Machine for welding a plastic spout to a plastic package

A machine for welding a plastic spout to a plastic package, each of the plastic packages (2) comprising two film walls with an inner surface, an outer face, and a film welding interface having a material with a known first melting temperature, and the plastic spout (5) having a neck portion (5a) with a pour channel having a longitudinal central axis (L), and at least one welding interface portion (5b) made of a material with a known second melting temperature, the welding interface (5b) being connected by means of welding between said two film walls of the plastic package (2), characterized in that the machine comprises:

• a heating station (20) integrating at least two hot air supply nozzles (22) directly facing one another and separated by a given distance, said hot air supply nozzles (22) being connected to hot air supply conduits (23) from a pressurized hot air source;
• a unitary dispenser device (30) for dispensing plastic spouts (5), configured for collecting a plastic spout (5) from a storage unit (31) and positioning it in said heating station (20) by means of a delivery element, the plastic spout being held at least at its welding interface portion (5b), with its pour channel with a longitudinal central axis (L) in a vertical position and with its neck downwards, the welding interface portion (5b) being located by such positioning between said two hot air supply nozzles (22);
• a welding station (40) comprising at least two welding jaws (41) arranged directly opposite and separated from one another, between which there is arranged a mouth section (M) of a plastic package (2) of a plurality of said plastic packages (2) which are fed, in an aligned manner, by a conveyance line (55) to said welding station (40), which provides pressure and a temperature close to said known first melting temperature to said mouth section (M);
• a gripping device (50) configured for temporarily gripping the neck portion (5a) of the plastic spout (5) in said heating station (20) and configured to quick transferring the plastic spout (5) to the welding station (40), by means of a positioning rotation, turning said plastic spout (5) over and placing the welding interface portion (5b) of the plastic spout (5), once it has been heated, inside the open mouth section (M) of a plastic package (2) of said plurality of plastic packages (2);
• and
• at least one control unit (60) managing, in a coordinated manner, the operation of said heating station (20), the dispenser device (30) for dispensing plastic spouts (5), the delivery element for delivering the plastic spout (5), the gripping device (50), and the welding station (40), such that when the gripping device (50) grips the neck portion (5a) of the plastic spout (5), this spout is released from the hold of the delivery element,
• wherein said gripping device (50) comprises two clamps (33) assembled at the end of a motor-driven rotary shaft (35), such that a rotation of the shaft (35) determines said quick transfer and turning over of the plastic spout (5), with the welding interface portion (5b) of the plastic spout (5) going from said heating station (20) to being located between two film walls demarcating the open mouth section (M) of a plastic package (2) in the welding station (40).