Friction controlled container twisting device

An conveyor for moving containers (2) along a moving path, said conveyor comprising at least a moving band (C1) directing containers towards a twisting device (1) for twisting containers (2) while moving said containers along a moving path (3) in the twisting device, said moving path (3) comprising an at least partly curved path portion (3A) with an at least partly curved length path comprised between 30 cm and 500 cm for ensuring that each container (2) moving through the said at least partly curved path portion (3A) follows at least a curved movement, said containers (2) having at least an outer facing system (20), said at least partly curved path portion (3A) extending between an inlet (4) for the containers into the at least partly curved path portion (3A) and an outlet (5) for containers (2) after moving through the at least partly curved path portion (3A), whereby between said inlet (4) and outlet (5), the at least partly curved path portion (3A) comprises at least:

• a support (10);
• a first guiding element (30) attached to said support (10), said first guiding element (30) having at least a first guiding face element (31) adapted for contacting at least a first portion of an outer facing system (20) of the containers (2) moving in the at least partly curved path portion (3A);
• a second guiding element (40) attached to said support (10), said second guiding element (40) having at least a second guiding face element (41) distant from the first guiding face element (31) and adapted for contacting at least a second portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers (2) moving in the at least partly curved path portion (3A), said second portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers being distinct from the first portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers (2);
• a first lubricating means (32) adapted for ensuring a dry lubrication of at least a portion of the first guiding element (30) by supplying a fluid lubricant selected from the group consisting of liquid lubricant, gazeous lubricant and mixtures thereof, along the first guiding face element (31), whereby the first lubricating means (32) has at least (a) a first outlet open element (321) along the the first guiding face element (31) with an outer open surface of less than 100 mm2, (b) a second outlet open element (322) along the first guiding face element (31) with an outer open surface of less than 100 mm2, said second outlet open element (322) being distant from the first outlet open element (321) by an at least partly curved path distance of at least 10 cm, and (c) a supply connecting system (366) connecting the first outlet open element (321) and the second outlet open element (322) to a connector (327) adapted to be connected to a first lubricant supply (100) for supplying said first outlet open element (321) and said second outlet open element (322) of the first lubricating means (32) with the fluid lubricant;
• and
• a second lubricating means (42) adapted for ensuring a dry lubrication of at least a portion of the second guiding element (40) by supplying the fluid lubricant along the second guiding face element (41), whereby the second lubricating means (42) has at least (a) a first outlet open element (421) along the the second guiding face element (41) with an open outer surface of less than 100 mm2, (b) a second outlet open element (422) along the second guiding face element (41) with an open surface of less than 100 mm2, said second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) being distant from the first outlet open element (421) of the second lubricating means (42) by a at least partly curved path distance of at least 10 cm, and (c) a supply connecting system (466) connecting the first outlet open element (421) and the second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) to a connector (427) adapted to be connected to a lubricant supply (100,110) selected from the group consisting of the first lubricant supply and a second lubricant supply distinct from the first lubricant supply for supplying said first outlet open element (421) and said second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) with the fluid lubricant.

A method for twisting containers (2) in a twisting device (1) while moving said containers along a moving path (3) of the twisting device, said twisting device (1) comprising an at least partly curved path portion (3A) with an at least partly curved length path comprised between 30 cm and 500 cm for ensuring that each container (2) moving through the said at least partly curved path portion (3A) follows at least a curved movement, said containers (2) having at least an outer facing system (20), said at least partly curved path portion (3A) extending between an inlet (4) for the containers into the at least partly curved path portion (3A) and an outlet (5) for containers (2) after moving through the at least partly curved path portion (3A), whereby between said inlet (4) and outlet (5), the at least partly curved path portion (3A) comprises at least:

• a support (10);
• a first guiding element (30) attached to said support (10), said first guiding element (30) having at least a first guiding face element (31) adapted for contacting at least a first portion of an outer facing system (20) of the containers (2) moving in the at least partly curved path portion (3A);
• a second guiding element (40) attached to said support (10), said second guiding element (40) having at least a second guiding face element (41) distant from the first guiding face element (31) and adapted for contacting at least a second portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers (2) moving in the at least partly curved path portion (3A), said second portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers being distinct from the first portion of the outer facing system (20) of the containers (2);
• a first lubricating means (32) adapted for ensuring a dry lubrication of at least a portion of the first guiding element (30) by supplying a fluid lubricant selected from the group consisting of liquid lubricant, gazeous lubricant and mixtures thereof, along the first guiding face element (31), whereby the first lubricating means (32) has at least (a) a first outlet open element (321) along the the first guiding face element (31) with an outer open surface of less than 100 mm2, (b) a second outlet open element (322) along the first guiding face element (31) with an outer open surface of less than 100 mm2, said second outlet open element (322) being distant from the first outlet open element (321) by an at least partly curved path distance of at least 10 cm, and (c) a supply connecting system (366) connecting the first outlet open element (321) and the second outlet open element (322) to a connector (327) adapted to be connected to a first lubricant supply (100) for supplying said first outlet open element (321) and said second outlet open element (322) of the first lubricating means (32) with the fluid lubricant;
• and
• a second lubricating means (42) adapted for ensuring a dry lubrication of at least a portion of the second guiding element (40) by supplying the fluid lubricant along the second guiding face element (41), whereby the second lubricating means (42) has at least (a) a first outlet open element (421) along the the second guiding face element (41) with an open outer surface of less than 100 mm2, (b) a second outlet open element (422) along the second guiding face element (41) with an open surface of less than 100 mm2, said second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) being distant from the first outlet open element (421) of the second lubricating means (42) by a at least partly curved path distance of at least 10 cm, and (c) a supply connecting system (466) connecting the first outlet open element (421) and the second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) to a connector (427) adapted to be connected to a lubricant supply (100,110) selected from the group consisting of the first lubricant supply and a second lubricant supply distinct from the first lubricant supply for supplying said first outlet open element (421) and said second outlet open element (422) of the second lubricating means (42) with the fluid lubricant,
• said method comprising at least the following steps:
• determining a parameter associated to the twisting of containers in in the twisting device (1),
• determining whether said determined parameter is not within an acceptable range or is outside an acceptable range, so as to determine a required lubrication step of at least a portion of the first guiding means and of a portion of the second guiding means, and
• controlling the supply of fluid lubricant to the first lubricating means and to the second lubricating means when a required lubrication step is determined.