Chuck for manipulating bottles in a bottle decorating apparatus

Claim 2

For use in combination with a bottle conveyor having a fixed frame, and conveying elements mounted upon said fixed frame for conveying movement along a given path; the improvement comprising a chuck assembly for supporting a bottle upon the conveyor for movement along the given path comprising a chuck frame assembly attachable to the conveying elements of said conveyor for movement therewith, a drive member rotatively mounted in said chuck frame assembly, one way clutch means including an input member and an output member rotatively mounted on said chuck frame assembly and means fOr rotatively coupling said input member to said output member only upon rotation of said input member in a first direction, a bottle-supporting platform mounted upon said output member for rotation therewith about a first axis and adapted to support a bottle having a vertical axis of symmetry upon said chuck assembly for movement therewith and for rotation about its axis of symmetry in coaxial relationship with said first axis, the bottle to be supported upon said platform having locating lug means thereon exposed when the bottle is supported upon the platform, first slip clutch means for rotatively frictionally coupling said input member to said output member, second slip clutch means for rotatively coupling said drive member to said input member, first releasable latch means on said chuck frame assembly engageable with the locating lug means on a bottle supported upon said platform and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said first clutch means, second releasable latch means on said chuck frame assembly engageable with said input member and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said second slip clutch means, and means on said fixed frame of said conveyor for releasing said second latch means at selected positions along said given path.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said drive member comprises a drive shaft supported in said chuck frame assembly for rotation about a second axis, a rotary drive element fixed to one end of said shaft, and means on said fixed frame of said conveyor engageable with said rotary drive element at selected locations along said given path to drive said rotary drive element and shaft in rotation about said second axis as said chuck assembly is moved by said conveying elements past said locations.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said means on said fixed frame of said conveyor comprises first means at a first location on said path engageable with one of said rotary drive elements at one side of said second axis to drive said rotary drive element and shaft in one direction of rotation about said second axis, and a second means at a second location on said path engageable with said rotary drive element at the opposite side of said second axis to drive said rotary drive element and shaft in the opposite direction of rotation about said second axis.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said chuck frame assembly comprises a first frame member fixedly attached to one of said conveying elements of said conveyor for movement therewith, a second frame element mounted on said first frame element for pivotal movement about a second axis offset from said first axis, and cooperating means on said second frame element and said fixed frame of said conveyor for pivoting said second frame element about said second axis at selected locations along said given path.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said drive member comprises a drive shaft journaled for rotation in said first and said second frame members of said chuck assembly for rotation about said second frame member axis, said drive shaft coupling said first and said second frame members to each other.

Claim 7

In a bottle decorating system having endless conveyor means including a fixed conveyor frame and conveying elements mounted on said frame for movement along an endless path, loading means at a first location on said path for loading bottles to be decorated onto said conveyor means with said bottles at random rotative orientations, unloading means at a second location on said path for removing bottles from said conveyor means, and decorating means at a third location on said path for decorating bottles on said conveyor means during their movement along said path from said loading station to said unloading station, said bottles having a vertical axis of symmetry and locating lug means thereon; the improvement comprising a plurality of chucklike assemblies mounted on said conveying elements for movement therewith at uniformly spaced positiOns thereon, each of said chuck assemblies including a chuck frame assembly, a bottle supporting platform mounted on said chuck frame assembly for rotation about a first axis coaxial with the axis of symmetry of a bottle supported thereon, a drive member rotatively mounted in said chuck frame assembly, a drive element mounted on said conveyor frame at a location on said path between said loading station and said decorating means and engageable with said drive member to rotate said drive member as said drive member is carried past said drive element by movement of said conveying elements, bottle orienting means on said chuck assembly including an orienting element engageable with the locating lug on a bottle supported on said platform, drive train means for transmitting rotation of said drive member to said platform to rotate said platform and the bottle supported thereon until said orienting element is engaged with said locating lug means on said bottle to thereby rotatively orient the bottle relative to said chuck assembly, and latch means for latching the drive member at a selective rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame assembly after the bottle has been rotatively oriented.

Claim 8

In a bottle decorating system having endless conveyor means including a fixed conveyor frame and conveying elements mounted on said frame for movement along an endless path, loading means at a first location on said path for loading bottles to be decorated onto said conveyor means with said bottles at random rotative orientations, unloading means at a second location on said path for removing bottles from said conveyor means, and decorating means at a third location on said path for decorating bottles on said conveyor means during their movement along said path from said loading station to said unloading station, said bottles having a vertical axis of symmetry and locating lug means thereon; the improvement comprising a plurality of chucklike assemblies mounted on said conveying elements for movement therewith at uniformly spaced positiOns thereon, each of said chuck assemblies including a chuck frame assembly, a bottle supporting platform mounted on said chuck frame assembly for rotation about a first axis coaxial with the axis of symmetry of a bottle supported thereon, a drive member rotatively mounted in said chuck frame assembly, a drive element mounted on said conveyor frame at a location on said path between said loading station and said decorating means and engageable with said drive member to rotate said drive member as said drive member is carried past said drive element by movement of said conveying elements, bottle orienting means on said chuck assembly including an orienting element engageable with the locating lug on a bottle supported on said platform, drive train means for transmitting rotation of said drive member to said platform to rotate said platform and the bottle supported thereon until said orienting element is engaged with said locating lug means on said bottle to thereby rotatively orient the bottle relative to said chuck assembly, and latch means for latching the drive member at a selective rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame assembly after the bottle has been rotatively oriented.

Claim 9

The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said drive train means comprises a slip clutch rotatively coupling said drive member to said platform, said orienting element when engaged with the locating lug means on said bottle being operable to cause slippage of said slip clutch during rotation of said drive member subsequent to the engagement of the orienting element with the locating lug means.

Claim 10

The invention as defined in claim 7 further comprising a second drive element mounted on said conveyor frame at said decorating station and engageable with said drive member to rotate said drive member as said drive member is carried past said second drive element by movement of said conveyor elements, said second drive element being operable to rotate said drive member in a direction opposite to that which said drive member is rotated by the first mentioned drive element, said drive train means including a one way clutch operable to transmit rotation of said drive member by said second drive element to said platform whereby said platform is driven by said slip clutch during the rotative orientation of said bottle and said platform is driven by said one way clutch as the bottle is carried past said decorating means.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said platform is mounted upon a platform shaft journaled for rotation in said chuck frame assembly, said one way clutch having an input member and an output member, means coupling said one way clutch input member to said drive member, said one way clutch output member being mounted upon said platform shaft, a hub rotatively locked to said platform shaft, and friction means engaged between said one way clutch input member and said hub to constitute said slip clutch.

Claim 12

The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said means coupling said one way clutch input member to said drive member comprises a second slip clutch, and releasable latch means on said chuck frame assembly operable to latch said one way clutch input member against rotation to cause slippage of said second slip clutch means.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for applying a decoration to a selected circumferential portion of a generally cylindrical bottle having a vertical axis of symmetry and locating lug means thereon, said apparatus including conveyor means for conveying a bottle along a given path, decoration applying means including a decorating element having a generally flat surface located adjacent one side of and extending parallel to said path, and bottle supporting and manipulating means for rolling a bottle on said conveying means laterally across the surface of the decorating element as the bottle is carried past the decorating element by the conveyor means to apply a decoration to a preselected portion of the bottle circumference; the improvement wherein saiD bottle supporting and manipulating means comprises chuck means mounted on said conveyor means for movement along said path, said chuck means having a frame, a platform mounted in said frame for rotation about a first axis and adapted to support a bottle thereon with the axis of symmetry of the bottle coaxial with said first axis, a drive member journaled for rotation in said chuck frame, drive train means mounted on said chuck frame for rotatively coupling said drive member to said platform to rotate said platform, bottle orienting means on said chuck assembly including an orienting element engageable with said locating lug means, of a bottle on said conveying means, first means operable during the approach of said bottle toward said decoration applying means to rotate said platform and thereby rotate said bottle placed on said platform at a random rotative orientation about said first axis into a preselected rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame whereat said element and lug means are engaged, latch means for latching the drive member at a preselected rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame assembly after the bottle has been rotatively oriented, second means for rotating said drive member while said chuck means is being conveyed along said path past said decoration applying means to roll the bottle about its axis of symmetry from said preselected rotative orientation laterally across the surface of the decorating element.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for applying a decoration to a selected circumferential portion of a generally cylindrical bottle having a vertical axis of symmetry and locating lug means thereon, said apparatus including conveyor means for conveying a bottle along a given path, decoration applying means including a decorating element having a generally flat surface located adjacent one side of and extending parallel to said path, and bottle supporting and manipulating means for rolling a bottle on said conveying means laterally across the surface of the decorating element as the bottle is carried past the decorating element by the conveyor means to apply a decoration to a preselected portion of the bottle circumference; the improvement wherein saiD bottle supporting and manipulating means comprises chuck means mounted on said conveyor means for movement along said path, said chuck means having a frame, a platform mounted in said frame for rotation about a first axis and adapted to support a bottle thereon with the axis of symmetry of the bottle coaxial with said first axis, a drive member journaled for rotation in said chuck frame, drive train means mounted on said chuck frame for rotatively coupling said drive member to said platform to rotate said platform, bottle orienting means on said chuck assembly including an orienting element engageable with said locating lug means, of a bottle on said conveying means, first means operable during the approach of said bottle toward said decoration applying means to rotate said platform and thereby rotate said bottle placed on said platform at a random rotative orientation about said first axis into a preselected rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame whereat said element and lug means are engaged, latch means for latching the drive member at a preselected rotative orientation relative to said chuck frame assembly after the bottle has been rotatively oriented, second means for rotating said drive member while said chuck means is being conveyed along said path past said decoration applying means to roll the bottle about its axis of symmetry from said preselected rotative orientation laterally across the surface of the decorating element.

Claim 15

The invention defined in claim 11 wherein said drive member includes a drive sprocket mounted for rotation about a second axis, said first means including a first stationary chain mounted along said path and engageable with said sprocket at one side of said second axis as said sprocket is carried past said first chain by said conveyor means, and said second means includes a second chain mounted along said path adjacent said decoration applying means and engageable with said sprocket at the opposite side of said second axis as said sprocket is carried past said second chain by said conveying means whereby said platform and bottle are rotated in a first direction about said first axis to rotatively orient the bottle and are rotated in the opposite direction while rolled across said decoration element.

Claim 16

The invention defined in claim 12 wherein said drive train means includes slip clutch means for transmitting rotation of said drive member to said platform when said sprocket is engaged with said first chain, and latch means on said chuck frame engageable with the locating lug means on said bottle for causing slippage of said slip clutch means when said bottle is located in said preselected rotative orientation.

Claim 17

The invention defined in claim 13 wherein said drive train means comprises a one way clutch for transmitting rotation of said drive member to said platform to rotate said platform in said opposite direction.

Claim 18

The invention defined in claim 14 wherein said drive train means further comprises second latch means located in said drive train means between said sprocket and said one way clutch and operable when engaged to latch said drive train means against rotation, and second slip clutch means in said drive train means between said sprocket and said second latch means for accommodating rotation of said sprocket during engagement of said second latch means.

Claim 19

The invention defined in claim 12 wherein said chuck frame comprises a first frame element fixedly mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, a second frame element having said drive train means and said platform mounted thereon and mounted upon said first frame element for pivotal movement about a second axis parallel to and offset from said first axis, and means on said second frame element engageable with cam means extending alongside said path for pivoting said second frame element about said second axis between a normal conveying position and an outwardly projected decorating position.

Claim 20

The invention defined in claim 16 wherEin said drive member comprises a drive shaft coupling said first and second frame elements to each other.

Claim 21

A bottle chuck assembly comprising a chuck frame, a drive member rotatively mounted in said chuck frame, one way clutch means including an input member and an output member rotatively mounted on said chuck frame assembly and means for rotatively coupling said input member to said output member only upon rotation of said input member in a first direction, a bottle-supporting platform mounted upon said output member for rotation therewith about a first axis and adapted to support a bottle having a vertical axis of symmetry upon said chuck assembly for rotation about its axis of symmetry in coaxial relationship with said first axis, the bottle to be supported upon said platform having locating lug means thereon, first slip clutch means for rotatively frictionally coupling said input member to said output member, second slip clutch means for rotatively coupling said drive member to said input member, first latch means on said chuck frame engageable with the locating lug means on a bottle supported upon said platform and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said first clutch means, and second latch means on said chuck frame assembly engageable with said input member and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said second slip clutch means.

Claim 22

A bottle chuck assembly comprising a chuck frame, a drive member rotatively mounted in said chuck frame, one way clutch means including an input member and an output member rotatively mounted on said chuck frame assembly and means for rotatively coupling said input member to said output member only upon rotation of said input member in a first direction, a bottle-supporting platform mounted upon said output member for rotation therewith about a first axis and adapted to support a bottle having a vertical axis of symmetry upon said chuck assembly for rotation about its axis of symmetry in coaxial relationship with said first axis, the bottle to be supported upon said platform having locating lug means thereon, first slip clutch means for rotatively frictionally coupling said input member to said output member, second slip clutch means for rotatively coupling said drive member to said input member, first latch means on said chuck frame engageable with the locating lug means on a bottle supported upon said platform and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said first clutch means, and second latch means on said chuck frame assembly engageable with said input member and operable when so engaged to cause slippage of said second slip clutch means.