Abstract: Method for changing the pitch between discrete entities conveyed in succession between a device for feeding the entities at an initial spacing pitch provided between two entities fed in succession and a device for receiving the entities at a final pitch substantially greater than the initial pitch. The method including transporting the discrete entities by a variable pitch feed screw device configured to receive the entities downstream of the device for feeding the entities, the screw including a groove in which the entities are capable of being housed and displaced, so that the pitch between two entities received by the screw is increased downstream of the screw as far as an intermediate pitch; and transferring and gripping the entities at the intermediate pitch by a wheel for changing the pitch, configured to transfer the entities into the receiving device at the final pitch.

Abstract: A method of producing a container from a thermoplastic blank, including a step in which the blank is heated using at least one beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation, and a step in which the container is formed from the blank thus heated. The invention also relates to an installation which is used to produce containers and which includes a unit for heating the blanks in order to form containers from the blanks thus heated. The inventive installation defines a path along which the blanks travel inside the heating unit. In addition, the heating unit includes at least one coherent electromagnetic radiation source which is directed toward a zone that is located on the aforementioned path.

Abstract: A regulation method for ordering a flow of two lines of products includes at least: —a first step of slowing when the spacing value between a first product pertinaing to one of the lines and a second product, situated immediately upstream and pertaining to another of the lines is less than a first set value; and—a second step of slowing when the value of the spacing between a downstream product of the first line and the proximal product situated immediately upstream on the second line is lower than a second set value, the first step of slowing and second step of slowing being respectively implemented selectively so as to place in phase the spacings between the products of the first and second lines according to a sequence determined as a function of the device for transferring to cavities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a molding device for blowing thermoplastic recipients of various heights, said device comprising a mould provided with two mould halves and a mould bottom which are mutually mobile. Each mould half comprises a mould carrier, a chill carrier and a chill, said two chills and the mould bottom comprising mould impressions, which together define a molding cavity. The inventive device also comprises means for compensating the blowing pressure, said means being provided between a mould carrier and the associated chill carrier. For recipients with the maximum height, the chill carriers and chills are the same height. For lower recipients, the chills are lower than the chill carriers and radially reinforcing means are provided on the internal faces of the carriers in the parts thereof which do not co-operate with the chills.

Abstract: A blow molding system for a thermoplastic blank which is supported in a mold. The system includes a fixed tubular body connected to a high-pressure fluid source and, at the lower end thereof, supporting moveable equipment consisting of a tuyere, the tuyere being defined laterally by a terminal sleeve of the moveable equipment and the bottom thereof being the front wall of the body, wherein the lateral inner wall of the sleeve is configured in such a way that the pressure of a fluid inside the tuyere does not result in a reaction force component on the lateral wall, which is directed opposite to the wall of the mold.

Abstract: The invention concerns a molding device for making by blow molding or stretch blow molding thermoplastic containers capable of having different heights, comprising a module (1) with two mutually mobile half-molds (2A, 2B) and an axially mobile mold base (5); the mold base is supported by a support (22) with which are associated in operation means for axial displacement; the mold base, and its support (22) are secured by spacing means (24) with adjustable variable heights relative to the height of the molding cavity and provided in the form of threaded means with reverse-pitch double threading; the mold base can thus be positioned axially relative to the height of the molding cavity without modifying the support (22) and/or the displacement means which are operatively associated with it.

Abstract: A system of feeding preforms, particularly designed to feed a machine for blow molding receptacles such as bottles, includes, from upstream to downstream in the longitudinal direction of travel of the preforms, at least one sorting and alignment device whose top end is fed with jumbled preforms and whose bottom end includes at least two alignment rollers, substantially parallel and rotated about their respective axis, designed to position the preforms in conveyor rails, inclined relative to the horizontal, to convey them to the machine, and of the type including, upstream of the machine, a filtering element to discard the incorrectly positioned performs. The filtering element includes, downstream of the alignment rollers, at least one selective discarding device of the preforms called lying preforms, that is to say those that arrive from the rollers on the rails lying down and oriented longitudinally and that extend generally longitudinally on the conveyor rails.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cleaning device for a receptacle filling machine comprising a plurality of filling spouts, and a corresponding machine. The cleaning device comprises a plurality of cleaning agent recovery tubes, each recovery tube being movable between a service position in which said tube is able to recover a cleaning agent delivered by a spout, and a retracted position in which said tube is at a distance from said spout, collecting means to which said tubes are connected, means for moving the tubes between their service position and their retracted position, and sealing means comprising tubular adaptors designed to fit between the spouts and the upper ends of the tubes in their service position, and to reduce axially in length, in an elastic manner, to absorb the height differences between the spouts.

Abstract: A filling device (10) includes a tubular body (12) including, in an upper section (14), a feeding chamber (18), and provided with a nozzle (20) for the flow of the liquid, wherein a liquid feeding conduit (22) leads into the feeding chamber (18) through a feeding orifice (24), and including a plug(26) which is controlled in axial sliding inside the tubular body (12), between an open position and a closed position. The device includes a servo valve (42, 142) coaxial to the plug (26) which is arranged in the upper section (14) of the tubular body (12). The servo valve (42, 142) includes a wall (44, 144) which partly closes the feeding orifice (24), and the servo valve (42, 142) is pivotingly controlled about its axis (A1) so as to regulate the feeding flow rate by modifying the closure area of the wall (44, 144).

Abstract: The invention relates to a conveyor which can be used to route oriented objects, such as caps, covers, lids, etc. from a finishing machine of the type comprising a belt, a vibrating bowl or other. The inventive conveyor consists of a module (12) comprising (i) a vertical conveyor in the form of a column (14) with an adjustable height and (ii) an intermediate conveyor in the form of a casing (13) which is disposed between the finishing machine and the column (14). In addition, the module (12) comprises channel-type means (15) for guiding the objects and means for propelling said objects, in the form of jets of air pulsed through eyes (32). The channel (15) and the eyes (32) form a continuous assembly between the finishing machine and the upper end of the column (14). The conveyor also comprises means enabling the automatic ejection of objects from grooves (7) provided in the belt (3) of the machine.

Abstract: A furnace (22) for heating a preform (10), includes an upper longitudinal heating tunnel (24) bounded transversely by the longitudinal vertical internal faces (36, 38) of two walls (40, 42), one wall (40), being equipped with a heating system (46), and the other wall (42), having aeration orifices (50) intended to let the air blown by a blower (52) pass transversely through them, and in which one portion (16) of the preform (10) is held outside the heating tunnel (24), a blower (52) blowing air transversely towards the portion (16) of the preform (10) so as to keep the constituent material of this portion (16) of the preform (10) at a temperature below its softening point, characterized in that the blower (52) includes two independent fans (54a, 54b) that deliver air to the aerated wall (42) and to the portion (16) of the preform (10), respectively.

Abstract: Rotary device for transferring containers, with a base (21) rotating about an axis (23) and supporting a mobile assembly (25) comprising: a main arm (26) pivoting (27) on the base, a gripping pincer (30) at the free end of the main arm, and a rotary roller (32) which is solidly connected to the main arm and interacts with a fixed curvilinear cam (33) with a closed contour; the pivot shaft (27) and the free end of the main arm define a line (L) which extends approximately tangentially to the circular trajectory of the pivot axis, which precedes the free end of the arm in the direction (F) of rotation of the base; the cam is such that, when the base rotates, the end of the main arm is moved approximately radially; and the gripping pincer mounted on the free end of the main arm follows a predetermined circular path, having inverse convexity with respect to the trajectory of the rotary base, within a fixed angular range (?) of rotation of the base.

Abstract: A plastic container coated with a barrier layer on an inner surface thereof and a process for coating an inner surface of a plastic container with a barrier layer. The barrier layer may contain carbon and hydrogen. The barrier layer may have a hydrogen concentration ([H]/([C]+[H])) of from about 37% to about 45%. The barrier layer may have a sp2/sp3 carbon ratio of from about 0.2 to about 0.3. The barrier layer may have an optical gap E04 of from about 2.3 eV to about 2.9 eV. The barrier layer may have a spin density of from about 6×1018 cm?3 to about 2×1020 cm?3. The barrier layer may have a stoichiometric composition in the range of C1H0.59-0.80.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mould for the production by means of blowing or blow-drawing of thermoplastic containers which are equipped with an integral handle. According to the invention, two mould halves are provided with two respective inserts which can move transversely to the contact faces. Each of the aforementioned inserts comprises two telescopic pistons, namely: a main piston having a front thrust face, and a secondary piston which is housed in the main piston and which has a curvilinear front weld face. The secondary pistons are moved after the main pistons have applied two wall zones of the container body against one another.

Abstract: The method relates to products such as bottles (1) whose horizontal cross section of contact is oval and which are conveyed in the longitudinal direction, in single file and spaced apart, on a conveyor (2). This method consists in: introducing said bottles one by one into a neck, at the downstream end of which are motorized rollers (5), (7), applying said rollers to the opposite faces of each bottle to be orientated, and giving the roller (5), termed the passive roller, a peripheral speed equal to the speed of conveyance of the bottles (1) and giving the other roller (7), termed the active roller, a higher peripheral speed so as to position the bottle (1) diagonally on the conveyor (2). The invention also relates to the device for carrying out the method, comprising a neck consisting of two arms (6) and (8) forming a V, at the end of which are the motorized rollers (5) and (7).