| CPC B65B 35/205 (2013.01) [B65B 35/405 (2013.01); B65G 54/02 (2013.01)] | 8 Claims |
|
1. A pushing apparatus for pushing and transferring products, comprising:
a pusher element, conformed so as to abut a side of a product, or a group of products, arranged on a conveyor and which is to be pushed and transferred along a transfer direction (Z) transversal to the conveyor;
a counter-pusher element, conformed and dimensioned so as to be positionable above and facing the product, or the group of products, arranged on the conveyor and which is to be pushed and transferred along a transfer direction (Z) transversal to the conveyor by means of the pusher element;
characterised in the pushing apparatus:
a linear driving unit comprising:
a frame;
a straight guide mounted on the frame;
a stator arranged in the frame and configured in such a way as to be able to generate a variable magnetic field along the straight guide;
a first carriage slidably mounted on the straight guide and comprising permanent magnets;
a second carriage slidably mounted on the straight guide and comprising permanent magnets;
a third carriage slidably mounted on the straight guide and comprising permanent magnets;
the linear driving unit is positionable laterally to the conveyor in such a way that the straight guide is arranged transversal to the conveyor;
wherein the linear driving unit is configured in such a way that the stator is activatable in order to generate a variable magnetic field along the straight guide so as to interact with the permanent magnets of the first carriage, with the permanent magnets of the second carriage and with the permanent magnets of the third carriage and move the first carriage, the second carriage and the third carriage, independently of one another, along the straight guide towards or away from the conveyor;
the pushing apparatus further comprising:
a first support member, for supporting the pusher element, mounted on the first carriage in such a way as to be parallel to the straight guide;
a second support member for supporting the counter-pusher element;
an articulate system for supporting the second support member and for moving the second support member with respect to the first support member, and thus moving the counter-pusher element with respect to the pusher element, the articulate system is predisposed and configured to be activatable by means of the movement of the second carriage and the third carriage and is configured to maintain the second support member parallel to the first support member and above the first support member, wherein the articulate system is further configured so that, when the second carriage and the third carriage are in a neared position with respect to one another, the articulate system maintains the second support member, and therefore the counter-pusher element, in a raised position above the conveyor, and wherein, when the second carriage and the third carriage are reciprocally moved along the straight guide, by means of the magnetic field generated by the stator, so as to be reciprocally positioned in a position (PD) in which the second carriage and the third carriage are moved away and distanced from one another, the articulate system moves the second support member, and therefore the counter-pusher element, into a lowered position (PA) towards the conveyor so that the counter-pusher element is arranged above and facing the product, or the group of products, arranged on the conveyor;
wherein, in order to push and transfer the product, or the group of products, arranged on the conveyor in a transfer direction (Z) that is transversal to the conveyor, the pushing apparatus is configured in such a way that, starting from a configuration in which the first carriage is in a retracted position with respect to the conveyor so that the pusher element is arranged laterally of the conveyor and with the second carriage and the third carriage positioned in a neared position (P1) to one another so that the counter-pusher element is positioned in the raised position (PS) above the conveyor, the stator is activatable to generate a variable magnetic field along the straight guide so that:
firstly, the second carriage and the third carriage are reciprocally moved along the straight guide by means of the magnetic field generated by the stator in order to be positioned in a position (PD) in which the second carriage and the third carriage are moved away and distanced from one another by a distance such that the articulate system moves the second support member, and therefore the counter-pusher element, from the raised position to the lowered position (PA) in order to bring the counter-pusher element to be arranged above and facing the product, or the group of products, arranged on the conveyor;
and then the first carriage, the second carriage and the third carriage are moved along the straight guide by means of the magnetic field generated by the stator in order to be contemporaneously moved towards the conveyor in order to translate the first support member and the second support member transversally to the conveyor so that the pusher element abuts the product, or the group of products, arranged on the conveyor and pushes and transfers the product, or the group of products, along a transfer direction (Z) that is transversal to the conveyor, with the counter-pusher element remaining arranged above and facing the product, or the group of products, at least during a first part of transfer of the product, or of the group of products.
|