A device for orienting corks

Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for orienting corks or bottle stoppers (3) having a tapered end portion (3'), comprising: a feeding duct (2) through which the bottle stoppers (3) arrive with random orientations; a horizontal support base (6), located at the outlet of said feeding duct (2); two transfer ducts (7a, 7b; 47b) into which the bottle stoppers are introduced in ordered manner; a seat (15) in said support base (6), capable of making the bottle stopper (3) leaving said feeding duct (2) take an upper level (6a) or a second, lower level (6b) corresponding to the up or down orientation, respectively, of the tapered end portion (3'); a translating device (9) arranged between said base (6) and said feeding duct (2) to transfer said bottle stoppers from said seat (15) to either of said transfer ducts (7a, 7b, 47b).

Description: The present invention concerns a device for orienting corks. More particularly, the invention concerns a mechanism for orienting corks or bottle stoppers made of cork or other material and having ends with different shapes. The bottle stoppers used for wine bottles generally have a tapered end, intended to make easier centring a metal cap applied for the bottle caging. Since a certain time use is becoming widespread of bottle stoppers made of a mass of conglomerated cork which is tapered at one end and is provided at the opposite end with one or more disks of natural cork; the latter end is the one intended to come into contact with the liquid contained in the bottle. For mass production, said bottle stoppers are delivered to automated bottling plants comprising a set of apparatuses that execute the different phases of the bottling cycle. In the automated bottling plants according to the prior art the bottle stoppers are delivered to the loading area of a feeding machine, generally consisting of a hopper, and are taken therefrom, by means of automated systems, in order to be transferred to a bottle-stopping machine. Since the bottle stoppers are introduced into the hopper of the feeding machine in random manner, it is necessary to effect their orientation in order they be sent to the bottle-stopping machine with the proper orientation. A prior art apparatus for orienting bottle stoppers made of cork is disclosed in the Patent for Industrial Invention IT 1.159.690 in the name of the Applicant. According to the teaching of patent IT 1.159.690 an apparatus for orienting bottle stoppers of conglomerated cork provided at one end with at least one disc of natural cork exploits the different specific weight of conglomerated cork with respect to natural cork. The bottle stopper is placed onto a blade transversal to the axis of the bottle stopper and located substantially under the geometrical centre of the bottle stopper; thereafter the bottle stopper is let to fall down with the heaviest portion down and is sent through a suitable duct to the bottle-stopping machine. The apparatus of the invention disclosed in the Italian Patent mentioned above is however relatively too slow to handle the great quantities of bottle stoppers required by the present bottle-stopping machines. The same drawbacks can also be noticed in another example of a device in accordance with the preamble of appended claim 1, for orienting corks disclosed in EP 0 395 549 and comprising a feeding duct through which the corks arrive with random orientations, a stopper located at the outlet of the feeding duct and a first and a second intermediate transfer duct into which the corks are introduced in ordered manner once the corks not well oriented are overturned. Therefore, a first problem the present invention intends to solve is to carry out the orientation of great quantities of bottle stoppers. Another drawback of the apparatus of the Italian Patent mentioned above lies in that its operation requires that a certain difference exists in the specific weights of the materials forming the two end portions of the bottle stopper, thereby limiting the range of selection of the materials to be used in manufacturing the bottle stopper. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to allow using bottle stoppers made of any material. The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved through a device for orienting corks as defined in the appended claims. The present invention will be described in more details with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1a is a schematic front view, partly in cross section, of the mechanism according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the bottle stopper correctly oriented; Fig. 1b is a schematic front view, partly in cross-section, of the mechanism according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the bottle stopper not correctly oriented; Fig. 2 is a schematic front view, partly in cross-section, of the mechanism according to a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a top view of a detail of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a schematic front view, partly in cross-section, of the mechanism according to a third embodiment of the invention. With reference to Figs. 1a and 1b the bottle stopper orienting mechanism according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a feeding duct 2 through which bottle stoppers 3 fall one after the other with random orientations. Bottle stoppers 3 used for sparkling wines generally have a cylindrical shape with a tapered end portion 3' of which the purpose is to make easier centring a metal cap externally applied for caging the bottle. In the bottle-stopping phase, the bottle stopper is therefore to be oriented with its tapered end portion 3' directed towards the outside of the bottle. According to the invention, a translating device 9 is located under feeding duct 2, said device comprising a cylindrical sleeve 4 provided with a hole 5 into which the bottle stoppers individually fall when leaving feeding duct 2 by gravity. Said translating device 9 can be operated by known means, e.g. lever means connected to the stem of a pneumatic cylinder. The bottle stoppers are individually moved by said translating device 9 to one side or to the other of feeding duct 2 towards respective transfer ducts, depending on their orientations, as it will be better explained hereinbelow. A base 6 is provided under sleeve 4 to keep the bottle stoppers inside sleeve 4 during the translational movement of translating device 9 in the directions shown by arrows F' and F" in Figs. 1a and 1b, respectively. A stopping device (not shown), comprising for instance a pair of jaws which can be mechanically opened and closed, is arranged to stop the falling down of the bottle stoppers from feeding duct 2 during the translational movement of translating device 9. The outlet of feeding duct 2 has an irregular shape so as to provide a half-circular abutment 2'. In correspondence therewith, a seat 15 is provided in base 6 defining two support planes at two different levels, an upper plane 6a and a lower plane 6b, connected through a flared half-circular border 6' that is provided in a diametrically opposite position with respect to abutment 2' of feeding duct 2. The aim of that shaping of base 6 is immediately apparent from Figs. 1a and 1b: in effect, when bottle stopper 3 is correctly oriented, that is with tapered end portion 3' up, it is housed within hole 5 (Fig. 1a) and rests on upper plane 6a in correspondence with border 6'. When bottle stopper 3 is so positioned, its tapered end portion 3' will be in contact with abutment 2' and therefore the bottle stopper can be transferred only through a displacement of translating device 9 along a first direction shown by arrow F', the displacement in the opposite direction being prevented by abutment 2'. When bottle stopper 3 arrives at sleeve 4 with an incorrect orientation, i. e. with tapered end portion 3' down, tapered end portion 3' of bottle stopper 3 enters seat 15 thanks to the flaring of border 6' and the bottle stopper rests onto lower plane 6b. When bottle stopper 3 is so positioned, it is no longer bound at its upper end by abutment 2', whereas it is retained at its lower end by border 6' defining seat 15; thus the bottle stopper can be transferred only along a second direction shown by arrow F" in Fig. 1b. According to this embodiment, translating device 9 will divide the bottle stoppers into two groups depending on their orientations. Translating device 9 is continuously operated, for instance by a pneumatic cylinder driven so as to carry out alternately a stroke in one direction and a stroke in the opposite direction. As a consequence, in the absence of bottle stoppers within hole 5, translating device 9 alternately displaces in the directions shown by arrows F', F", respectively. When on the contrary a bottle stopper is in engagement either at its upper end with abutment 2 or at its lower end with border 6', depending on its orientation, the displacement of the translating device 9 in the corresponding direction is prevented. It is to be appreciated that the engagement between bottle stopper 3 and abutment 2 or border 6', respectively, is sufficient to prevent the displacement of translating device 9 thanks to the resistance opposed to the thrust of the pneumatic cylinder, suitably calibrated. According to this embodiment, translating device 9 will lose a working cycle whenever a bottle stopper in hole 5 of sleeve 4 is oriented in a direction which does not corresponds with the direction of advance of translating device 9. To obtain a faster operation, in a second embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2, a position detector 10 is provided in correspondence with seat 15 in order to detect the presence of the tapered end portion 3' of bottle stopper 3 when that end portion penetrates into seat 15 defined on base 6 by border 6'. The position detector can be either of mechanical type, for instance a tracer point capable of detecting the greater or smaller lowering of bottle stopper 3 with respect to bas 6, or of optical type capable of emitting a light signal and of detecting the possible reflected signal. The position detector, being capable of detecting the presence of tapered end portion 3' within seat 15, can advantageously control the translational movement of said translating device 9 so as to avoid losing working cycles and thereby achieving a saving in the time required for the correct orientation of the bottle stoppers, if compared to the first embodiment. Detector 10 of optical or mechanical type is located under base 6 which, in order to allow detecting the bottle stopper position, has a hole 8, preferably coaxial with feeding duct 2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, according to this second embodiment of the invention, translating device 9 consists of a slide 11 sliding on guides 12: Said slide 11 is provided with a hole 45 arranged to allow the passage of the bottle stoppers coming from feeding duct 2 and directed to a transfer duct belonging to a pair of transfer ducts 7a or 7b fastened below a support plate 13, laterally of feeding duct 2. Between slide 11 and support plate 13 there is provided base 6 wherein lowered seat 15 is defined by a half circular border 6', similarly to what has been described with reference to the first embodiment of the invention. Base 6 and support plate 13 are provided with holes 16, 17 and 16', 17' respectively, for the passage of bottle stoppers directed to ducts 7a and 7b. It is to be appreciated that in this second embodiment of the invention, abutment 2' of feeding duct 2 acts as a safety stop to avoid errors in the orientation of bottle stoppers inside transfer ducts 7a and 7b in case of wrong operation of optical detector 10. As it can be better seen in Fig. 3, slide 11, of substantially rectangular cross-section, has two parallel and plane walls 11a whereas two pairs of planes inclined towards centre 11b are formed on the opposite walls. A pair of small pivoting arms 21, resiliently interconnected through a return spring 20, are provided, and said arms are equipped at their end with respective rollers 22 sliding on said inclined planes 11b in order to guarantee that hole 45 is centred with respect to feeding duct 2, so as to allow a bottle stopper freely to fall by gravity into hole 45. A pair of pneumatic cylinders 30, controlled by position detector 10, are arranged to exert a thrust on slide 11 either towards duct 7a (7b) or in the opposite direction depending on the orientation detected by said detector 10 for bottle stopper 3. Pneumatic cylinders 30 are fastened to L-shaped brackets 32 secured on said support plate 13. Also guides 12 are secured to said brackets through threaded bushings 33. Two stopping elements 34 of semirigid material, secured to said L-shaped brackets 32, are provided to stop slide 11 in the correct position in which hole 45 is coaxial with ducts 7a or 7b. Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the invention, in which one of the two transfer ducts 7a (7b) is coaxially arranged with respect to feeding duct 2, so as to limit the number of strokes of slide 11 and the corresponding transfer times of the bottle stoppers towards said transfer ducts 7a, 7b. Fig. 4 shows an arrangement in which the coaxially arranged transfer duct is the one in which bottle stoppers are oriented with tapered end portion 3' down. However, it is possible to think of an arrangement in which said transfer duct coaxially arranged with respect to feeding duct 2 is the one in which bottle stoppers are oriented with the tapered end up. Slide 11 and the transfer system are substantially identical to what has already been disclosed with reference to the second embodiment of the invention, and therefore they are denoted by the reference numerals already used. A base 76 which supports the bottle stopper housed within hole 45 has a pair of holes 16 and 57 for the passage of the bottle stoppers directed to transfer ducts 7a and 47b. Hole 57 is closed by a pair of jaws 58 with an internally flared border 59, arranged to engage tapered end portion 3' of the bottle stoppers when they are incorrectly oriented. A position detector 70 indicates the presence of tapered end portion 3' of the bottle stoppers through a slit existing between jaws 58. If tapered end portion 3' is present, an opening command is transmitted by detector 70 to jaws 58 and the bottle stopper can freely fall by gravity into duct 47b. Advantageously, according to this third embodiment of the invention, the translational motion of slide 11 towards duct 7a only is carried out when bottle stoppers 3 arrive with their tapered end portion 3' up, since the oppositely oriented bottles stoppers directly pass to duct 47b arranged under feeding duct 2. According to the described embodiment, only one pneumatic cylinder, arranged on the same side as duct 47b, is required to advance slide 11 towards duct 7a by means of piston 31, whereas the return of slide 11 to the starting position is obtained through return means, for instance a spring, which operate in opposite direction to said pneumatic cylinder 30.

Claims: A device for orienting corks or bottle stoppers (3) having a tapered end portion (3'), comprising: a feeding duct (2) through which the bottle stoppers (3) arrive with random orientations; a support base (6) for the bottle stoppers, located at the outlet of said feeding duct (2); a first and a second transfer duct (7a, 7b, 47b) into which the bottle stoppers are introduced in ordered manner; characterised in that a seat (15) is provided in said support base (6), said seat being shaped so as to make a bottle stopper (3) leaving said feeding duct (2) take a first level (6a) or a second level (6b) with respect to said support base (6) corresponding to the up or down orientation, respectively, of the tapered end portion (3') of said bottle stopper (3), and in that a translating device (9) is arranged between said base (6) and said feeding duct (2) to transfer said bottle stoppers from said seat (15) to either of said transfer ducts (7a, 7b, 47b) according to the up or down orientation of said bottle stoppers (3). A device according to claim 1, wherein said base (6) is substantially horizontal A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said translating device (9) comprises a hole (5, 45) into which the bottle stoppers (3) arriving from said feeding duct (2) individually fall. A device according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein means are further provided which are arranged to engage the tapered end portion (3') of each bottle stopper (3) so as to detect the orientation of said tapered end portion (3') and to control the movement of the translating device (9) depending on the orientation of the bottle stopper. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means which are, arranged to engage the tapered end portion (3') of each bottle stopper (3), comprise a first and second stopping abutment (2', 6') allowing the translational motion of said translating device (9) only towards the transfer duct (7a, 7b, 47b) which corresponds to the respective orientation of the tapered end portion of each bottle stopper. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means arranged to engage the tapered end portion (3') of each bottle stopper (3) comprise a light signal, and wherein a detector (10; 70) is further provided in order to detect said light signal, said detector (10; 70) controlling the translational movement of said translating device (9) towards either transfer duct (7a, 7b, 47b) depending on the bottle stopper orientation. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means arranged to engage the tapered end portion (3') of each bottle stopper (3) comprise a mechanical tracer-point detector arranged to control the translational movement of said translating device (9) towards either transfer duct (7a, 7b, 47b) depending on the bottle stopper orientation. A device according to claim 5, wherein said first stopping abutment (2') is provided in correspondence with the outlet opening of said feeding duct (2). A device according to claim 5, wherein said first stopping abutment (2') is provided in correspondence with the border of said seat (15). A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said feeding duct (2) and said transfer ducts (7a, 7b, 47b) have a substantially circular cross-section. A device according to claim 10, wherein said transfer ducts (7a, 7b, 47b) are provided at opposite sides of said feeding duct (2). A device according to claim 10, wherein one of said transfer ducts (7a, 7b, 47b) is arranged coaxially with said feeding duct (2). A device according to claim 4 or 5 taken in conjunction with claim 12, wherein said seat (15) is provided with jaws (58) which can be opened upon command of said detector (10, 70) when the presence in said seat (15) of the tapered portion (3') of a bottle stopper (3) is detected. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said translating device (9) comprises a slide (11) slidable on guides (12) and provided with a hole (45) for receiving said bottle stoppers (3). A device according to claim 14, further comprising centring means for putting the hole (45) of said slide (11) in alignment with the outlet opening of said feeding duct (2). A device according to claim 15, wherein said centring means comprises two pairs of converging inclined planes (11b) which are defined on the opposite parallel walls of said slide (11) and on which rotatable rollers (22) mounted at the ends of two pivoting arms (21) slide, said rotatable rollers (22) being held against said inclined planes by resilient means (20) fastened to said arms (21) so as to cause said slide (11) to take the arrangement in which said rotatable rollers (22) are located in correspondence with the point of convergence of said inclined planes (11b). A device according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein said carriage (11) is driven by at least one pneumatic cylinder. Bottle stopper feeding apparatus for a bottle-stopping machine, comprising an orienting mechanism (1) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17.

Inventors: COLLA GIOVANNI, SARDI GIOVANNI, COLLA, GIOVANNI, SARDI, GIOVANNI
Applicants: CAMES SNC DI COLLA G & SARDI G, CAMES SNC DI COLLA G. & SARDI G.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B67B1
IPC codes: B67B1, B65D39