Machine for selectively dispensing four-wire-type ore bridge-type caps for securing stoppers of bottles of sparkling wine

Abstract: A machine for automatically and selectively dispensing wire caps for sealing stoppers of bottles of sparkling wine and the like, comprising a first section for dispensing four-wire caps and a continuous transfer chain (14) which moves below the dispensing section and is formed by a plurality of mutually articulated disk-like elements (18), each of which is provided with a seat for accommodating the base loop of the wire caps provided with a recess for accommodating the eyelet (13c) of the loop. The machine (10) further comprises a section (12) for dispensing bridge-type wire caps (13) which can be activated alternatively to the first section and uses, as a means for extracting the individual bridge-type wire caps (13) from the corresponding stack (I), the individual mutually articulated elements (18) of the transfer chain (14).

Description: The present invention relates to a machine for automatically and selectively dispensing wire caps for sealing stoppers of bottles of sparkling wine in general. It is known that metal wire caps of substantially two kinds are used to seal the stoppers of bottles of sparkling wine: four-wire caps, which comprise a metal wire base loop and an overlying frame of four wires which ends with a disk and surrounds the protruding part, or head, of the stopper; and bridge caps, which also comprise a base loop surmounted by a stirrup-like band which straddles the head of the cork. In both of the above types of wire cap, the base loop is arranged in a circular fashion and comprises a protruding tang or eyelet which is gripped by the tool of the wire cap fitting machine and twisted on the neck of the bottle. Generally, wire caps of the first type are used to seal cork stoppers, those of the second type are used to seal plastic stoppers, and both are equally widely used in the sparkling-wine bottling industry. The basic difference in configuration between these two wire caps generally imposes the use of different dispensing machines which have specific characteristics that make them suitable to pick up the individual wire caps of one type or the other from the respective stacks and dispense them to the subsequent wire cap fitting machines. A machine for dispensing four-wire caps of the first mentioned type is disclosed in EP-036.585 in the name of this same Applicant and comprises a unit for extracting the wire caps from the corresponding stack, which is formed by two side-by-side screw-feed drums, and rotating dispensing means which include a plurality of oscillating cups which receive individual wire caps from the extracting unit and deposit them in respective containment seats provided in a transfer chain which moves continuously below the dispensing means. The transfer chain is formed by a plurality of disk-like elements, which are mutually connected and articulated by means of linkages and are individually provided with a seat for accommodating the base loop of the wire cap. The loop is typically arranged so that the eyelet is directed toward the inner side of the chain in a position which allows it to be gripped by the wire cap fitting machine that must twist it; each seat is provided with a correspondingly orientated recess for accommodating said eyelet. The transfer chain is guided by corresponding sprockets, one of which is a driving sprocket, and accordingly has an advancement portion and a return portion; the unit for dispensing the four-wire cap is arranged at the advancement portion. The present invention, starting from the concept of this known configuration of a four-wire cap dispensing machine, has the aim of integrating it with the addition of another bridge-type wire cap dispensing device which can be activated alternatively to the first one in order to provide a single selective dispensing machine, i.e., a machine which can dispense four-wire caps or bridge-type wire caps according to operating requirements. Within the scope of this aim, a particular object of the present invention is to provide a machine with a bridge-type wire cap dispensing device which is simple, reliable and economically advantageous. Another object of the present invention is to provide a selective dispensing machine which does not require substantial structural alterations of the conventional machine for dispensing four-wire caps and achieves this aim, these important objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter by being based on the inventive concept of utilizing the existing transfer chain as a means for extracting the individual bridge-type wire caps from the respective stack. The stack of bridge-type wire caps is arranged at the return portion of the transport chain which is opposite to the advancement portion whereat the four-wire cap dispensing device is arranged; means being further provided for selectively activating either dispensing device. According to the present invention, the stack of bridge-type wire caps is supported by an inclined chute which is arranged so that its axis is aligned with, and incident to, the axis of the transfer chain and is suitable to retain the stack, orientated so that the eyelet of the base loop of each individual bridge-type wire cap is directed in the advancement direction of the chain; controlled retention means are provided in order to retain the stack and allow the selective extraction of each individual wire cap from the stack. The extraction is performed, as mentioned, by the transport chain, which is formed by a plurality of disk-like elements, each of which is provided with a seat for accommodating the base loop of the wire cap and with a recess for accommodating the eyelet of the base loop; an engagement tooth is formed at the recess and is suitable to engage the eyelet of the first wire cap of the stack and to extract it from the stack by virtue of the advancement motion of the chain. Moreover, according to the invention each element of the chain is formed by a peripheral annular portion and by a central disk-like portion which can rotate with respect to the peripheral portion and is provided with the seat for accommodating the base loop of the wire cap and with the recess for the eyelet of the base loop. The rotatable disk-like portion is provided with an actuation pawl which engages the profiled track of a positive cam arranged below the chain; the path of the cam is suitable to produce a 90° rotation of said rotatable disk-like portion in order to move said engagement tooth, provided in the recess of the eyelet, from a position for dispensing the wire caps to a position for engaging the eyelet for extraction and viceversa. Further characteristics and advantages of the machine according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limitative example and wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1 but partially sectional; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bridge-type wire cap dispensed by the machine of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an elevation side view of the machine that comprises the conventional dispensing device for four-wire caps; Figure 5 is an elevation side view of the machine that comprises the bridge-type cap dispensing device; Figure 6 is an enlarged-scale view of a detail of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a front view, taken in the direction of the arrows VII-VII of Figure 5; Figure 8 is an enlarged-scale longitudinal sectional view of a disk-like element of the transfer chain, taken along the plane VIII-VIII of Figure 10; Figure 9 is a highly enlarged-scale view of a detail of Figure 1, illustrating a position of the disk-like elements of the transfer chain; Figure 10 is a view of a detail, similar to Figure 9, illustrating another position of the disk-like elements of the transfer chain; Figure 11 is a highly enlarged-scale view of a detail of Figure 2. In the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the machine for the automatic and selective dispensing of wire caps, which is substantially constituted by a first section 11 for dispensing four-wire caps and by a second section 12 for dispensing bridge-type wire caps, shown in detail in Figure 3 and generally designated by the reference numeral 13. In a per se known manner, the wire cap 13 (Figure 3) comprises a base loop 13a made of metal wire and a stirrup-like band 13b which is meant to straddle the head of the stopper of the bottle; the base loop 13a is provided with an eyelet 13c which is suitable to be gripped by the tool of the wire cap fitting machine (not shown) and twisted onto the neck of the bottle. The two dispensing sections 11 and 12 are arranged above respective portions R1-R2 of a continuous transfer chain 14 which moves in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure and is guided by two sprockets 16 and 17, one of which is a driving sprocket; hereinafter, the portion R1 of the chain is termed advancement portion and the portion R2 is termed return portion. The transfer chain 14 is formed by a plurality of disk-like elements 18 which are mutually articulated and are connected by means of linkages 19; each disk-like element is provided with a seat 20 for accommodating the base loop 13a of the wire cap; said seat is provided with a recess 20a for accommodating the eyelet 13c. The dispensing section 11, arranged above the advancement portion R1 of the transport chain and shown in detail in Figure 4, is of the known type disclosed in EP-036.585 and substantially comprises a unit 21 for dispensing four-wire caps which is formed by two screw-feed drums arranged side by side and rotating dispensing means 22 which include a disk 23 driven by a gear 24 and a plurality of oscillating cups 25 which receive individual wire caps of the dispensing unit 21 and transfer them into the seats 20 of the disk-like elements 18 of the underlying transfer chain 14 through the radial movement of the cups 25 produced by the action of cams 26. Typically, the wire caps are deposited in the respective seats 20 of the chain so that the eyelet 13c is directed toward the inner side of the portion R1 of the chain, in a position which allows the eyelet to be gripped by the wire cap fitting machine that is to twist it. Correspondingly, along the portion R1 of the chain that lies below the section 11, the seats 20 are arranged so that their recess 20a for accommodating the eyelet 13c is directed toward the inner side of said portion (Figures 1 and 2). The section 12 for dispensing bridge-type wire caps 13, arranged above the return portion R2 of the transfer chain and shown in detail in Figure 5, comprises an inclined chute 27 for supporting the stack I of bridge-type wire caps which is arranged so that its axis is aligned with, and incident to, the axis of the portion R2 of the transfer chain. The chute 27 supports the stack I, which is orientated so that the eyelet 13c of each individual wire cap 13 is orientated in the advancement direction A of the chain 14 and is provided, at its lower end, with means 28-29 which are suitable to retain the stack and to allow the extraction of each individual wire cap from the stack, as described in detail hereinafter. This extraction is performed by the transfer chain 14 and for this purpose each disk-like element 18 of the chain is provided, at the recess 20a of the respective seat 20, with an engagement tooth 30 (Figure 8) which is suitable to engage the eyelet 13c of the first wire cap 13 of the stack I and extract the wire cap 13 through the advancement of the chain 14. For this purpose, the means 28-29 retain the stack in a position in which the eyelet of the first wire cap of the stack protrudes onto, and interferes with, the passage path of the engagement teeth 30. Moreover, each disk-like element 18 of the chain 14 is formed by an annular peripheral portion 18a, to which the linkages 19 are pivoted, and by a disk-like central portion 18b, which can rotate with respect to the peripheral portion and is provided with the seat 20 for accommodating the base loop 13a of the wire cap and with the recess 20a for accommodating the eyelet 13c. The rotatable disk-like portion is provided with an actuation pawl 31 which engages the profiled track 32 of a positive cam 33 arranged below the chain 14 (Figure 2). As clearly shown in Figure 11, the path of the cam 32 intersects the path T of the chain 14 in order to produce a 90° rotation of the disk-like portion 18b and move the engagement tooth 30 from an angular position for dispensing the wire caps, in which the recess 20a is directed toward the inside of the chain 14, as shown at the portion R1 of the chain (Figure 9), to an angular position for engaging the eyelet 13c for extraction, in which the tooth 30 moves in alignment with the path T of the chain (Figure 10), and viceversa. The means 28-29 that cooperate to retain the stack I of wire caps 13 and allow the extraction of each individual wire cap from said stack are now described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The first means 28 is constituted by a retracting pin which is supported by an L-shaped lever 28a which is actuated by a pneumatic actuation cylinder 28b or the like. The pin 28 protrudes inside the chute 27 in order to engage the base loop 13a of the first wire cap of the stack in order to retain it. An electric valve (not shown), synchronized with the movement of the chain 14, activates the cylinder 28b when each element 18 of the chain passes below the end outlet section of the chute 27 so as to produce the quick and temporary retraction of the pin 28 and the consequent disengagement of the first wire cap from the pin, after which the pin returns to the inactive position in order to engage the next wire cap 13. The first wire cap 13, disengaged from the pin 28, moves downward by gravity and abuts against the second retention means 29, which is constituted by a clamp with openable jaws which is arranged in front of the chute 27 (Figure 7). The jaws 29a-29b of the clamp are actuated by a corresponding pneumatic cylinder 29c, the feed whereof is controlled by a respective electric valve (not shown), which is in turn synchronized with the movement of the chain 14 in order to produce the opening of the clamp 29 and the release of the wire cap 13 after the eyelet 13c of said wire cap has been engaged by the tooth 30, as shown in the detail of Figure 8. The wire cap is then accommodated in the seat 20 of the corresponding chain element 18 in order to be transferred to the wire cap fitting machine, which applies it to the neck of the bottle. An electromechanical switching means (not shown) is provided in order to selectively activate the section 11 or the section 12 and accordingly preset, according to operating requirements, the machine 10 for dispensing four-wire caps or, respectively, bridge-type wire caps. Without altering the concept of the invention, the details of execution and the embodiments may of course be altered extensively with respect to what has been described and illustrated by way of non-limitative example without thereby abandoning the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A machine for automatically and selectively dispensing wire caps for sealing the stoppers of sparkling wine bottles and the like, said wire caps presenting a base loop with an eyelet (13c), said machine comprising a first section (11) for dispensing four-wire caps and a continuous transfer chain (14) which moves below said dispensing section; said chain being formed by a plurality of mutually articulated disk-like elements (18), each of which is provided with a seat (20) for accommodating the base loop of the wire caps provided with a recess (20a) for accommodating the eyelet (13c) of said loop, characterized in that it comprises an additional section (12) for dispensing bridge-type wire caps (13) from a stack (I) which can be activated alternatively to the first section and uses, as a means for extracting the individual bridge-type wire caps (13) from the corresponding stack (I), the individual mutually articulated elements (18) of said transfer chain (14). The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the two dispensing sections (11-12) are arranged above respective advancement and return portions (R1-R2) of said continuous transfer chain (14), which is guided by two sprockets (16,17), one of which is a driving sprocket. The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the section (12) for dispensing the bridge-type wire caps (13) comprises an inclined chute (27) for supporting the stack (I) of wire caps, which is arranged so that its axis is aligned with, and incident to, the axis of the transfer chain (14); the stack (I) being orientated so that the eyelet (13c) of the base loop (13a) of each individual bridge-type wire cap (13) is directed in the advancement direction of the transfer chain (14) in order to allow each disk-like element (18) of said chain to extract a corresponding wire cap (13) from said stack (I). The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said recess (20a) of the seat (20) provided on the individual disk-like elements (18) of the transfer chain (14) is provided with an engagement tooth (30) which is suitable to engage the eyelet (13c) of a first wire cap (13) of the stack (I) and to extract said wire cap from said stack by virtue of the advancement of said chain. The machine according to claim 4, characterized in that each disk-like element (18) of the transfer chain (14) is formed by a peripheral annular portion (18a) and by a central disk-like portion (18b) which can rotate with respect to the peripheral portion and is provided with the seat (20) for accommodating the base loop (13a) of the wire cap and with the recess (20a) for the eyelet (13c) of said loop with the corresponding engagement tooth (30). The machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the central disk-like portion (18b) of the elements (18) of the chain (14) is provided with an actuation pawl (31) which engages a profiled path (32) of a positive cam (33) arranged below the chain; the path of the cam (33) intersecting the path (T) of the chain (14) in order to produce a 90° rotation of the disk-like portion (18b) which is suitable to move the engagement tooth (30) from an angular position for dispensing the wire caps to an angular position for engaging and extracting the eyelet (13c) of said wire caps and viceversa. The machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the inclined chute (27) of the section (12) for dispensing bridge-type wire caps (13) comprises a first means and a second means (28-29) which mutually cooperate and are suitable to retain the stack (I) of wire caps and allow the extraction of individual wire caps from said stack. The machine according to claim 7, characterized in that said first and second mutually cooperating means are constituted by a retracting pin (28) which is actuated by a pneumatic actuation cylinder (28b) and, respectively, by a clamp (29) with openable jaws which are also actuated by a corresponding pneumatic actuation cylinder (29c). The machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the retracting pin (28) protrudes inside the inclined chute (27) and in that the actuation cylinder (28b) is actuated synchronously with the passage of each disk-like element (18) of the chain (14) in order to produce the quick and temporary retraction of the pin (28) to disengage the first wire cap of the stack which, once disengaged, falls by gravity and abuts against said clamp (29) the respective actuation cylinder (29c) of which is also actuated synchronously with the passage of each disk-like element (18) of the chain (14) in order to produce the opening of the clamp (29) and the release of the wire cap (13) after the eyelet (13c) of said wire cap has been engaged by the extraction tooth (30) supported by the corresponding disk-like element (18). The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an electromechanical switching means for selectively activating the first dispensing section (11) or the second dispensing section (12) and accordingly preset the machine (10) for dispensing four-wire caps or, respectively, bridge-type wire caps.

Inventors: GALANDRINO AGOSTINO, GALANDRINO, AGOSTINO
Applicants: ROBINO & GALANDRINO SPA, ROBINO & GALANDRINO S.P.A.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B67B5
IPC codes: B67B5