Apparatus for unscrambling and aligning bulk plastic containers
AssigneeLanfranchi S.R.L.
InventorLino Lanfranchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus (1) for unscrambling and aligning bulk plastic containers (2) includes a plurality of pick-up element (3) for picking up containers (2), which are mounted to one or more pull-out turrets (50) of rotary type (4), located at each aperture (5a) the pick-up element (3) being of the type adapted to pull out the container (2) from the pocket (7) at the corresponding aperture (5a) and rotate it neck up; the pull-out action being substantially radial to the position of the container (2) in the ring (7a) of pockets (7). Each pick-up unit (3) has element (14, 40) for adjusting its rotation in a first axis (AA) and its height in one more axis (BB), to change both the pick-up position and the release location according to the type of container (2).
Claims2
An apparatus (1) for unscrambling and aligning bulk plastic containers (2), comprising:
- a substantially circular hopper (6) to collect the containers (2) the hopper comprising an outer wall (5) and a bottom;
- a plurality of pockets (7) to cradle the containers (2), the pockets arranged in a circular ring (7a) inside and concentric with the hopper (6) between the bottom and the outer wall (5);
- an aperture (5a) formed in the outer wall (5);
- a checking device (11) to monitor an orientation of each container (2);
- a rotary pull-out turret (50);
- linear guides (40) mounted on the rotary pull-out turret (50);
- a plurality of pick-up units (3) arranged to pick up the containers (2),
- the pick-up units (3) mounted to the pull-out turret (50),
- each said pick-up unit (3) adapted to pull out the container (2) from the pocket (7) at the corresponding aperture (5a) and rotate the container neck up, said pull-out action being substantially radial to the position of the container (2) in the ring (7a) of pockets (7),
- wherein each pick-up unit (3) comprises a rotation adjusting unit (14) provided to adjust rotation in a first horizontal axis (AA), each pick-up unit (3) slideably mounted to one of said linear guides (40) to allow a height adjustment of the pick-up unit (3) in a second axis (BB), to change both the pick-up position and the release location according to the type of container (2), and
- wherein the checking device (11) to monitor the orientation of the container (2) in the cradling pocket ascertains the orientation prior to the container's arrival at the aperture (5A), and preventively transmits the proper orientation of the pick-up unit (3) to said pick-up unit (3), by adjusting the rotation in first horizontal axis AA and the height in second axis BB.
An apparatus (1) for unscrambling and aligning bulk plastic containers (2), said apparatus comprising:
- a substantially circular hopper (6) adapted to collect containers (2);
- a plurality of cradling pockets (7) to cradle the containers (2), the cradling pockets (7) forming a circular ring (7a) internal to and concentric with the hopper (6);
- an outer wall (5) delimiting the cradling pockets (7) and concentric with the cradling pockets (7);
- an aperture (5a) in the outer wall (5);
- a rotating platform (30);
- a pull-out turret (50) mounted on the platform (30) and positioned adjacent the aperture (5a);
- linear guides (40) mounted on the rotary pull-out turret (50);
- a plurality of pick-up units (3) mounted to the pull-out turret (5) and arranged to pull out the containers (2) from the cradling pockets (7) when each container faces the aperture (5a);
- each said pick-up unit (3) adapted to pull out each container (2) from the pocket (7) at the corresponding aperture (5a) and rotate the container (2) neck up, said pull-out action being substantially radial to the position of the container (2) in the ring (7a) of pockets (7);
- each pick-up unit (3) comprising a rotation adjusting unit (14) to adjust rotation in a horizontal first axis (AA);
- each pick-up unit (3) slideably mounted to a respective one of the linear guides (40) to allow a height adjustment for changing both a container pick-up position and a container release position, each linear guide (40) allowing the height adjustment of the corresponding pick-up unit (3) in a vertical second axis (BB) to respectively change both a container pick-up position and a container release location according to container type (2);
- and
- a checking device (11) arranged to monitor an orientation of each container (2), wherein, based on the monitored orientation, the checking device (11) is operative to arrange and orient a corresponding one of the pick-up units (3), via the corresponding rotation adjusting unit (14) and the corresponding linear guide (40) and before the corresponding pick-up unit reaches each container (2), to pick up the container in an optimized manner for the monitored orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.