GB2218080A

GB2218080A - Placing an insert in a container

Info

Publication number: GB2218080A
Application number: GB8909719A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Frank Kershaw; Edward Roger Costello
Original assignee: MCLENNON J L Ltd
Current assignee: MCLENNON J L Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-27
Filing date: 1989-04-27
Publication date: 1989-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-27
Also published as: GB2218080B; GB8909719D0; GB8809939D0

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for placing an insert I in a container having a neck wherein the insert is of greater longitudinal extent than the cross-section of the neck, comprises the steps of holding the insert in a first orientation whilst causing relative movement between the insert and the container to introduce the insert into the container through the neck and subsequently moving the insert into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation to place the insert in a desired orientation in the container. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Method of and apparatus for packaging" Des iption of Invention This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for placing an insert in a container having a neck where the insert is of greater longitudinal extent than the cross-section of the neck of the container. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to a method of, and an apparatus for packaging food, beverages or other commodities which are required to be stored within a container having an insert provided therein. The insert may be provided for any desired purposes, for example, to aid nucleatlon of bubbles when a container containing liquid under a gaseous pressure above atmospheric pressure is opened.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a method of placing an insert in a container having a neck wherein the insert is of greater longitudinally extent than the cross-section of the neck, comprising the steps of holding the insert in a first orientation whilst causing relative movement between the insert and the container to introduce the insert into the container through the neck and subsequently moving the insert into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation to place the insert in a desired orientation in the container.

In the second orientation the insert may engage the wall of the container to retain the insert in said desired orientation in the container.

The neck may circular in cross-section and the insert may be elongate having a greater longitudinal extent than transverse extent and in the first orientation the insert may be tilted about an tranversely extending axis so as to present a projected longitudinally extent in the direction of introduction which is less than the cross-section of the neck.

The method may include the step of introducing a commodity to be stored into the container after insertion of the insert. Thereafter, the container may be sealed. The sealing may be performed so that the contents of the container are under a pressure above atmospheric pressure.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide an apparatus for placing an insert in a container having a neck wherein the insert has a longitudinally extent which is greater than the cross-section of the neck, the apparatus comprising a holding means to hold the insert in a first orientation, means to cause relative movement between the holder and a support for the container so as, in use, to introduce the insert into the container through the neck, and means to cause said holding means to move the insert into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation.

The holding means may be mounted for movement about an axis transverse to the direction of said relative movement.

The holding means may comprise a vacuum head to apply a vacuum to the insert to retain the insert in engagement with the head.

The holding means may be pivoted about said axis by a mechanical linkage which extends outwardly of the container, in use, for engagement by an operating member.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE I is a diagrammatic plan view of an apparatus embodying the invention; and FIGURE 2 is a cross-section, to an enlarged scale, showing part of a workstation of the apparatus of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure I but showing the showing the parts in different operative condition; and FIGURE fl is a cross-section along the line 4-4 of Figure An insert placing apparatus comprises a work table 110 rotatable about a central axis Ill by a suitable drive means 112.The table 110 has a plurality, in the present example 30, of workstations each having a container seat 1 13, each of which is adapted to receive and support a container such as a beer or soft drinks can C of essentially cylindrical configuration fed from a source of supply by a conveyor 114 onto a feed star wheel 115 via a scroll worm 116 to space the cans appropriately for engagement by the star feed wheel 115. In the present example the table 110 is rotated clockwise and the star feed wheel anti-clockwise so that the cons are moving in the same direction as the seats 113 as they are moved into engagement therewith.

Inserts I to be introduced into each can are fed to the table 110 by a conveyor 118 and are engaged by an insertion head 120 shown in Figure 2 associated with container seat at each workstation. Each head 120 comprises a support bar 121 which carries an inner bar 122 with a tubular neck 123 of an upper support 124 therebetween. Extending upwardly within the neck 1 23 and inner bar 122 is a tube 125 connected at its upper end by a flexible tube 126 to a source of vacuum and connected by a flexible tube 27 at its lower end to a vacuum head 28 hereinofter to be described. The upper support 24 has connected thereto a generally cylindrical spacer block 129 at the lower end of which is carried a mounting plate 130. Bolts 131 connect the mounting plate 130, spacer block 129 and upper support 124 together.

Side plates 132 are connected by screws 133 to the mounting plate 130 and carry at their lower ends bearing members 134 having a blind bore 135 in which is rotatably received cylindrical projections 136 of a pivot block 137 which carries the vacuum head 128.

The pivot block 137 has a pair of upstanding arms 138 which carry a pivot pin 139 which is received in slots 140 formed in a first pair of arms 141 of a bell crank lever 142 mounted for rotation between the side plates 132 by means of a pivot pin 143. The other pair of arms 144 of the bell crank lever 142 have slots 145 within which is received a pivot pin 146 at the lower end of an operating rod 147. The operating rod 147 is arranged to slide in a bore 148 formed in the spacer block 129 and the upper end of the rod 147 is adpated to be engaged by an operating roller 149 An end cap 150 is provided at the lower end of the spacer block 122 to enclose the lever 142 and, so far as possible, the pivot block 136.

The support bar 121 is connected by clamp nuts 151 to the piston of a pneumatic ram assembly R, adapted to move the head assembly vertically up and down as hereinafter to be described.

In use, as an insert 1 is fed along the conveyor 118 it is at a level, relative to the seats 113 for the containers, so as to be spaced above the level of the top of a container, The hereinbefore described ram assembly R is operated to lower the vacuum head, with the head in the orientation as shown in Figure 2, into engagement with an insert 1 fed along the conveyor 118. A valve is operated to apply vacuum to the head 128 to pick up the insert.The roller 149 is then moved upwardly by a cam to permit the rod 47 to move upwardly and the lever 142 to pivot clockwise and thus to cause the pivot block 136 to pivot anticlockwise to tilt the insert at an angle of, for example 550, to the initial position. luring this tilting operation the table 10 has moved the workstation from the position at which an insert is picked up from a conveyor 118 to a position at which a can is positioned on the associated seat 113 and then the ram assembly R is operated to move the head downwardly so as to lower the insert into the can.

As shown in Figure 2 the neck of the can is of smaller diameter than the remainder of the can and the tilting of the insert, which insert is of greater longitudinal extent and smaller transverse extent, tha the crosssection of the neck of the can permits passage of the insert through the neck of the can.

When the insert is adjacent the base of the can the roller 149 is moved downwardly to cause the lever 142 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction and the pivot block 136 in a clockwise direction to move the insert to the position shown in Figure 2 in which the longitudinally opposite ends of the insert are in interference engagement with the interior wall of the container.

The vacuum holding the insert to the head 128 is then released and replaced by a pressure above atmospherle pressure, which tends to hold the insert, and hence the can on the associated seat it 3, whilst the ram assembly R is actuated to withdraw the head from within the can and the head is repositioned at the level ready for engagement with another insert I on the next rotation of the table.

The container with insert therein then passes to an unloading star wheel !60 where the cans C are removed from the seats 113 and fed along an exit conveyor lól to a filling station where the container is filled with a commodity such as a beverage.

The container may be thus filled as described in our aDolications

reference Nos. A5468GBTclaimina Drioritvfrom 8809937.9, A5470GBI claimina

priority from 88t)7738.7 and A547ZZclciming priority trom 03OU974U.3.

The insert may be of any desired configuration, construction and function. In one example the insert comprises a hollow body having a small aperture therein, which may be disposed as desired in a top, side or bottom surface of the insert. The contents of the container may enter the insert through said aperture during filling of the container and, where the container is pressurised, the contents may leave the insert through the opening when the container is de-pressurised on opening and the thus exiting contents may aid nucleation and growth of bubbles in a liquid in the container.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

I. A method of placing an insert in a container having a neck wherein the insert is of greater longitudinally extent than the cross-section of the neck, comprising the steps of holding the insert in a first orientation whilst causing relative movement between the insert and the container to introduce the insert into the container through the neck and subsequently moving the insert into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation to place the insert in a desired orientation in the container.
2. A method according to Claim I wherein in the second orientation the insert engages the wall of the container to retain the insert in said desired orientation in the container.
3. A method according to Claim I or Claim 2 wherein the neck is circular in cross-section and the insert is elongate having a greater longitudinal extent than transverse extent and in the first orientation the insert is tilted about an tranversely extending axis so as to present a projected longitudinally extent in the direction of introduction which is less than the cross-section of the neck.
4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the method includes the step of introducing a commodity to be stored into the container after insertion of the insert.
5. A method according to Claim 4 wherein after introduction of the commodity the container is sealed.
ó. A method according to Claim 5 wherein the sealing is performed so that the contents of the container are under a pressure above atmospheric pressure.
7. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. An apparatus for placing an insert in a container having a neck wherein the insert has a longitudinally extent which is greater than the cross-section of the neck, the apparatus comprising a holding means to hold the insert in a first orientation, means to cause relative movement between the holder and a support for the container so as, in use, to introduce the insert into the container through the neck, and means to cause said holding means to move the insert into a second, different, orientation relative to the first orientation.
9. An apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein the holding means is mounted for movement about an axis transverse to the direction of said relative movement.
10. An apparatus according to Claim 9 wherein the holding means comprises a vacuum head to apply a vacuum to the insert to retain the insert in engagement with the head.
II. An apparatus according to Claim 10 wherein the vacuum head is connected to a source of vacuum by a conduit, at least part of which is flexible to accommodate said movement of the filling means about said axis.
12. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 9 to II wherein the holding means is pivotable about said axis by a mechanical linkage which extends outwardly of the container, in use, for engagement by an operating member.
13. An apparatus according to Claim 12 wherein the operating member is movable by cam means.
14. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 8 to 13 wherein said means to cause relative movement between the holder and a support for the container comprises a fluid operated ram.
15. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.