US3867807A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Carrier applicator machine for bottles
Assignee: OI Glass Inc
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Filing: 1973-11-19
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Granted: 1975-02-25
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Expires: 1993-11-19
Abstract
Abstract The invention disclosed is a machine for applying in series a molded plastic shell-like carrier over a pre-arranged grouping of containers, such as bottles. The machine includes a storage magazine turret supplying the carriers in nested fashion to a hopper device at a feeding station. The magazine turret indexes a magazine to the feeding station and a camoperated device releases the nested carrier stack in a magazine to the underlying hopper. A carrier feed device continuously separates the lowermost carrier and drops it to an underlying carrier delivery conveyor. Bottles are advanced in parallel rows under the conveyor and past a carrier gate at the end of the carrier conveyor. First star wheel mechanism spaces the bottles on the conveyor to correspond as groups with compartment cavities in the carrier. Bottles moving through the first star wheel pull carriers from the feed gate; whereupon each such carrier falls over a group of bottles. A horizontal overhead guide rail holds down the carrier in a preliminary position of assembly whereat the bottles are each inserted into a compartment cavity of the carrier. The bottle conveyor moves bottles and carriers through a second star wheel device stabilizing the bottles under a rotary applicator wheel. The wheel has peripherally spaced pockets that coincide with the compartments of the carrier and the wheel, on a yieldable arm, bears against the carrier to seat the annular retaining bead in the carrier compartments over an enlarged end portion of the bottles. The grouping of bottles is held in the carrier as a packaged unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Eugene F Doucette
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 05:14
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B17/00; B65B17/02; B65B17/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
340 words
A machine adapted for applying a succession of molded shelllike carriers having a plurality of article receiving compartments formed therein to a procession of containers having necks and closures at the top end thereof to form carrying packs of the containers comprising, in combination supply means supporting said carriers in a nested relation in a vertical stack, separating and feeding means operable at the lower end of said stack for separating the lowermost carrier in succession and feeding it vertically below the stack, carrier conveyor means below said separating and feeding means receiving said carriers and moving them horizontally to a preliminary assembly station spaced from said feeding means, bottle conveyor means disposed beneath said conveyor means for directing a procession of containers to the preliminary assembly station, means at the preliminary assembly station guiding the carriers serially over the top of the containers advancing by said last named means, said bottle conveyor means advancing the bottles and carriers horizontally to a final assembly station horizontally spaced from the preliminary assembly station, and rotary assembly means mounted above said final assembly station for engagement with the top surface of said carriers, said rotary assembly means comprising a rotary applicator wheel mounted on an axle disposed horizontally and transversely to the movement of the containers, and pockets in the peripheral surface of said wheel spaced around the circumference of said drum to correspond with the spacing of the tops of the compartments of said carriers, said pockets being shaped to receive a compartment top therewithin, and support means for the applicator wheel, including a pivotal mounting arm, a pivotal connection at one end of said arm on the frame of the machine and a pivotal mounting at the other end of said arm for the applicator wheel axle, the support means permitting the applicator wheel to engage the containers at the final assembly station and relatively press the compartments and container tops into locking engagement, whereby each carrier compartment encircles a container neck and the carrier embraces the group of containers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
340 words
A machine adapted for applying a succession of molded shelllike carriers having a plurality of article receiving compartments formed therein to a procession of containers having necks and closures at the top end thereof to form carrying packs of the containers comprising, in combination supply means supporting said carriers in a nested relation in a vertical stack, separating and feeding means operable at the lower end of said stack for separating the lowermost carrier in succession and feeding it vertically below the stack, carrier conveyor means below said separating and feeding means receiving said carriers and moving them horizontally to a preliminary assembly station spaced from said feeding means, bottle conveyor means disposed beneath said conveyor means for directing a procession of containers to the preliminary assembly station, means at the preliminary assembly station guiding the carriers serially over the top of the containers advancing by said last named means, said bottle conveyor means advancing the bottles and carriers horizontally to a final assembly station horizontally spaced from the preliminary assembly station, and rotary assembly means mounted above said final assembly station for engagement with the top surface of said carriers, said rotary assembly means comprising a rotary applicator wheel mounted on an axle disposed horizontally and transversely to the movement of the containers, and pockets in the peripheral surface of said wheel spaced around the circumference of said drum to correspond with the spacing of the tops of the compartments of said carriers, said pockets being shaped to receive a compartment top therewithin, and support means for the applicator wheel, including a pivotal mounting arm, a pivotal connection at one end of said arm on the frame of the machine and a pivotal mounting at the other end of said arm for the applicator wheel axle, the support means permitting the applicator wheel to engage the containers at the final assembly station and relatively press the compartments and container tops into locking engagement, whereby each carrier compartment encircles a container neck and the carrier embraces the group of containers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
288 words
A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs comprising, in combination, means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the containers, means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the assembly station over the tops of the containers, first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the spacing of the compartments of said carriers, means overlying the containers and said carriers at the asseMbly station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said carrier, a rotary applicator member mounted above the containers at the exit of the assembly station and engageable with the top portion of the carriers on the containers as they are advanced therebeneath, said applicator member pressing the walls of the carrier compartments into embracing engagement with the top of the containers locking them in the carrier as a carrying pack, and a second star wheel means in the proximity of the exit of the assembly station engaging the grouped containers and advancing them through the exit of the assembly station and past said applicator member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
288 words
A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs comprising, in combination, means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the containers, means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the assembly station over the tops of the containers, first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the spacing of the compartments of said carriers, means overlying the containers and said carriers at the asseMbly station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said carrier, a rotary applicator member mounted above the containers at the exit of the assembly station and engageable with the top portion of the carriers on the containers as they are advanced therebeneath, said applicator member pressing the walls of the carrier compartments into embracing engagement with the top of the containers locking them in the carrier as a carrying pack, and a second star wheel means in the proximity of the exit of the assembly station engaging the grouped containers and advancing them through the exit of the assembly station and past said applicator member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
259 words
A machine for assembling a processing of containers into carrier packs held together by encircling compartmented carriers, embracing in said compartments the top ends of the containers, comprising, in combination, a carrier supply means including a support for a vertical, nested stack of the carriers and dispensing elements engaging the lowermost carrier of the stack and feeding it by gravity from the stack, a horizontal conveyor below said supply means receiving said carriers in succession and advancing them in an end to end series, a carrier gate disposed along said conveyor, the said carriers at said gate being inclined with the forward edge in a lowermost exposed position, and adapted to engage and receive containers travelling beneath said gate, means advancing a procession of containers in predetermined spaced relation to each other beneath said assembly gate and engaging said forward edge of a carrier in said gate, the containers pulling a carrier through said gate and in overlying relationship to said containers, the compartments of said carrier receiving the top ends of a group of containers, hold down means for maintaining said carriers in registry and flat relationship overlying the containers, an endless series of carrier applying elements, and means for continuously moving said series of applying elements in procession through an endless path extending over said carrier and containers, said carrier applying elements engaging each of the carrier compartment walls and positively forcing them into firm engagement with the top ends of the respective containers in said carrier, whereby the containers are secured into packs within the carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
259 words
A machine for assembling a processing of containers into carrier packs held together by encircling compartmented carriers, embracing in said compartments the top ends of the containers, comprising, in combination, a carrier supply means including a support for a vertical, nested stack of the carriers and dispensing elements engaging the lowermost carrier of the stack and feeding it by gravity from the stack, a horizontal conveyor below said supply means receiving said carriers in succession and advancing them in an end to end series, a carrier gate disposed along said conveyor, the said carriers at said gate being inclined with the forward edge in a lowermost exposed position, and adapted to engage and receive containers travelling beneath said gate, means advancing a procession of containers in predetermined spaced relation to each other beneath said assembly gate and engaging said forward edge of a carrier in said gate, the containers pulling a carrier through said gate and in overlying relationship to said containers, the compartments of said carrier receiving the top ends of a group of containers, hold down means for maintaining said carriers in registry and flat relationship overlying the containers, an endless series of carrier applying elements, and means for continuously moving said series of applying elements in procession through an endless path extending over said carrier and containers, said carrier applying elements engaging each of the carrier compartment walls and positively forcing them into firm engagement with the top ends of the respective containers in said carrier, whereby the containers are secured into packs within the carrier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
346 words
Apparatus for feeding a stack of shell-like carrier articles having a peripheral out-turned flange means thereon comprising a vertical chute defined by plural vertical walls, the interior perimeter of said chute being slightly larger than the perimeter of the articles permitting vertical flow of the articles therein, plural rotary feed means rotatably mounted adjacent said vertical wall structure, said feed means being rotatable about an axis parallel to said walls and having a helical means on each of said rotary feed means, a horizontal conveyor spaced vertically below the chute for receiving the articles fed from the chute, comprising an endless traveling conveyor surface adapted to travel along an upper conveying span for receiving the articles and around an end turn changing direction of said traveling surface, and including a stationary gate means mounted at the end turn of the traveling surface in spaced horizontal relation thereto, the gate means arresting movement of the carriers on the traveling surface for dispensing them singly upon demand from the gate by a positive force applied to the carrier from a source separate from the conveyor, drive means, means connecting the drive means to said plural rotary feed means for rotating the latter in unison in one direction of rotation, the helical means thereon positively guiding the articles one at a time out of the lower end of the chute, and means connEcting the drive means to said horizontal conveyor for moving the latter past the lower end of said chute, the last two-mentioned means operating the feed means and horizontal conveyor at a synchronous speed, whereby the carrier articles are fed vertically onto said conveyor in a line moved by the conveyor away from the chute, and a horizontal bottle conveyor extending beneath said gate means adapted to move a group of bottles in upright position past the gate, the bottle conveyor being spaced vertically from the gate such that the top end of upright bottles thereon engage the carrier article in the gate and pull it from the gate for overlying assembly on the group of bottles.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
346 words
Apparatus for feeding a stack of shell-like carrier articles having a peripheral out-turned flange means thereon comprising a vertical chute defined by plural vertical walls, the interior perimeter of said chute being slightly larger than the perimeter of the articles permitting vertical flow of the articles therein, plural rotary feed means rotatably mounted adjacent said vertical wall structure, said feed means being rotatable about an axis parallel to said walls and having a helical means on each of said rotary feed means, a horizontal conveyor spaced vertically below the chute for receiving the articles fed from the chute, comprising an endless traveling conveyor surface adapted to travel along an upper conveying span for receiving the articles and around an end turn changing direction of said traveling surface, and including a stationary gate means mounted at the end turn of the traveling surface in spaced horizontal relation thereto, the gate means arresting movement of the carriers on the traveling surface for dispensing them singly upon demand from the gate by a positive force applied to the carrier from a source separate from the conveyor, drive means, means connecting the drive means to said plural rotary feed means for rotating the latter in unison in one direction of rotation, the helical means thereon positively guiding the articles one at a time out of the lower end of the chute, and means connEcting the drive means to said horizontal conveyor for moving the latter past the lower end of said chute, the last two-mentioned means operating the feed means and horizontal conveyor at a synchronous speed, whereby the carrier articles are fed vertically onto said conveyor in a line moved by the conveyor away from the chute, and a horizontal bottle conveyor extending beneath said gate means adapted to move a group of bottles in upright position past the gate, the bottle conveyor being spaced vertically from the gate such that the top end of upright bottles thereon engage the carrier article in the gate and pull it from the gate for overlying assembly on the group of bottles.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus of claim 4, including a horizontal guide rail means and means mounting the guide rail means over the bottle conveyor downstream from said gate means and in closely spaced relation to the top end of the bottles thereon, said guide rail means holding a carrier article on the group of bottles during their movement under the guide rail means providing initial assembly of the carrier on the group of bottles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
92 words
The apparatus of claim 4, including an applicator wheel, a horizontal shaft supporting said wheel for rotary movement, cantilevered support arms, the shaft being rotatably supported therein spaced from the one end and the one end being rotatable on stationary support means over said bottle conveyor, the applicator wheel being disposed in the path of the partially assembled carrier and bottle group on the bottle conveyor for engaging the top of the latter, whereby said wheel presses the carrier into final assembly over the group of bottles forming a carrying pack thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
255 words
A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs comprising, in combination, means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the containers, means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the assembly station over the tops of the containers, first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the spacing of the compartments of said carriers, means overlying the containers and said carriers at the assembly station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said carrier, and a rotary carrier engaging member mounted above the containers at the exit of the assembly station and engageable with the top portion of the carriers on the containers as they are advanced therebeneath, said rotary member pressing the walls of the carrier compartments into embracing engagement with the top of the containers locking them in the carrier as a carrying pack.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
255 words
A machine for assembling containers into carrying packs comprising, in combination, means for directing containers in a pair of lines to an elongated assembly station, said assembly station having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding shell-like carriers having individual container compartments aligned parallel to each other in rows for embracing a container in each compartment, said means being disposed above the containers, means receiving said carriers and directing them toward the assembly station over the tops of the containers, first star wheel means rotatably mounted in the proximity of the entrance of the assembly station for engaging the containers of each of the lines successively as they are directed forwardly and spacing the several containers in parallel lines of common spacing therebetween in the direction of movement to correspond with the spacing of the compartments of said carriers, means overlying the containers and said carriers at the assembly station entrance for engaging said carriers and guiding them downwardly over a group of containers in the assembly station and holding each of said carriers over a group of containers with the top ends of the latter inserted into compartments of said carrier, and a rotary carrier engaging member mounted above the containers at the exit of the assembly station and engageable with the top portion of the carriers on the containers as they are advanced therebeneath, said rotary member pressing the walls of the carrier compartments into embracing engagement with the top of the containers locking them in the carrier as a carrying pack.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-24 | 1978-08-26 | 1979-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-24 | 1982-08-26 | 1983-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-24 | 1986-08-26 | 1987-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |