Container unscrambler

Claim 1

A container unscrambler for aligning a plurality of noncylindrical plastic containers in a single file, comprising: a. conveyor means adapted for receiving a plurality of noncylindrical plastic containers thereon; b. supporting platform means located lower than the position of said containers when said containers are supported by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a continuously moving endless belt tilted in a downward direction towards said platform means sufficiently to cause containers placed upon said endless belt to lean towards said platform means without sliding, said endless belt transporting said containers in a forward direction towards said platform means; c. guide rails for separating said containers which are placed upon said endless belt into a plurality of rows, said guide rails being positioned parallel to the direction of travel of said containers upon said endless belt; d. means for forcing the leading container in each row to move down to said platform means; e. continuously moving endless support means including a plurality of extended engaging means connected thereto in a spaced relationship such that when any given extended engaging means encounters the most proximate container thereto which is supported on said platform means, it simultaneously pushes all of said containers on said platform means in single file in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of said containers upon said endless belt, and the next leading container in each row being forced down into position upon said platform means before the next extended engaging means arrives, the arrival of said next engaging means being timed so that it encounters the most proximate container thereto which is supported on said platform means and simultaneously pushes all of the containers then on said platform means in single file behind the containers which were pushed in single file by the preceding engaging means; f. chute means along which said containers in a single file are pushed without interruption by successive ones of said extended means, said chute means being bent at an angle such that said containers in single file are moved away from the path taken by said extended means and each saiD extended means sequentially loses contact with the containers it is pushing; and g. second conveyor means, said containers being deposited in single file upon said second conveyor means as they exit from said chute means.