PET bottle gripper

1. In a bottle filling installation, an apparatus for gripping PET bottles when transferring bottles from a spider element to a spider element/filling element/rinsing element, said device comprising

a thrust body that opens and closes grippers;

a guide, which is vertical in the operational position, said guide engaging said thrust body;

at least a first spring for exerting a force on said body in a lifting and lowering direction; and

a roller for moving the thrust body around a control curve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising guides for providing said thrust body with a functional connection to each gripper in order to open and close said grippers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a control plate coupled to said thrust body, wherein said guides comprise walls forming slots in said control plate coupled to said thrust body.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second spring, wherein said first and second springs have different spring constants.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said the control plate comprises a U-shaped portion, and wherein said first spring is positioned between a U-leg of the control plate and the thrust body.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said thrust body with said roller is directly formed by the control plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the grippers comprise slide bushes at actuation ends thereof, said slide bushes

having actuation pins with rollers guided so as to slide in the slots and

being arranged on slide rods positioned transverse to the control plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said slots are arranged in a V-shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said slots are arranged at an angle to each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second spring, wherein said first and second springs have different spring pre-tensions.