Apparatus for packaging capsules under vacuum

An apparatus for manufacturing capsules under vacuum for preparing beverages, comprising:

• a plurality of support elements, arranged in sequence along a closed route having at least a rectilinear and horizontal operative tract (T), and
• a driving system adapted to move said support elements, along said closed route, advancing them into the operative tract (T) according to a predetermined advancement direction (A) and stopping them one at a time in a plurality of operative stations,
• wherein each support element comprises a row of housing seats which, at the operative tract (T) of the closed route, are mutually aligned in a horizontal and transverse direction of alignment with respect to the advancement direction (A),
• wherein the operative stations are arranged above the operative tract (T) of the closed route of support elements and comprise at least:
• a loading station for inserting into the housing seats a glass-shaped body having mouthpiece directed upward,
• a filling station, placed downstream of the loading station with respect to the advancement direction (A) of the support elements, for filling glass-shaped bodies inserted in the housing seats with a food substance adapted to produce a beverage,
• a covering station, placed downstream of the filling station with respect to the advancement station (A) of support elements, for applying and fixing a closing film on the mouthpiece of glass-shaped bodies inserted in the housing seats, and
• a sealing station, placed downstream of the covering station with respect to the advancement direction of support elements, for placing under vacuum the inner volume of the glass-shaped bodies placed in the housing seats and for sealing the closing film on the mouth-piece thereof,
• wherein said sealing station comprises:
• a plurality of bell-shaped members arranged mutually placed side by side in a transverse direction with respect to the advancement direction (A) of the support elements each of which is adapted to overlay to one respective housing seat and has mouthpiece directed downward,
• a movement apparatus for moving each bell-shaped member in vertical direction between a raised position, wherein its mouthpiece is substantially spaced apart from the support element, to a lowered position, wherein the mouthpiece thereof leans against the support element sur-rounding the correspondent housing seat,
• a vacuum generating apparatus to reduce the pressure within the inner volume of bell-shaped members, and
• a plurality of welding elements, each of which is contained inside a respective bell-shaped member for airtightly welding the closing film on the glass-shaped body contained in the housing seat.