Abstract:
An apparatus for orienting random oriented lightweight articles. The apparatus includes a wheel which rotates on an axis which is substantially horizontal. A plurality of alignment troughs is mounted on the interior of the wheel. Each of the alignment troughs has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the wheels horizontal axis. Each trough has a plurality of openings to allow air to pass through the trough and out of the wheel to hold lightweight articles in the troughs against the force of gravity. Each of the articles has a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the troughs longitudinal axis. Rotation of the wheel selectively positions the troughs with a source of air under pressure to move the articles to the end of the respective trough. Each article at the end of its respective trough moves into an external receiver where the article is transferred to a vertical attitude having the bottom up. The article is rotated to a bottom down attitude. A retriever positioned adjacent to the wheel retrieves each article in a vertical bottom down attitude and delivers each article to a conveyor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to that group of machines commonly known as unscramblers. An unscrambler orients lightweight articles from a randomly oriented attitude to a uniform vertical upright attitude for use in additional processes, such as filling. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Lightweight plastic articles are used as bottles or containers for a variety of purposes such as holding water or soft drinks and a wide variety of additional products. There has been an expansion in the use of plastic bottles and that expanded utilization of the plastic bottles has required the development of faster machines which are capable of handling large numbers of those lightweight bottles. The inventor of the present invention is the patentee of U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,987, entitled “Article Orientating Apparatus” issued Oct. 10, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,368, entitled, “Article Orientating Apparatus” issued Mar. 21, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,872, entitled, “Apparatus for Orientating and Feeding Articles” issued May 16, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,386, entitled, “Apparatus for Orientating and Feeding Articles” issued Apr. 6, 1976; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,695, entitled “Article Orientating Apparatus” issued May 2, 1989. 
   The bottles have progressively become lighter and the volume of the number of bottles produced has increased so that the speed of unscrambling machines has necessarily increased to handle the increase in numbers of bottles. It is necessary to have positive positioning of the lightweight bottles, all at a high rate of speed. The present invention utilizes gravitational forces to stabilize the lightweight bottles thereby allowing high speed orientation of the bottles. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an improved orientating apparatus to align lightweight articles such as plastic bottles so that the plastic bottles are delivered in a stable upright attitude with the bottle supported on its bottom. The apparatus includes a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal drum axis. A plurality of alignment troughs is mounted on the interior of the drum. Each alignment trough has a trough axis parallel to the drum axis. Each alignment trough is adapted for receiving and carrying at least one bottle in a respective trough with the longitudinal axis of the bottle aligned with the trough axis. An air reduction assembly positioned at a selected location adjacent to a portion of the drum exhausts air from the interior of the drum through the troughs to hold temporarily bottles in their respective troughs. A chute is positioned adjacent to one end of each trough for receiving a bottle from the respective trough. The chute orients the bottle to a neck down attitude. A stall rotatable with the drum in a stall path is positioned adjacent to each chute for receiving from the respective chute a bottle in a neck down attitude. Each stall is rotated to place the bottle in a neck up attitude. A retriever is positioned adjacent to the stall path for receiving vertically aligned upright bottles from the stalls and delivering the bottles to a conveyor to be carried away from the drum. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an unscrambler embodying the present invention showing lightweight plastic bottles being loaded into the unscrambler; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the unscrambler of  FIG. 1 , showing the discharge side of the unscrambler and a conveyor carrying away aligned bottles; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the unscrambler of  FIG. 1  showing the loading side of the unscrambler; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the unscrambler of  FIG. 1  taken on line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  showing bottles being loaded into the unscrambler and aligned bottles being retrieved from the unscrambler; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken on line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  showing shelves engaging bottles in the unscrambler at various stages of positioning of the bottles; 
       FIG. 6  is taken on line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4  showing bottles in initial alignment and a trough shelf for holding the bottles in position; and the trough shelf being shown in dotted form in a displaced attitude in the event that a bottle should be retained out of alignment and thereby displace the shelf; 
       FIG. 7  is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing bottles held in troughs; 
       FIG. 8  is taken on Line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 3  being a cross sectional view showing bottles moving along an alignment trough into a receiver and into a chute at the end of the trough; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view like  FIG. 8 , but with a bottle aligned in a chute in the opposite direction to that shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view showing a bottle discharged from a chute bottom side up when the bottle entered the chute neck first; 
       FIG. 11  is similar to  FIG. 10 , but showing a bottle discharged from a chute bottom side up when the bottle entered the chute bottom first; 
       FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view showing a bottle being removed from the unscrambler in a vertical attitude and bottles in a trough receiver and chute; 
       FIG. 13  is a plan view of a starwheel removing aligned bottles; 
       FIG. 14  is an enlarged fragmentary view showing movement of a bottle from a chute to a vertical attitude wherein the bottle entered the chute neck first; 
       FIG. 15  is similar to  FIG. 14 , but showing the operation of a bottle having entered the chute bottom first; 
       FIG. 16  is a chart showing arcs of movement of bottles in the drum; and 
       FIG. 17  is a chart showing arcs of movement of the bottles from the time of leaving the chute to retrieval of the bottles by the starwheel. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings, and especially to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus for orienting lightweight articles, such as, plastic bottles, sometimes referred to as an unscrambler, is shown therein generally indicated by numeral  18 . Unscrambler  18  is a specific embodiment of the present invention and in this instance is used to orient and align conventional lightweight plastic bottles or containers generally identified by numeral  19 . The bottles are typically used for holding water or soft drinks. Each of the bottles has a conventional construction including a rounded body  20  and a longitudinal axis along the length of the body with a bottom  21  on one end of the axis and an open neck  22  at the opposite end of the axis. Unscrambler  18  generally includes a frame  23  which has a horizontal drum axle  24  rotatably mounted in the frame. A drum or wheel  26  is secured to the axle so that the drum rotates in a continuous 360° circular drum path about a horizontal drum axis of rotation. As viewed in  FIG. 2 , the uppermost portion or top of the circular drum path is identified by numeral  27 , and the lowermost portion or bottom is identified by numeral  28 . For purposes of identification of positions along the drum path, the top is identified as 0° (or 360°) with increasing numbers in the direction of rotation of the wheel so that the bottom is at 180°. The numbers identifying positions of the drive continue from the bottom to complete the 360° at the top. A conventional drive assembly  29  drives the axle from a conventional power source which is not shown herein. 
   The drum has an interior loading portion  30  and an exterior discharge portion  32 . The interior loading portion includes a continuous outer peripheral wall  34  with a plurality of slats  35  mounted on the interior of the peripheral wall to form identical alignment troughs  36 . The alignment troughs rotate in a trough path with the drum about the horizontal drum axis of rotation. Each of the troughs  36  has a longitudinal trough axis parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation. Each trough has a width which is slightly greater than the width of each of the bottles. The length of each of the troughs is sufficient to receive more than one bottle in the trough. Peripheral wall  34  of the drum has a plurality of apertures  38  contained therein communicating with the troughs so that all troughs have apertures. 
   Bottles  19  to be aligned by the unscrambler are carried on a chute  40  and fall into the drum in a random fashion such as that shown in  FIG. 4 . The drum is continuously rotated and the bottles tumble within the drum and are retained within the drum by a sidewall  42 . Some of the bottles fall into respective troughs with the article axis of the bottle aligned with the trough axis. As the drum rotates, the troughs move in a circular trough path so that a trough in the bottom position of the drum, that is, 180° is moved upward toward the uppermost portion 360°. Any bottles which are not secure in a trough moving toward uppermost portion  27  tumble back down toward the lowermost portion of the drum to seek positioning in a succeeding trough. When a trough is positioned 15° past the horizontal, that is, at 285°, the trough is positioned in an area covered by a plenum or hood  43 . A conventional source for evacuating air is connected to the hood. The source evacuates air from the troughs through apertures  38  in the peripheral wall of the drum. The flow of air from the interior of the drum into the troughs and out of the troughs through the apertures holds bottles in respective troughs under the hood. The hood extends 30° past the top so that the bottles are held in place in respective troughs through an arc of 105°, which arc is identified as arc B in  FIG. 16 . 
   Looking now to  FIG. 6 , a pivotal trough shelf  44  has a curved retaining surface  45  conforming to the trough path. The retaining surface is positioned adjacent to the innermost surface of the slats forming the troughs to retain the bottles in the troughs moving past shelf  44 . Retaining surface  45  extends from a position 25° from the top to a position 105° from the top, and is identified as arc C in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . There is an overlap of 5° wherein air pulled into the hood retains bottles in the troughs and shelf  44  also prevents the bottles from leaving respective troughs thereby reducing the likelihood of a mishap. Shelf  44  is mounted on a shelf shaft  46  which allows shelf  44  to pivot in the event that a bottle is retained inward toward the interior of the drum outside of a trough as it approaches the shelf. The offending bottle displaces the shelf by pivoting the shelf on the shaft as shown in dotted form in  FIG. 6  to prevent damage to the unscrambler or a jamming the bottle between the shelf and the slats. Shelf  44  by means of a conventional detent not shown is returned to its intended operative position once the offending bottle in engagement with the shelf is released. The bottles contained in the troughs are retained in the troughs by shelf  44  until the troughs move to a position 15° below the horizontal, that is, 105° from the top. The bottles retained in the troughs by shelf  44  are free to move axially along the length of the respective trough. 
   Each of the troughs has an air propulsion aperture  48  aligned with the length of the trough on the loading side of sidewall  42 . A pair of pressure manifolds  50  is positioned adjacent to the loading side of the sidewall to cover temporarily each aperture  48  as the drum rotates as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Air under pressure from a conventional blower  52  is forced through the propulsion apertures into respective troughs. The air under pressure pushes a bottle in a trough axially along the length of the trough into holding receiver  54  fixed to the end of each trough. The bottle is moved from the holding receiver to an inversion chute  56  fixed to and aligned with each holding receiver. The chutes rotate in a chute path with the rotation of the drum. 
   The drum includes a discharge wall  57  defining a portion of the holding receiver. A plurality of exit apertures  58  is formed in the discharge wall with an exit aperture aligned with each holding receiver. A plurality of radial sidewalls  60  is mounted on the discharge wall. As may be seen in  FIG. 5 , the radial sidewalls are radially set about the axle of the drum and each sidewall is positioned between the adjacent exit apertures. Each radial sidewall  60  consists of a generally trapezoidal hopper wall  62  and a generally rectangular stall wall  64  as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . A radial stall shelf  66  and a radial unloading shelf  68  are mounted on frame  23 . A compartment wall  70  is secured to the stall shelf and the unloading shelf. The compartment wall includes an inclined outer hopper portion  72  and an integral stall portion  74 . 
   Bottles contained in the respective chutes are kept in the outermost side of the chute due to gravity as the bottles move from 105° toward the lowermost portion of the drum path and then upward toward the 255° position in a path identified as arc D in  FIG. 17 . A fixed chute shelf  76  extends from 15° below the horizontal, that is 255°, to 30° from the top, that is, 330°, identified as arc E in  FIG. 17 . Thus, the bottles are contained in their respective chutes until a position 30° before the top or 330°. The compartment wall covers the radial sidewalls from 330° to 180°. When a bottle in a respective chute reaches the end of chute shelf  76 , the bottle drops through an alignment aperture  78  in chute floor  80  into a hopper  82  defined by trapezoidal hopper walls of a pair of adjacent radial sidewalls  60 , the discharge wall  57  and the inclined outer hopper portion of the compartment wall. An air nozzle  84  is positioned above the chute path to provide an air stream and thereby assist the bottle&#39;s passage through the alignment aperture. It is immaterial as to whether the bottle enters the chute neck first or bottom first. Aperture  78  has a body opening  86  with neck openings  88  and  90  at opposite ends of opening  86 . As may be seen in  FIGS. 10 and 14 , if the bottle enters the chute neck first, the neck falls down through opening  88  so that the bottle falls neck first. However, if the bottle enters the chute bottom first, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 15 , the neck of the bottle falls down through opening  90  so that the neck is down first. In either case, the bottle falls neck first from the hopper to a radial stall  92  communicating with the hopper. Each radial stall is formed by adjacent rectangular stall walls of adjacent radial sidewalls, the discharge wall, and the stall portion of the compartment wall. The stall with its radial sidewalls is perpendicular to the horizontal drum axis of rotation. The bottle slides down the stall into engagement with stall shelf  66 . The movement of the bottle from the chute to the stall shelf occurs in 60° of rotation of the drum and is identified as arc F in  FIG. 17 . The stall shelf extends from 30° to the top, that is, 330° to 15° past the horizontal, that is, 105° identified as arc G in  FIG. 17 . Unloading shelf  68  extends from a position 15° above the horizontal, that is, 75° to 15° past the bottom, that is, 195°. The unloading shelf overlaps the stall shelf by 30°, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 17 . The arc of the unloading shelf is identified as arc H in  FIG. 17 . 
   As may be best seen in  FIG. 5 , a given bottle leaves its chute  56  and enters its radial stall  92  through the hopper  82  and rests on stall shelf  66  in an inverted attitude, that is, neck down. The rotation of the drum carries the bottle to a juncture of the stall shelf and the unloading shelf. Once the bottle passes the 90° point of the drum, gravity and the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the bottle with the drum causes the bottom of the bottle to have a firm engagement with unloading shelf  68 . The bottle reaches the lowermost portion or 180° in a vertical neck up attitude in a steady state. 
   A conventional starwheel  94  is mounted adjacent to the exterior portion of the drum at the bottom of the drum path rotation where the compartment wall ends to allow bottles to be extracted from the stalls. The bottles contained in the stalls in a stable upright attitude are engaged by starwheel  94  and carried to a conventional discharge conveyor  96  to be delivered in a continuous upright line of bottles. 
   The present unscrambler allows the bottles to move from a random arrangement to an attitude where the bottles are aligned in troughs  36  with the longitudinal axis of the bottles aligned with the horizontal axis of rotation of drum. The bottles are moved longitudinally in the trough to a respective inversion chute  56 . The bottles are allowed to reach a state of equilibrium after the longitudinal movement in the respective trough. The longitudinal axis of the bottle in the chute is parallel to the horizontal axis of rotation of the drum. Discharge of the bottle from the chute changes the attitude of the bottle to one in which its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum. Each of the bottles is held in the changed attitude to allow each of the bottles to achieve a steady state. The force of gravity plus the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drum tends to keep the bottle in an attitude perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum and thereby effects a steady upright position for each bottle to be delivered to star wheel  94  and then to discharge conveyor  96  to be carried away in an inline upright attitude. 
   Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is readily apparent that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes in the instant invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is to be expressly understood that the scope of the instant invention is limited only by the appended claims.