts for the jaws. Such devices are arranged behind the pivot and may be pins which slide within inclined slots or leverages or the like, such as in WO-A-9 115 309. The pivots or the levers are commonly controlled by cams or other pushing devices which act on a rod or a slide assembly, during the clamping or release phases. The main inconveniences found in the known gripping pliers refer on the one hand to the difficulty of controlling and adjusting the sliding pivots in the slots of the jaws since the slots, although shaped, do not permit a perfect clamping of the bottle if the opening capacity is to be safeguarded, and on the other hand there is the difficulty of a limited mobility and practicalness of the lever controls which are difficult to be carried out and do not permit to reach wide openings for large-diameter containers. The present invention removes the aforesaid inconveniences and other consequent ones since the subject pliers are provided with new moving elements which offer a double possibility. In fact, on the one hand such moving elements permit the pliers to be opened till reaching a large width so that it is possible for the pliers to grip also bottles or vases having long diameters. On the other hand such moving elements permit an effective returning action of the jaws so as to obtain a stronger grip than any other pliers without affecting the opening capacity. Within the sphere of the above-described general object, the pliers in question are provided with jaws which are moved symmetrically by opening and closing members acting on the extensions of the jaws, such extensions being cam-shaped and arranged behind the pins. The form and direction of the cam-shaped parts may be varied according to whatever angle based on the wished opening of the jaws. The peculiarity of the pliers according to the present invention is that the direction of the inner sides of the cam-shaped extensions can be nearly parallel to the thrust line, the closing thrust being interposed between such inner sides, and therefore the returning action of the jaws may reach a very high force which is necessary for an effective grip of the bottles. In fact, the invention refers to pliers with movable jaws for gripping bottles or the like for mounting preferably on automatic, carrousel or linear, rinsing or sterilizing machines, characterized by the fact that both jaws are pivoted upon a jaws supporting assembly and show an extension which is arranged behind the pin, such extension being cam-shaped with curvilinear or linear sloping parts with variable angles; the cam-shaped extension of each jaw is intercepted by pairs of pins which are arranged two by two on a thrust and/or draw sliding block which is arranged against a preloaded spring which is placed on a shaft which is secured to the sliding block and is placed between the jaws and the jaws supporting assembly; the thrust and draw action is accomplished by the pins of the sliding block on the cam-shaped extensions of the jaws and provokes the opening and closing of the jaws through the intervention of usual thrust means acting on the sliding block itself; the cam-shaped extensions of the jaws may show whatever angle according to the wished opening capacity and clamping force. The invention will be comprised better from the following specification with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a preferred embodyment wherein: Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of the pliers according to the present invention as a whole and in close position; Fig. 2 shows a corresponding schematic view but in open position; Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the pliers in question; Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a detail of a jaw; and Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of the pliers in which the jaws supporting part is in evidence. With reference to the accompanying drawings, in general number 1 denotes pliers for gripping bottles or the like for mounting preferably on an automatic, carrousel or linear, rinsing-sterilizing machine. Essentially, such pliers consist of two jaws 2 which may be moved symmetrically on pins 3. The jaws 2 are symmetrical and each other's mirror image. The pins 3 of the jaws are secured to an L-shaped bracket 4 which comprises arms 5. The arms 5 are used to mount a jaws supporting assembly on the fixed part of the machine. The bracket 4 is also provided with appendixes 6 which form parallel cavities 7 the function of which will be described below. The fore ends of the jaws get out from the bracket 4 and are shaped like semicircles. The fore ends of the jaws are provided with conventional pads 8 for gripping the bottle-necks. The rear parts of the jaws, such parts being arranged behind the pins 3, form cam-shaped extensions 9 which are intercepted by the members which control the opening and clamping of the jaws. The cam-shaped extensions 9 are in fact included between pairs of pins 10 and 11 which are fixed to a central sliding block 12 which may slide between the extensions 9 and the appendixes 6 of the bracket 4. The sliding block 12 slides axially along a hypothetical center line between both jaws on a shaft 13 and is kept in a pushing position towards the outside of the bracket 4 by means of a preloaded spring which is arranged on the shaft 13 itself. As already said, the pins 10 and 11 are fixed on the sliding block 12. The cam-shaped extensions 9 are intercepted by the pins laterally and are also kept by an upper closing plate 15. Moreover, the sliding block 12 is guided in its thrust and draw movements by guide rolls 16 which slide along the previously mentioned parallel cavities 7 of the bracket 4. The cam-shaped extensions 9 are so shaped that during the advancing motion of the sliding block the outer pins 10 push on the outer side of both cam-shaped extensions in order to provoke the opening of the jaws whereas in the phase of return of the sliding block the inner pins 11 push on the inner side of both cam-shaped extensions in order to provoke the closing of the jaws. As concerns the opening capacity of the jaws and the clamp force of the jaws on the bottleneck, the shape of the extensions is very important since it is possible to reach more or less wide openings of the jaws by varying the angle of the outer side of the cam extensions while the shape of the inner side of the cam extensions determines the force with which the jaws grip the bottleneck. The preferred shape of the jaws 2 with their respective cam extensions 9 is shown in Fig. 4 where it can be seen that the outer side of the cam-shaped extension 9 has a slightly curved profile with the angle with respect to the slide middle axis of the sliding block 12 increasing towards the gripping end of the jaw whereas the inner side has a discontinue profile with a very angled initial sector close to the gripping end and a final sector which is nearly parallel to the slide middle axis of the sliding block, when the jaws are in their gripping position. The aforesaid measures permit that the first sector of the inner side of the cam-shaped extension provokes the clamping of the jaw when the inner pins 11 are retracted while the second sector, which is less sloping, facilitates and completes the clamping of the bottleneck and prevents the jaw from partially releasing the bottleneck during the displacements of the bottles, such displacements being often rapid. Accordingly, it is evident that a change of the angle and direction of the cam-shaped extension 9 involves also a change in the movements which the jaw makes during the displacements of the pins 10 and 11 together with the sliding block on which such pins are mounted. Finally, the end part of bothcam-shaped extensions is provided with a stop tooth 17 which determines the maximum retracting point for the outer pins 10 and the whole sliding part of the sliding block 12. The onward movement of the sliding block for provoking the opening of the jaws is caused by a known thrust device such as a cam or other while the backward movement of the sliding block is provoked by a preloaded spring 14 which is arranged on the slide shaft 13 of the sliding block itself. The gripping pliers according to the present invention have been described and represented according to a preferred solution but variants may be provided within the range of protection of the claims.

Claims: Pliers with movable jaws for gripping bottles or the like for mounting preferably on automatic, carrousel or linear, rinsing-sterilizing machines, wherein both jaws (2), which are pivoted around pins (3) on a supporting bracket (4), are provided with an extension (9) which is arranged behind a pin (3), and wherein a thrust and/or draw sliding block (12) is provided, which can be displaced against the force of a preloaded spring (14) to provoke opening of the jaws, characterized in that each extension (9) is shaped essentially like a cam with inclined, curved or linear parts, the angle being variable; the cam-shaped extension (9) of each jaw (2) is intercepted by a pair of pins (10, 11), of which one pin (10) is arranged on the outer side of the extension (9) and the other pin (11) on the inner side of the extension (9); the pairs of pins (10, 11) are coupled two by two on said sliding block (12) and said spring (14) is provided on a slide shaft (13) which is fixed to the sliding block (12). Pliers as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sliding block (12) is arranged between the rear extensions (9) of the jaws (2) and the supporting bracket (4) and is guided in its thrust and draw motions by means of rolls (16) or the like which can slide along parallel cavities (7) provided in the supporting bracket (4). Pliers as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized in that the thrust and draw action carried out by the pins (10, 11) of the sliding block (12) on the cam-shaped extensions (9) of the jaws (2) causes the opening and closing, respectively, of the jaws (2) through the intervention of thrust means acting on the sliding block (12). Pliers as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized in that the cam-shaped extensions (9) of the jaws (2) may show any angles according to the wished opening capacity and to the wished clamp force. Pliers as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized in that the shape of the cam-extensions (9) is such that the outer pins (10) push on the outer sides of the cam-shaped extensions during the advancing motion of the sliding block (12) so as to determine the opening of the jaws (2) while the inner pins (11) push on the inner sides of the cam-shaped extensions (9) during the phase of return of the sliding block (12) so as to determine the clamp of the jaws (2). Pliers as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized in that the preferred shape of the cam-shaped extensions (9) is such that the outer sides of the extensions (9) have a slightly curved profile with the angle with respect to the slide middle axis of the sliding block (12) increasing towards the gripping parts of the jaws while the inner sides have a discontinue profile, the initial sector, close to the gripping parts of the jaws, being very angled and the final sector being nearly parallel to said slide middle axis, when the jaws are in their gripping position. Pliers as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact that the final part of the cam-shaped extensions (9) is provided with a stop tooth (17) which determines the maximum retracting point for the outer pins (10) and for the whole sliding part of the sliding block (12).

Inventors: PUSINERI LUCA, PUSINERI, LUCA
Applicants: AVE SPA, OFFICINE AVE S.P.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65G47
IPC codes: B25J15, B23Q7, B08B9, B67C3, B65G47