Machine for filling containers provided with automatic devices for rapidly locking/releasing the interchangeable elements guiding and moving the containers themselves

Abstract: Machine for filling containers (2) comprising a base (1a) and interchangeable elements for guiding (3) and moving (4) the said containers (2), which are supported by columns (11) joined to said base (1c), characterized in that it comprises automatic devices (10) for rapidly locking/releasing the said guiding and moving elements (3,4), which are coaxially inserted inside said support columns (11) and act on means (7;107) fixed to the said guiding and moving elements (3,4).

Description: The present invention relates to a machine for filling containers such as bottles, phials and the like, according to the preamble of claim 1. It is known that, in the art of constructing automatic machines for filling and sealing containers such as bottles, phials and the like, there exists the need to adapt, to the various shapes and sizes of the containers, the guiding and moving means which remove the said containers from the conveyor belts and channel them towards/away from the filling and sealing carousels and from the latter towards the machine exit point. In other words, it is known that there is the need to perform retooling of the machine every time the shape and/or size of the container varies beyond certain predetermined tolerance limits. It also known that, in machines of the known type, said moving and guiding means essentially consist of rotating disks, commonly called star wheels, which have formed in them the recesses reproducing the shape of the containers, and stationary guides, which are situated opposite the said star wheels with respect to the conveyor belt, commonly called bows or outer guides. Both the guiding and moving elements are fixed to the base of the machine by means of screw elements which are manually fixed onto corresponding internal threads formed inside spacing columns or rotating shafts for moving the star wheels, joined to the base of the machine itself. In view of the large number of screws which have to be unscrewed and tightened up each time the machine is retooled and in view of the fact that this operation is performed manually, downtimes occur in the cycle, which are incompatible with the production speeds required and with the capacity of the machine to maintain these speeds once they are up to running speed. Mammal retooling is known from, e.g., WO 94 16976 A and EP 0 316 001 A . The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is that of providing an automatic machine for filling and/or sealing containers, which is provided with devices for rapidly engaging/disengaging the elements supporting and fixing the elements guiding and moving the containers themselves, in order to reduce the downtime of the machine, necessary for retooling thereof when there is a variation in the shape and/or size of the bottles to be processed. Within the scope of this problem a further requirement is that said rapid engaging/disengaging means are such that they can be operated all at the same time by a central control unit and can be installed on machines of the known type without the need for special adaptations. In addition to this, it is also required that said means should be simple and economical to manufacture and assemble and should not require special maintenance operations. These technical problems are solved according to the present invention by a machine for filling containers, according to the features of claim 1. Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the invention provided with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the detail of a filling machine according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-section along the plane indicated by II-II in Fig. 1; Figure 2a shows an exploded view of the device for retaining the interchangeable element; Figure 3 shows a cross-section along the plane indicated by III-III in Fig. 1; Figs. 4a,4b show a detail of the retaining device during engagement and disengagement, respectively. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the filling machine 1 which is known per se is schematically shown with its bottom surface 1a on which an auger 1b for supplying the bottles 2, stationary guiding elements 3 and rotating star wheels 4 for moving the bottles themselves are mounted. More particularly, the guides 3 and the star wheels 4 consist of two parallel surfaces 3a,3b and 4a,4b which are suitably shaped and connected together by spacers 5, the opposite ends 5a,5b of which are connected to the respective surfaces by means of fastening systems in the form of a screw 6a,6b and a female thread 6c. As can be seen from the Figures, while the top screw 6a is of the normal type, the bottom screw 6b has a head formed by a cup 7 which has, in its internal surface, an annular groove 7b designed to form the element for engagement with balls 11c forming part of the locking device 10 described below. Advantageously, said annular groove has inclined sides so as to favour supporting of the balls and convert the radial thrust thereof into an axial thrust. Said locking device consists of a column 11 joined, via screw means 11a to the surface 1a of the machine 1; the column 11 has, formed inside it, a coaxial duct 11b for supplying air under pressure from the centralized devices of the machine. Said duct 11b emerges inside a chamber 12 forming a cylinder which houses internally, in a movable and sealed manner, a piston 13, the external surface of which has an annular shoulder 13a and below this an inset seat 13b. As will emerge more clearly below, said shoulder and seat are designed to co-operate with said balls 11c housed in corresponding radial holes 11d in the side surface of the cylinder 11. Said piston 13 is in turn hollow so as to allow the insertion inside it, in a sealed manner, of a piston pin 14 having an abutment head 14a for preventing the relative movement thereof with respect to the piston 13 itself. The piston pin 14 has an internal female thread 14b, which is designed for engagement with the threaded shank 15a of a disk-shaped piece 15, forming one of the two reaction surfaces of a spring 16 which is arranged coaxially outside the piston pin 14. On the opposite side said spring acts on an abutment surface 13c inside the piston 13. The disk-shaped piece 15 also forms the element for the upper closing of the cylinder 11 and is fastened thereto by means of a Seger ring 17. As iilustrated in Fig. 3, if the locking device is applied to a rotating element such as the star wheel 4, instead of a stationary element such as the guide 3, the engagement head 107 is formed by a flange 107a joined to the star wheel 4 along its axis of rotation by means of a counter-flange 107b and bolts 107c or the like, and the cylinder 11 is inserted inside a tube 120 with respect to which the cylinder 11 is able to rotate by means of ball bearings 121. As illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b, the locking device operates as follows: in normal working conditions (Fig. 4a) compressed air is not supplied to the locking device and consequently the spring 16 pushes the piston 13 downwards, bringing the annular shoulder 13a opposite the balls 11c which are pushed radially outwards and engage with the groove 7b in the head 7 of the threaded shank 6b joined to the guide 3 (or the star wheel 4), locking them in position; should it be necessary to change the guide 3 (or the star wheel 4) in that the shape and/or the size of the bottle has changed, compressed air is supplied to the duct 11c of the column 11 so as to push the piston 13 upwards against the thrusting action of the spring 16; once it has reached the end of its travel path, the piston positions the inset seat lid opposite the balls 11c, thus freeing the balls 11c which are able to retract, freeing the head 7 of the screw 6b and allowing raising of the guide 3 for replacement thereof. Once the guide has been replaced, the air supply to the cylinder 11 is interrupted, thus allowing the spring to bring back the piston 13 into the initial position and hence restoring the thrust in the radial direction on the balls 11c which, emerging from the respective seats, engage with the annular groove 7b in the head 7, the inclined sides of which result in breaking down of the radial thrusting force into forces of the axial type which retain the said head of the screw in this direction. It is envisaged, moreover, that a collar of soft material 13d is arranged around the piston 13 and in the region of the seat 13b, said collar, when coming into contact with the balls 11c during disengagement, preventing entry of condensate or the like inside the engaging device.

Claims: Machine for filling containers (2), comprising a base (1a) and interchangeable elements for guiding (3) and moving (4) the said containers (2), which interchangeable elements (3, 4) are supported by columns (11) joined to said base (1a), characterized in that it comprises automatic devices (10) for rapidly locking/releasing the said guiding and moving elements (3,4), which devices (10) are coaxially inserted inside said support columns (11) and act on means (7;107) fixed to the said guiding and moving elements (3,4). Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that said locking/release devices are of the pneumatic type. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that each column (11) has a coaxial duct (11a) supplying compressed air to a chamber (12) inside the column itself and coaxial with the latter. Machine according to Claim 3, characterized in that said column (11) has radial through-holes (lid) for connecting said chamber (12) to the outside. Machine according to Claim 4, characterized in that sliding members movable translationwise are housed inside said holes (11d). Machine according to Claim 5, characterized in that said sliding members are ball elements (11c). Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that a piston (13) is movable coaxially inside said chamber (12). Machine according to Claim 7, characterized in that said piston (13) has an annular edge (13a) designed to act on said sliding members (11c). Machine according to Claim 7, characterized in that said piston (13) has an annular seat arranged adjacent to said annular edge. Machine according to Claim 7, characterized in that said piston has a coaxial cavity passing through it. Machine according to Claim 10, characterized in that said cavity forms a widened coaxial chamber. Machine according to Claim 10, characterized in that a piston pin (14) is sealingly housed inside said cavity. Machine according to Claim 12, characterized in that said piston pin (14) has a female thread (14b) designed for engagement with a corresponding thread on a shank (15b) of a disk-shaped piece (15) for closing the chamber (12). Machine according to Claim 12, characterized in that said chamber (12) has, arranged inside it, resilient means (16) coaxially arranged around said piston pin (14) and designed to act between a surface (13c) of the chamber itself and the disk-shaped piece (15) closing the latter. Machine according to Claim 5, characterized in that said means fixed to the guiding elements (3) or moving elements (4) consist of a threaded element joined to a cup (7;107) on the internal surface of which an annular seat (7b) designed to co-operate with said sliding members (11c) is formed. Machine according to Claim 15, characterized in that said annular seat (7b) has diverging sides inclined towards the axis of the cup. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that said column (11) is mounted on bearings (121) inserted inside a tube (120) joined to the base of the machine in order to allow rotation of the elements for moving the containers.

Inventors: RONCHI MARIO, RONCHI, MARIO
Applicants: RONCHI MARIO S P A, RONCHI MARIO S.P A.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B67C7
IPC codes: B67C3, B67C7, B65G47