Device for separating, treating and rejoining multipiece objects

A device for separating, treating and rejoining multipiece objects in continuous operation, wherein the objects each have a bottom piece and a cover piece which is separable from the bottom piece, the device comprising:

• a process wheel configured to be driven in rotation about a rotational axis for receiving the bottom pieces and the cover pieces and for transporting the received bottom pieces and cover pieces along at least one processing station;
• a separating device configured to be driven in rotation for separating the cover pieces from the bottom pieces;
• an insert device configured to take the bottom pieces and the cover pieces from said separating device and insert the bottom pieces and the cover pieces in said process wheel;
• said process wheel having a first lower receiving ring and a second upper receiving ring which are jointly rotatable as a unit;
• said first lower receiving ring having a first radius and being arranged concentrically to the rotational axis and having a plurality of bottom receivers for the bottom pieces;
• said second upper receiving ring having a second radius arranged concentrically to the rotational axis and having a plurality of cover receivers for the cover pieces;
• said second radius being smaller than said first radius;
• said plurality of bottom receivers being equal in number to said plurality of cover receivers;
• said insert device having a first lower insert wheel with bottom holders for the bottom pieces distributed around a periphery of said first lower insert wheel, and a second upper insert wheel with cover holders for the cover pieces distributed around a periphery of said second upper insert wheel;
• a wheel assembly arranged between said separating device and said process wheel;
• said wheel assembly having a first lower wheel with bottom holders for the bottom pieces distributed around a periphery of said first lower wheel, and a second upper wheel with cover holders for the cover pieces distributed around a periphery of said second upper wheel;
• and,
• at least one of said bottom holders and said cover holders in a circumferential direction of a correspondingly assigned one of said first lower wheel and said second upper wheel being larger than the correspondingly received bottom pieces or cover pieces such that, in operation, they surround the bottom pieces or cover pieces with a compensation play.