EP0369838B1 - Method and device for bottles in a vertical position - Google Patents

Abstract

The method and the device according to the invention permit the removal of a batch of bottles (3) arranged in parallel rows at the end of a conveyor (1) forming a removal station (10) and the setting down of this same batch on pallets (16) which are empty or already provided with bottom layers, the bottles having been placed in a quincuncial arrangement during the transfer. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for packaging bottles in a vertical position.

It is known to make a parcel of bottles in vertical position on a pallet in an automatic or semi-automatic way, by means of machines which successively take lots of bottles from the end of a horizontal conveyor to make consecutive layers of bottles. standing with between them perforated intermediate plates which cover the necks of the lower bed between which the bottom of the bottles of the upper bed is housed. In these machines, the batch of bottles to be collected is organized in a corridor of determined width corresponding to n√2d where n is the number of bottles per row in the package and d the diameter of the bottles. The bottles are thus more or less naturally staggered, being retained at the end of the conveyor by a transverse stop.

The lot withdrawn necessarily comprises an odd number of rows so that, when two beds are superposed, the bottles of the upper bed are placed between the necks of the lower bed, a sampling of lots comprising an even number of rows would require adjusting the transfer movement of each bed, which is not possible in a simple way for a robot arm.

These known processes and machines have drawbacks which are essentially due to the vagaries in the constitution of batches. In fact, the robot arm which collects, transfers and stacks the beds, comprises grippers which are in the form of a sleeve which covers each neck of the bottle of the batch in question. These sleeves are pneumatically tightened on the necks for transporting the bottles. The mounting of each gripper on the robot arm is flexible and tolerates an inaccuracy in the position of the bottle of a few millimeters, which determines the limits of adaptation of the system.

However, at the end of the conveyor, the sequencing of the bottles does not always operate in a perfect manner. First of all, in the natural setting up of the bottles, hazards due to spontaneous jamming (bracing between bottles) or especially to friction between bottles and along the edges of the conveyor which are essentially variable, in particular due to the presence of labels on the bottle. In addition, when the positioning is carried out well, the location of the last bottles of the batch depends on the dispersion of the sides in the stack of, for example, eleven rows of bottles, dispersion depending on the manufacturing tolerances of the bottles, the presence of foreign bodies between the bottles (labels peeled off, crumpled and inserted in the batch ...). It is noted, for all these reasons, that the coincidence of the grippers with the necks is never achieved and their offset sometimes greater than the self-adaptation capacities of the gripper. It is therefore necessary to put an operator next to the machine who must intervene quickly in the event of a malfunction.

Furthermore, these known machines do not allow an easy adaptation of the position of the grippers to each type of bottle. There are, in fact, several large types of bottles (for wines: bordeaux, burgundy, champagne ...) very distinct from each other to which the spacing of the grippers must be adapted. But in each of these types, there are variants in the shapes and dimensions which involve secondary adjustments of the position of the grippers on the arm of the robot which cannot be carried out without greatly complicating the system. Finally, given the natural nature of the organization of the lot to be sampled, the bottles are all joined and it is not easy to make a packaging in which the bottles are no longer in contact with each other, as is more and more in demand.

The invention intends to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a method and a machine which take into account size dispersions, which reduce the risks of blocking or jamming of the bottles during their conveying, and which include means for easily adapting to the different types of bottles encountered.

a)

organisation d'au moins un lot à prélever en files parallèles de bouteilles jointives, les axes des files étant espacés d'une valeur égale à au moins √2 fois le diamètre des bouteilles,

b)

prélèvement du lot de bouteilles ainsi organisé formant une pluralité de rangs consécutifs de bouteilles perpendiculaires aux files,

c)

rotation d'environ 45 degrés de chaque paire de bouteilles prises dans deux rangs consécutifs autour de leur ligne de contact pour partiellement intercaler les bouteilles d'un rang dans l'autre,

d)

rapprochement les unes des autres des paires de rangs de bouteilles ainsi intercalées,

e)

dépose du lot de bouteilles ainsi réorganisé sur le support de base,

f)

mise en place d'un support intercalaire

g)

répétition du cycle a-f précédent autant de fois que de lits à superposer avec inversion à chaque cycle du sens de rotation...

To this end, the first object of the invention is a method of packaging bottles by superimposed beds of bottles in vertical position on a base support with the installation of intermediate supports with holes, through which the necks of the lower bed pass. , according to which a batch of bottles accumulated on an end surface of a horizontal conveyor corresponding substantially to the surface of the base or intermediate supports is removed by the necks, in order to transport it directly above these supports and the deposit either on the base support or on the intermediate support between the necks of the bottles of the bed previously deposited. According to the invention, this method comprises the following steps:

at)

organization of at least one batch to be taken in parallel rows of contiguous bottles, the axes of the rows being spaced by a value equal to at least √2 times the diameter of the bottles,

b)

sampling of the batch of bottles thus organized forming a plurality of consecutive rows of bottles perpendicular to the rows,

vs)

rotation of approximately 45 degrees of each pair of bottles taken in two consecutive rows around their contact line to partially interpose the bottles from one row to the other,

d)

bringing together of the pairs of rows of bottles thus interposed,

e)

placing the batch of bottles thus rearranged on the base support,

f)

installation of an intermediate support

g)

repetition of the previous af cycle as many times as there are beds superimpose with inversion at each cycle of the direction of rotation ...

This method also includes a step of transferring the bottles between the sampling step and the depositing step during which the rotation and approximation steps are carried out.

The second object of the invention is a device for implementing the above method comprising a plurality of gripping members carried by the end of an arm movable horizontally and vertically between a sampling station and an unloading station on a base or intermediate support for the bottles of each batch, in which the arm is provided with a support fixed relative to the arm, the support carrying several beams which extend transversely to the lines of bottles when the support is above of the sampling station and which can slide parallel to themselves on guides carried by the support, each beam comprising a plurality of plates mounted to rotate in the beam around vertical axes spaced from each other by a distance equal to that separating the axes of the rows of bottles, each plate comprising a pair of gripping members arranged symmetrically with respect to one another the corresponding axis of rotation.

In addition, a drive member is coupled to the beams to move them between a first position where they are spaced from each other and a second position where they are brought together.

Preferably, this motor member comprises a jack coupled between the two end beams and members for transmitting the movement of the end beams to the intermediate beams, which constitute the beam spacer member between them in each of the two positions.

Furthermore, the plates carried by a beam, are connected by an eccentric finger to a common rod for operating their rotation coupled to a control jack by a driving cleat and the common rod is coupled to a set of two antagonistic springs, which maintains it, in the absence of effort from the jack, in a middle position corresponding to an alignment of the grippers perpendicular to the parts.

• ― les figures 1, 2 et 3 sont des schémas illustrant les principales étapes du procédé selon l'invention,
• ― la figure 4 est une vue de dessus générale d'une machine conforme à l'invention,
• ― la figure 5 est une vue de côté simplifiée et partielle de l'équipement du bras de manutention de la machine de la figure 4,
• ― la figure 6 est une vue simplifiée et partielle suivant F de la figure 5,
• ― les figures 7 et 8 sont des schémas en coupe et vus de dessus illustrant la liaison des poutres de l'équipement entre elles et au vérin de commande,
• ― les figures 9 et 10 sont deux coupes orthogonales illustrant le mécanisme de commande de la rotation des préhenseurs par rapport à leur poutre de support.

The invention will be better understood during the description given below of an embodiment of a machine made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating the main steps of the method according to the invention,
• FIG. 4 is a general top view of a machine according to the invention,
• FIG. 5 is a simplified and partial side view of the equipment of the handling arm of the machine of FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6 is a simplified and partial view along F of FIG. 5,
• FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams in section and seen from above illustrating the connection of the beams of the equipment to each other and to the control jack,
• - Figures 9 and 10 are two orthogonal sections illustrating the mechanism for controlling the rotation of the grippers relative to their support beam.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the principle of the method of the invention will be explained. FIG. 1 represents, seen from above, the end of a horizontal conveyor 1, having a final stop 2 on which, in the direction A of advancement of the conveyor, the bottles 3 come to stop.

These bottles 3 are guided in corridors 4 whose edges 5 are sufficiently wide (or in two parts with adjustable spacing) so that the axes of these corridors are distant from each other by a value e substantially equal to √2 times the diameter d of the bottle. In these corridors, the bottles therefore form parallel rows of contiguous bottles. The batch of bottles to be sampled consists of a plurality of rows R1, R2 ..... (for example 10 or 11) of five bottles, one row consisting of bottles of the same level in each row. Once this sample has been taken, we go to the process step of printing a rotation on the bottles to obtain the organization shown in FIG. 2.

, au lieu de d initialement. Il en est de même pour les rangs R3 et R4....To do this, by means of the device described below, we act on groups of two consecutive rows of bottles (for example R1 and R2) by rotating each pair of bottles in the same row belonging to these two rows around d 'a vertical axis 6 substantially coincident with their contact generator, at an angle equal to about 45 ° (in the case of the figure, the direction of rotation is clockwise). By this overall rotation, the bottles of rows R1 and R2 are offset laterally with respect to each other by about half a diameter and the median planes of rows R1 and R2 passing through the axes of the bottles, get closer, n ' being more distant than from $$\frac{\text{√2}}{\text{2}}\text{d}$$

, Instead of initially. The same is true for rows R3 and R4 ....

fois le diamètre d'une bouteille), mais plus rapprochés du fait de l'intercalage des bouteilles. Si l'espace séparant les axes des files initiales est égal à √2 fois le diamètre d'une bouteille, chaque bouteille de chaque rang est au contact de deux bouteilles de l'autre rang (à l'exception d'une bouteille d'extrémité par rang). Si cet espace est supérieur à cette valeur, les paires de bouteilles sont non jointives (pour une rotation bien sur limitée à 45°).At the end of rotation, groups of two rows of bottles 3 were thus formed that were wider than the initial rows (of a value equal to $$\frac{\text{√2}}{\text{2}}$$

times the diameter of a bottle), but closer together due to the intercalation of the bottles. If the space separating the axes of the initial rows is equal to √2 times the diameter of a bottle, each bottle of each row is in contact with two bottles of the other row (with the exception of a bottle of end by row). If this space is greater than this value, the pairs of bottles are not contiguous (for rotation of course limited to 45 °).

The third step of the method according to the invention then consists in bringing the pairs of nested rows together in order to obtain the organization of FIG. 3. We thus obtained a staggered arrangement of the batch of bottles ready to be deposited on the base support or on the intermediate support. We will assume, for the rest of the presentation, that Figure 3 is a diagram seen from above of the first bed made.

During the execution time of the stages of rotation and approximation of the bottles, which have taken place after the sampling, other bottles have replaced those on the conveyor 1. The next cycle therefore begins again with a sampling of these new bottles. The only difference between this new cycle and the previous one lies in the direction of rotation of the pairs of bottles which here will be counterclockwise. In each pair of rows, the bottles 3 will then be arranged as indicated by the circles in broken lines represented on rows R7 and R8 of FIG. 2. Thanks to this reverse rotation, the withdrawn bed can be placed between the necks of the previous bed as shown in Figure 3 (the upper bottles are dotted), for an identical movement of transfer of the batch of bottles.

By the method according to the invention, as just described, the risks of poor grip are very significantly reduced for several reasons. First, the bottles are picked while they are online. Their installation in line is much less hazardous than the natural staggered arrangement, because it is done in corridors where only one bottle can engage.

In addition, the dispersion of dimensions (diameter of the bottles) only has an effect in one direction: the axis of the queue, while for the sampling of bottles already staggered, the dispersion of dimensions is multidirectional in the plan. The effects of cumulation in all these directions can lead to a greater overall offset than the online offset of the last bottle in the batch relative to the gripper. The latter also has by construction sufficient flexibility to absorb this offset. The result of this mechanization of staggered bottles is a very significant reduction in the risks of machine malfunction putting implement the process.

Figure 4 illustrates a schematic top view of such a machine which is very similar in its general architecture to known machines.

This figure shows the horizontal conveyor 1 for feeding and aligning the bottles at the sampling station 10. The bottles accumulate there in file against the stopper 2. A transfer arm 11 is mounted rotating around an axis vertical 12 on a base 13 and carries at its free end a device 14 provided with grippers at its lower part whose gripping function of the necks of the bottles is provided by known means of pneumatic annular bladder type. The arm 11 therefore makes it possible to transfer a batch of bottles from station 10 to loading station 15 (located in the figure under the equipment 14), to which, by conveyor means, reach pallets 16 and from which, by this same conveyor or another, are removed from the loaded pallets 17. The equipment 14 has vertical mobility with respect to the arm 11 for lifting the sampled bottles and depositing them at different levels depending on whether or not the pallet carries one or more beds of lower bottles.

The following figures relate specifically to the means of the machine according to the invention which make it possible to implement the method.

In these figures the equipment 14 comprises a horizontal fixed structure 20 which is integral with the end of the arm 11. This structure 20 carries beneath its underside fixed guide bars 21 on which beams 22 can slide (by means of bearings 23). These beams are therefore transverse to the sliding bars 21. Two end beams 24 and 25, parallel to the other beams 22, are integral with rods 26, 27 which slide in fixed bearings 28, 29 integral with the structure 20. This arrangement allows the length of the bars to guidance to be as short as possible, that is to say of length substantially equal to that of all the beams in the tightened position against each other.

In Figures 7 and 8, there is shown in isolation the connection of the beams 22, 24 and 25 between them and to an actuating cylinder 30. This cylinder is coupled between the centers of the two end beams 24, 25. Each of these beams carries a vertical finger 31 which is housed in an oblong slot 32 of a plate 33 secured to the beam 22 which is adjacent to it and which is directed towards the corresponding end beam. This plate 33 is extended on the other side of each beam 22 by a symmetrical part of the previous one with an identical light 32 to receive a vertical finger 31 which is integral with each next beam 22.

It is understood that by retracting the jack 30, the beams are brought together, since they can slide on the rods 21 or in the bearings 28, 29 for the rods 26, 27. This position is illustrated by the right part of these two figures, where it can be seen that the minimum spacing distance between two beams depends on the lateral offset of each finger 31 and on the interval separating two slots 32 of the same plate. On the left-hand part of these figures, the beams have been shown in their maximum spacing under the effect of an extension of the jack 30. The distance between the beams has increased by L, the length of the light 32. We will have returned fixed, relative to the support structure, a central beam 22 which will constitute the middle part and from which the other beams will be displaced symmetrically. Provision will have been made to make the plates 33 removable, which makes it possible to exchange them to modify the stroke and, consequently, modify the spacings between the pairs of rows of bottles suspended from the beams.

Returning to Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10, it can be seen that each beam 22, 24 or 25 is equipped with a plurality lity of lower plates 40, rotatably mounted in the beam around the vertical axes 41, spaced from each other by the distance e separating the rows of bottles, and equipped on their underside with two pneumatic tulip-shaped grippers 42 l one from the other with respect to the axis of rotation 41. On the right part of FIG. 5, the tulips are shown aligned from one beam to the other, the lower plates 40 having their axis perpendicular to that of the beam (see Figure 9). On the left side, the plates are at an angle, at 45 ° to the beam. The simultaneous rotation of the plates of each beam is obtained by a finger 43, eccentric relative to the axis 41 and carrying a rotating ring 44 on which is fixed a tangent rod 45 for connecting the fingers of the plates carried by the same beam. This rod 45 carries in the middle part a fixed jumper which overlaps a cleat 47 for driving with a possibility of sliding between them in a direction perpendicular to the rod. This cleat 47 is, in the device shown, located above the rod 45 and is integral with a rod 48 of cylinder 49, with double effect. This cylinder rod 48 is associated - see FIG. 9 - with a mechanism 50 with opposing springs 51, 52 which cooperate with a shoulder 53 of the rod 48 to return this rod to a single fixed position in the absence of pressure in the one or the other chamber of the jack 49. In this position the cleat 47 is in the neutral position relative to the common rod 45 for maneuvering the plates 40 in rotation. The latter are then perpendicular to the beams 22, 24, 25. The tulips 42 are then aligned in directions perpendicular to the beams. If the beams are distant from each other by the maximum of their spacing (right of FIG. 5) the tulips are regularly distributed along their alignment and separated by a value equal to approximately a diameter of bottle. Just as the plates 33 are interchangeable, it is possible to envisage adapting different plates 40 to beams 22 to take account of the different dimensions of the types of bottles to be handled.

We understand that by moving the rod 48 in either direction, from its neutral position shown in Figure 9, we rotate all the plates of a beam by the same angle, then placing the tulips 42 in their position illustrated by the left of Figure 5, if this angle is 45 °. It is therefore possible by this means to obtain the modification of the organization of the batch of bottles, as illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2. The grouping of the beams by means of the jack 30 makes it possible to ensure the transition between the Figures 2 and 3.

The apparatus described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10 makes it possible to implement the method of the invention and to adapt this implementation to the main types of bottles encountered. It also allows, thanks to the adjustment possibilities it offers, to form beds of contiguous or spaced bottles and thus respond to all requests. Finally, it allows the reorganization of the bottle lot sampled during its transfer from the sampling station to the loading station.

Claims (10)

1. A process for packaging bottles (3) in superposed layers of bottles in a vertical position on a base support (16) with positioning of interposed supports having holes through which the necks of the lower layer pass, wherein a batch (3) of bottles which have accumulated on an end surface of a horizontal transporter (1) substantially corresponding to the surface of the base (16) or interposed supports is removed by way of the necks to transport it into a position in vertical alignment with said supports and deposit it either on the base support or on the interposed support between the necks of the bottles of the previously deposited layer, characterised by the following steps:

a)   organising at least one batch to be removed in parallel lines (4) of contiguous bottles (3), the axes of the lines being spaced by a distance equal to at least √2 times the diameter (d) of the bottles,

b)   removing the batch of bottles which is organised in that way, forming a plurality of consecutive rows (R1-RN) of bottles which are perpendicular to the lines (4),

c)   rotating through about 45 degrees each pair of bottles (3) taken from two consecutive rows (R1, R2) about their contact line (6) for partially engaging the bottles of one row (R1) into the other row (R2),

d)   moving towards each other the pairs of rows of bottles which are engaged in that way,

e)   depositing the batch of bottles which is reorganised in that way on the base support,

f)   setting an interposed support in position, and

g)   repeating the preceding cycle a)-f) as many times as there are layers to be superposed with reversal of the direction of rotation in each cycle.

2. A process according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises a step for transfer of the bottles between the removal step and the deposit step during which the steps for rotating the bottles and moving the pairs of rows towards each other are carried out.

3. Apparatus for carrying out the process according to one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of gripping members (42) carried by the end of an arm (11) movable horizontally and vertically between a removal station (10) and a discharge station (15) for discharge of the bottles (3) of each batch on to a base (16) or interposed support, characterised in that the arm is provided with a support (20) which is fixed with respect to the arm, bearing a plurality of beams (22, 24, 25) which extend transversely to the lines of bottles (3) when the support is disposed above the removal station (10) and which can slide parallel to themselves on guides (21, 26, 27) carried by the support (20), each beam (22) comprising a plurality of plates (40) mounted rotatably in the beam about vertical axes (41) which are spaced from each other by a distance (e) equal to that separating the axes of the lines of bottles, each plate (40) comprising a pair of gripping members (42) which are disposed symmetrically to each other with respect to the corresponding axis of rotation (41).

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterised in that it comprises a drive member (30) coupled to the beams to displace them between a first position in which they are moved away from each other and a second position in which they are moved towards each other.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterised in that said drive member comprises a jack (30) which is coupled between the two end beams (24, 25) and members (31, 33) for transmission of the movement of the end beams to the intermediate beams, which constitute bracing members for the beams between same in each of the two positions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterised in that the transmission members are formed by fingers (31) which are fixed with respect to one beam in two, each being mounted slidably in an oblong opening (32) in a plate (33) which is carried laterally by each of the adjacent beams (22), the length (L) of the opening (32) corresponding to the relative travel of two adjacent beams.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6 characterised in that one of the beams (22) is fixed with respect to the support (20).

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7 characterised in that the plates (40) carried by a beam are connected by an off-centre finger (43) to a common rod (45) for producing rotary movement thereof, the rod being coupled to a control jack (49) by a drive lug (47).

9. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterised in that the rod (48) of the jack (49) is coupled to an assembly (50) of two oppositely acting springs (51, 52) which, in the absence of pressure in the jack, hold it in a central position corresponding to an orientation of the grippers (42), which is perpendicular to the beams (22).

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 characterised in that the jack (49) is a double-acting jack and has a sufficient travel motion to cause a rotary movement of the plates (40) through 45° on respective sides of the central position.

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