Capsule cutting apparatus and method
AssigneeCaleffi S.p.A.
InventorsRuggero Menzolini, Matteo Venturini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cutting apparatus and method are disclosed for making a tamper device of a closing capsule, in which the capsule is fed to a cutting device on which simultaneously a first force is exerted that maintains a cutting portion of the device in an operative cutting position and a second force that would tend to make the cutting portion retreat to a safety position, the first force being greater than the second force and in which in the event of an anomalous situation like an interruption to an electric power supply, the first force is reduced so that the second force can exceed the first force and move the cutting portion to the safety position.
Claims12
An apparatus for cutting capsules, said apparatus comprising:
- a carousel rotating around a carousel axis;
- two or more transport units carried by said carousel, each of which is configured to transport a capsule along a path defined by a rotation of said carousel;
- at least one abutment element;
- a cutting device which comprises at least one abutment portion and at least one cutting portion, said cutting device having at least one first configuration, in which said abutment portion is against said at least one abutment element and said cutting portion is in an advanced operative position in which said cutting portion is arranged along said path for cutting a capsule which is transported by the respective transport unit and which rolls on said cutting device, and at least one second configuration, in which said cutting portion is in a retracted safety position farther from said path than said advanced operating position so as not to interfere with the capsule and/or with the respective transport unit;
- said at least one abutment element being configured so that, when said abutment portion is against said at least one abutment element, said cutting portion is in said advanced operative position;
- a first force arrangement 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 in said operative position;, wherein said first force arrangement comprises an electromagnetic arrangement and said first force comprises an electromagnetic force, or wherein said first force arrangement comprises a pneumatic actuator and said first force comprises a pneumatic force;
- a second force arrangement for exerting a second force suitable for moving said at least one cutting portion from said operative position towards said safety position, wherein said second force arrangement comprises a pneumatic actuator and said second force comprises a pneumatic force, or wherein said second force arrangement comprises an elastic element and said second force comprises an elastic force;
- and
- a controller configured to control said first force arrangement and said second force arrangement to operate with one of at least one operating control mode during a normal execution of a cut on a capsule and at least one emergency mode during an anomalous situation, in which said at least one operating control mode includes said first force and said second force being exerted simultaneously and said first force being greater than said second force, whereby the force resultant of said first force and said second force is directed towards said first configuration, and in which said at least one emergency mode includes at least said first force decreasing to become less than said second force, whereby the resultant force of said first force and said second force is directed towards said second configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.