Bottle uncaser-single liner

Claim 2

An uncaser comprising: A. Conveying means for moving and positioning a plurality of coNtainers at an unloading station; B. A 360 degree rotatably mounted unloading device mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis having a set of suction grip heads, said suction grip heads being arranged in a pattern corresponding with the pattern of the plurality of containers, said unloading device operatively associated with said unloading station so that the suction grip heads overlie said unloading station at one position in their rotational path whereby each suction grip head in the set overlying the unloading station is colinear with a container in the unloading station; C. Means cooperatively associated with the unloading device for selectively reciprocating the unloading device in a vertical direction; D. Means for selectively applying and disconnecting vacuum to the suction grip heads; and E. A deposit station laterally spaced from said umloading station for receiving the containers transferred from the unloading station by the unloading device.

Claim 3

The uncaser of claim 1 wherein said unloading device comprises a central tube, a tubular arm connected to the central tube and extending outwardly therefrom, and said set of suction grip heads attached to the tubular arm, the axis of rotation of the unloading device being essentially the longitudinal axis of the central tube.

Claim 4

The uncaser of claim 1 in combination with a single-liner comprising: A. A container divider adapted to receive and separate said rows of containers, said container divider overlying said deposit station and being adapted for reciprocating movement thereacross in directions transverse the orientation of said rows; B. Conveying means adapted to receive and convey said rows of containers in a direction aligned therewith; and C. Means to move and selectively position said container divider during said reciprocating movement whereby said consecutive rows are indexed to said conveying means.

Claim 5

The uncaser-single liner of claim 3 wherein said container divider comprises a plurality of parallel vertical plates spaced to receive said pattern of containers from said suction grip heads and separate said rows of containers within said pattern, said container divider having at least one separation within some said parallel plates, said separation adapted to permit the passage therethrough of the arms of said unloading device, said parallel plates spaced from each other by rigid spacers, and wherein said moving and selectively positioning means has a first position whereat said container divider receives containers from said unloading device and a series of indexing positions whereat said rows of containers are sequentially brought into a container discharge station, and wherein said conveying means for moving rows of containers underlies said container discharge station.

Claim 6

The device of claim 2 wherein the unloading device has a plurality of said sets of suction grip heads, the sets being uniformly arcuately spaced about the axis of rotation of the unloading device.

Claim 7

An uncaser comprising: A. Conveying means for positioning a plurality of containers in an unloading station; B. A rotatably mounted unloading device having a central tube, a tubular arm connected to the central tube and extending outwardly from it, and a set of suction grip heads attached to the tubular arm, the axis of rotation of the unloading device being essentially the longitudinal axis of the central tube, the suction grip heads being arranged in a pattern corresponding with the pattern of the plurality of containers at the unloading station, the unloading device being operatively associated with the unloading station so that the suction grip heads overlie the unloading station at one position in their rotational path, whereby each suction grip head in the set overlying the unloading station is colinear with a container in the unloading station; C. Means cooperatively associated with the unloading device for selectively reciprocating the unloadiNg device along a path perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the unloading device; D. Means associated with the suction grip heads for selectively applying and disconnecting vacuum to the suction grip heads; E. Drive means connected to the unloading device for intermittently rotating the unloading device; and F. A deposit station spaced from the unloading station and located within the path swept by the suction grip heads during movement of the unloading device, whereby the deposit station intercepts the containers carried by the suction grip heads as the containers are moved from the unloading station, the deposit station having a slot therein adapted to permit the passage therethrough of the tubular arm and the suction grip heads mounted thereon, said slot having a width substantially smaller than the corresponding dimension of the containers carried by the suction grip heads.

Claim 8

An uncaser comprising: A. Conveying means for positioning a plurality of containers in an unloading station; B. A rotatably mounted unloading device having a central tube, a tubular arm connected to the central tube and extending outwardly from it, and a set of suction grip heads attached to the tubular arm, the axis of rotation of the unloading device being essentially the longitudinal axis of the central tube, the suction grip heads being arranged in a pattern corresponding with the pattern of the plurality of containers at the unloading station, the unloading device being operatively associated with the unloading station so that the suction grip heads overlie the unloading station at one position in their rotational path, whereby each suction grip head in the set overlying the unloading station is colinear with a container in the unloading station; C. Means cooperatively associated with the unloading device for selectively reciprocating the unloadiNg device along a path perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the unloading device; D. Means associated with the suction grip heads for selectively applying and disconnecting vacuum to the suction grip heads; E. Drive means connected to the unloading device for intermittently rotating the unloading device; and F. A deposit station spaced from the unloading station and located within the path swept by the suction grip heads during movement of the unloading device, whereby the deposit station intercepts the containers carried by the suction grip heads as the containers are moved from the unloading station, the deposit station having a slot therein adapted to permit the passage therethrough of the tubular arm and the suction grip heads mounted thereon, said slot having a width substantially smaller than the corresponding dimension of the containers carried by the suction grip heads.

Claim 9

The uncaser of claim 1 including a unidirectional rotation means operatively associated with the unloading device so that the unloading device rotates in only one direction.