Transport device for transporting containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10472184-B2
Application number	US-201816034759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 4, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A transport device for transporting containers with a plurality of pucks, each designed for receiving a container and for standing transport of the container, the transport device having an intermediate starwheel and a container lifting device to adjust the vertical position of the containers, and the transport device permitting the containers to be transported by the pucks to an inlet of a treatment machine and away from an outlet of the treatment machine. The container lifting device of the transport device is integrally formed with or attached to the intermediate starwheel and is formed and arranged in operation such that it lifts the containers, for removing the containers from the pucks, before they pass through a treatment section of the treatment machine and lowers the containers, for inserting the containers into the pucks, after they have passed through the treatment section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport device for transporting containers with a plurality of pucks, which are each designed for receiving a container and for standing transport of the container,
the transport device comprising an intermediate starwheel and a container lifting device designed to adjust the vertical position of the containers, and
the transport device being designed such that the containers can be transported by means of the pucks to an inlet of a treatment machine and away from an outlet of the treatment machine,
the container lifting device being integrally formed with or attached to the intermediate starwheel and formed and arranged in operation such that it lifts the containers for removing the containers from the pucks before they pass through a treatment section of the treatment machine and lowers the containers for inserting the containers into the pucks after they have passed through the treatment section,
wherein the transport device comprises an infeed starwheel and an outfeed starwheel and the container lifting device is designed for transferring the containers to the infeed starwheel and for taking the containers over from the outfeed starwheel.

2. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate starwheel is arranged between the infeed starwheel and the outfeed starwheel such that during transfer to the infeed starwheel and taking over from the outfeed starwheel, it simultaneously forms the counterpart to the infeed starwheel and the outfeed starwheel.

3. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the container lifting device is designed such that the containers are lifted in such a way that after lifting they are in a position in which they can be transferred to holding elements of the infeed starwheel.

4. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the container lifting device is designed for taking over the containers from holding elements of the outfeed starwheel and for subsequently lowering the containers.

5. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the container lifting device comprises lifting elements for gripping a respective container and a curve guide, which is designed and arranged in operation such that the lifting elements are lifted so far after gripping of the containers that the containers are removed from the pucks and/or are lowered so far before the containers are released that the containers are placed in the puck.

6. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport device is designed such that the containers are transported hanging, from the removal of the containers from the pucks until insertion of the containers into the pucks.

7. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate starwheel is designed as a lifting starwheel.

8. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the transport device is designed such that the pucks are transported along a puck circuit to and away from the intermediate starwheel.

9. The transport device according to claim 1 , comprising an infeed worm which is designed and arranged in such a way that, before removing the containers from the pucks, it creates a predetermined spacing between successive pucks.

10. A method for transporting pucks and containers comprising the steps of:
transporting a plurality of containers, each standing in a puck, to an inlet of a treatment machine,
the transporting of the containers being along a treatment section of the treatment machine,
transporting containers, each standing in a puck, away from an outlet of the treatment machine,
lifting the containers by means of a container lifting device, which is integrally formed with or attached to an intermediate starwheel, for removing the containers from the pucks before they pass through the treatment section, and
lowering the containers for inserting the containers into the pucks after they have passed through the treatment section;
transferring the containers from the intermediate starwheel to an infeed starwheel of the treatment machine, subsequently transporting the containers along the treatment section, and transferring the containers from an outfeed starwheel to the intermediate starwheel after having passed through the treatment section.

11. The method for transporting pucks and containers according to claim 10 , further comprising transporting the containers in a hanging manner, from the removal of the containers from the pucks until insertion of the containers into the pucks, in particular when passing through the treatment section.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Bauer Veronika

Classifications

• B67C7/0053

  using grippers (for supporting bottle necks during filling B67C3/242) · CPC title

• B65G2201/0261

  Puck as article support · CPC title

• B65C9/02

  Devices for moving articles, e.g. containers, past labelling station · CPC title

• B65G47/847 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title