Manipulator for manipulating over-edges of a plastic film wrapped on containers for making a bundle of containers, apparatus comprising such manipulators and relative control method

Abstract

Manipulator for manipulating over-edges of a plastic film wrapped on containers for making a bundle of containers of the type including a vertical support rod provided with a motorization for rotating around own vertical axis. The rod supports a mechanism for stretching and drawing said over-edges alongside said containers; and a device for pressing the over-edges against the containers. The device for stretching and for drawing alongside and he device for pressing are arranged one above the other along the development of the vertical support rod.

1 . A manipulator for manipulating over-edges of a plastic film wrapped on containers for making a bundle of containers of the type comprising a vertical support rod provided with a motorization for rotating around own vertical axis; said rod supporting:
 means for stretching and drawing said over-edges alongside said containers; and   means for pressing said over-edges against said containers;   wherein said means for stretching and for drawing alongside and said means for pressing are arranged one above the other along the development of said vertical support rod.   
     
     
         2 . The manipulator according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside can comprise a brush. 
     
     
         3 . The manipulator according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside comprise two brushes respectively arranged above and below said means for pressing said over-edges against said containers. 
     
     
         4 . The manipulator according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for pressing comprise a glue-presser cam and an elastic element connecting said cam to said vertical support rod. 
     
     
         5 . The manipulator according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside and said means for pressing are integrally movable along said vertical support rod and constrainable at a variable height. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for making a bundle of containers comprising:
 means for manipulating and orienting said containers and said film configured for arranging said containers ordered along at least one row inside an open tunnel of heat-shrinkable film along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal advancement direction of said bundle, said open tunnel having over-edges portions lateral with respect to said containers;   means for manipulating said over-edges portions configured for constraining said over-edge against said containers at said glue spots; and   means for the heat treatment of said bundle, so that said over-edges portions compact to said containers by heat-shrinking;   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edge portions are arranged upstream of said thermal treatment means; and   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edges portions comprise four manipulators according to  claim 1  configured for operating at the four vertices of said bundle.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein said four manipulators are mounted on two independent carriages, respectively two front manipulators on a front carriage movable in the longitudinal advancement direction of the bundles and two rear manipulators mounted on an independent rear carriage. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein it comprises two tracks wherein said manipulators are offset. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein it comprises transverse guides for the transverse adjustment of said manipulators. 
     
     
         10 . A method for manipulating the over-edges in an apparatus by means of manipulators according to  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 positioning the manipulators at a maximum distance with cams parallel to the movement sense with velocity equal to zero; 
 starting moving the carriages when the transverse symmetry plane between the front and the rear manipulators is more advanced than a preset distance with respect to the symmetry plane of the bundle approaching at a velocity “v” until leading said carriages in phase with said passing bundle; 
 rotating the manipulators with simultaneous relative approaching movement of the rotation axes to the bundle and reduction of the minimum center distance (Imin) up to a contact with theoretical penetration; 
 disengaging the manipulators by further rotating by an angle to lead the cams outside the volume of said bundle; 
 decelerating the carriages to zero velocity and performing a return movement to the starting position of the axes of the manipulators; and 
 rotating the manipulators until the starting condition is restored. 
 
     
     
         11 . The manipulator according to  claim 2 , wherein said means for pressing comprise a glue-presser cam and an elastic element connecting said cam to said vertical support rod. 
     
     
         12 . The manipulator according to  claim 3 , wherein said means for pressing comprise a glue-presser cam and an elastic element connecting said cam to said vertical support rod. 
     
     
         13 . The manipulator according to  claim 2 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside and said means for pressing are integrally movable along said vertical support rod and constrainable at a variable height. 
     
     
         14 . The manipulator according to  claim 3 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside and said means for pressing are integrally movable along said vertical support rod and constrainable at a variable height. 
     
     
         15 . The manipulator according to  claim 4 , wherein said means for stretching and drawing alongside and said means for pressing are integrally movable along said vertical support rod and constrainable at a variable height. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for making a bundle of containers comprising:
 means for manipulating and orienting said containers and said film configured for arranging said containers ordered along at least one row inside an open tunnel of heat-shrinkable film along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal advancement direction of said bundle, said open tunnel having over-edges portions lateral with respect to said containers;   means for manipulating said over-edges portions configured for constraining said over-edge against said containers at said glue spots; and   means for the heat treatment of said bundle, so that said over-edges portions compact to said containers by heat-shrinking;   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edge portions are arranged upstream of said thermal treatment means; and   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edges portions comprise four manipulators according to  claim 2  configured for operating at the four vertices of said bundle.   
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for making a bundle of containers comprising:
 means for manipulating and orienting said containers and said film configured for arranging said containers ordered along at least one row inside an open tunnel of heat-shrinkable film along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal advancement direction of said bundle, said open tunnel having over-edges portions lateral with respect to said containers;   means for manipulating said over-edges portions configured for constraining said over-edge against said containers at said glue spots; and   means for the heat treatment of said bundle, so that said over-edges portions compact to said containers by heat-shrinking;   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edge portions are arranged upstream of said thermal treatment means; and   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edges portions comprise four manipulators according to  claim 3  configured for operating at the four vertices of said bundle.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for making a bundle of containers comprising:
 means for manipulating and orienting said containers and said film configured for arranging said containers ordered along at least one row inside an open tunnel of heat-shrinkable film along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal advancement direction of said bundle, said open tunnel having over-edges portions lateral with respect to said containers;   means for manipulating said over-edges portions configured for constraining said over-edge against said containers at said glue spots; and   means for the heat treatment of said bundle, so that said over-edges portions compact to said containers by heat-shrinking;   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edge portions are arranged upstream of said thermal treatment means; and   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edges portions comprise four manipulators according to  claim 4  configured for operating at the four vertices of said bundle.   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for making a bundle of containers comprising:
 means for manipulating and orienting said containers and said film configured for arranging said containers ordered along at least one row inside an open tunnel of heat-shrinkable film along the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal advancement direction of said bundle, said open tunnel having over-edges portions lateral with respect to said containers;   means for manipulating said over-edges portions configured for constraining said over-edge against said containers at said glue spots; and   means for the heat treatment of said bundle, so that said over-edges portions compact to said containers by heat-shrinking; and   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edge portions are arranged upstream of said thermal treatment means;   wherein said means for manipulating said over-edges portions comprise four manipulators according to  claim 5  configured for operating at the four vertices of said bundle.