Abstract: Device (10) for detecting wrong position of a container (2) in a container handling machine (1), comprising a movable contact element (11) provided with a trigger (34) coupled to an alarm sensor (33), said contact element (11) having a rest position wherein the trigger (34) blocks said alarm sensor (33), and a tilted position wherein the trigger (34) actuates the alarm sensor (33) to stop movement of the container (2).

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for conveying containers (2) with non circular cross section, comprising at least two input conveyors, a re-uniting star-wheel (5), on which the two distinct conveyance flows are re-united, an auxiliary star-wheel (6) cooperating with said re-uniting star-wheel (5), first engaging means (50) mounted on the re-uniting star-wheel (5) and acting on containers housed in corresponding pits of the auxiliary star-wheel (6) to keep them correctly oriented into said pits before they are transferred on the reuniting star-wheel (5) and second engaging means (60) mounted on the auxiliary star-wheel (6) and acting on containers housed in corresponding pits of the reuniting star-wheel (5) to keep them correctly oriented into said pits during the rotation of the re-uniting star-wheel (5). Said first and second engaging means (50, 60) are active when the containers (2) reach said merging area.

Abstract: An improvement to finishing machines that are used to orient objects. The finishing machine includes a hopper for receiving loose objects, such as lids, and an endless belt for extracting the lids from the hopper. The belt moves vertically upwards with the lids and sorts the lids automatically, such that only correctly-oriented lids are retained.

Abstract: Device (1) for switching containers rotating about a fixed axis (10) of rotation and comprising, arranged peripherally around the axis (10) of rotation, a plurality of arms (7, 188) for gripping at least one container, each gripping arm (7, 188) comprising a cam follower (98, 186) for engagement in a cam raceway (91, 184), the raceway (91, 184) comprising at least one fixed section (111, 112, 115) and at least one removable section (120a, 120b, 194, 196) for a retractable cam, said device being characterized in that it comprises at least one rotary transverse plate (152, 153, 185) on which are fixed the radially mobile gripping arms (7, 188) and at least one fixed transverse plate (90a, 90b, 182) containing the raceway (91, 184) of the cam follower (98, 186) of the gripping arm (7, 188), and in that the removable section (120a, 120b, 194, 196) is retractable in a direction approximately parallel to the axis (10) of rotation by means of an actuator (140a, 140b) mounted on the fixed transverse plate (90a, 90b,

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for loading (10) or unloading (58) preforms (12) comprising a neck (20) on a transporting element (14) which includes a device (28) for individually gripping one preform (12) by its neck, the loading or unloading device comprising: means for dispensing (32, 42) preforms which include means for individually receiving (42) each preform, the trajectory of the receiving means and the trajectory of the gripping means, in planar projection, being tangent in at least one intersecting point (P3, P4) wherein the preform (12) being in a gripping position, the neck (20) of the preform (12) is vertically arranged opposite the gripping member; means for synchronizing the movement of the receiving means relative to the movement of the gripping member. The invention is characterized in that the trajectory of the receiving means and the trajectory of the gripping member are superimposed along at least one intersecting line (P3-P1, P2-P4).

Abstract: The invention relates to facility including a robot (2) for supplying pallet preparation stations with products (3) of the crate type or different. The structure of the facility includes side walls (11) and doors (13, 14) for accessing the palletization stations A and B. The structure further includes a fixed wall (15) separating stations A and B, and a cowling (20) mobile from one station to the other and in the shape of a dihedron, for alternatively converting each palletization station A and B into a kind of pallet hatch, wherein said conversion is carried out automatically before the opening of the door for accessing a loaded pallet located in said hatch. The cowling (20) is directly actuated by the product handling robot (2).

Abstract: A mold for fabricating containers made of thermoplastic material by blow-molding or stretch-blow molding a blank, which mold has a seat situated at the opening in the molding cavity for the purpose of receiving the rim of said blank, and cooling means for cooling said rim and, between said cooling means and the impression of the shoulder of the cavity of the mold, said mold has thermal insulation means for breaking a thermal bridge. The cooling circuit for cooling the rim is etched in a lid that is mounted around the opening of the cavity of the mold, and this etched portion rests in leaktight manner on a piece that acts as a thermal insulator.

Abstract: According to the invention, the handling robot includes a vertical telescopic mast (11) that comprises: a vertically fixed base (20); and a plurality of sections (21-23) with synchronised movements, said movements being speed- and acceleration-controlled and including a gravity extension movement and a powered retraction movement, the last section (23) bearing a head (13) for gripping the products (3) to be palletised. The robot includes a common driving shaft (30) for moving the different sections (21, 22, 23), wherein said shaft (30) includes wheels (31, 32, 33) having a diameter adapted to the travel of the section (21-23?) they operate, respectively, via transmission members. For the last section (23) bearing the gripping head, the movement transmission is carried out by chains and for the other sections the transmission members between the wheels (31, 32) and the sections thereof (21, 22) consist of belts that wind up on the corresponding wheel.

Abstract: A filling machine with at least one volumetric metering system which comprises a cylinder provided with a piston driven by electric or pneumatic actuation device connected to a parametrisable control unit of the machine, and provided within the lower portion with a first suction opening connected by a first suction duct to a first storage tank, with a second inlet opening connected by a second suction duct to a second tank, and with a discharge opening connected by a discharge duct to a filling nozzle. Valve systems formed of clack valves are mounted in the suction ducts and on the filling nozzle, each valve system being driven individually for opening and for closing by individual electric and/or pneumatic actuation device connected to the control unit of the machine.

Abstract: A container-treatment method, of the type in which the container (12) is disposed inside a chamber (16) which defines a cavity (18) outside the container (12) and which is connected to a Vacuum pumping circuit (50), the interior of the container (12) being connected to the pumping circuit (50). The method includes a preliminary pumping step (E1) which is followed by a treatment step (E2). The preliminary step (E1) includes the following successive phases, namely: an external pumping phase (P1) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the cavity (18) only; and an internal pumping phase (P2) which produces a drop in the pressure inside the container (12) only. A machine used to implement the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermoplastic container (1) having a body (2) provided with at least one groove (6) that forms a closed loop and that extends perpendicularly to the axis of the body; the groove having a depth (p) that lies in the range 3 mm to 6 mm; in right section, the groove comprises: an bottom (8) that is rounded, having a small radius of curvature (R1) in the range 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm; two faces (9) that are plane and that flare apart from each other on either side of the bottom (8) at an angle (?) in the range 50° to 90°; and two faces (10) that are curvilinear, and that extend away from the respective plane faces (9) at an angle (?) that is less than 180°, and that are connected thereto by respective rounded walls (11) of small radius of curvature (R2) that does not exceed 1.5 mm, and that are connected tangentially to the wall (12) of the body (2). Such a groove (6) is deformable with a capacity to pinch axially in the presence of an axial force applied to the container.

Abstract: A gripper for manipulating containers includes a support on which a cam mechanism is pivotally mounted. The gripper has a first jaw operated by the cam mechanism and a second jaw controlled by the first jaw. The first jaw has an actuator which interacts with a receiving mechanism on the second jaw for opening or closing the gripper. The actuator is pivotally associated with the first jaw so that, when force is applied by the receiving mechanism due to rotation of the second jaw relative to the first jaw, the actuator can rotate relative to the first jaw to allow the gripper to open.

Abstract: The deck for lifting a layer of products (2) onto a pallet (10) is constituted by a sole plate (26) of reduced thickness carried by a frame defined by crosspieces (22) and (23) also of reduced thickness and by side pieces (21). The side pieces (21) are of square-shaped cross-section with at least the horizontal wing (40) thereof being provided so as to receive and enable the locking of a piece of equipment forming said sole plate (26) and which is adapted to the nature of said products (2) constituting the layer to be loaded onto a pallet, said piece of equipment being in the form of tabular components (27) of small diameter, about 30 mm, placed between and parallel to said crosspieces (22), (23), said components (27) being able to constitute fully or partially free rolls (28), or able to be locked.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bottom of a mould for producing thermoplastic containers, and to a container thus produced. The container (1) produced comprises: a base (4) having a concave peripheral wall (6) extending essentially coaxially to the X-X? axis, this concavity defining a non null curvature all along the wall (6); an annular region (7) forming a tubular peripheral wall (8) extending essentially coaxially to the X-X? axis, the transversal radial distance between the X-X? axis and said wall (8) being longer than the transversal radial distance between the X-X? axis and any point along the concave peripheral wall (6) of said base (4); and a shoulder (9) forming a connecting region between the base (4) and the annular region (7). The depth of said annular region is between 0.5 and 2%, preferably between 1 and 1.5%, especially 1.2% of the diameter of the annular region (7), and the height of the base (4) is between 5 and 15 mm.

Abstract: A manipulator robot for handling objects and in particular bottles. The manipulator robot includes a body whereon are fitted equipment items for gripping the bottles and the lower part of the body includes slide-shaped devices connecting the body and elongated support members whereon is arranged the equipment items. Fast fixing devices are also interposed between the body and each elongated support member to facilitate changing the elongated support members. The elongated support members may include all sorts of equipment items such as pneumatic bell-shaped gripping heads or handling suckers and/or claw systems for handling cartons.

Abstract: Process for manufacturing a container (2) from a plastic preform (3) by blow-molding in a mold (11), comprising: an operation of introducing the preform (3) into the mold (11); a blow-molding operation consisting of pressurizing the preform (3) by introducing a gas under a blow-molding pressure into it; a flushing operation subsequent to the blow-molding operation consisting of partially pressurizing the container (2) by introducing a gas under a flushing pressure lower than the blow-molding pressure into it; an operation of at least partial depressurization of the container down to a pressure lower than the flushing pressure, wherein this depressurization operation is subsequent to the blow-molding operation and prior to the flushing operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a blow-molding installation for manufacturing thermoplastic hollow bodies by blow-molding or stretch-blow-molding containers (37) in a molding cavity of a mold, this blow-molding installation comprising a double-acting nozzle actuator (1) with two stages in series, equipped with two pistons (5, 6), these being an upper piston and a lower piston respectively, the nozzle (15, 16) being fixed removably, and pneumatic control means being designed to make said pistons (5, 6) slide according to a first operating mode used when the nozzle (15) is of the type that makes sealed contact with the mouth of the neck of the container, and a second operating mode used when the nozzle (16) is of the bell type with sealed contact against the surface of the mold in which the container (37) is placed.

Abstract: The method for grouping stackable products of the cases, small plates or other type, in light of a taking up by appropriate means in order to carry out their packaging, products arriving in line on a first feed conveyor (2) which has an accumulation function and a distribution function of said products, distribution being carried out sequentially in order to feed a supply conveyor (3) which makes said products available so that they can be collected, method consisting in: collecting the products distributed on the supply conveyor (3) by means of a transversal collector (4) which is mobile in a vertical plane, in depositing the collected products on a take-up station (10) which is located above the level of said supply conveyor (3), in providing said collector (4) with a loop movement, cyclical, in order to collect the products, deposit them and return to the point of departure.

Abstract: A rotary labelling machine comprises a carrousel that can be pivotally driven by a carrousel motor and a plurality of container stations supported by said carrousel, wherein each container station comprises a container-holder plate and a plate motor suitable to rotate the plate about its own axis, carrousel sensor means detecting the movement of the carrousel and generating a reference signal representative of the carrousel angular position, a plurality of local control units. Each control unit is connected with one of the plate motors, respectively, and is configured to receive and process the reference signal and generate a control signal specific for said plate motor. Signal propagation means are connected to the carrousel sensor means and to the local control units to propagate the reference signal to each of the local control units.

Abstract: A machine for the treatment of containers (12) provided with a neck (14), includes at least one, treatment station provided with a nipple (22) having gripping elements (26) in order to seize a container (12), the gripping elements (26) including a tubular supporting cuff (50) which is provided with a series of radial drillholes (52), each intended for receiving a ball (54) movable radially between an inner gripping position and an outer release position, characterized in that the gripping elements (26) include a tubular control cuff (56) which is mounted slideably between a locked position, in which a frustoconical bearing surface (58) cooperates with the balls (54) in order to stress them toward their gripping position, and an unlocked axial position, and in that the nipple (22) includes controlled drive elements (62) capable of causing the sliding of the control cuff (56).