Method of and apparatus for processing material in containers

Claim 1

IN CONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS FOR MOVING CANS OR THE LIKE DURING PROCESSING OF THEIR CONTACTS; A SUPPORTING FRAME; A GENERALLY CLINDRICAL STRUCTURE MOUNTED HORIZONTALLY IN SAID FRAME FOR ROTATION UPON ITS HORIZONTAL AXIS AND PRESENTING ON PERIPHERY A HELICAL TRACKWAY GENERATED UPON SAID AXIS AND SHAPED TO RECEIVE AND GUIDE THE INNER END OF EACH OF A PROCESSION OF CONTAINERS DISPOSED WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS OF ROTATION; AND A COOPERATING REEL DISPOSED IN TELESCOPED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE AND MOUNTED CONCENTRICALLY THEREWITH IN SAID FRAME FOR INDEPENDENT ROTATION ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID REEL PRESENTING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL TRACKWAYS SHAPED TO ENGAGE AND GUIDE THE OUTER END OF EACH CONTAINER, SAID LONGITUDINAL TRACKWAYS BEING DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HELICAL TRACKWAY AND FORMING INTERSECTIONS THERE WITH CONSTITUTING CONTAINER RETAINING POCKETS, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT SAID CONTAINERS ARE RETAINED AGAINST RADIAL MOVEMENT IN SAID POCKETS IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY BE REVOLVED END-OVER-END AT THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF SAID REEL TO AGITATE THEIR CONTENTS DURING PROCESSING, THE CONTAINERS BEING FED LATERALLY ALONG SAID TRACKWAYS AT A RATE DEPENDING UPON THE RELATIVE RATE OF ROTATION BETWEEN SAID REEL AND SAID CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT SAID CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE IS ROTATING.