Patent Description:
Specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for making incisions in capsules to close containers in order to make one or more preferential weakening lines to form a tamper device that is suitable for testifying that the container was first opened.

In a cutting apparatus for cutting capsules, as known, feeding the capsules comprises a rolling movement of the capsules on the cutting device. The movement of the capsule feeding means (in particular of the capsule-holding spindle that in general has a rotation motion on itself and a rotation movement around an axis of a spindle-holding carousel) has to be controlled precisely so as to be coordinated (in other words, "in phase") with the position of the cutting device, in particular with the position of the vertical and/or oblique cuts of the cutting device, so that the respective preferential weakening lines are obtained in desired positions on the circumference of the capsules. <CIT> discloses an apparatus as in the preamble of claim <NUM>.

One of the drawbacks of the prior art consists of the fact that, in the event of a block of the cutting apparatus (for example because of an interruption to the electric energy) or in other anomalous and/or emergency situations, it is possible that the capsule feeding means will lose coordination ("phasing") with the cutting device, with the resulting risk of damage to the capsule feeding means and/or to the cutting device and/or to the capsules.

In fact, if the capsule feeding means is not angularly "in phase" with the cutting device, on one side, the blades can damage or ruin the capsules and/or the feeding means (for example the capsule-holding spindles arranged on a rotatable carousel), and, on the other side, the blades, which are particularly delicate, can be easily subject to a high risk of deterioration.

One object of the invention is to make a cutting apparatus and/or method that is able to overcome the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.

One object of the invention is to provide a cutting apparatus and/or method that are alternative to those of the prior art.

One advantage is to provide cutting apparatus and/or method with a safety system that is able to preserve the capsules and/or the components of the apparatus, in particular the cutting elements and/or transport spindles of the capsules.

One advantage is to ensure the integrity of the capsules and/or the components of the cutting apparatus, also in the event of a block of the cutting apparatus or interruption to the electrical supply or other emergency situation.

One advantage is to make available a cutting apparatus for cutting capsules that is constructionally simple and cheap.

Such objects and advantages, and still others, are achieved by a cutting apparatus and/or method according to one or more of the claims set out below.

In one embodiment, a cutting apparatus, configured to make a tamper device of a capsule for closing a container, comprises a cutting device provided with a cutting portion, configured to cut a cap that rolls on the cutting device, and with an abutment portion, configured to contact an abutment element for positioning the cutting portion, in which on the abutment portion, during cutting, a first force that maintains the abutment portion in a contact position against the abutment element and maintains the cutting portion in an operative position, and a second force, that would tend to move the abutment element away from and move the cutting portion to a safety position are exerted simultaneously, the second force being nevertheless lower than the first force so that the cutting portion remains in an operative position, and in which, in an anomalous situation, like an interruption to the energy supply, the first force is immediately reduced so that the second force can become greater than the first force and thus rapidly move the cutting portion to the safety position.

The abutment portion and the abutment element may comprise, in particular, two bodies that are susceptible of reciprocal attraction by an electromagnetic force. The abutment portion and the abutment element may comprise, in particular, two wedge bodies coupled with one another with the possibility of adjusting the reciprocal position thereof to define the operative position of the cutting portion.

The invention can be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate embodiments thereof by way of non-limiting example in which:.

In the figures mentioned above, identical elements of different embodiments are indicated by the same numbers for the sake of simplicity. <NUM> has been used to indicate overall a cutting apparatus for cutting capsules (caps made of plastics), in particular for making the tamper ring of the caps. The cutting apparatus <NUM> may be arranged, as in these embodiments, as part of a plant for producing capsules that may comprise, in particular, one or more other apparatuses for processing the capsules arranged in line with the cutting apparatus <NUM>, like for example a folding apparatus arranged downstream of the cutting apparatus <NUM> to fold the tamper ring made by the cutting apparatus <NUM>.

The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises a carousel <NUM> that is rotatable around a carousel axis, in particular a vertical rotation axis. The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises two or more transport units <NUM> carried by the carousel <NUM>. The transport units <NUM> are arranged angularly spaced apart from one another around the carousel axis. Each transport unit <NUM> is configured to transport a capsule (cap made of plastics) along a (circular) path defined by a rotation of the carousel <NUM>. Each transport unit <NUM> may comprise, in particular, a unit of known type for transport a closing capsule.

The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises a cutting device <NUM> that comprises at least one abutment portion <NUM> and at least one cutting portion <NUM>. The abutment portion <NUM> will be disclosed further on in the description. The cutting portion <NUM> may comprise, in particular, one or more blades (for example to make one or more circumferential cuts on a lateral wall of the capsules made of plastics) and/or one or more vertical and/or oblique blades (for example to make one or more vertical and/or oblique cuts on a side wall of the capsule).

The cutting device <NUM> is able to assume at least one first configuration (<FIG>) in which the abutment portion <NUM> is arranged to abut against at least one abutment element. This abutment element may comprise, as in these specific embodiments, an electromagnet <NUM>, as will be explained better further on in the description. In this first configuration of the cutting device <NUM>, the cutting portion <NUM> is in an (advanced) operative position in which it is arranged along the aforesaid path to cut a capsule, the capsule being transported by the respective transport unit <NUM> so as to roll on the cutting device <NUM>. The cutting device <NUM> is able to assume at least one second configuration (<FIG>), in which the cutting portion <NUM> is in a safety (retracted) position that is spaced apart from the aforesaid path so as not to interfere with the capsule and/or with the respective transport unit <NUM>.

The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises at least the aforesaid abutment element (made, in this embodiment, by the electromagnet <NUM>) which is so configured that when the abutment portion <NUM> is arranged to abut against the electromagnet <NUM> (that acts as an abutment element), the cutting portion <NUM> is in the operative position. In practice, the interaction in contact between the abutment portion <NUM> and the abutment element defines a desired operative position of the cutting portion <NUM>.

The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises first force means configured to exert a first force that is suitable to maintain the abutment portion <NUM> abutting on the abutment element (i.e., in this embodiment, on the electromagnet <NUM>) and the cutting portion <NUM> in the operative position. The abutment portion <NUM> may be made, in particular, of ferromagnetic material so that the aforesaid first force is a force of electromagnetic attraction.

The cutting apparatus <NUM> comprises second force means configured to exert a second force that is suitable for moving the cutting portion <NUM> from the operative position to the safety position. The direction of the second force may be, in particular, opposite the direction of the first force.

The first force means and the second force means are configured to operate with at least one first control mode or operating control mode, in which the first force (non-nil) and the second force (non-nil) are exerted simultaneously and the first force is greater than the second force, so that the force resulting from the first force and the second force is directed to the first configuration. In practice, the second force remains active and operating to exert an action in a direction that is such as to move away the abutment portion <NUM> from the abutment element (electromagnet <NUM>) and retract the cutting portion <NUM> also in normal operating conditions, but in these conditions, in which the cutting portion <NUM> has to remain in the desired operative position, the second force is exceeded by the first force, so that the cutting device <NUM> nevertheless remains in the first configuration. In practice, the second force remains active and operating, although it tends to modify the desired operative position, to be ready and triggered in an emergency situation, as will be explained better further on in the description.

The first force means and the second force means are configured to operate with at least one second control mode, or emergency mode, in which at least the first force decreases by becoming less than the second force, so that the resulting force of the first force and of the second force is directed to the second configuration, with consequent retraction of the cutting portion <NUM> to the safety position.

In the second configuration (emergency mode), it is possible that the first force becomes nil. In the second configuration (emergency mode), it is possible that not only the first force is decreased with respect to the first configuration (for example becoming nil), but that also the second force (non-nil) is decreased with respect to the first configuration, but with a decrease that is less than the decrease of the first force, such that the second force becomes, as said, greater than the first force. In the second configuration (emergency mode), it is possible that the abutment portion <NUM> moves away from the abutment element (electromagnet <NUM>).

The cutting apparatus <NUM> may comprise, in particular, control means (electronic and programmable) configured to control the first force means and the second force means according to the first mode, or operating control mode, during normal execution of a cut on a capsule.

The first force means may be, in particular, so configured that the emergency mode is triggered by an anomalous situation, in particular by an interruption to the energy (for example electric) supply to the first force means.

The first force means may comprise, in particular, electromagnetic means. The electromagnetic means may comprise, in particular, the electromagnet <NUM> that, as has been seen, acts as an abutment element for the desired positioning of the cutting portion <NUM>. The electromagnetic means may comprise, in particular, support means <NUM> on which the electromagnet <NUM> is arranged. The first force may comprise, in particular, an electromagnetic force, in particular an electromagnetic force arranged to reciprocally attract the abutment portion <NUM> and the electromagnet <NUM>. The first force means may comprise, in particular, electromagnetic means and the abutment element may comprise, in particular, at least one electromagnet <NUM> belonging to the aforesaid electromagnetic means.

The electromagnetic means (with electromagne7) may be, in particular, so configured that the emergency mode is triggered by an interruption to the electric supply to the electromagnetic means.

The second force means may comprise, in particular, pneumatic means <NUM>. The second force may comprise, in particular, a pneumatic force. The pneumatic force may be, in particular, exerted on the abutment portion <NUM> by a pneumatic actuator. The pneumatic means <NUM> may comprise, in particular, a dual-effect pneumatic actuator. The pneumatic means <NUM> may comprise, in particular, a linear actuator.

The pneumatic means <NUM> may be, in particular, so configured that energy accumulated in the pneumatic means is such that, when the emergency mode occurs (for example, in the event of an unexpected interruption to the electric energy supply), the pneumatic force is greater than the first force (for example, a magnetic force that becomes nil).

It is possible for the first force means to comprise electromagnetic means (for example, with at least one electromagne7) and the second force means to comprise pneumatic means <NUM>, in which a possible (anomalous) interruption to the electric energy supply to both the force means will produce an immediate decrease (in practice, an almost instantaneous cancellation) of the first force exerted by the electromagnetic means and, at the same time, also a decrease of the second force exerted by the pneumatic means <NUM>, in which however a part of the pneumatic energy contained in the pneumatic means <NUM> continues to exert the second force by a greater amount than the first force.

In other embodiments (see <FIG>), the first force means may comprise, in particular, pneumatic means <NUM>. The first force may comprise, in particular, a pneumatic force. The first pneumatic force may comprise, in particular, a pneumatic force exerted on an abutment portion of the cutting device <NUM> by a pneumatic actuator. This pneumatic actuator may comprise, in particular, a dual-effect pneumatic actuator. This pneumatic actuator may comprise, in particular, a linear pneumatic actuator.

The second force means may comprise, in particular, elastic means <NUM> (as in the embodiment of <FIG>). The second force may comprise, in particular, an elastic force. This elastic force may comprise, in particular, an elastic force exerted on the cutting portion by at least one spring.

It is possible to provide innumerable combinations of types of the first force and of the second force, like, in particular, electromagnetic and pneumatic force (embodiment of <FIG>), or pneumatic and elastic force (embodiment of <FIG>), or electromagnetic and elastic force, or hydraulic and elastic force, etc..

The cutting apparatus <NUM> may comprise, in particular, an adjusting device for adjusting the aforesaid operative position of the cutting portion <NUM>. The adjusting device may comprise, in particular, a wedge coupling between a first element <NUM> and a second element <NUM> that is reciprocally positionable in an adjustable manner. It is possible to provide, in particular, for the first element <NUM> to act as an abutment element (performed by the electromagnet <NUM> in the embodiment of <FIG>) and the second element <NUM> to act as an abutment portion (performed by the abutment portion <NUM> in the embodiment of <FIG>).

The first element <NUM> and the second element <NUM> can be adjustable, for example, in a vertical direction (where the direction of the movement of the cutting portion <NUM> between the advanced cutting position and the retracted safety position is horizontal) or transverse (for example perpendicular) to the direction of the movement of the cutting portion <NUM> between the advanced cutting position and the retracted safety position. The regulation of the corresponding position between the first element <NUM> and the second element <NUM> may comprise, in particular, a micrometric adjustment, for example by a micrometric adjusting screw applied to one of the two elements.

The cutting device of <FIG> differs from the cutting device of <FIG> due to a different shape and arrangement of the electromagnetic means. In fact, in the cutting device of <FIG>, the electromagnetic means comprises two electromagnets <NUM> arranged side by side, while in the cutting device of <FIG> the electromagnetic means comprises a single electromagnet <NUM>. The electromagnet <NUM> of the cutting device of <FIG> may be fixed to the support means <NUM> by means of fixing means of the screw type (as can be seen from <FIG>). More generally, it is possible to provide that the electromagnetic means (for example, also the two electromagnets <NUM> of the cutting device of <FIG>) is fixed to the support means <NUM> by means of fixing means of the screw type.

Also in the embodiment of <FIG> the cutting device <NUM> may assume at least one first configuration (shown in <FIG>, in which the cutting portion is not illustrated) in which the abutment portion <NUM> is arranged against at least one abutment element, which may form part of the electromagnetic means, whereby, in this specific embodiment, the abutment element comprises the single electromagnet <NUM>.

Also in the version of <FIG> the cutting device <NUM> may assume at least one second configuration (not shown), in which the cutting portion is in a safety position (retracted) distant from the path along which the capsule is transported in a manner that it does not interfere with the capsule and/or with the respective transport assembly.

The operation of the cutting apparatus <NUM> can actuate a method for cutting capsules. This method may comprise, in particular, the steps of transport a capsule along a path and cutting the capsule by at least one cutting portion <NUM> of a cutting device <NUM> whilst the capsule rolls on the cutting device <NUM> and the cutting portion <NUM> is arranged in an operative position.

This method may comprise, in particular, the step of exerting, during the aforesaid cutting step, a first force directed to maintain at least one abutment portion of the cutting device <NUM> abutting on at least one abutment element. The abutment portion may comprise, in particular, the abutment portion <NUM> (as in the first embodiment of <FIG>), or the second element <NUM> (as in the second embodiment of <FIG>), or still other types of abutment portions.

This method may comprise, in particular, the step of exerting, during the aforesaid step of exerting a first force, a second force directed to move the cutting portion <NUM> from the operative position to a safety position, in which the first force is greater than the second force so that a resulting force maintains the abutment portion of the cutting device <NUM> abutting on the abutment element and the cutting portion <NUM> in the cutting operative position of the capsule.

This method may comprise, in particular, the step of reducing the size of the first force, in the event of an anomalous situation, such that the first force becomes less than the second force, so that a force resulting from these forces moves the cutting portion <NUM> from the operative position to the safety position.

Claim 1:
Apparatus (<NUM>) for cutting capsules, said apparatus comprising:
- a carousel (<NUM>) rotating around a carousel axis;
- two or more transport units (<NUM>) carried by said carousel (<NUM>), each of which is configured to transport a capsule along a path defined by a rotation of said carousel (<NUM>);
- a cutting device (<NUM>) which comprises at least one abutment portion and at least one cutting portion (<NUM>) and which is capable of assuming at least one first configuration, in which said abutment portion is against at least one abutment element and said cutting portion (<NUM>) is in an operative position in which it is arranged along said path for cutting a capsule which is transported by the respective transport unit and which rolls on said cutting device (<NUM>), and at least one second configuration, in which said cutting portion (<NUM>) is in a safety position far from said path so as not to interfere with the capsule and/or with the respective transport unit;
- at least one abutment element configured so that, when said abutment portion is against said at least one abutment element, said cutting portion (<NUM>) is in said operative position;
- first force means for exerting a first force suitable for maintaining said at least one abutment portion against said at least one abutment element and said cutting portion (<NUM>) in said operative position;
characterized by comprising:
- second force means for exerting a second force suitable for moving said at least one cutting portion (<NUM>) from said operative position towards said safety position;
said first force means and said second force means being configured to operate with at least one operating control mode, in which said first force and said second force are exerted simultaneously and said first force is greater than said second force, whereby the force resultant of said first force and said second force is directed towards said first configuration, and with at least one emergency mode, in which at least said first force decreases becoming less than said second force, whereby the resultant force of said first force and said second force is directed towards said second configuration.