Bottle sorting machine and method

Claim 1

A BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BOTTLE ENGAGING STARWHEEL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A VERTICAL SHAFT, COMPRISING AN UPPER POCKETED WHEEL ON SAID SHAFT, A LOWER POCKETED WHEEL ON SAID SHAFT, BOTH SAID WHEELS HAVING CORRESPONDING BOTTLE RECEIVING POCKETS, AND A HUB ON SAID SHAFT DEFINING A VACUUM CHAMBER, A HORIZONTAL INLET CONVEYOR ADVANCING BOTTLES IN SERIATIM FASHION IN TANGENTIAL RELATION TO SAID STARWHEEL AND SUCCESSIVELY INTO SAID POCKETS, VACUUM APPLYING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER, A PLURALITY OF BOTTLE ENGAGING CUPS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CUPS INDIVIDUAL TO SAID BOTTLE RECEIVING POCKETS FOR ENGAGING A BOTTLE THEREIN, SAID MEANS INCLUDING CONDUITS FOR APPLYING VACUUM TO EACH OF SAID CUPS, INDIVIDUAL SPOOL VALVES ON SAID STARWHEEL IN EACH SAID CONDUIT AND HAVING A SPOOL OPERABLE FOR ALTERNATIVELY CONNECTING THE CUP TO ATMOSPHERE AND TO SAID VACUUM CHAMBER, A VALVE OPERATOR CONNECTED TO EACH SAID VALVE SPOOL, A SOLENOID-OPERATED ACTUATOR MOUNTED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE OPERATORS, A FIRST LIMIT SWITCH IN THE CIRCUIT OF SAID SOLENOID OPERATED BY BOTTLES ON THE INLET CONVEYOR OF PREDETERMINED DIMENSION TO ENERGIZE THE SOLENOID AND SHIFT SAID VALVE SPOOL TO APPLY VACUUM TO THE CUP ENGAGED WITH THE CORRESPONDING BOTTLE, THEREBY TRANSFERRING SAID BOTTLE FROM SAID INLET CONVEYOR, A SECOND CONVEYOR TANGENT WITH THE STARWHEEL SPACED PERIPHERALLY THEREOF FROM THE INLET CONVEYOR, A SECOND SOLENOID OPERATED ACTUATOR IN THE PATH OF THE VALVE OPERATORS ALONG SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, A SECOND LIMIT SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SECOND SOLENOID AND MOUNTED IN A PREDETERMINED HORIZONTAL PLANE OF BOTTLES CARRIED BY THE STARWHEEL, THIS LIMIT SWITCH BEING OPERATED BY A BOTTLE HAVING A PREDETERMINED DIMENSION IN THAT PLANE, SAID SECOND LIMIT SWITCH ENERGIZING ITS SOLENOID AND OPERATING THE VALVE SPOOL TO DISCONNECT THE VACUUM TO THE CUP CARRYING SUCH A BOTTLE, THEREBY RELEASING SAID BOTTLE TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, AND MEANS FOR SUBSEQUENTLY OPERATING ANY OF THE VALVE SPOOLS NOT OPERATED AT SAID CONVEYOR AT A POINT OF TRAVEL BEYOND SAID SECOND CONVEYOR THEREBY RELEASING BOTTLES FROM THE STARWHEEL BEING CARRIED BEYOND SAID SECOND CONVEYOR.