Sanitary side guide rail for conveyor

Claim 2

A guide rail construction for an empty can conveyor or the like comprising at least two guide rails having two parts, both of said parts having first and second spaced co-planar flanges, a web portion located intermediate said first and second flanges and offset from said flanges and inwardly converging wall portions connecting said web portion with said flanges and defining a channel, one of said parts having first and second spaced flanges, said web portion and said flanges being offset laterally from the other of said parts at an end of said guide rails a distance sufficient to receive the end of an adjoining guide rail so that the flanges of both of said adjoining guide rails are co-planar and provide a substantially continuous vertical guiding surface, means for connecting said overlapped ends of said adjoining guide rails, and means for supporting said guide rails with the co-planar flanges in a generally vertical orientation.

Claim 3

A guide rail construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for securing the overlapped ends of adjoining guide rails together comprises a fastening member located within said channels and spanning the ends of both of said adjoining guide rails, apertures in said web portions and bolts extending through said apertures and threadably received in apertures in said fastening member.

Claim 4

A guide rail construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for fastening adjoining ends of said guide rails comprises registerable apertures in lapped web portions of said adjoining guide rails and a bolt extending through said apertures clamping said lapped ends together.

Claim 5

A guide rail construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said guide rails are coated with plastic.

Claim 6

Conveying apparatus for containers comprising conveying means, a pair of spaced side guide rails having guiding surfaces and located on opposite sides of the path of travel of the containers, and means connected to said guide rails to afford simultaneous movement of said guide rails in opposite directions to vary the spacing of said guide rails and wherein said means connecting said guide rails comprises first and second brackets in the form of U-shaped channels having inner and outer spaced opposed flanges parallel to the guiding surfaces of said guide rails, an adjustment member having a first threaded portion with right hand threads and a second threaded portion with left hand threads, threaded apertures in said spaced flanges of said first and second brackets for threadably receiving said first and second threaded portions, a mounting member adapted to be secured to a support, an aperture in said mounting member freely receiving said adjustment member, and retaining means cooperating with said mounting member to limit axial movement of said adjustment member the inner of said flanges having a slot adapted to adjustably receive a fastener secured to one of said guide rails for adjustably positioning the height of said guide rail, a fastener extending through said slot, and the outer of said flanges having a length less than said inner flange with the slot to expose said slot and said fastener for access for manual manipulation and wherein each of said spaced wall portions has a threaded aperture for threadably receiving said adjustment member.

Claim 7

Conveying apparatus for containers comprising conveying means, a pair of spaced side guide rails having guiding surfaces and located on opposite sides of the path of travel of the containers, and means connected to said guide rails to afford simultaneous movement of said guide rails in opposite directions to vary the spacing of said guide rails and wherein said means connecting said guide rails comprises first and second brackets in the form of U-shaped channels having inner and outer spaced opposed flanges parallel to the guiding surfaces of said guide rails, an adjustment member having a first threaded portion with right hand threads and a second threaded portion with left hand threads, threaded apertures in said spaced flanges of said first and second brackets for threadably receiving said first and second threaded portions, a mounting member adapted to be secured to a support, an aperture in said mounting member freely receiving said adjustment member, and retaining means cooperating with said mounting member to limit axial movement of said adjustment member the inner of said flanges having a slot adapted to adjustably receive a fastener secured to one of said guide rails for adjustably positioning the height of said guide rail, a fastener extending through said slot, and the outer of said flanges having a length less than said inner flange with the slot to expose said slot and said fastener for access for manual manipulation and wherein each of said spaced wall portions has a threaded aperture for threadably receiving said adjustment member.