APPARATUS FOR PLACING ELONGATED PRODUCTS WITH A WIDENED HEAD IN CONTAINERS

Abstract

An apparatus for placing elongated products with a widened head in containers, particularly suitable for placing swabs inside containers during the production process. The apparatus has at least one preloading unit which is supplied with the number of products to be placed in the container at one time and which executes a duty cycle that causes the controlled ejection of the number of products supplied, the preloading unit being equipped with a plunger which can move between a loading position and an expelling position and which, when actuated from its loading position to its expelling position, is configured to push and follow the number of products supplied to the preloading unit through an outlet spout of the preloading unit, in a single stroke.

Claims

1. An apparatus for placing elongated products with a widened head in containers, particularly suitable for placing swabs inside containers that are being produced, the apparatus comprising at least one preloading unit that is supplied with the number of products to be placed at once in the container and which executes a duty cycle that causes the controlled ejection of the number of products supplied, wherein the preloading unit is equipped with a plunger movable between a loading position and an ejection position, which offers a loading space in the preloading unit when the plunger adopts its loading position, and is the plunger being configured to, when actuated, push and follow from its loading position to its ejection position, the number of products that is supplied to the preloading unit in the same stroke through an outlet spout provided in said preloading unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preloading unit has a chamber with an upper inlet for inserting at least one product therein; a receiving bottom, aligned with the inlet in the direction of insertion of the product into the chamber and on which the product rests when it is inserted into the chamber, the product being in a preloading position; and a movable displacer, in coordination with the plunger, between a preloading position and a loading position and configured to move, when this displacer is actuated from its preloading position to its loading position, the product that is in the preloading position until it is arranged in the loading space offered by the plunger when the plunger adopts its loading position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the displacer blocks the upper inlet to the chamber when it adopts its loading position, this blocking being able to serve as a retainer for a new number of products to be supplied by gravity to the preloading unit, which will fall due to the effect of gravity inside its chamber when the displacer adopts its preloading position again.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preloading unit is movable in a direction with a vertical component between a raised position and a lowered position which confers same the ability to arrange the outlet spout in the mouth of a container when the controlled ejection of the number of products pushed by the plunger occurs.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chamber is further provided with means for the gathering of products in the loading space, sufficient gathering so that the number of gathered products can be pushed out of the preloading unit in the same stroke of the plunger.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, specially prepared to place a plural number of products, i.e., which exceeds one, in the container at once, wherein: above the preloading unit there is a feeding ramp provided with tracks that lead to the upper inlet of the chamber of the preloading unit, each one intended to convey and pour a product into the aforementioned chamber at once, the chamber is provided with separating partitions that keep the products poured into the chamber separated, keeping a similar order to that kept in the tracks, said separating partitions not extending through the loading space offered by the plunger when adopting its loading position, and the chamber is also provided with means for the gathering of the products in the loading space, sufficient gathering so that the number of products gathered can be pushed out of the preloading unit in the same stroke of the plunger.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the loading space is an essentially orthohedral space determined as follows: above, by the head of the plunger; below by an outlet wall with the outlet spout; laterally, by a first pair of facing walls that are formed by the movable displacer when it adopts its loading position and a front monitoring wall, and by a second pair of facing walls, and said second pair of facing walls are movable in a direction essentially transversal to the chamber, so that they can be actuated in the direction of mutual approach and in the direction of mutual distancing to adopt respective loading and gathering positions, this second pair of facing walls thus making up the means for the gathering of the products in the loading space.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the monitoring front wall is an at least partially transparent wall.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiving bottom has a seat or a series of seats equal in number to that of the tracks of the feeding ramp, on which or on each of which one product of the number of products inserted into the chamber is able to rest.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the seat or seats extend, in a sort of slots, up to the loading space.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the seat or seats are wedge-shaped.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the number of seats being equal to three, the central seat is arranged in the receiving bottom at a level below the two lateral seats.

13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the displacer has a seat or a series of seats on its upper face equal in number to that of the tracks of the feeding ramp, on which or on each of which a product of the number of products to be inserted into the chamber of the preloading unit may rest when the displacer adopts its loading position blocking the upper inlet to said chamber.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the seat or seats of the displacer are wedge-shaped.

15. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a stop is arranged on each track of the feeding ramp, which can be actuated individually or jointly with the other stops if there are any between a retention position, capable of retaining a product during its descent down the track while there is another product below resting on the displacer, when the displacer adopts its loading position blocking the upper inlet to the chamber and while there is another product or a plural number of products in the loading space to be placed in the container at once; and a release position that does not hinder a product during its descent down the track.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet spout of the preloading unit is exchangeable, in order to be able to select an outlet spout the passage cross section of which is less than the size of the head of the product or products to be placed in the container at once.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In the following drawings, simple schematics are used to conceptually illustrate an aspect of the invention and an apparatus is shown that exemplifies an embodiment of the invention, specifically an apparatus prepared to place three swabs in each one of two containers at once. In these drawings:

[0032] FIGS. 1 to 4 schematically and sequentially show a duty cycle of a preloading unit of an apparatus according to the invention; and

[0033] FIG. 5 onwards show the apparatus that exemplifies the invention. About:

[0034] FIG. 5 shows the complete apparatus at a moment which is equivalent to that of FIG. 1 of a duty cycle;

[0035] FIGS. 6a and 6b show a sequence of the apparatus between the moments which are equivalent to FIGS. 1 and 2 of a duty cycle;

[0036] FIGS. 7a and 7b show a sequence of the apparatus between the moments which are equivalent to FIGS. 2 and 3 of a duty cycle;

[0037] FIGS. 8a and 8b show a sequence of the apparatus when proceeding to gather the three swabs that must be placed at once in a container;

[0038] FIG. 9 shows the apparatus at a moment equivalent to that of FIG. 4 of a duty cycle; and

[0039] FIG. 10 shows the complete apparatus at the moment when the two groups of swabs are each placed in a respective container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The device that is conceived is suitable for placing elongated products with a widened head in containers, the products being swabs. The apparatus is intended to be placed in a work station of an automated line for manufacturing, filling and closing containers. In this work station, a container is arranged open under the apparatus. An important aspect of the apparatus is that it comprises a preloading unit that is supplied with the number of products to be placed at once in the container and that executes a duty cycle that causes the controlled ejection of the number of products supplied.

[0041] A duty cycle of a preloading unit 101 has been schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, in which the number of swabs to be placed at once in the container is only one.

[0042] The preloading unit 101 has a chamber 10 with an upper inlet 11 and an outlet spout 22. The upper inlet 11 and the outlet spout 22 are not aligned in the direction of insertion of the swab 1 into the chamber 10.

[0043] The preloading unit 101 is equipped with a plunger 20 movable between a loading position E1 and an ejection position E2, which offers a loading space 21 when same adopts its loading position E1.

[0044] The plunger 20 is configured to be able to push and follow when actuated from its loading position E1 to its ejection position E2, through the outlet spout 22, the swab 1 which is first inserted into the chamber 10 and then arranged in the loading space 21 in two sequential steps of the duty cycle. The movement of the plunger 20 is indicated in the diagrams by the vertical filled arrows.

[0045] The chamber 10 is provided with a movable displacer 13, in coordination with the plunger 20, between a preloading position D1 and a loading position D2 which, when actuated from its preloading position D1 to its loading position D2, ensures that a swab 1 that has just been inserted into the chamber 10 is moved from an initial preloading position until it is arranged in the loading space 21 offered by the plunger 20 when said plunger adopts its loading position E1. The movement of the displacer 13 is indicated in the diagrams by the horizontal filled arrows.

[0046] Finally, the entire preloading unit 101 is movably assembled on the chassis of the apparatus in one direction with a vertical component between a raised position A1 and a lowered position A2, which gives it the ability to arrange the outlet spout 22 at the mouth of a container 4 when the controlled ejection of the swab 1 through the outlet spout 22 occurs. This movement of the preloading unit 101 is shown in FIG. 4 of the diagrams with the vertical hollow arrow.

[0047] Thus, a duty cycle can be started by the moving portions of the preloading unit 101 adopting the position shown in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the displacer 13 adopts its loading position D2, blocking the upper inlet 11 of the chamber 10. As will be explained in greater detail later, the upper face of the displacer 13 may be configured so that the swab 1 to be placed in the container when the starting duty cycle is executed rests on same stably by its head 1a.

[0048] Although the plunger 20 has been shown in its ejection position E2, other intermediate positions or the loading position E1 could be feasible.

[0049] The duty cycle will continue with the actuation of the displacer 13 to its preloading position D1, unblocking the upper inlet 11 of the chamber 10 and allowing the unloading by gravity of the swab 1 inside same, as illustrated in FIG. 2. As explained in greater detail later, a receiving bottom 12 of the chamber 10 can be specially configured so that the swab 1 rests on top of same stably by its head 1a. Although the plunger 20 has been shown in its ejection position E2, other intermediate positions or the loading position E1 could be feasible.

[0050] The duty cycle will continue with the actuation of the displacer 13 to its loading position D2, dragging the swab 1 with it until it is placed in the loading space 21, under the head 20a of the plunger 20, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In this case, it is essential that the plunger 20 adopts its loading position E1.

[0051] Consequently, from the beginning of the cycle the plunger 20 must have been actuated to its loading position E1 if it had previously assumed its expelling position E2.

[0052] By the displacer 13 adopting its loading position D2 again, a new swab 1 can be arranged on standby on the displacer 13 for the execution of a next duty cycle.

[0053] Likewise, as will also be discussed in more detail later, the dimensions of the outlet spout 22 are preferably selected so that its passage cross section is smaller than the size of the head 1a of the swab 1. In this way, the swab 1 is retained in the loading space 21 without the need to use a movable gate or the like to prevent/enable the exit by gravity of the swab 1 from the preloading unit 101.

[0054] This variant takes advantage of the fact that the head 1a of the swab 1, due to its compressible nature, may be elastically deformed when the swab 1 is pushed by the plunger 20 in the next step of the duty cycle, forcing said head 1a to pass through the outlet spout 22.

[0055] This next step is represented in FIG. 4, which entails the actuation of the plunger 20 to its expelling position E2 and therefore the controlled ejection of the swab 1 out of the chamber 10 and of the preloading unit 101. Simultaneously, partially simultaneously or in sequence, the preloading unit 101 is provided to be actuated to lower it from a raised position A1 to a lowered position A2 in order to place the outlet spout 22 at the mouth of the container, not represented in the diagrams.

[0056] Another feature illustrated in the diagrams of FIGS. 1 to 4 is the ramp 30 for feeding the swabs 1, 1 to the chamber 10 of the preloading unit 101. The ramp 30 is provided with a stop 32 between a retention position T1 and a release position T2. During the execution of a duty cycle n, when the stop 32 adopts its retention position T1, it will be able to retain a swab (not shown) during its descent down the ramp 30 on which the duty cycle n+2 will be executed, while there is another swab below resting on the displacer 13 when same adopts its loading position D2 and on which the duty cycle n+1 will be executed and while the swab is in the loading space 21 on which the duty cycle n in progress is executed.

[0057] FIGS. 5 to 10 show an apparatus 100 that exemplifies an embodiment of the invention, specifically an apparatus 100 prepared to place in two containers, for example, in envelope-type format containers, a number of three swabs 1a, 1b, 1c in each container at once. The apparatus 100 is especially well suited for duplex machines for forming, filling and closing containers, in which containers are moved in pairs from one work station to the next on the machine.

[0058] For this purpose, the apparatus 100 has two preloading units 101, 102. The apparatus 100 is shown complete in FIG. 5, having removed some portions of the preloading unit 101, which is arranged to the right of the image, in order to be able to view its interior.

[0059] In this FIG. 5 the visible moving portions of the preloading unit 101 adopt the position that is equivalent to that of FIG. 1 in the diagrams, of the start of the duty cycle, with the displacer 13 adopting its loading position D2. The three swabs 1a, 1b, 1c are supplied via the feeding ramp 30, in this case via respective tracks 31a, 31b and 31c with which the ramp 30 has been provided.

[0060] In this case, in each track 31a, 31b, 31c of the feeding ramp 30, a respective stop 32a, 32b, 32c will operate able to be individually or jointly actuated with the other stops between their retention and release positions. Each track conveys a corresponding swab until it rests by its head on the upper face of the displacer 13. The profile of said upper face is not flat and defines seats 13a, 13b, 13c in a number equal to that of the tracks 31a, 31b, 31c of the feeding ramp 30, that is, three in number in the example, which contributes to the support stability of the swabs when they fall on the displacer 13. Preferably, each seat is wedge-shaped or the like.

[0061] FIGS. 6a and 6b focus on the preloading unit 101 of the apparatus 100 to show the transit of the displacer 13 from its loading position D2 (see FIG. 6a) to its preloading position D1 (see FIG. 6b) which causes the three swabs 1a, 1b, 1c to fall inside the chamber of the preloading unit 101.

[0062] FIGS. 6a and 6b allow to show how the profile of the receiving bottom 12 of the chamber is not flat and that it also defines seats 12a, 12b (partially hidden), 12c in a number equal to that of the swabs to be received, i.e., three in number, which contribute to the support stability of the swabs when they fall on the receiving bottom 12.

[0063] Preferably, each seat is wedge-shaped or similar and determines a kind of slot that extends in the direction of and reaches the loading space 21, inside of which the head of the associated swab will slide when the displacer 13 is actuated from its preloading position D1 to its loading position D2 in the next step of the duty cycle.

[0064] FIGS. 6a and 6b show a first aspect of the apparatus 100 not represented in the diagrams of FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0065] Specifically, we are referring to the fact that the chamber of the preloading unit 101 is provided with separating partitions 14c, 14d that keep the swabs inserted into the chamber separated, keeping a similar order to that kept inside the tracks 31a, 31b, 31c. However, these partitions 14c, 14d do not manage to extend through the loading space 21 offered by the plunger 20 when it adopts its loading position E1. This will make it possible to gather the swabs 1a, 1b, 1c in this loading space 21 in order to be able to place them in narrower envelopes, with a width dimension less than the width occupied by the three swabs when inserted into the preloading unit 101 and even less. in the case of arranging the three swabs with their sticks parallel and with their heads flush or at the same level.

[0066] It should be noted that this characteristic means that the displacer 13 is provided with two slots in coincidence with the partitions 14c, 14d. The partitions 14c, 14d being fixed, they will go from being visible to being hidden, embedded or submerged in the displacer 13 when the latter passes from its preloading position D1 to its loading position D2. It is for this reason that the displacer 13 that is exemplified has a shape in which three vertical fingers 13a, 13b, 13c and a lower portion 13d can be distinguished without discontinuity at the level of the heads of the swabs.

[0067] FIGS. 7a and 7b focus precisely on showing the transit of the displacer 13 from its preloading position D1 (see FIG. 7a) to its loading position D2 (see FIG. 7b) for which respective cross sectional views of the preloading unit 101 are shown.

[0068] FIGS. 8a and 8b show new aspects of the apparatus 100 not shown in the diagrams of FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0069] The duty cycle that the apparatus 100 executes comprises indeed carrying out a step prior to actuating the plunger 20 from its loading position E1 to its expelling position E2. This prior step consists of gathering the swabs 1a, 1b, 1c, an operation to which reference had been briefly made above.

[0070] For this purpose, the chamber of the preloading unit 101 has means for the gathering 19 of the three swabs in the loading space 21. In addition to helping to place the swabs in a narrow container, this gathering also contributes in a practical manner to greater expelling control and to the fact that the formed gathering can be pushed out of the preloading unit 101 in the same stroke of the plunger 20.

[0071] In the example, the loading space 21 is an essentially orthohedral space defined: above, by the head 20a of the plunger (see FIGS. 7a and 7b); below by an outlet wall 17 with the outlet spout 22; laterally, by a first pair of facing walls that are formed by the displacer 13 when it adopts its loading position D2 and a monitoring front wall 1S, preferably having transparent properties, and by a second pair of facing walls 19a, 19b.

[0072] In the exemplary apparatus 100, this second pair of facing walls 19a, 19b are movable in a direction essentially transversal to the chamber, so that they can be actuated in the direction of mutual approach and in the direction of mutual distancing to adopt respective loading P1 (see FIG. 8a) and gathering P2 positions (see FIG. Sb), this second pair of facing walls 19a, 19b thus making up the means for the gathering 19 of the swabs in the loading space 21.

[0073] At this point, it should be noted that the exit wall 17, a seamless extension of the reception wall 12 and therefore presenting the three seats 12a, 12b and 12c, which may or may not be wedge-shaped, is configured to position the central swab 1b slightly at a level below the swabs 1a and 1c. For this, the central seat 12b is arranged at a level below the two lateral seats 12a, 12c. This particularity allows the gathering of the swabs without altering the parallel orientation of their sticks too much, the heads of the swabs being able to slightly ride on each side of the central swab 1b, in a way that approximates FIG. 10.

[0074] FIG. 9, comes to show the preloading unit 101 of the apparatus 100 in the position of the duty cycle that the diagram of FIG. 4 schematically illustrated, i.e., with the plunger moved to its expelling position E2, pushing the three swabs, previously gathered, out of the chamber in the same stroke of the plunger 20.

[0075] FIG. 9, similar to FIG. 4, the vertical arrows, one filled and the other hollow, indicate the movement of the plunger 20 and the downward movement of the preloading unit 101, up to its lowered position, respectively.

[0076] Thus, the two preloading units 100 and 101 of the apparatus 100, which is once again shown in its entirety in FIG. 10, are arranged so that each outlet spout 22 is located at the mouth of a respective container 4.

[0077] In FIG. 10, only the container 4 has been represented in which the swabs that are expelled by the preloading unit 100 are placed, in order to be able to show the arrangement that the swabs adopt inside a container, arrangement that is shown in the swabs expelled by the preloading unit 101.