Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit – System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
Patent
1994-09-15
1996-12-10
Bidwell, James R.
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor system for moving a specific load as a separate unit
System includes a rotating or endless carrier with a load...
B65G 4784
Patent
active
055822851
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention refers to a transport device for vessels.
A transport device of this type is already known in the case of which the reception means has a disk-shaped structural design and is provided with a circular outer edge (EP-OS 316 001). The annular star collar rests on this outer edge in large-area contact therewith, either via the whole inner rim area thereof or via a plurality of projections protruding inwards in a sectorlike fashion, said star collar being held on said outer edge by plurality of locking bars adapted to be actuated individually or in combination. This structural design permits the star collar to be exchanged easily and rapidly, e.g. when change-over to a different vessel diameter is effected, since the complete reception means remains on the drive shaft and since it will, consequently, suffice to manipulate the light-weight star collar.
A disadvantage of this device is, however, the large-area contact zone between the reception means and the star collar, which is not easily accessible to cleaning agents and in which foreign matter may accumulate and germs may form. The risk of contaminations and infections of the vessels conveyed by the known transport device is therefore high, and this prevents said transport device from being used e.g. in plants for aseptically bottling beverages. In the case of the structural design including the star collar with projections protruding inwards, the handiness of the star collar is, moreover, impaired.
It is the object of the present invention to considerably reduce in a transport device of the type mentioned at the beginning the risk of contaminations and infections of the transported vessels without impairing the easy and rapid exchangeability of the star collar.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved by the features disclosed.
In a transport device according to the present invention, the contact zone between the reception means and the star collar is reduced to the areas of contact between the extension arms and the star collar, and, in view of the comparatively low weight of the star collar which is normally made from plastic material, a very small number of and very small dimensions of said areas of contact will suffice. The possibility of an accumulation of foreign matter and of germs will thus essentially be reduced and the cleaning possibilities will be improved. The star collar itself does not need any projections or the like for the purpose of supporting it on the reception means so that a light-weight construction of said star collar can be used and so that easy manipulation thereof will be possible.
Advantageous further developments of the present invention, which all contribute to a solution of the underlying task, are disclosed in the subclaims.
In the following, one embodiment of the present invention will be described on the basis of the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a top view of a transport device for vessels,
FIG. 2 shows section A-B according to FIG. 1.
The transport device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is integrated in a filling machine, which is not shown in detail, and constructed such that it is adapted to convey upright, empty bottles 10 for beverages.
The transport device comprises a reception means 2 made from metal and a star collar 3 which is releasably secured to said reception means 2 and which is made from plastic material with a metallic support insert. The circumference of the star collar 3 is provided with semicircular star pockets 11 in which the bottles 10 are held by support elements 12 and guide elements 13.
The reception means 2 has a hub 7 which is secured to a vertical drive shaft 1 provided with a bearing flange 15. The circumference of the hub 7 has secured thereto six round rods 4 which are uniformly distributed like spokes and which are radially oriented in a common horizontal plane. The round rods 4 define extension arms on the free outer ends of which the star collar 3 rests in the area of its inner lower rim. The area of the star collar 3 resting on said extension a
REFERENCES:
patent: 5056650 (1991-10-01), Kronseder
patent: 5082105 (1992-01-01), Tincati
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