Takeout tong assembly

Claim 1

In apparatus for removing bottles and the like from a forming machine including first and second opposed tong holders and tongs pivotly disposed upon a common horizontal axis and actuated through opposite arcuate paths between open and closed positions, the improvement of alignment and stop means for the tong holders comprising a first alignment and stop block projecting inwardly from one of the tong holders toward the second tong holder and a second alignment and stop block projecting from the second tong holder toward the first block, The first block including a longitudinal slot therein forming a back wall and parallel side walls and the second block including a projection therefrom forming parallel side walls of width complementary to the slot of the first block and of length to engage the back wall of the first block at a predetermined closed position of the tongs thus providing lateral alignment and closed positioning; and The thickness of the first and second blocks and the depth of the notch and length of the projection of the first and second blocks respectively being so dimensioned as to maintain continuous side wall engagement and consequent alignment of the blocks throughout the tongs'' path of travel between fully opened and closed positions.