Apparatus for transferring bottles and similar containers

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING BOTTLES AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS, IN COMBINATION, A STATIONARY SUPPORT; A CONVEYOR ARRANGED TO CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCE A ROW OF CONTAINERS TOWARD AND ONTO SAID SUPPORT SO THAT A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS OF SAID ROW OF CONTAINERS IS LOCATED ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT IS PREDETERMINED POSITION AND MAINTAINED IN SUCH PREDETERMINED POSITION BY PRESSURE OF FOLLOWING CONTAINERS ON SAID CONVEYOR TENDING TO MOVE IN DIRECTION TOWARD SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT; A TRANSFER MECHANISM ARRANGED TO RECIPROCATE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORT, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING INDIVIDUAL GRIPPER MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS AND ARRANGED IN THE SAME PREDETERMINED POSITION AS SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT MEANS, SAID GRIPPER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO LIFT SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS FROM SAID SUPPORT WHEN SAID MECHANISM MOVES UPWARDLY; DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A VARIABLE-SPEED MOTOR ARRANGED TO DRIVE SAID CONVEYOR AT VARIABLE SPEED; AND A CONTROL ARRANGEMENT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM AND ARRANGED TO REDUCE THE SPEED OF SAID MOTOR AND THEREBY REDUCE ALSO THE SPEED OF SAID CONVEYOR WHILE SAID TRANSFER MECHANISM LIFTS SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS FROM SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT, SAID REDUCTION OF SPEED OF SAID CONVEYOR BEING SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE PRSSURE OF THE FOLLOWING CONTAINERS ON SAID CONVEYOR AGAINST SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT DURING LIFTING OF SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS, SO AS TO AVOID ANY UNDESIRED RESISTANC TO LIFTING OF SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS CAUSED BY SUCH EXCESSIVE PRESSURE WHILE MAINTAINING A LIMITED PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO RETAIN SAID PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS IN THEIR PREDETERMINED POSITION ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT, ENABLING PROPER ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CONTAINERS BY SAID INDIVIDUAL GRIPPER MEANS.