Device and method for transferring containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10815112-B2
Application number	US-201615568242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 21, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A transferring device is provided for transferring containers from a container advancing device, where they are aligned in at least one row along an advancing direction, to at least one operating unit arranged outside the line, adjacent to the container advancing device, along a transferring direction transverse to the advancing direction. The transferring device includes at least two transferring arms, movable to selectively translate along the transferring direction from the container advancing device toward the operating unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transferring device for transferring containers from a container advancing device, the containers being aligned in at least one row along an advancing direction, to at least one operating unit arranged outside the line, adjacent to the container advancing device, along a transferring direction transverse to said advancing direction, comprising a plurality of movable transferring arms, for selectively translating along said transferring direction from the container advancing device toward said operating unit, said transferring arms being movable toward and away from each other along said transferring direction between an adjustable gripping condition in which said transferring arms are brought closer to each other and in contact, on opposite sides, with one or more containers arranged along said advancing direction for transferring said one or more containers along said transferring direction, and a releasing condition in which said transferring arms are spaced from said one or more containers, wherein said transferring device comprises first and second external transferring arms and an intermediate transferring arm cooperating with two operating units that are arranged on opposite sides with respect to said container advancing device, wherein said first and second external transferring arms each include an internal contact surface for gripping said one or more containers and an external surface, said intermediate transferring arm including first and second contact surfaces for gripping said one or more containers, the internal contact surfaces of the first and second external transferring arms face one another, the distance between the first external transferring arm internal contact surface and the intermediate transferring arm first contact surface defines a first container gripping zone, and the distance between the second external transferring arm internal contact surface and the intermediate transferring arm second contact surface defines a second container gripping zone.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein in said adjustable gripping condition, at least one container gripping zone is defined between said transferring arms, said gripping zone having a width that is adjustable so as to be equal to a larger transverse size of said one or more containers.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said first external transferring arm includes a supporting rod and a gripping edge comprising at least one internal contact surface, said second external transferring arm including a supporting rod and a gripping edge comprising at least one internal contact surface, and said intermediate transferring arm including a supporting rod and a gripping edge including first and second contact surfaces.

4. The device according to claim 3 , and further comprising supporting devices, said supporting devices including supporting frames, brackets, levers and pins, said first external transferring arm, said second external transferring arm and said intermediate transferring arm being cantilever mounted on corresponding supporting devices by connecting respective supporting rods with said brackets of said corresponding supporting devices.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein said first and second external transferring arms and said intermediate transferring arm, said levers and said frames define a parallelogram configuration enabling said first and second external transferring arms and said intermediate transferring arm to be moved along said transferring direction.

6. The device according to claim 1 , and further comprising a control unit, for controlling the alignment of said one or more containers along said advancing direction, the alignment of said one or more containers with at least one operating unit, and the translation of said one or more containers along a transferring direction by said external and intermediate transferring arms.

7. A weighing station of a filling line for filling containers, said weighing station comprising one or more weighing units and a transferring device according to claim 1 .

8. A filling line for filling containers, said filling line comprising a filling station, a weighing station according to claim 7 and a container closing station.

9. A method for transferring containers aligned in at least one row along an advancing direction between a container advancing device and at least one operating unit arranged adjacent to the container advancing device along a transferring direction transverse to the advancing direction, comprising the steps of
(a) translating transferring arms that are movable along the transferring direction from the container advancing device toward the operating unit; and
(b) selectively defining an adjustable gripping condition and a releasing condition by moving said transferring arms toward and away from each other, respectively, along said transferring direction, said transferring arms being brought closer in contact, on opposite sides, with one or more containers arranged along said advancing direction for transferring said one or more containers along said transferring direction when in said adjustable gripping condition, said transferring arms being spaced away from said one or more containers when in said releasing condition, wherein said translating step comprises translating two external transferring arms and one intermediate transferring arm arranged between said external transferring arms for defining said gripping and releasing conditions, each of said external transferring arms gripping one or more containers with a respective internal contact surface and said intermediate transferring arm gripping one or more containers with two respective contact surfaces.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein said translating step comprises: transferring containers using a first external transferring arm of said two external transferring arms with a respective internal contact surface and said intermediate transferring arm with a first of said contact surfaces and transferring containers using a second external transferring arm of said two external transferring arms with said respective internal contact surface and said intermediate transferring arm with a second of said contact surfaces, the distance between respective and reciprocally facing internal contact surfaces and intermediate transferring arm contact surfaces defining two container gripping zones.

11. Computer program that can be stored in a computer-readable medium, containing instructions that enabling a transferring device to perform the method according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Ima Spa

Inventors

• Gabusi Gabriele
• Trebbi Claudio

Classifications

• B65G47/52 Primary

  Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices (loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00) · CPC title

• G01G15/00

  Arrangements for check-weighing of materials dispensed into removable containers (packaging aspects B65B; {electric measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value G01R17/00}) · CPC title

• B65G2207/08

  Adjustable and/or adaptable to the article size · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B67C7/0026 Primary

  the containers travelling along a linear path · CPC title