Selective top heater for plastic coated paperboard container packaging machines

Claim 1

IN A CONTAINER PACKAGING MACHINE INCLUDING MEANS FOR CLOSING THE CLOSURE ELEMENTS OF THERMOPLASTIC COATED CONTAINERS, A CONVEYOR MEANS FOR CARRYING THE CONTAINERS THROUGH THE MACHINE TO THE CLOSING MEANS, AND A POWER DRIVE SHAFT FOR OPERATING THE MACHINE; A HEATING APPARATUS FOR HEATING THE THERMOPLASTIC COATED SEALING SURFACES OF CONTAINER CLOSURE ELEMENTS, COMPRISING: (A) A HOT AIR HOUSING DISPOSED OVER SAID CONVEYOR; (B) A HOT AIR MANIFOLD CONNECTED TO SAID HEATER HOUSING; (C) MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID MANIFOLD ON THE MACHINE; (D) MEANS CONNECTING SAID HOT AIR MANIFOLD TO A SOURCE OF HOT AIR UNDER PRESSURE; (E) MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE AND CONNECTED TO SAID HOT AIR MANIFOLD FOR SELECTIVE PIVOTING OF THE MANIFOLD AND HOT AIR HOUSING TO MOVE THE HOUSING BETWEEN A LOWER OPERATIVE HEATING POSITION ADJACENT THE SEALING SURFACES OF THE CLOSURE ELEMENTS OF A CONTAINER ON A CONVEYOR AND A FIRST RAISED INOPERATIVE HEATING POSITION ABOVE THE CONTAINER OR A SECOND RAISED INACTIVE HEATING POSITION ABOVE THE CONTAINER; (F) SAID MEANS FOR PIVOTING A MANIFOLD COMPRISES AN ACTUATOR LEVER CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID MANIFOLD ON THE MACHINE AND PROVIDED AT THE OTHER END WITH A CAM FOLLOWER; (G) A CAM OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE DRIVE SHAFT AND ENGAGABLE WITH SAID CAM FOLLOWER FOR PIVOTING THE HOUSING BETWEEN THE HEATING POSITION AND THE FIRST RAISED INOPERATIVE HEATING POSITION; (H) A SECOND LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF CONNECTED TO THE MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID MANIFOLD ON THE MACHINE; AND (I) A POWER CYLINDER MOUNTED ON SAID MACHINE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND LEVER AND OPERATIVE TO MOVE THE SECOND LEVER IN ONE DIRECTION TO RAISE THE HOUSING TO SAID INACTIVE HEATING POSITION, AND IN THE OTHER DIRECTION TO MAINTAIN SAID CAM FOLLOWER IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM.