SINGLING UNIT FOR ARTICLES STACKED IN A NESTED CONFIGURATION

Abstract

A singling unit for articles stacked in a nested configuration includes at least two stacks of articles stacked in a nested configuration, an extractor group to extract single articles from each stack, and a conveyor to receive the articles singled by the extractor group and to transport them along an advance direction arranged in at least one row substantially parallel to the advance direction. The extractor group is configured to deposit on the conveyor the articles extracted from the stacks in a number of rows smaller than the number of the stacks.

Claims

1.-19. (canceled)

20. A singling unit for articles stacked in a nested configuration, comprising: at least two stacks of articles stacked in a nested configuration, an extractor group configured to extract single articles from each of said at least two stacks, and a conveyor configured to receive the articles singled by said extractor group and to transport the articles along an advance direction with the articles arranged in at least one row substantially parallel to said advance direction, wherein said extractor group is configured to deposit on said conveyor the articles extracted from said stacks in a number of rows smaller than the number of said at least two stacks.

21. The singling unit according to claim 20, further comprising substantially horizontal support guides on which said at least two stacks are to be fed to said extractor group.

22. The singling unit according to claim 20, further comprising, for each of said stacks, a respective feed device to position, at a predetermined frequency, an end article of the at least two stacks in a removal zone for picking up by said extractor group.

23. The singling unit according to claim 20, wherein said extractor group is configured to extract single articles from each of said at least two stacks in a substantially simultaneous manner.

24. The singling unit according to claim 20, wherein said extractor group comprises: an extractor wheel configured to rotate about a main rotation axis, at least one first gripping head mounted on said extractor wheel, and at least two gripping elements, each mounted on said at least one first gripping head, each gripping element being configured to selectively retain one of said articles extracted from said at least two stacks.

25. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein the number of gripping elements is equal to the number of said at least two stacks of articles.

26. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said at least one first gripping head is configured to be rotated by said extractor wheel about said main rotation axis between (i) a removal zone, in which each of said gripping elements extracts an article from one end of a corresponding stack facing said extractor wheel, and (ii) a release zone, in which each of said gripping elements releases said article.

27. The singling unit according to claim 24, further comprising a cam mechanism constraining said at least one first gripping head to said extractor wheel, the cam mechanism being configured to guide a movement of said first gripping head relative to said extractor wheel.

28. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said main rotation axis of said extractor wheel is horizontal.

29. The singling unit according to claim 20, wherein said at least two stacks are arranged substantially coplanar to said at least one row of articles deposited on said conveyor.

30. The singling unit according to claim 20, wherein said extractor group is configured to deposit on said conveyor the articles extracted from said at least two stacks in a single row.

31. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said gripping elements lie on a same radial plane as said extractor wheel.

32. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said gripping elements are selectively connected to a pressure reduction circuit to retain said articles by suction.

33. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said articles are cup-shaped, the singling unit is configured to identify longitudinally opposed bottom and mouth of each of said articles, and said gripping elements retain each corresponding article on said bottom.

34. The singling unit according to claim 24, wherein said extractor group comprises an exchange wheel, configured to receive the articles extracted by said extractor wheel and to deposit the articles on said conveyor.

35. The singling unit according to claim 34, wherein said exchange wheel comprises at least one second gripping head configured to receive the articles from said at least one first gripping head of said extractor wheel and to deposit the articles on said conveyor.

36. A method for singling articles stacked in a nested configuration, comprising: providing at least two stacks of said stacked articles, extracting, by an extractor group, one article from each of said at least two stacks, and depositing the articles extracted from each stack on a conveyor configured to transport said articles in at least one row substantially parallel to an advance direction of said conveyor, the number of rows being smaller than the number of said at least two stacks.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein said articles are deposited on said conveyor at a speed greater than 500 articles per minute.

38. An apparatus for packaging capsules for infusion type beverages, comprising a plurality of stacks of empty capsules in a nested configuration, the singling unit according to claim 20 for said empty capsules and a filling unit for said capsules placed downstream of said singling unit.

Description

[0091] The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of an embodiment example illustrated, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0092] FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side perspective of a singling unit for articles made in accordance with the present invention;

[0093] FIG. 2 is a schematic view in side perspective and on an enlarged scale of a portion of the singling unit in FIG. 1.

[0094] With reference to the accompanying figures, 1 indicates overall a singling unit constructed in accordance with the present invention.

[0095] The singling unit 1 further comprises an extractor group 10, provided to extract single articles 2 from stacks 3a and 3b, in which the articles 2 are stacked in a nested configuration, and to deposit them individually on a conveyor 20 which transports them along an advance direction X.

[0096] In the preferred case described herein, the articles 2 are empty capsules for infusion type beverages, e.g. coffee, intended to be filled with the appropriate powdered material required for the preparation of the beverage. However, the articles 2 may be objects intended for any other application as long as they can be stacked in a nested configuration.

[0097] The articles 2 are formed by a rigid, truncated cone-shaped casing comprising a bottom 4 from which a flared lateral wall extends towards an opening 5 opposed to the bottom 4, so as to allow the insertion of the bottom of an article into another article through the mouth thereof.

[0098] The singling unit 1, is part of an apparatus for preparing and packaging capsules for infusion type beverages, and comprises, in general terms, an article filling unit 2 and an article closing unit that are placed downstream of the singling unit 1.

[0099] In the preferred case described herein, two stacks of articles, 3a and 3b, are provided, while the articles 2 extracted by the extractor group 10 are deposited on the conveyor 20 to form a single row 21 substantially parallel to the advance direction X.

[0100] The stacks 3a, 3b are positioned on respective guides 6a and 6b, which are substantially horizontal, placed one above the other so that they belong to the same vertical plane.

[0101] In order to move the stacks 3a, 3b towards the extractor group 10, respective drive belts are also provided at the lower bases of the guides 6a, 6b.

[0102] In particular, the stacks 3a, 3b are oriented in such a manner that the bottom 4 of the articles 2 faces the extractor group 10.

[0103] Two feed devices 7a, 7b are provided between the guides 6a, 6b and the extractor group 10 and each of them is provided to place an end article 2a, 2b of the stacks 3a, 3b in a removal zone A in which it can be removed from the extractor group 10.

[0104] In particular, each feeding device comprises a group of screws are controlled to be rotated about their own axis at a speed synchronized with the extractor group, so that the end article 2a, 2b of the respective stack is in the removal zone A at exactly the time when it can be removed by the extractor group 10.

[0105] Preferably, four screws are provided for each feeding device 7a, 7b so that each article 2 can be effectively grasped and precisely conducted into the removal zone. In addition, the screws advantageously have a groove with an increasing spacing towards the extractor group 10, so as to space the end article 2a, 2b from the other articles of the respective stack.

[0106] The feeding devices 7a, and 7b are controlled independently, so that one of the two devices can be stopped without necessarily stopping the operation of the other.

[0107] The extractor group 10 comprises an extractor wheel 11, which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal main rotation axis Y, on which a plurality of first gripping heads 12, for example eight, equidistant from each other, is mounted.

[0108] A pair of gripping elements 13 is mounted on each first gripping head 12, each of which is provided to selectively retain an end article 2a, 2b from the stacks 3a and 3b, respectively.

[0109] The gripping elements 13 lie in the same radial plane as the extractor wheel 11, substantially coplanar with the guides 6a, 6b that support the stacks 3a, 3b and with the row of articles 21 transported by the conveyor 20.

[0110] The gripping elements 13 are also selectively connected to a pressure reduction circuit, which allows them to retain the articles 2 by suction at the bottom 4.

[0111] Preferably, the two gripping elements 13 of the same first gripping head 12 can be connected to the pressure reduction circuit independently of each other.

[0112] The first gripping heads 12 are driven in rotation by the extractor wheel 11 about the main rotation axis Y between a removal zone A, where the gripping elements 13 extract an end article 2a, 2b from the respective stacks 3a, 3b, and a release zone B, where the gripping elements 13 release the articles to an exchange wheel 14 of the extractor group 10.

[0113] Each first gripping head is mounted on the extractor wheel 11 with an ability of relative movement with respect to the same, which is obtained thanks to a suitably shaped cam mechanism 16.

[0114] The exchange wheel 14 rotates about a main rotation axis Z, which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the rotation axis Y of the extractor wheel 11.

[0115] The exchange wheel 14 is further provided with second gripping heads 15, for example four, substantially coplanar with the gripping elements 13 and provided to receive the articles 2 released from the gripping elements 13 at the release zone B, and to deposit them on the conveyor 20 to form the row 21.

[0116] In particular, each second gripping head 15 is provided with two pairs of pincers 17 which are provided to grip the articles 2 at the mouth thereof 5.

[0117] The exchange wheel 14 is synchronized with the extractor wheel 11 and takes care of retaining the articles 2 at the respective mouths thereof 5 and then deposits them on the conveyor 20 in a vertical position, resting on the bottom 4.

[0118] The conveyor 20 comprises a conveyor belt 22, which extends along the feed direction X from the extractor group 10 to the subsequent processing unit of the articles 2. Abutment elements 23 may be provided on the conveyor belt 22, which are standing transversely from the conveyor belt 22 and positioned uniformly at a spacing similar to the section of an article 2. The function of the abutment elements 23 is to favour keeping the vertical position of the articles 2 both during the deposition and transport phases.

[0119] The singling unit 1 is also provided with a control unit capable of receiving any fault signals from one of the two stacks 3a, 3b and consequently blocking the respective feeding device 7a, 7b, while keeping the other feeding device in operation, so that the feeding of both stacks does not have to be blocked due to a fault in one stack.

[0120] In addition, in the event of a fault in one of the two stacks 3a, 3b, the control unit may bypass the connection to the pressure reduction circuit of the gripping elements 13 intended to extract the articles from the stack in which the fault was detected.

[0121] Furthermore, the control unit may bypass the connection to the pressure reduction circuit of the gripping elements 13 and/or the respective feeding device 7a, 7b, even in the event of a fault of a processing station downstream of the singling unit 1.

[0122] The singling unit 1 operates as follows.

[0123] The stacks 3a and 3b, which are suitably supported by the guides 6a and 6b, are conducted towards the respective feeding devices 7a and 7b, where the screws take care of engaging the end articles 2a and 2b of the respective stack 3a, 3b, for example at the mouths and of bringing them towards the removal zone A at a time frequency synchronized with the movement of the extractor wheel 11. The screws, thanks to the increasing spacing of their groove, also slightly spacing the end articles 2a, 2b and the immediately subsequent article 2.

[0124] In the removal zone, the end articles 2a, 2b are engaged at the respective bottoms 4 by the gripping elements 13 of a first gripping head 12 which, at the same time, completely extracts them from the respective stack 3a, 3b.

[0125] This movement, which substantially consists in a translation of the first gripping head 12 along the longitudinal direction of the stack while maintaining the orientation of the gripping elements 13 constant, is obtained thanks to the cam mechanism 16.

[0126] Once removed by a sufficient amount so as to no longer interfere with the subsequent articles of the respective stack, the end articles 2a, 2b are brought by the first gripping head 12 up to the release zone B. In this zone, the gripping elements 13 release the respective articles (e.g. by closing the connection with the pressure reduction circuit) to a corresponding second gripping head 15 of the exchange wheel 14 which, by retaining them from the side of the mouth 5, brings them in rotation up to the conveyor 20.

[0127] The latter is advantageously positioned vertically under the exchange wheel 14, so that the articles 2 are released onto the conveyor in a vertical position and resting on its bottom 4.

[0128] Suitably, the conveyor is conducted along the advance direction X at a speed substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the articles 2 rotating on the exchange wheel 14, so that their resting on the conveyor occurs without abrupt accelerations or decelerations. Advantageously, the articles 2 are deposited on the conveyor belt 22 between adjacent pairs of abutment elements 23, which in the first instance facilitate the correct positioning of the articles 2 on the conveyor 20 and, in addition, help to keep them in the correct position during their transport.

[0129] Thanks to the features of the present invention, the singling unit 1 is able to supply a high number of articles 2 to the subsequent processing units in a single row 21 transported on the conveyor 20.

[0130] In particular, the singling unit 1 can deposit more than 1200 articles per minute on the conveyor 20, i.e. around 1500 articles per minute, from two separate stacks of nested articles.