Separator

Claim 2

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, and said second rotor being tiltable relative to said first rotor about axes extending radially of said shaft said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of thE first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor.

Claim 3

A separator unit according to claim 1 wherein said second rotor is tiltable relative to said first rotor about axes extending radially of said shaft, and spacer means acting between said first and second rotors is effective to limit downward tilting movement of the blade when said blade occupies a position in the line of fall of said containers in said stack.

Claim 4

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and means for relieving from said lowermost container the weight of all the upper containers of said stack except for a pre-determined number of containers immediately above said lowermost container while said lowermost container is being loosened from the next lowermost container, and said ledge of said first rotor including a ramp inclined upwardly in the direction of rotation of said rotor, said ramp portion being located between said first rotated position of said rotor and said second rotated position of said rotor, said weight relieving means being positioned to begin to engage said rims of said containers when the lowermost container of the upper containers reaches the highest point on said inclined portion of said ledge and to disengage said rims when said lowermost container has been loosened from said next lowest container.

Claim 5

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and means for relieving from said lowermost container the weight of all the upper containers of said stack except for a pre-determined number of containers immediately above said lowermost container while said lowermost container is being loosened from the next lowermost container, and said ledge of said first rotor including a ramp inclined upwardly in the direction of rotation of said rotor, said ramp portion being located between said first rotated position of said rotor and said second rotated position of said rotor, said weight relieving means being positioned to begin to engage said rims of said containers when the lowermost container of the upper containers reaches the highest point on said inclined portion of said ledge and to disengage said rims when said lowermost container has been loosened from said next lowest container.

Claim 6

A separator unit according to claim 3 wherein said first rotor includes a helical groove to receive said rim of said lowermost container to drive said lowermost container downwardly in line with said predetermined line of fall until said lowermost contaIner has been completely released from said next lowest container.

Claim 7

A separator unit according to claim 3 wherein said weight relieving means includes a separate rotor situated above said first, second and third rotors and on a common axis therewith, and said band is offset outwardly from said separate rotor.

Claim 8

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and means for relieving from said lowermost container the weight of all the upper containers of said stack except for a pre-determined number of containers immediately above said lowermost container while said lowermost container is being loosened from the next lowermost container, and a third rotor located above and on a common axis with said first rotor and said second rotor, and a knockout pin disposed between said first rotor and said third rotor at a point near the periphery of said rotors just following the trailing edge of said blade to prevent said rim of said container from being trapped between said blade and said third rotor.

Claim 9

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and means for relieving from said lowermost container the weight of all the upper containers of said stack except for a pre-determined number of containers immediately above said lowermost container while said lowermost container is being loosened from the next lowermost container, and a third rotor located above and on a common axis with said first rotor and said second rotor, and a knockout pin disposed between said first rotor and said third rotor at a point near the periphery of said rotors just following the trailing edge of said blade to prevent said rim of said container from being trapped between said blade and said third rotor.

Claim 10

A separator unit according to claim 6 wherein said first rotor includes a helical groove to receive said rim of said lowermost container to drive said lowermost container downwardly in line with said predetermined line of fall until said lowermost container has been completely released from said next lowest container.

Claim 11

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second Rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and a third rotor located above and on a common axis with said first rotor and said second rotor and a knockout pin disposed between said 1st rotor and said third rotor at a point near the periphery of said rotors just following the trailing edge of said blade to prevent said rim of said containers from being trapped between said blade and said third rotor.

Claim 12

A separator unit for sequentially denesting like containers each having an outwardly projecting rim at the mouth thereof while said containers are in open end upward nested relation defining an upright stack as an incident to transfer of said containers along a predetermined line of fall between said stack and a container depositing station in vertically aligned relation to said stack, said unit including a driven shaft supported for rotation in a predetermined direction about a fixed axis parallel to said stack, a first rotor secured to said shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft, a second rotor coupled to said first rotor in overhead relation to said first rotor to prevent rotation of said second rotor relative to said first rotor while allowing said second Rotor to have limited movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said first rotor, said first rotor having a circumferentially extending peripheral portion defining a ledge with which the rim of the lowermost pan of said stack has downward engagement to support said stack when said first rotor occupies a first rotated position wherein said ledge intercepts said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station and said first rotor having a circumferentially relieved peripheral portion defining a gap through which the rim of the lowermost pan of the stack is disengaged from said ledge of the first rotor when said rotor occupies a second rotated position wherein said gap is in vertical alignment with said line of fall between the stack and said container receiving station, means having downward engagement with the rim of said lowermost container of the stack to loosen the container from the stack while said first rotor occupies said second rotated position and during approach to said second rotated position, said means including a blade defined by a radially extended wing portion of the second rotor in overhead relation to said gap in the periphery of the first rotor, and a third rotor located above and on a common axis with said first rotor and said second rotor and a knockout pin disposed between said 1st rotor and said third rotor at a point near the periphery of said rotors just following the trailing edge of said blade to prevent said rim of said containers from being trapped between said blade and said third rotor.