Assembly machine adapted to assemble caps onto spouts and a method of assembling caps onto spouts

1. Assembly machine ( 1 ) adapted to assemble caps ( 3 ) onto spouts ( 2 ), the assembly machine comprising:

a spout supply ( 10 ) adapted to supply spouts ( 2 ) in succession at a spout supply position (A);

a cap supply ( 20 ) adapted to supply caps ( 3 ) in succession at a cap supply position (B);

a frame comprising:

a cap guide arc ( 30 ), mounted stationary in the frame, which cap guide arc is adapted to receive each cap ( 3 ) from the cap supply ( 20 ) and to guide the cap between the cap supply position (B) and a cap pick-up position (C);

a turret assembly ( 40 ) which is rotatable about an essentially vertical rotation axis (R), which is provided along and adjacent to the spout supply position (A), the cap supply position (B) and the cap guide arc ( 30 ), the turret assembly passing, in the direction of rotation, the cap supply position (B), the cap pick-up position (C), an assembly position (D) in which cap and spout are assembled and an assembled cap-and-spout expelling position (E) wherein the assembled cap-and-spout is expelled from the turret assembly, the turret assembly ( 40 ) comprising:

a circular spout transporter ( 41 ), provided with spout receptacles ( 41 a ) each adapted to receive a spout from the spout supply ( 10 ) at the spout supply position (A), the spout transporter ( 41 ) being adapted to transport each spout at least between the spout supply position (A), via the assembly position (D), towards the expelling position (E),

a cap positioning element ( 42 ) provided above the cap guide arc ( 30 ) in an operative position thereof, the stationary cap guide arc being provided above and parallel to and having the same radius as the spout transporter ( 41 ), the cap positioning element ( 42 ) being adapted to position the cap in, and guide the cap along the cap guide arc ( 30 ) in the operative position thereof between the cap supply position (B) and the cap pick-up position (C), the cap positioning element ( 42 ) being retractable to a non-operative retracted position when remote from the cap guide arc,

a cap assembly unit ( 43 ) provided above the spout transporter ( 41 ), the rotation path of which being parallel to and having the same radius as the spout transporter ( 41 ), the cap assembly unit being adapted to pick up the cap at the pick-up position (C) and assemble the cap onto the spout at the assembly position (D), the cap assembly unit being movable up-and-down between a non-operative upper level, via a lower-situated pick-up level at the cap pick-up position (C) to a lowermost assembly level at the assembly position (D).

2. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cap is an anti-choke hazard wing cap and wherein the cap positioning element is allowed to abut the wings in the operative position thereof, to define the orientation of the wing cap at the pick-up position.

3. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , the spout and/or cap supply comprising one or more of: a centrifugal feeder, a linear feeding line, a separation wheel.

4. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , the turret assembly further comprising a spout fixation member provided adjacent the spout transporter, adapted to fixate a spout in an operative position at the assembly position, the spout fixation member being retractable to a non-operative retracted position remote from the assembly position.

5. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , wherein the spout receptacles are embodied as pins or slides.

6. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , adapted to assemble caps onto spouts to form a pre-assembled closure assembly that is to be sealed in an opening between two walls of a collapsible pouch.

7. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , adapted to assemble caps onto spouts that have been sealed in an opening between two walls of a collapsible pouch.

8. Assembly machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly unit is adapted to screw or click the cap onto the spout at the assembly position.

9. Method of assembling caps ( 3 ) onto spouts ( 2 ), wherein use is made of an assembly machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

supplying spouts ( 2 ) by a spout supply ( 10 ) in succession at a spout supply position (A);

supplying caps ( 3 ) by a cap supply ( 20 ) at a cap supply position (B);

a cap guide arc ( 3 ) receiving each cap ( 3 ) from the cap supply ( 20 ) and guiding the cap between the cap supply position (B) to a cap pick-up position (C);

a circular spout transporter ( 41 ) provided with spout receptacles ( 41 a ) receiving each spout from the spout supply ( 10 ) at the cap supply position (A) and transporting each spout at least from the spout supply position (A), via the assembly position (D), to the expelling position (E);

a cap positioning element ( 42 ) positioning the cap in, and guiding the cap along the cap guide arc ( 30 ) between the cap supply position (B) and the cap pick-up position (C);

the cap positioning element ( 42 ) retracting to a retracted position having a reduced radius when remote from the cap guide arc;

a cap assembly unit ( 43 ) moving down from a non-operative upper level, via a lower-situated pick-up level, picking up the cap at the pick-up position (C), to a lowermost assembly level, assembling the cap onto the spout at the assembly position (D);

expelling the assembled cap-and-spout from the turret assembly at the assembled cap-and-spout expelling position (E).

10. Method according to claim 9 , preceded by the steps of:

sealing a spout in an opening between two walls of a collapsible pouch;

filling each of the collapsible pouches.