Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BOTTLE ORIENTING DEVICE
BACKGROUND
Field of the Disclosure
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bottle orienting device that is
used to arrange bottles in a desired configuration, preferably for further
processing, for example, in a bottle filling and capping machine. More
specifically, the bottle orienting device includes a stationary kicker with an
orientating element that is used to orient bottles as desired.
Related Art
[0002] Bottle filling and capping machines typically include a device that
arranges the bottles in a desired orientation so that they can be properly
processed by the machine for filling, capping or other additional processing.
[0003] While there are several ways to orient bottles for further processing
in such a filling machine, prior art orienting devices are often needlessly
complicated and unreliable.
[0004] Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a bottle orienting
device, preferably for use in a bottle filling line, that avoids the problems
mentioned above.
SUMMARY
[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved
bottle orienting device operable to set a plurality of bottles in a predefined
position for further processing.
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[0006] A bottle orienting device for orienting bottles including a neck with
an opening on one end thereof in accordance with an embodiment of the
present application includes a first belt operable to advance a bottle in a
first
direction, a stationary kicker extending upward relative to a lower surface of
the bottle as it advances in the first direction and positioned in a path of
travel
of the bottle such that the bottle will rotate around the kicker as it passes
the
kicker, and a rotation deflector positioned above the kicker and upstream
from the kicker, the rotation deflector positioned such that it prevents
rotation
of the bottle when desired.
[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description of the invention, which refers
to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0008] Fig. 1 is an illustration of a bottle orienting machine including a
bottle orienting device in accordance with an embodiment of the present
application;
[0009] Fig. 2 is a more detailed view of a kicker of the bottle orienting
device of Fig. 1;
[0010] Fig. 3 is an illustration of how the bottle orienting device of the
present application properly orients a bottle that is in a neck leading
disposition;
[0011] Fig. 4 is an illustration of how the bottle orienting device of the
present application properly orients a bottle that is in a neck trailing
disposition;
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[0012] Fig. 5 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of an orienting
member of the kicker illustrated in Fig. 2;
[0013] Fig. 6 illustrates how the orienting member of Fig. 5 interacts with a
neck leading bottle; and
[0014] Fig. 7 illustrates how the orienting member of Fig. 5 interacts with a
neck trailing bottfe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The bottle orienting device of the present application is preferably
for use in a bottle orienting machine prior to filling and capping, however,
it
may be used in other applications as well.
[0016] Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a bottle orienting
machine I in which the bottle orienting device 10 of the present application
is
preferably used. Generally, a plurality of botties B is provided to the
machine
1. The bottles include a neck, typically adapted to receive a cap, with an
opening therein to allow the bottfes to be filled. In Fig. 1, the bottles B
are
first provided to a rotary feeder 12, preferably via a storage hopper 5 and
elevator belt device 7, however, any suitable mechanism for providing the
bottles B may be used. A rotating disc 12a is provided in the rotary feeder
12 and rotates at a desired speed such that the bottles B are forced to the
outer periphery of the disc 12a. At this point, the botties B are lying on
their
side in a horizontal position at random in either a neck trailing or neck
leading
position.
[0017] From the rotary feeder 12, the bottles B are provided to a metering
belt 14 which transports the bottles in a single line toward the orienting
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device 10. The metering belt 14 is preferably a rubber motorized belt that
moves the bottles B in the direction of arrow A. The metering belt 14 may
be bottom mounted, that is, positioned under the bottles B, as illustrated in
Fig. 1, or side mounted, that is, adjacent to the botties. In Fig. 1, a paddle
wheel 8 may be used to help knock down the bottles that are vertical and not
laying down prior to entering the feeder 12 to the metering belt 14. The
metering belt 14 accepts the bottles B one by one from the feeder 12 in a
single file. The bottles B may be in a neck leading orientation, for example,
bottle B10, or a neck trailing orientation like bottle B12.
[0018] From the metering belt 14, the bottles B, B10, B12 are passed to
the orienting device 10. Specifically, the metering belt 14 passes the bottles
B, B10, B12 to a bottom guide 20 on which they slide as they pass through
the device 10. The bottom guide may simply be a substantially flat and low
friction surface as indicated in Fig. 1. Alternatively, the guide 20 may
simply
include two elongated and spaced apart bars that extend parallel to the
direction of travel of the bottles B, B10, B12 over the length of the device
10.
The lateral spacing between the bars is set such that it is smaller than a
width of the bottles B, B10, B12 so that a bottle lying on top of the bars
will
simply slide along on the bars without falling between them. In another
embodiment, a single elongated guide bar may form the bottom guide 20. In
addition, the bottom guide 20 may be eliminated altogether as is described
further below.
[0019] At least one side belt 112 is provided to advance the bottles B,
B10, B12 in the direction of arrow A. That belt 112 is provided adjacent to
the path of travel of the bottles B, B10, B12 and urges the bottles in the
direction of arrow A. In a preferred embodiment, two side belts 112 are
provided, one on each side of the line of bottles B, B10, B12. A kicker 116 is
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mounted in the device 10 such that it extends upward relative to the guide 20
in the path of the bottles B, B10, B12.
[0020] In an alternative embodiment, where two side belts 112 are used
as illustrated in Fig. 2, the bottom guide 20 may be eliminated altogether
with
the bottles B, B10, B12 held up and moved forward by the side belts alone.
In this case, the kicker 116 is mounted in the device 10 such that it extends
upward relative to the lowest surface of the bottle as it is advanced between
the belts 112.
[0021] Fig. 2 provides a more detailed view of the kicker 116. As can be
seen in Fig. 2, the kicker 116 preferably includes an orienting member 116a
mounted on a base 116b. The orienting member 116a preferably includes
an orienting element 116c that extends beyond an end of the base 116b in
the direction from which the bottles B, B10, B12 are received. The orienting
element 116c of Fig. 2 has a curved shape that curves away from the
direction from which the bottles B, B10, B12 are received, that is, in the
direction of the arrow A. However, it is noted that the orienting element 116c
is not limited to this curved shape. The kicker 116 engages the bottles B,
B10, B12 as they travel in the direction of arrow A, either as they slide
along
the guide 20 or simply are carried between the belts 112 such that they are in
a desired orientation after they pass the kicker 116. Preferably, the bottles
B, B10, B12 are all oriented in a neck trailing position after they pass the
kicker 116. This will allow the bottles B to be easily repositioned further
downstream into a desired position for filling and/or capping, for example.
[0022] Fig. 3 illustrates how a bottle B10 that is in a neck leading position
as it approaches the kicker 116 is rotated by the kicker 116 to be in a neck
trailing position after it passes the kicker. In Fig. 3A, the bottle B10
approaches the kicker 116 in a horizontal position, as is noted above.
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While not visible in Fig. 3A, the bottle B10 is moved in the direction of
arrow
A by the side belt, or belts, 112 mentioned above. In Fig. 3B, when the bottle
B10 is adjacent to the kicker 116, the orienting element 116c of the orienting
member 116a enters the opening in the neck of the bottle B10. The neck of
the bottle B10 contacts the base 116b of the kicker 116 as illustrated. It is
noted that the height of the base 11 6b relative to the guide 20, or the
lowest
surface of the bottle B10, is selected such that the orienting member 116a is
aligned with the opening in the neck of the bottle B10. The base 116b is
preferably removable from the device 10 as desired, so that a taller, or
shorter, base may be provided to accommodate bottles of different sizes.
However, the orienting member 116a may generally be used with a base
116b of any height.
[0023] Since the belt, or belts, 112 continue to urge the bottle B10 in the
direction indicated by arrow A, and the bottle begins to rotate around the
orienting member 116a of the kicker 116, as illustrated by the arrow R in Fig.
3C. In Figs. 3D-Fig 3E, the bottle B10 continues to rotate until it passes
beyond a vertical position into a substantially neck trailing orientation and
is
released from the orienting element 116c, as illustrated in Fig. 3E, for
example. In the particular embodiment of Figs. 3A-3E, the curved shape of
the orienting element 116c which curves in the same direction as the
direction of travel of the bottle B10, allows the open part of the orienting
element to smoothly release the bottle after it has rotated beyond vertical.
An angled deflector 118 is provided further downstream of the kicker 116 and
serves to ensure that the bottle B10 setties back down on the guide 20, or to
its original height relative to the kicker 116. Thus, after the bottle B10
passes
the kicker 116, it is in a neck trailing position.
[0024] In Fig. 4A, a bottle B12 approaches the kicker 116 in a neck
trailing position. In this case, the bottle B12 approaches the kicker 116 with
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its bottom facing the kicker. The bottom of the bottle B12 contacts the
orienting element 116c, which impedes further movement of the bottle in
direction A, as can be seen in Fig. 4B. The bottle B12 may then begin to
rotate as indicated by arrow R in Fig. 4C. However, since the opening of the
bottle B12 faces away from the kicker 116, the orienting element 116c
cannot enter the opening. As a result, the bottle B12 is pushed up higher as
it rotates. A rotation deflector 120 is positioned slightly upstream from the
kicker 116 and mounted above it a predetermined distance. The
predetermined distance is set such that a bottle, such as the bottle B10
discussed above, that is rotating with the orienting element 116c positioned
in the opening in its neck will not contact the rotation deflector 120 as it
rotates. In contrast, as the bottle B12 begins to rotate, since the orienting
element 116c is not in its opening, it extends up higher and comes into
contact with the rotation deflector 120. The rotation deflector 120 prevents
the bottle B12 from continuing its rotation. Instead, the bottle B12 will stop
rotating and will slide over the remainder of the orienting member 116a as
illustrated in Figs. 4D-4E, for example. The deflector 118 downstream of the
kicker 116 then guides the bottle B12, still in a neck trailing orientation,
back
down to the guide 20, or to its original height relative to the kicker 116 to
continue travelling in the direction of arrow A. Thus, regardless of the
starting orientation, the bottle, B10 or B12, will be in a neck trailing
position
after it passes the kicker 116.
[0025] While the figures specifically illustrate the rotation deflector 120 as
a wheel, any suitable deflector structure may be used instead. That is, any
suitable deflector positioned upstream from and spaced sufficiently above the
kicker 116 may be used to limit rotation of the bottle B12, for example. The
wheel illustrated in Figs. 4A-4E is preferred since it can rotate, and thus,
prevent the bottle B12 from becoming jammed in the device 10 after it
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contacts the wheel, however, any deflector element may be used. For
example, a simple metal or plastic plate may be used, if desired.
[0026] Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the orienting
member 116a. In this embodiment, the orienting member 116a is still
mounted on the base 116b however, it does not include the curved orienting
element 116c described above and illustrate din Figs. 2-4. Instead the
orienting element 116c is shaped as a blunt protrusion that extends from the
side of the orienting member 116a on the side from which the bottles
approach the kicker 116. The blunt protrusion extends beyond the
corresponding end of the base 116b in a manner similar to the curved
orienting element described above with reference to Figs. 2-4 such that it
enters the opening in the neck of an approaching bottle, such as bottle B10,
for example. This is illustrated in Fig. 6, for example. Thereafter, the
bottle
will rotate around the kicker 116 in much the same manner as described
above with reference to Figs. 3B-3E. Similarly, Fig. 7 illustrates how the
bottom of a bottle already in the neck trailing position, such as bottle B12,
contacts the blunt protrusion. Such a bottle would then begin to rotate but
be.
stopped by the rotation deflector 120 and proceed to slide over the orienting
member 116a in a manner similar to that described above with reference to
Figs. 4B-4E. It is noted that the orienting element 116c may be provided in a
variety of shapes and is not limited to the curved shape or blunt protrusion
described and shown herein.
[0027] The orienting device 10 of the present application thus allows for a
simple and effective means to orient bottles as desired. The kicker 116
remains stationary, and thus, is easy to install and position. The orienting
element 116c engages the bottles B10 that are in a neck leading orientation
to ensure that they rotate into the desired neck trailing orientation. Since
the
curved shape of the curved orienting element illustrated in Figs. 2-4 curves
in
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the direction of travel of the bottle B10, after the bottle has rotated, the
open
end of the curved element smoothly releases the bottle. Similarly, the blunt
protrusion shape of the orienting element in Figs. 5-7 also allows for the
easy
release of the bottle B10 after it has rotated beyond vertical as well. The
rotation deflector 120 provides a simple and effective structure to prevent
rotation when desired. Further, since the rotation deflector 120 is positioned
upstream of the kicker 116, the rotation of the bottle B12 is stopped early
on,
and thus, the device is very reliable.
[0028] The bottles B, B10, B12 are typically forwarded to a flipping
section of the machine I after they are settled back down on the guide 20 or
to their original height relative to the kicker 116 by the deflector 118. This
section is illustrated as a part of the device 10 in Fig. 1, however, it may
be a
separate element altogether. Generally, a second kicker is provided to rotate
all of the now neck trailing bottles into a standing upright position which is
convenient for filling and capping. However, the bottles need not be stood up
after being properly oriented by the device 10 of the present application.
Alternatively, or in addition, the bottles may be subjected to other
processing
as well, if desired.
[0029] Although the present invention has been described in relation to
particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and
other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
