Apparatus and method for attaching spouts to containers
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B23B-001/00
B23B-005/14
B23B-005/00
출원번호
UP-0771049
(2007-06-29)
등록번호
US-7607375
(2009-11-10)
발명자
/ 주소
Harding, Jeffrey
Hawk, Wesley S.
출원인 / 주소
Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
대리인 / 주소
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
12
초록▼
A method and apparatus for cutting moils from necks of molded plastic containers and installing spouts in the necks are disclosed. The apparatus includes a pick and place mechanism that rotates along an arcuate path transporting the containers between a cutting station, a facing station and an assem
A method and apparatus for cutting moils from necks of molded plastic containers and installing spouts in the necks are disclosed. The apparatus includes a pick and place mechanism that rotates along an arcuate path transporting the containers between a cutting station, a facing station and an assembly station positioned along the path. An oven located above the assembly station heats spouts which are coated with a hot-melt adhesive. The heated spouts are supplied to the assembly station under gravity feed. The method includes cutting the moils from the container necks at the cutting station, finishing the neck by burnishing and reaming at the facing station, heating the spouts in the oven, orienting the spouts and inserting them into the finished necks of the containers at the assembly station.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for removing a moil from a neck of a container and attaching a spout thereto; said apparatus comprising: a cutting station having a blade engageable with said neck for cutting said moil, one of said blade or said container being movable relatively to the other to
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for removing a moil from a neck of a container and attaching a spout thereto; said apparatus comprising: a cutting station having a blade engageable with said neck for cutting said moil, one of said blade or said container being movable relatively to the other to effect said cutting; an assembly station having a movable arm engageable with said spout, said arm being movable to insert said spout into said neck; a pick and place device for holding said container, said pick and place device being movable to position said container in sequence at said cutting station and said assembly station; and an oven having an entrance for receiving said spout and an exit positioned to discharge said spout to said assembly station, said oven being positioned above one of said stations, said oven heating said spout before it is attached to said container neck. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a facing station having a finishing tool engageable with said neck for finishing a surface created upon cutting of said moil, one of said finishing tool and said container being movable relatively to the other to effect said finishing, said pick and place device being movable to position said container at said facing station. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pick and place device comprises an armature rotatable about an axis, said stations being arranged along an arcuate path about said armature, said armature moving said containers along said arcuate path between said stations. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oven comprises a guide chute positioned above said assembly station, said guide chute being oriented at an angle relatively to a vertical axis, said spouts moving through said guide chute under gravity. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said oven comprises a convection oven circulating hot air over said spout. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arm is mounted on a carriage movable along a horizontal axis for inserting said spout into said neck. 7. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: an alignment chute positioned at said assembly station, said alignment chute being vertically oriented; and an alignment wheel mounted adjacent to said alignment chute and engageable with said spout, said alignment wheel turning said spout about an axis so as to align said spout with said container, said alignment chute and said spout being dimensioned so that said spout drops through said alignment chute when said spout is oriented with said container, said arm pushing said spout from said alignment chute into said neck. 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first conveyor moving said container to said pick and place device; and a second conveyor moving said container away from said assembly station. 9. An apparatus for removing moils from necks of a plurality of containers and attaching spouts to each of said necks, said apparatus comprising: a cutting station positioned along an arcuate path and having a plurality of blades, each engageable with one of said necks for cutting said moils, said blades being movable relatively to said containers to effect said cutting; a facing station positioned along said arcuate path and having a plurality of finishing tools, each engageable with a respective one of said necks for finishing a surface on each said neck created upon cutting of said moil therefrom, each of said finishing tools being rotatable relatively to said necks to effect said smoothing; an assembly station positioned along said arcuate path and having a plurality of movable arms, each said arm being engageable with one of said spouts, said arms being movable to insert said spouts into said necks; a pick and place device for holding said plurality of said containers, said pick and place device comprising a rotatable armature moving said containers along said arcuate path to position said containers in sequence at said cutting station, said facing station and said assembly station; and an oven positioned above said assembly station and having an oven entrance for receiving said spouts and an oven exit positioned to discharge said spouts to said assembly station, said oven heating said spouts before they are attached to said container necks. 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said cutting station has three said blades for cutting three of said moils simultaneously. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said facing station has three of said finishing tools for finishing three said surfaces on three of said necks simultaneously. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said assembly station has three of said arms, said arms being mounted on a carriage movable along a horizontal axis for inserting three of said spouts into said necks simultaneously. 13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said oven has three guide chutes, each said guide chute receiving said spouts at said oven entrance, and each said guide chute discharging three of said spouts simultaneously at said oven exit, said guide chutes being oriented at an angle relatively to a vertical axis, said spouts moving through said guide chutes under gravity. 14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said assembly station comprises: three alignment chutes aligned with said guide chutes for receiving said spouts discharged therefrom, said alignment chutes being vertically oriented; three alignment wheels mounted adjacent to said alignment chutes and engageable with said spouts, said alignment wheels turning said spouts about an axis so as to align said spout with said container, said alignment chutes and said spouts being dimensioned so that said spouts drop through said alignment chutes when said spouts are oriented with respective ones of said containers, said arms pushing said spouts from said alignment chutes into said necks; and three star wheels, each said star wheel positioned adjacent to one of said alignment chutes, rotation of each of said star wheels releasing a spout to said alignment wheels for alignment thereof with said containers. 15. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a first conveyor moving said containers to said pick and place device; and a second conveyor moving said containers away from said assembly station. 16. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a spout chute positioned above said oven, said spout chute being angularly oriented with respect to said vertical axis, spouts moving through said spout chute under gravity, said spout chute having a chute entrance for receiving said spouts and a chute exit for discharging said spouts, said spout chute being rotatable so as to align said chute exit with each of said guide chutes one at a time; and a star wheel being mounted on said spout chute, rotation of said star wheel permitting said spouts to be discharged from said chute exit into said guide chutes. 17. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said oven comprises a convection oven circulating hot air over said spouts. 18. A method of removing a moil from a neck of a container and attaching a spout thereto, said spout having hot melt adhesive thereon, said method comprising: moving said container to a cutting station; cutting said moil from said neck of said container at said cutting station; moving said container to an assembly station; heating said spout until said hot melt adhesive is molten by moving said spout through an oven using gravity; aligning said spout with said neck; and inserting said spout into said neck. 19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising: moving said container to a facing station; and finishing a surface on said neck created when said moil is cut therefrom. 20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said heating is effected by moving hot air through said oven. 21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising rotationally orienting said spout relatively to said container before inserting said spout into said neck. 22. A method according to claim 18, wherein said container is moved between said stations along an arcuate path.
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