CA2129579C - V-belt cleaner-debris removal machine - Google Patents
V-belt cleaner-debris removal machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2129579C CA2129579C CA 2129579 CA2129579A CA2129579C CA 2129579 C CA2129579 C CA 2129579C CA 2129579 CA2129579 CA 2129579 CA 2129579 A CA2129579 A CA 2129579A CA 2129579 C CA2129579 C CA 2129579C
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- Prior art keywords
- bottle
- bottles
- belts
- sheaves
- conveyor
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B21/00—Packaging or unpacking of bottles
- B65B21/02—Packaging or unpacking of bottles in or from preformed containers, e.g. crates
- B65B21/14—Introducing or removing groups of bottles, for filling or emptying containers in one operation
- B65B21/18—Introducing or removing groups of bottles, for filling or emptying containers in one operation using grippers engaging bottles, e.g. bottle necks
- B65B21/183—Introducing or removing groups of bottles, for filling or emptying containers in one operation using grippers engaging bottles, e.g. bottle necks the grippers moving in an endless path
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
- Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
Abstract
A device for removing bottles from their associated packaging on a bottle return line, includes alignment means for aligning an array of bottles in longitudinal rows on a lower discharge bottle conveyor downstream of a bottom cutting apparatus. Bottle pick up means are provided immediately downstream of the alignment means.
Upwardly inclined bottle transport means extend away from the bottle pick up means. Debris clearing means extend downwardly from the transport means between the rows of bottles. Lastly, bottle release means release the bottles from the transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
Upwardly inclined bottle transport means extend away from the bottle pick up means. Debris clearing means extend downwardly from the transport means between the rows of bottles. Lastly, bottle release means release the bottles from the transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
Description
212957~
The present invention relates to the field of bottle handling, and in particular provides a novel apparatus ~or the extraction of bottles from its exterior packaging.
The present invention is directed primarily to the handling 5 of empty bottles, such as beer or pop bottles, that are returned to a bottler for re-filling. Such bottles are usually returned in the packaging material in which they were originally purchased, and in this regard, every effort is made by bottlers to provide boxes or cases that are robust enough to permit at lO least one re-use, i.e., the return of refillable bottles to the place of purchase, or a bottle return depot. Therefore, bottles that are returned to a bottler are usually contained in a cardboard box or case, the capacity of which is traditionally, but not exclusively, six, twelve or twenty-four bottles. When 15 the cases o~ bottles arrive at a bottler's facility, they are generally received in a palletized format into a warehouse receiving area. Pallets of returned cases are then depalletized such that individual cases can be conveyed to an area where the bottles are uncased. The bottles, free of their cases then have 20 their labels removed, and are thoroughly washed, rinsed and sterilized for subsequent refilling. The entire process is carried out on as continual a basis as possible, to avoid the build-up of bottles in any one area, and the slowdown in through-put associated therewith.
It has been found that the most inefficient and manpower intensive portion of the procedure outlined above is bottle 2~29~79 .
uncasing. Generally speaking, there are three forms of bottle uncasing apparatus in current usage. In full depth uncasing, the f laps which make up the top surf ace of a case are removed, leaving the bottom and side walls of the case intact. The open 5 topped case full of bottles is then brought into register with an array of bottle lifters, which grip and lift each bottle individually, moving an entire case of bottles up and out of a case, to another location. Such an uncaser may operate discontinuously, lifting the bottles vertically from one location 10 to another, or it may operate on a more continuous basis, essentially sweeping bottles of out a case in a vertical and forward motion. However, it will be understood that each array of bottle grippers may, at any given time be used to lift one group of bottles, and that array of grippers must be returned to 15 its starting point before being used again.
A second form of uncasing apparatus is a half depth uncaser in which the top portion of the bottle must be exposed f or uncasing. High pressure water jet or high speed rotary saws are typically utilized to cut a case around its perimeter, at a 20 height mid-way up the sides and ends of the case. The case is then conveyed to a bottle lifting zone, with the intact half height side of the case serving to maintain the bottles in straight rows. At tha~ point, the bottles pass between pairs of V-belts, and are lifted out of the cases on a continuous basis, 25 to another conveyor. As the bottles are lifted, they are lifted past stripper plates that extend between the rows of bottles.
212g~79 .
A third form of uncasinq is known as bottom case cutting.
A band saw blade is arranged on a conveyor along which cases are moved, and as the case full of bottles passes the saw, the bottom panel of the case is cut away from the sides and ends, and 5 disposed of. The remainder of the case is stripped away from the bottles by hand. Bottom case cutting is considered a reliable method of decasing, and would have greater utilization if several drawbacks associated with it were overcome.
The drawbacks of the bottom case cutting method of uncasing 10 bottles are several, and include:
i ) The cases which are returned to the bottler may have considerable amounts of debris such as caps, bottle dividers, and consumer-generated garbage contained therein. Due to the lack of an effective method of removing all of this material in a bottom case cùtting operation, such debris is typically carried throughout the bottle conveying system to the bottle washing machine where it causes significant bottle handling problems and machine inef f iciencies .
ii ) The cases which are returned to the bottler typically include a considerable number of non-usable bottles in the form of broken bottles and foreign bottle contamination. In order to prevent this material from entering into the bottle conveying system, the uncaser operator must stop the machine and manually remove ~129~79 these bottles. Failure to do so causes significant bottle handl ing and machine inef f iciencies at the bottle washing, inspecting and filling equipment.
iii ) The bottom cutting uncaser operation is currently a slow manual process whereby the operator must frequencly stop the machine. Stoppages are required in order to remove bottle dividers and case sides and tops and are partially due to the effects of item (i) and (ii).
~he present invention has as its object to provide a method and apparatus to separate bottles from their associated packaging material and accumulated debris after the bottom of the packaging case has been cut away, and the top portion stripped away therefrom. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention does so in a manner that overcomes the drawbacks associated with the conventional uncasing apparatus discussed above.
In a broad aspect, the present invention relates to a device for removing bottles from their associated packaging on a bottle return line, including: (a) alignment means for aligning an array of bottles in longitudinal rows on a lower discharge bottle conveyor downstream of a bottom cutting apparatus; ~ b ) bottle pick up means immediately downstream of said alignment means; (c) upwardly inclined bottle transport means extending away from said bottle pick up means; ( d ) debris clearing means extending downwardly from said transport means between said rows of 212957g bottles: ~e) bottle release means to release said bottles from said transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
In drawings that illustrate the present invention by way of example:
Figure 1 is a side view of the in-line debris removal machine o~ the present invention;
Figure 2 is a reflected plan view of the bottle lifting and carrying part thereof;
Figures 3a - 3d are cross-sectional views through lines 3a -3a, 3b -3b,`3c - 3c and 3d - 3d respectively in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of an ~ nt of the drive system for the device of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the debris chute and conveyor system of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus of the present invention as illustrated in an over-all side view in Figure 1, is designed to lift bottles from a first, lower, conveyor 1 to a second, upper conveyor 2 by means of a bottle lifter and carrier designated generally as 3.
Bottles that are placed onto lower conveyor 1 are, generally, contained in the box or carton into which they were placed for return to the bottler. In a brewery operation, the basic bottle structure is a 2x3 bottle pattern, or multiple thereof, and theref ore , conveyor 1 has a width that just -212g~79 accommodates a four bottle wide carton. The conveyor width, however, can be adapted f or any number of bottle widths .
Just upstream of apparatus 3, on conveyor line 1, is a bottolm cutting apparatus situated (not illustrated) that cuts the 5 carton around its lower perimeter. Selection of a suitable bottom cutter will be a matter of choice for one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. As the case progresses past the bottom cutter, the case bottom will be diverted through a slit in the conveyor, to a refuse disposal 10 area beneath the conveyor. Between the bottom cutter and the device of the present invention, it is necessary to station personnel manually to strip the sides and top portions of the cartons away from the bottles. Accordingly, it will be the bottles, together with the cardboard dividers between the 15 bottles, broken and foreign bottles, and any debris in the carton floor that will proceed to the end of lower conveyor 1 that terminates at the device of the present invention.
The device 3 of the present invention is composed of three distinct stages, a first stage 24 that extends generally parallel 20 to lower conveyor 1, at the level of a bottle B neck. First stage 24 may be^considered to begin on the lower conveyor 1, where a longit~-l; n~ 1 1 y extending central dividing blade is located . This blade divides the f inal portion of lower conveyor 1 (in a four bottle wide arrangement) into two streams, and 25 effectively ensures that all the bottles will be aligned in longitl-~;n~l ly extending rows. The first stage also includes 212957~
infeecl alignment nose cones 27, that maintain the necks of the bottles in each longitudinal row in straight alignment.
Alignment nose cones 27 are affixed, at their upper surfaces, to a transversely extending plate at the forward edge of device 3.
5 Immediately following nose cones 27 there are located front double grooved sheaves 7, followed a short distance later by a series of open sided slleaves 8. First stage 24 is followed by inclined second stage 25, from the series of open sided sheaves 8, most of the length of first channelled dividers 6, to the lO third stage 26, that begins at a point where second channelled dividers 5 extends from the end of first channelled dividers 6, at a shallow angle thereto, returning the bottle carrying path of device 3 to an angle parallel with upper conveyor 2. Second divider 6 is followed by rear double grooved sheaves 9.
As can be observed from Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, each of the sheaves 7,8,9, is mounted on a shaft 28 for rotation. The channelled dividers 5, 6 are mounted on non-rotating shafts 29 .
Shafts 28, 29 are mounted between structural side plates 4 that are integrated into a ~rame structure 23 that includes a manual 20 height adjustment r? ;~ni~m, the purpose of which is to permit the device 3 of the present invention to be used with bottles of several different heights, without the need to alter the height of either of the two main conveyors, 1, 2 .
Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the devicQ 3 25 are an aligned series of tension arms 12, across the ends of which is mounted a shaft having double grooved tension sheaves 11. Tension arms 12 are pivotally mounted to device 3 between the side plates 4 thereof, and include short angularly extending arms 30. From the ends of arms 30, to the top surface of device 3 extend a series of tension springs 13, the purpose of which is 5 to maintain an outward bias of tension sheaves 11.
A series of parallel extending V-belts 10 extend around the perimeter of the device defined by front sheaves 7, open sided sheaves 8, front and rear channelled dividers 6, 5, rear sheaves 9, and tension sheaves 11. The outermost front and rear sheaves 10 carry one belt each, on their inner groove ( it is to be understood that single groove sheaves may be used in these locations ) and the inner sheaves carry a belt in each of their grooves. Considering the belts in pairs, from each side inwardly - because each pair of belts will pick up a row of bottles - it 15 will be observed from Figure 2 that the members of each pair of belts from adjacent front sheaves 7 are deflected toward one another by adjacent open sided sheaves 8, and held near to one another by the channels of channelled dividers 6, 5 . At the end of rear channelled divider 5, the members of each pair diverge 20 once again as they pass around rear double grooved sheaves 9.
The function of the convergence of the pairs of belts 10 at the f ront of the device 3, and divergence at the rear is to permit the neck of a bottle to slip gently between a pair of belts while the belts are held apart by front sheaves 7, and at 25 the rear of the device, to permit the bottle to be deposited gently on the upper conveyor 2.
2129~79 Referring again to Figure 1, it will be observed that a series of debris separation plates 19, generally parallel to the lower conveyor 1 are provided, there being a plate extending between each row of bottles, suspended beneath the interior 5 channelled dividers, The purpose of the plates is to cause any cardboard or other garbage caught between ad jacent rows of bottles to be stripped off downwardly as the bottles are lifted upwardly past the plates 19 as can be seen in Figure 5. Figure 5 also illustrates the dual garbage collection areas provided in 10 a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First, for the collection of broken glass bottle caps, and small miscellaneous garbage is a chute 20, which leads to a bin 31 that will be periodically emptied. The chute has, extending over it, a plurality of inclined smooth separator bars 21 that lead from the 15 end of lower conveyor 1 to a transversely extending recyclable paper conveyor 22. The function of bars 21 is to deflect large paper items like box sides and dividers onto recycling conveyor 22, while permitting garbage to pass down chute 20.
It will be understood that the arrangement of an upwardly 20 in~.l;n~-l bottle lifting track, and a horizontal debris separation plate, while preferred and quite functional is not considered essential. Rather, the essential relationship between the bottle track and the debris plate is that the two diverge from one another, viewed in the direction of bottle flow. This will 25 ensure that dividers tllat remain between the bottles are pushed downwardly past and free of the bottles. However, it will be appreciated that if it is desired to have a horizontal bottle _g _ ~` 2129579 track, and therefore downwardly inclined debris removal plates, the plates should be spaced outward of the edge of lower conveyor ( notice that in such an arrangement, lower and upper conveyor are in fact at the same level) at least the length of a case or 5 carton. This is due to the fact that the dividers, if flexed downwardly when a portion thereo~ is still on the conveyor, will tend to jam the conveyor and misalign the bottles on the conveyor that have been placed in proper arrangement in the f irst stage of the device.
Referring now to Figure 4, it will be observed that a motor drive is provided, of substantially conventional form, with a motor 17 linked by a pair of universal joints 15 and an angle drive unit 16 to a selected one of the front 7 or rear 9 grooved sheave shafts, to drive same.
In operation, the device 3 of the present invention functions as follows:
a ) A box, tray or carton of bottles is loaded onto lower conveyor 1 and advances to the cutting apparatus where the bottom of the box, tray or carton is separated from the sides and top, and disposed thereof.
b ) The top and sides of the carton or the like are stripped off manually, as the carton proceeds along conveyor 1.
` ~ 2129~79 c) As the array of bottles - usually multiples of two bottle diameters wide and multiples of three bottle diameters long - approaches the end of conveyor 1, the bottles are aligned into straight rows first by the action of blades -, and then by outwardly projecting tapered aligning nose cones 27.
d ) As the bottles reach the end of conveyor 1, they are individually picked up by converging V-belts 1o, that pick up the bottles by the projecting lips on the neck thereof. Short and broken bottles are typically not picked up due to the height differential with the desired bott~es.
e) As the entire array of bottles is lifted, remaining tray sides or detached case sides fall off the end of the conveyor. Additionally, small debris, broken and foreign bottles and crowns pass through separator bars 21 onto garbage chute 20; large easily separated cardboard debris slides over the bar onto recyclable paper conveyor 22 that moves transversely beneath lifting and carrying device 3.
f ) In order to assist the separation of material from the lifting bottles, the bottles are lifted up past plates 19 that are between the rows of bottles. Plates 19 push bottle dividers and other retained debris down, onto separator bars 21 over chute 20. Again, small . ~
garbage passes through the bars into the chute 20.
Large garbage, particularly dividers, will slide onto recyclable paper conveyor 22.
g ) The rows of bottles continue over to upper conveyor, where they are gently released onto conveyor 2 by the divergence of pairs of belts 10.
It will be understood that the present invention provides a îast and efficient means to separate packaging from returnable bottles, with a high degree of separation of metal and glass, and used packaging cardboard for recycling.
It is to be understood that the examples described above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It is expected that numerous variants will be obvious to the person skilled in the field of packaging and recycling without any departure from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims, properly construed, form the only limitation upon the scope of the invention.
The present invention relates to the field of bottle handling, and in particular provides a novel apparatus ~or the extraction of bottles from its exterior packaging.
The present invention is directed primarily to the handling 5 of empty bottles, such as beer or pop bottles, that are returned to a bottler for re-filling. Such bottles are usually returned in the packaging material in which they were originally purchased, and in this regard, every effort is made by bottlers to provide boxes or cases that are robust enough to permit at lO least one re-use, i.e., the return of refillable bottles to the place of purchase, or a bottle return depot. Therefore, bottles that are returned to a bottler are usually contained in a cardboard box or case, the capacity of which is traditionally, but not exclusively, six, twelve or twenty-four bottles. When 15 the cases o~ bottles arrive at a bottler's facility, they are generally received in a palletized format into a warehouse receiving area. Pallets of returned cases are then depalletized such that individual cases can be conveyed to an area where the bottles are uncased. The bottles, free of their cases then have 20 their labels removed, and are thoroughly washed, rinsed and sterilized for subsequent refilling. The entire process is carried out on as continual a basis as possible, to avoid the build-up of bottles in any one area, and the slowdown in through-put associated therewith.
It has been found that the most inefficient and manpower intensive portion of the procedure outlined above is bottle 2~29~79 .
uncasing. Generally speaking, there are three forms of bottle uncasing apparatus in current usage. In full depth uncasing, the f laps which make up the top surf ace of a case are removed, leaving the bottom and side walls of the case intact. The open 5 topped case full of bottles is then brought into register with an array of bottle lifters, which grip and lift each bottle individually, moving an entire case of bottles up and out of a case, to another location. Such an uncaser may operate discontinuously, lifting the bottles vertically from one location 10 to another, or it may operate on a more continuous basis, essentially sweeping bottles of out a case in a vertical and forward motion. However, it will be understood that each array of bottle grippers may, at any given time be used to lift one group of bottles, and that array of grippers must be returned to 15 its starting point before being used again.
A second form of uncasing apparatus is a half depth uncaser in which the top portion of the bottle must be exposed f or uncasing. High pressure water jet or high speed rotary saws are typically utilized to cut a case around its perimeter, at a 20 height mid-way up the sides and ends of the case. The case is then conveyed to a bottle lifting zone, with the intact half height side of the case serving to maintain the bottles in straight rows. At tha~ point, the bottles pass between pairs of V-belts, and are lifted out of the cases on a continuous basis, 25 to another conveyor. As the bottles are lifted, they are lifted past stripper plates that extend between the rows of bottles.
212g~79 .
A third form of uncasinq is known as bottom case cutting.
A band saw blade is arranged on a conveyor along which cases are moved, and as the case full of bottles passes the saw, the bottom panel of the case is cut away from the sides and ends, and 5 disposed of. The remainder of the case is stripped away from the bottles by hand. Bottom case cutting is considered a reliable method of decasing, and would have greater utilization if several drawbacks associated with it were overcome.
The drawbacks of the bottom case cutting method of uncasing 10 bottles are several, and include:
i ) The cases which are returned to the bottler may have considerable amounts of debris such as caps, bottle dividers, and consumer-generated garbage contained therein. Due to the lack of an effective method of removing all of this material in a bottom case cùtting operation, such debris is typically carried throughout the bottle conveying system to the bottle washing machine where it causes significant bottle handling problems and machine inef f iciencies .
ii ) The cases which are returned to the bottler typically include a considerable number of non-usable bottles in the form of broken bottles and foreign bottle contamination. In order to prevent this material from entering into the bottle conveying system, the uncaser operator must stop the machine and manually remove ~129~79 these bottles. Failure to do so causes significant bottle handl ing and machine inef f iciencies at the bottle washing, inspecting and filling equipment.
iii ) The bottom cutting uncaser operation is currently a slow manual process whereby the operator must frequencly stop the machine. Stoppages are required in order to remove bottle dividers and case sides and tops and are partially due to the effects of item (i) and (ii).
~he present invention has as its object to provide a method and apparatus to separate bottles from their associated packaging material and accumulated debris after the bottom of the packaging case has been cut away, and the top portion stripped away therefrom. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention does so in a manner that overcomes the drawbacks associated with the conventional uncasing apparatus discussed above.
In a broad aspect, the present invention relates to a device for removing bottles from their associated packaging on a bottle return line, including: (a) alignment means for aligning an array of bottles in longitudinal rows on a lower discharge bottle conveyor downstream of a bottom cutting apparatus; ~ b ) bottle pick up means immediately downstream of said alignment means; (c) upwardly inclined bottle transport means extending away from said bottle pick up means; ( d ) debris clearing means extending downwardly from said transport means between said rows of 212957g bottles: ~e) bottle release means to release said bottles from said transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
In drawings that illustrate the present invention by way of example:
Figure 1 is a side view of the in-line debris removal machine o~ the present invention;
Figure 2 is a reflected plan view of the bottle lifting and carrying part thereof;
Figures 3a - 3d are cross-sectional views through lines 3a -3a, 3b -3b,`3c - 3c and 3d - 3d respectively in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of an ~ nt of the drive system for the device of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the debris chute and conveyor system of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus of the present invention as illustrated in an over-all side view in Figure 1, is designed to lift bottles from a first, lower, conveyor 1 to a second, upper conveyor 2 by means of a bottle lifter and carrier designated generally as 3.
Bottles that are placed onto lower conveyor 1 are, generally, contained in the box or carton into which they were placed for return to the bottler. In a brewery operation, the basic bottle structure is a 2x3 bottle pattern, or multiple thereof, and theref ore , conveyor 1 has a width that just -212g~79 accommodates a four bottle wide carton. The conveyor width, however, can be adapted f or any number of bottle widths .
Just upstream of apparatus 3, on conveyor line 1, is a bottolm cutting apparatus situated (not illustrated) that cuts the 5 carton around its lower perimeter. Selection of a suitable bottom cutter will be a matter of choice for one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. As the case progresses past the bottom cutter, the case bottom will be diverted through a slit in the conveyor, to a refuse disposal 10 area beneath the conveyor. Between the bottom cutter and the device of the present invention, it is necessary to station personnel manually to strip the sides and top portions of the cartons away from the bottles. Accordingly, it will be the bottles, together with the cardboard dividers between the 15 bottles, broken and foreign bottles, and any debris in the carton floor that will proceed to the end of lower conveyor 1 that terminates at the device of the present invention.
The device 3 of the present invention is composed of three distinct stages, a first stage 24 that extends generally parallel 20 to lower conveyor 1, at the level of a bottle B neck. First stage 24 may be^considered to begin on the lower conveyor 1, where a longit~-l; n~ 1 1 y extending central dividing blade is located . This blade divides the f inal portion of lower conveyor 1 (in a four bottle wide arrangement) into two streams, and 25 effectively ensures that all the bottles will be aligned in longitl-~;n~l ly extending rows. The first stage also includes 212957~
infeecl alignment nose cones 27, that maintain the necks of the bottles in each longitudinal row in straight alignment.
Alignment nose cones 27 are affixed, at their upper surfaces, to a transversely extending plate at the forward edge of device 3.
5 Immediately following nose cones 27 there are located front double grooved sheaves 7, followed a short distance later by a series of open sided slleaves 8. First stage 24 is followed by inclined second stage 25, from the series of open sided sheaves 8, most of the length of first channelled dividers 6, to the lO third stage 26, that begins at a point where second channelled dividers 5 extends from the end of first channelled dividers 6, at a shallow angle thereto, returning the bottle carrying path of device 3 to an angle parallel with upper conveyor 2. Second divider 6 is followed by rear double grooved sheaves 9.
As can be observed from Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, each of the sheaves 7,8,9, is mounted on a shaft 28 for rotation. The channelled dividers 5, 6 are mounted on non-rotating shafts 29 .
Shafts 28, 29 are mounted between structural side plates 4 that are integrated into a ~rame structure 23 that includes a manual 20 height adjustment r? ;~ni~m, the purpose of which is to permit the device 3 of the present invention to be used with bottles of several different heights, without the need to alter the height of either of the two main conveyors, 1, 2 .
Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the devicQ 3 25 are an aligned series of tension arms 12, across the ends of which is mounted a shaft having double grooved tension sheaves 11. Tension arms 12 are pivotally mounted to device 3 between the side plates 4 thereof, and include short angularly extending arms 30. From the ends of arms 30, to the top surface of device 3 extend a series of tension springs 13, the purpose of which is 5 to maintain an outward bias of tension sheaves 11.
A series of parallel extending V-belts 10 extend around the perimeter of the device defined by front sheaves 7, open sided sheaves 8, front and rear channelled dividers 6, 5, rear sheaves 9, and tension sheaves 11. The outermost front and rear sheaves 10 carry one belt each, on their inner groove ( it is to be understood that single groove sheaves may be used in these locations ) and the inner sheaves carry a belt in each of their grooves. Considering the belts in pairs, from each side inwardly - because each pair of belts will pick up a row of bottles - it 15 will be observed from Figure 2 that the members of each pair of belts from adjacent front sheaves 7 are deflected toward one another by adjacent open sided sheaves 8, and held near to one another by the channels of channelled dividers 6, 5 . At the end of rear channelled divider 5, the members of each pair diverge 20 once again as they pass around rear double grooved sheaves 9.
The function of the convergence of the pairs of belts 10 at the f ront of the device 3, and divergence at the rear is to permit the neck of a bottle to slip gently between a pair of belts while the belts are held apart by front sheaves 7, and at 25 the rear of the device, to permit the bottle to be deposited gently on the upper conveyor 2.
2129~79 Referring again to Figure 1, it will be observed that a series of debris separation plates 19, generally parallel to the lower conveyor 1 are provided, there being a plate extending between each row of bottles, suspended beneath the interior 5 channelled dividers, The purpose of the plates is to cause any cardboard or other garbage caught between ad jacent rows of bottles to be stripped off downwardly as the bottles are lifted upwardly past the plates 19 as can be seen in Figure 5. Figure 5 also illustrates the dual garbage collection areas provided in 10 a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First, for the collection of broken glass bottle caps, and small miscellaneous garbage is a chute 20, which leads to a bin 31 that will be periodically emptied. The chute has, extending over it, a plurality of inclined smooth separator bars 21 that lead from the 15 end of lower conveyor 1 to a transversely extending recyclable paper conveyor 22. The function of bars 21 is to deflect large paper items like box sides and dividers onto recycling conveyor 22, while permitting garbage to pass down chute 20.
It will be understood that the arrangement of an upwardly 20 in~.l;n~-l bottle lifting track, and a horizontal debris separation plate, while preferred and quite functional is not considered essential. Rather, the essential relationship between the bottle track and the debris plate is that the two diverge from one another, viewed in the direction of bottle flow. This will 25 ensure that dividers tllat remain between the bottles are pushed downwardly past and free of the bottles. However, it will be appreciated that if it is desired to have a horizontal bottle _g _ ~` 2129579 track, and therefore downwardly inclined debris removal plates, the plates should be spaced outward of the edge of lower conveyor ( notice that in such an arrangement, lower and upper conveyor are in fact at the same level) at least the length of a case or 5 carton. This is due to the fact that the dividers, if flexed downwardly when a portion thereo~ is still on the conveyor, will tend to jam the conveyor and misalign the bottles on the conveyor that have been placed in proper arrangement in the f irst stage of the device.
Referring now to Figure 4, it will be observed that a motor drive is provided, of substantially conventional form, with a motor 17 linked by a pair of universal joints 15 and an angle drive unit 16 to a selected one of the front 7 or rear 9 grooved sheave shafts, to drive same.
In operation, the device 3 of the present invention functions as follows:
a ) A box, tray or carton of bottles is loaded onto lower conveyor 1 and advances to the cutting apparatus where the bottom of the box, tray or carton is separated from the sides and top, and disposed thereof.
b ) The top and sides of the carton or the like are stripped off manually, as the carton proceeds along conveyor 1.
` ~ 2129~79 c) As the array of bottles - usually multiples of two bottle diameters wide and multiples of three bottle diameters long - approaches the end of conveyor 1, the bottles are aligned into straight rows first by the action of blades -, and then by outwardly projecting tapered aligning nose cones 27.
d ) As the bottles reach the end of conveyor 1, they are individually picked up by converging V-belts 1o, that pick up the bottles by the projecting lips on the neck thereof. Short and broken bottles are typically not picked up due to the height differential with the desired bott~es.
e) As the entire array of bottles is lifted, remaining tray sides or detached case sides fall off the end of the conveyor. Additionally, small debris, broken and foreign bottles and crowns pass through separator bars 21 onto garbage chute 20; large easily separated cardboard debris slides over the bar onto recyclable paper conveyor 22 that moves transversely beneath lifting and carrying device 3.
f ) In order to assist the separation of material from the lifting bottles, the bottles are lifted up past plates 19 that are between the rows of bottles. Plates 19 push bottle dividers and other retained debris down, onto separator bars 21 over chute 20. Again, small . ~
garbage passes through the bars into the chute 20.
Large garbage, particularly dividers, will slide onto recyclable paper conveyor 22.
g ) The rows of bottles continue over to upper conveyor, where they are gently released onto conveyor 2 by the divergence of pairs of belts 10.
It will be understood that the present invention provides a îast and efficient means to separate packaging from returnable bottles, with a high degree of separation of metal and glass, and used packaging cardboard for recycling.
It is to be understood that the examples described above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. It is expected that numerous variants will be obvious to the person skilled in the field of packaging and recycling without any departure from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims, properly construed, form the only limitation upon the scope of the invention.
Claims (15)
1. A device for removing bottles from their associated packaging on a bottle return line, including:
a) alignment means for aligning an array of bottles in longitudinal rows on a lower discharge bottle conveyor downstream of a bottom cutting apparatus;
b) bottle pick up means immediately downstream of said alignment means;
c) upwardly inclined bottle transport means extending away from said bottle pick up means;
d) debris clearing means extending downwardly from said transport means between said rows of bottles;
e) bottle release means to release said bottles from said transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
a) alignment means for aligning an array of bottles in longitudinal rows on a lower discharge bottle conveyor downstream of a bottom cutting apparatus;
b) bottle pick up means immediately downstream of said alignment means;
c) upwardly inclined bottle transport means extending away from said bottle pick up means;
d) debris clearing means extending downwardly from said transport means between said rows of bottles;
e) bottle release means to release said bottles from said transport means at the level of an upper conveyor.
2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said pick up means comprises a series of substantially parallel extending endless V-belts that converge slightly at the leading end of said device, at a level just below the annular lip of a selected bottle, whereby the necks of a row of bottles entering between a pair of said converging belts, will be grasped between said converging belts and picked up.
3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said belts, at the leading end of said device pass around grooved sheaves mounted for rotation on a first shaft, the sheaves being spaced to present pairs of belts spread apart slightly more than the diameter of a bottle neck.
4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the laterally outermost of said sheaves carry one belt each, and the sheaves between the outermost ones carry two belts each.
5. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein just downstream of said leading grooved sheaves are a corresponding series of open sided sheaves mounted for rotation on a second shaft, the laterally outer of said open sided sheaves carrying one belt each, and the inner ones of said open sided sheaves carrying two belts each.
6. A device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said open sided sheaves are of a width selected to, and spaced to, cause said belts to converge to slightly less than the diameter of a bottle neck, whereby a bottle will be gently but firmly held between a paid of said belts.
7. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein just downstream of said open sided sheaves, said belts run at a slight upward incline suitably in profiled channels formed in first dividers, said dividers being mounted on a series of non-rotating third shafts.
8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said debris clearing plates extend downwardly from said dividers, approximately parallel to said lower conveyor.
9. A device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein just downstream of said dividers, said belts diverge onto a second series of grooved sheaves arranged for rotation on a fourth shaft, said belts diverging above an upper conveyor, whereby bottles are released from said belts onto said upper conveyor.
10. A device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the spacing and grooves of said second series of grooved sheaves corresponds to the spacing and grooves of the grooved sheaves at the leading edge of said device.
11. A device as claimed in Claim 10, including second dividers with suitably profiled channels between said first dividers and said second set of grooves sheaves, said second dividers being angled relative to said first dividers, returning said belts to a run substantially parallel to said lower and upper conveyors.
12. A device as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said first, second, third and fourth shafts are mounted between structural plates, and at least one of said first or forth shafts serves as a drive shaft operably connected to a source of rotational power.
13. A device as claimed in Claim 12, further including a series of tensioning sheaves mounted on top outwardly biased tensioning arms on the upper surface of said device, to maintain operative tension in said belts.
14. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 - 13, including a debris chute just beyond the leading edge of said lower conveyor, shielded by a series of inclined deflector bars, to permit small pieces of debris to pass therethrough from the conveyor or falling from below the debris clearing plates, and a recyclable debris conveyor, extending transversely to the transport means for conveying recyclable paper products deflected onto same from said deflector bars.
15. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 - 14, wherein said device is configured to accept four rows of bottles simultaneously, and said alignment means comprises tapered dividers extending outwardly from the leading edge of said device over the surface of said lower conveyor.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2129579 CA2129579C (en) | 1994-08-05 | 1994-08-05 | V-belt cleaner-debris removal machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2129579 CA2129579C (en) | 1994-08-05 | 1994-08-05 | V-belt cleaner-debris removal machine |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2129579A1 CA2129579A1 (en) | 1996-02-06 |
| CA2129579C true CA2129579C (en) | 2001-02-27 |
Family
ID=4154121
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2129579 Expired - Fee Related CA2129579C (en) | 1994-08-05 | 1994-08-05 | V-belt cleaner-debris removal machine |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2129579C (en) |
-
1994
- 1994-08-05 CA CA 2129579 patent/CA2129579C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2129579A1 (en) | 1996-02-06 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |