Device for opening and emptying filled food cans

Abstract: The device for opening and emptying filled food cans (10) comprises a conveyor path (1). Food cans are gripped in the conveyor path using semi-cylindrical clamping means (4-9). In addition the cans are clamped on the end walls (18-20). Placed in the conveyor path is a knife (13) for cutting through the can. Using the clamping means on the end walls the can halves are turned over and emptied. The can halves are subsequently ejected into a reservoir (25).

Description: The contents of food cans dented for instance by a fall are no longer suitable for human consumption because the protective inner foil for example is damaged. Equally unsuitable for human consumption are the contents of food cans wherein a determined period of time, for instance one or two years, has passed since the filling date. Up to the present, such cans have been placed in the environment in filled state, usually with the domestic refuse at a dump-site. For environmental reasons resulting from the presence of metal, this is no longer permitted. Such food cans no longer fit for use were also destroyed in incinerators. However, the processing price has recently increased very sharply. There is therefore a need for an environmentally-friendly manner of processing such food cans at an acceptable cost and with the maximum possible re-use of the contents and of the material of the cans themselves. From FR-A-2,252,978 a device is known for opening and emptying cans as described in the preamble of claim 1. The object of the invention is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1. With such an automatically operating device, food cans can be opened and the contents thereof collected in a reservoir at an acceptable cost, while the cans or at least the portions thereof are themselves collected for re-use. The collected contents of the food cans is virtually always biodegradable and can optionally be used for instance for animal feed. According to a preferred embodiment the gripping means comprise movable claws, wherein the means for causing the can portions to perform a pivoting movement are the claws moved through the guide track. Due to the pivoting movement the can is emptied in operationally reliable manner. Other features and characteristics will become clear from the description of an embodiment as according to the annexed drawing. The drawing is a perspective view of an embodiment according to the invention. The device for opening and emptying filled food cans comprises a conveyor path 1 defined by an upper chain conveyor 2 and a lower chain conveyor 3. Each of the conveyors 2 and 3 carries similarly shaped cylindrical elements, for instance 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, placed at regular mutual intervals. Conveyors 2 and 3 are arranged mutually such that the cylindrical elements, for instance 6 and 7, on the lower part of conveyor 2 enclose, together with the cylindrical elements 8 and 9 on an upper part of the lower conveyor 3, a cylindrical space for receiving a food can for processing, for instance 10. In transverse direction the cylindrical elements are divided into two part-elements leaving free a gap, for instance 11, 12. A knife 13 oriented toward the gap 12 in the part elements is placed in the conveyor path. Arranged to the side of the conveyor path for each pair of cylindrical elements 1 are claws formed by three claw fingers, for instance 18, 19, 20, disposed in a circle. The claw fingers can be moved between an open position and a closed position, for instance at the claw 21 where they engage on a can on the end wall. The claws are moved along with the conveyors and therein guided using rollers in the U-shaped guide track 15. The guide track has a part 16 wherein the U-shaped opening faces toward the conveyor path and a part 17 wherein the open portion of the U faces vertically downward. At the feed end of the device the part 17 transposes into the part 16 and at the discharge end the path of part 16 transposes into the part 17. Cans are supplied using a feed device 22 consisting of rotating disc with openings, for instance 23, for receiving a can. Below the device are two collecting reservoirs 24 and 25 as seen in lengthwise direction. A cross conveyor 26 is placed in reservoir 25 while a discharge conveyor 27 connects onto reservoir 24. The whole is driven by an electrical motor (not drawn). The device operates as follows. During operation the disc 22 rotates synchronously with the conveyors 2 and 3 which also run synchronously with each other. A can, for instance 28, is supplied by a disc to the device. The upper conveyor 2 follows a path of movement such that a semi-cylindrical element 29 approaches the conveyor path 1 via an inclining path and therein clamps round the can 31 placed in the meantime on a lower semi-cylindrical element 30. The end walls of the can are also gripped on both sides by the claws, for instance 32, on the one side and a claw (not shown) on the other side. Both conveyors 2 and 3 move further in the direction of arrows 1 and 2. At the end of the conveyor path the can, in this case 10, meets the knife 13 and is cut through thereby during the reversing movement at the end of the conveyor path. In this position the semi-cylindrical elements of the upper conveyor 2 respectively the lower conveyor 3 are released from the can that has meanwhile been cut through. The can portions are each held by the adjacent claws. Due to the pivoting movement of the claws, which in the meantime have left the conveyor portion 16 and are following the conveyor portion 17, the can halves move into the vertical position so that the contents thereof leave the can portions due to the force of gravity and enter the reservoir 24. The latter can be provided with a grid 33 so that a separation takes place between solid and liquid parts. The solid parts can then be carried by a means of a transporting movement of the grid to the conveyor 27. In addition, spray cleaning means (not drawn) may also be present at the position of reservoir 24. Above the reservoir 25 the claws disengage and the can half falls onto the conveyor 26 and is carried off sideways. The cycle is then repeated.

Claims: Device for opening and emptying filled food cans with clamping means (4-9) connecting onto a feed device and movable in a conveyor path (1), a knife (13) placed in the conveyor path (1) for cutting a can (31) into parts and means placed behind the knife (13) as seen in the direction of movement for causing the can portions to perform a pivoting movement between the position in the conveyor path (1) and a position differing therefrom, characterized in that said clamping means (4-9) are displaceable between an inactive, open position and an active, closed position clamping around the side wall of a can (31), gripping means (18-20) are provided for gripping in the conveyor path (1) the end walls of a can (31) received in the clamping means, and means are provided on said feed device downstream of said knife (13) for causing said gripping means (18, 19, 20) to pivot from a position in the conveyor path (1) to a position in which the open end of each of the can (31) parts faces downward. Device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said gripping means comprise movable claws (21), wherein the means for causing the can parts to perform a pivoting movement are the claws moved through a guide track (15). Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the clamping means (4-9) are formed by two roughly semi-cylindrical elements. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the semi-cylindrical elements have a transverse central gap (12) and that the knife (13) is oriented to this gap (12). Device as claimed in claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the semi-cylindrical clamping elements are each placed on endless conveyors (2, 3) arranged one above the other and running parallel to each other, the lower part of the upper conveyor (2) faces toward the upper part of the lower conveyor (3) and these parts define the conveyor path. Device as claimed in claims 2-5, characterized in that each of the claws (18, 19, 20) is arranged on its own conveyor disposed on either side of the conveyor path, that control means are present for opening and closing the claws and that the pivoting movement is performed through an angle of approximately 90°. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the claws (18, 19, 20) are opened at a distance behind the pivoting position. Device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that vertically beneath the pivoting position a first collecting reservoir (24) is placed and vertically beneath the opening position of the claws a second collecting reservoir (25) is placed. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the knife (13) is wedge-shaped and that the point is oriented towards approximately the centre of the space defined by the clamping means (4-9). Device as claimed in claims 5-9, characterized in that the knife (13) is disposed in stationary position close to the reversing point of the endless conveyors (2, 3). Device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that a movable sieve belt (33) is placed vertically above the first collecting reservoir (24). Device as claimed in claims 5-11, characterized in that the reversing point of the lower conveyor (3) remote from the knife (13) connects onto a rotary feed disc with a number of circle sector-like peripheral recesses and that the rotation of the feed disc and the movement of the conveyors (2, 3) is synchronous and in phase. Device as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that at the reversing point located close to the feed disc (22) the upper conveyor (2) has a path inclining over a limited distance towards the conveyor path (1).

Inventors: VAN DEN TOP HENDRIK, VAN DEN TOP, HENDRIK
Applicants: TOP HENDRIK VAN DEN, VAN DEN TOP, HENDRIK
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B67C9
IPC codes: B65B69, B67C9