Container rotating apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed conveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an outfeed conveyor means, comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the in-feed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the outfeed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. second means for rotating containers at all of said operation stations including means frictionally engaging another portion of the side wall of a container at each station; and f. means for preventing operation of said second rotating means at said one station including a deflecting finger carried by said arm for urging a container away from frictional engagement with said second rotating means at said one station.

Claim 3

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket, comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket, said cantilever element including spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; c. said endless belt extending from the support end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; and d. a pulley carried by said cantilever element and located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; e. one of said elongated spacing beams being located along the tangentially oriented side of said cantilever element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for urging said belt into engagement with a container; f. said guide surfaces being located on each side of an area into which the belt may be deflected in response to contact with a side wall of a container, the ends of said guide surfaces next to said deflection area being located between said plates to urge the container adjacent side of the belt out from between said plates to inable belt engagement with a container; g. the edges of said plates of said cantilever arm at the tangential area having concave surfaces formed therein to permit belt deflection in response to container engagement without contact between a container and said cantilever element.

Claim 4

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket, comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket, said cantilever element including spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; c. said endless belt extending from the support end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; and d. a pulley carried by said cantilever element and located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; e. one of said elongated spacing beams being located along the tangentially oriented side of said cantilever element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for urging said belt into engagement with a container; f. said guide surfaces being located on each side of an area into which the belt may be deflected in response to contact with a side wall of a container, the ends of said guide surfaces next to said deflection area being located between said plates to urge the container adjacent side of the belt out from between said plates to inable belt engagement with a container; g. the edges of said plates of said cantilever arm at the tangential area having concave surfaces formed therein to permit belt deflection in response to container engagement without contact between a container and said cantilever element.

Claim 5

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed conveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the infeed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; and d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. said container contacting means including an endless belt having a surface supported for frictional engagement with a side wall of a container at said one station, means for selectively driving said belt to rotate a container at said one station about its axis while the container is retained in the pocket at that station, and guide means for said endless belt supported on said arm adjacent said one station, f. said guide means having spaced guide surfaces adjacent said station to permit deflection of said endless belt therebetween in response to contact with a container being indexed into said one station to provide a larger contact area for the frictional engagement of said belt with a side of a container; g. said guide means comprising an element having two spaced arcuate guide surfaces extending convexly toward said one station connected by an arcuate surface extending concavely away from said station to receive said belt when deflected in response to container contact.

Claim 6

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed conveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the infeed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; and d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. said container contacting means including an endless belt having a surface supported for frictional engagement with a side wall of a container at said one station, means for selectively driving said belt to rotate a container at said one station about its axis while the container is retained in the pocket at that station, and guide means for said endless belt supported on said arm adjacent said one station, f. said guide means having spaced guide surfaces adjacent said station to permit deflection of said endless belt therebetween in response to contact with a container being indexed into said one station to provide a larger contact area for the frictional engagement of said belt with a side of a container; g. said guide means comprising an element having two spaced arcuate guide surfaces extending convexly toward said one station connected by an arcuate surface extending concavely away from said station to receive said belt when deflected in response to container contact.

Claim 7

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed coNveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the in-feed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; and d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. said container contacting means including an endless belt having a surface supported for frictional engagement with a side wall of a container at said one station, and means for selectively driving said belt to rotate a container at said one station about its axis while the container is retained in the pocket at that station; f. said arm including a pair of plates connected by spacer means, and means carried by and between said plates around which said endless belt is trained to guide said belt between the container engagement position and said driving means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed coNveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the in-feed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; and d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. said container contacting means including an endless belt having a surface supported for frictional engagement with a side wall of a container at said one station, and means for selectively driving said belt to rotate a container at said one station about its axis while the container is retained in the pocket at that station; f. said arm including a pair of plates connected by spacer means, and means carried by and between said plates around which said endless belt is trained to guide said belt between the container engagement position and said driving means.

Claim 9

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed conveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the in-feed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. second means for rotating containers at all of said operation station; and f. means for preventing operation of said second rotating means at said one station.

Claim 10

Apparatus for receiving containers from an in-feed conveyor means, successively indexing the containers to a plurality of operation stations, and discharging the containers at an out-feed conveyor means comprising a. an indexing head mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced container receiving pockets formed therein; b. said head being mounted adjacent the in-feed and out-feed conveyor means and being operable to successively index said pockets from a container receiving position with respect to the in-feed conveyor means, to each of the plurality of operation stations, and to a container release position to enable a discharge of said container to the out-feed conveyor means; c. means for retaining said containers in said pockets between said receiving and release positions of said indexing head; d. means for selectively rotating a container at one of said stations including an arm extending laterally from a position adjacent the indexing head and outside of the pockets formed therein inwardly between said container receiving and releasing positions of said indexing head to a position adjacent an interior side of said one station, and means carried by said arm for contacting a side wall of a container at said one station to effect rotation thereof; e. second means for rotating containers at all of said operation station; and f. means for preventing operation of said second rotating means at said one station.

Claim 11

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket; and c. means carried on said cantilever element adjacent the tangentially oriented side thereof for urging said belt into engagement with a container in a pocket; d. said cantilever element includinG spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; e. said endless belt extending from the supported end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; f. said cantilever element carrying a pulley located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; g. two of said elongated spacing beams being located intermediate said pulley and said supported end of said cantilevered element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for receiving said endless belt; h. the guide surfaces of said elongated spacing beams being located between said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained along and supported by said guide surfaces and between facing surfaces of said plates.

Claim 12

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket; and c. means carried on said cantilever element adjacent the tangentially oriented side thereof for urging said belt into engagement with a container in a pocket; d. said cantilever element includinG spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; e. said endless belt extending from the supported end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; f. said cantilever element carrying a pulley located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; g. two of said elongated spacing beams being located intermediate said pulley and said supported end of said cantilevered element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for receiving said endless belt; h. the guide surfaces of said elongated spacing beams being located between said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained along and supported by said guide surfaces and between facing surfaces of said plates.

Claim 13

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket; and c. means carried on said cantilever element adjacent the tangentially oriented side thereof for urging said belt into engagement with a container in a pocket; d. said cantilever element including spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; e. said endless belt extending from the supported end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; f. said cantilever element carrying a pulley located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; g. one of said elongated spacing beams being located along the tangentially oriented side of said cantilever element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for urging said belt into engagement with a container; h. said guide surfaces being located on each side of a concavity in said beam into which said belt may be deflected in response to contact with a side wall of a container, the ends of said guide surfaces next to said deflection concavity being located between said plates to urge the container adjacent side of the belt out from between said plates to enable belt engagement with a container.

Claim 14

Apparatus for selectively rotating a container restrained in a pocket comprising a. an endless belt for frictionally engaging a side wall of a container in a pocket and rotating the container when driven; b. a cantilever element for carrying said endless belt, said cantilever element extending from a support therefor past a pocket and having one side adapted to be tangentially oriented with respect to a container in the pocket; and c. means carried on said cantilever element adjacent the tangentially oriented side thereof for urging said belt into engagement with a container in a pocket; d. said cantilever element including spaced plates connected by a plurality of elongated spacing beams to provide a light weight belt carrying element with sufficient rigidity to maintain said belt in engagement with a container; e. said endless belt extending from the supported end to the container adjacent end of said cantilever element; f. said cantilever element carrying a pulley located between said plates at the container adjacent end thereof, said pulley having a diameter sufficiently smaller than the width of said plates to enable said endless belt to be trained therearound and be supported and guided by the peripheral surface of the pulley and the facing surfaces of said spaced plates; g. one of said elongated spacing beams being located along the tangentially oriented side of said cantilever element and having guide surfaces formed thereon for urging said belt into engagement with a container; h. said guide surfaces being located on each side of a concavity in said beam into which said belt may be deflected in response to contact with a side wall of a container, the ends of said guide surfaces next to said deflection concavity being located between said plates to urge the container adjacent side of the belt out from between said plates to enable belt engagement with a container.