Patent Abstract:
A perforation device to perforate closed receptacles containing coloring products is provided, and includes a support plane which is configured to support a receptacle to be perforated. The support plane is movable in a substantially vertical direction. The perforation device also includes a perforation member positioned at a determinate height, higher than the support plane, and an actuator to selectively move the support plane toward the perforation member to cause the perforation of the receptacle to be perforated. The actuator includes a lifting mechanism connected to the support plane and drivable by a pedal that cannot be driven by an operator without the operator also driving a safety mechanism at the same time using both hands.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns a mechanical perforation device, able to be selectively actuated by means of a pedal, so as to perforate, one at a time, closed receptacles, such as for example metal containers, of any shape and size, containing coloring products, such as coloring liquids or powders, bases for paints, varnishes, enamels, inks or similar products. The device according to the present invention is applied particularly in dispensing machines, or dispensers, of coloring products, able to introduce a dosed quantity of coloring pigments into a receptacle containing a paint base, to obtain the desired coloring product. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Machines are known for dispensing coloring products, such as for example pigments, into a receptacle that contains a fluid paint base, to obtain in this way a coloring product with a desired shade. One of such machines is described in the Italian patent of industrial invention n. 1.279.712, granted to the present Applicant on 16 Dec. 1997. In the machine described therein the receptacle is disposed on a support plane, able to be lifted vertically by means of an electric motor controlled by a computerized control unit. The support plane on which the receptacle to be perforated and containing the paint base is positioned is lifted toward a shaped punch disposed at a determinate height, until the latter perforates the upper wall of the receptacle. The support plane is then taken to a delivery position, lower than the perforation position, and kept in the position reached until the step of delivering the colored pigments is complete, through one or more delivery nozzles. 
     In the known machine described above, the perforation device of the receptacle is therefore commanded electrically, with all the disadvantages deriving therefrom, including the production and functioning costs, in addition to the fact that it is impossible to use when there is no electric energy. 
     Document GB-A-2.048.825 describes a perforation device for containers that shows the characteristics of the preamble of the main claim. 
     Purpose of the present invention is to obtain a device to perforate closed receptacles, for example metal, and containing coloring products, which is simple, economical to construct and reliable, and which has no running costs. 
     The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea. 
     In accordance with the above purpose, a perforation device according to the present invention, for perforating closed receptacles containing coloring products, comprises a support plane movable in a substantially vertical direction and on which a receptacle to be perforated is suitable to be disposed, a perforation member disposed at a determinate height, higher than the support plane, and actuation means to selectively move the latter toward the perforation member to cause the perforation of the receptacle to be perforated. The perforation member may comprise, for example, any punch provided with shaped blades. 
     According to a main characteristic of the present invention, the actuation means comprise a lifting mechanism connected to the support plane and drivable by means of a pedal. 
     According to a secondary characteristic of the present invention, the lifting mechanism comprises a cable having a first end attached to the pedal and a second end attached to a plate able to slide vertically, on which the support plane is mounted, so that the actuation of the pedal by an operator lifts both the plate and the support plane toward the perforation member. 
     According to another secondary characteristic of the present invention, the plate is able to slide with respect to a vertical frame, on which a fixed pulley is mounted rotatable, on which the cable is disposed. 
     According to another secondary characteristic of the present invention, the frame comprises two uprights disposed on opposite sides with respect to the plate and on which the support plane is able to slide vertically. 
     Advantageously, the support plane can also be positioned at different heights with respect to the plate, using vertical positioning means, in order to be selectively positioned at a determinate distance from the perforation member, depending on the height of the receptacle to be perforated. 
     According to another secondary characteristic of the present invention, a safety mechanism is provided to be manually driven, so that the pedal cannot be driven by the operator without the latter also driving the safety mechanism at the same time and with both hands. 
     Advantageously, the safety mechanism comprises two hooks normally held attached to the plate by elastic means to hold the plate normally clamped in a lowered position. Furthermore, each of the hooks is mechanically connected to a release element which can be actuated manually, for example by means of a cable. 
     In this way, with the device according to the present invention, an operator can first position the support plane at a desired height, that is, a desired distance from the perforation member, depending on the height of the receptacle to be perforated, making the support plane slide with respect to the actuation means, and then, after actuating the safety mechanism, drive the pedal and perform the perforation proper; all this in total safety, with no cost whatsoever and without needing to have available any source of energy other than the physical energy supplied by the operator himself. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front and schematized view of a perforation device according to the present invention, installed on a machine for dispensing coloring products and in the inactive position; 
         FIG. 2  is a lateral and schematized view of the perforation device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a lateral and schematized view of the perforation device in  FIG. 1  in a first operating position; 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral and schematized view of the perforation device in  FIG. 1  in a second operating position; 
         FIG. 5  is a lateral view of a first enlarged detail of the perforation device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a back and partial view of the perforation device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a second enlarged detail of the perforation device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a lateral view of a third enlarged detail, partly sectioned, of the perforation device in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a perforation device  10  according to the present invention is shown mounted on a machine  11  for preparing and dispensing coloring products, contained in closed containers  12 , for example metal, one of which is shown, by way of example, in  FIG. 3 . The machine  11  can be of any known type, for example like the one described in the Italian patent of industrial invention n. 1.279.712, cited above, or any that might be developed in the future. 
     The perforation device  10  comprises a frame  15  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), which is attached to a support structure  16  of the machine  11 . A perforation member  18  is mounted on the frame  15  at a determinate height from the base. The perforation member  18  is also of the known type, for example with blades, shaped so as to perforate the upper part or lid of the receptacle  12 , making a hole on it with a diameter suitable to allow the delivery of coloring products inside the receptacle  12 . An example of how the perforation member  18  can be made is described in the Italian patent of industrial invention n. 1.279.712, cited above. 
     A plate  20 , for example metal, is mounted able to slide vertically with respect to the frame  15  and is mobile between a lower or inactive position, shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , and an upper or punching position shown in  FIG. 4 . A support plane  21  is mounted cantilevered on the plate  20 , on the upper surface of which support plane  21  a receptacle  12  is able to be positioned. 
     The support plane  21  is mounted sliding vertically on two uprights  22  of the frame  15 , distanced and lateral with respect to the plate  20 , and can also be adjusted in height with respect to the latter, depending on the height of the receptacle  12  to be perforated. In fact, the support plane  21  is provided with a clamping peg  25  ( FIG. 5 ) which is normally held by a helical spring  26  inside one of the holes of a first plurality of holes  27  in the plate  20  and aligned vertically ( FIG. 1 ) substantially at the center thereof. The interaxis between two adjacent holes  27  is for example about 15 mm. 
     A knob  28  ( FIGS. 1 to 5 ) is attached at the end of the clamping peg  25  opposite the end inserted in one of the holes  27  and is drivable manually to temporarily release the clamping peg  25 , making it slide axially against the action of the helical spring  26 . The support plane  21  can be raised or lowered manually and thus positioned at the desired height with respect to the plate  20 , so that when the receptacle  12  to be perforated is positioned on the support plane  21 , the upper part of the receptacle  12  is at a distance of about 10 mm to about 20 mm from the lower end of the perforation member  18 . 
     The plate  20  and the support plane  21  associated therewith can be raised selectively toward the perforation member  18  by means of a lifting mechanism  29 , which comprises a pedal  30  attached to an external end  31  of a lever  32  formed by two arms  33 , parallel to each other, the lever  32  being pivoted with an internal end  34  to a pin  35  of the frame  15 . 
     The two arms  33  of the lever  32  are inserted with play in two vertical slits  37  made in the lower part of the plate  20 . 
     One end of a cable  36 , for example metal, is attached to the two arms  33  of the lever  32  in an intermediate point between the ends  31  and  34 , behind the plate  20 , by means of a fork  38  ( FIG. 6 ). The opposite end of the cable  36  is attached in the upper part of the plate  20 . The cable  36  passes on a fixed pulley  39  rotatably supported by the frame  15 . 
     In the inactive condition, the lever  32  is substantially horizontal ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ), held in said position at least by the weight of the plate  20  itself, or by a return spring not shown in the drawings, and of the support plane  21 . Furthermore, in this position, the arms  33  of the lever  32  are disposed in the upper part of the slits  37  of the plate  20 . 
     The perforation device  10  also comprises a safety mechanism  40 , which in turn comprises two hooks  42  ( FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 8 ), pivoted in the lower part of the frame  15  and held constantly thrust by helical springs  43  inside corresponding holes  45  made in the lower part of the plate  20 , between the slits  37 . The holes  45  are disposed on two vertical rows, adjacent and distanced from each other by about 8 mm, and have a vertical interaxis of about 12 mm. 
     The two hooks  42  normally hold the plate  20  and the associated support plane  21  clamped in an inactive position; they must be released simultaneously to allow to drive the pedal  30  and to lift the support plane  21  toward the perforation member  18 . To this purpose the safety mechanism  40  also comprises two actuation elements  46 , able to be actuated manually and independently, to make the two hooks  42  rotate in an anti-clockwise direction ( FIG. 8 ) and take them out of the corresponding holes  45  of the plate  20 , against the action of the helical springs  43 . In particular, each actuation element  46  comprises a button  47  disposed above the perforation member  18  and on opposite sides with respect to a vertical axis passing through the perforation member  18  and connected to the corresponding hook  42  by a connecting tie rod  49 . 
     To ensure the holes  45  correspond to the hooks  42 , the lower part of the plate  20  is provided with two vertical eyelets  50  ( FIG. 7 ) into which two corresponding fixed pegs  51  of the frame  15  are inserted. 
     The position of the two actuation elements  46  obliges the operator, for his safety and security, to drive the two buttons  47  with both hands, before lowering the pedal  30  with his foot and perform the operation to perforate the receptacle  12 . 
     The perforation device  10  as described heretofore functions as follows. 
     First of all the operator has to vertically position the support plane  21  at the right height—which for example could be indicated by a luminous indicator—with respect to the plate  20 , driving the knob  28  manually, depending on the height of the receptacle  12  to be perforated, so that, at rest, there are from about 10 mm to about 20 mm between the upper surface of the receptacle  12  and the lower end of the perforation member  18 , as described above. 
     After having positioned the receptacle  12  on the support plane  21 , the operator drives the two buttons  47  with both hands and presses with the foot the pedal  30 , thus making the lever  32  rotate in a clockwise direction ( FIG. 4 ) by an angle α of about 18°-20°. Consequently the cable  36  pulls the plate  20 , the support plane  21  and the receptacle  12  upward, making them perform a travel C of about 60-80 mm, and the perforation member  18  perforates the receptacle  12  properly. 
     When the pedal  30  is released, the perforation device  10  automatically returns to the inactive position. 
     It should be noted that the two buttons  47  of the safety mechanism  40  must both be kept actuated until the perforation operation is completed, because if only one of the two were to be released, the corresponding helical spring  43  would return the associated hook  42  inside a hole  45 , thus clamping the plate  20 . 
     It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the perforation device  10  as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention. 
     It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of perforation device for perforating closed receptacles containing coloring products, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1