Container unscrambler system having adjustable track and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An unscrambler comprising:
- a floor comprising a central portion having a first side and a second side;
said central portion being generally circular and comprising a first wall;
a second wall spaced apart from said first wall and extending around at least a portion of said central portion;
said second wall and said first wall cooperating to define a channel having a first predetermined dimension; and
a drive motor for rotatably driving said floor;
said first wall of said central portion having a diameter that is variable in order to change said first predetermined dimension.
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Abstract
A container feeding system is shown having an unscrambler having an unscrambler bowl providing a track or channel that is adjustable such that it can accommodate bottles of varying sizes. The system also comprises an adjustable chute that is also adjustable and having a chute channel or track that is also adjustable to accommodate containers of varying sizes when the containers are conveyed from the unscrambling bowl, through the adjustable chute, and to a subsequent processing station.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. An unscrambler comprising:
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a floor comprising a central portion having a first side and a second side;
said central portion being generally circular and comprising a first wall;
a second wall spaced apart from said first wall and extending around at least a portion of said central portion;
said second wall and said first wall cooperating to define a channel having a first predetermined dimension; and
a drive motor for rotatably driving said floor;
said first wall of said central portion having a diameter that is variable in order to change said first predetermined dimension. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An unscrambling system comprising:
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an unscrambling bowl comprising a first curved wall that lies in a first plane;
a generally circular floor substantially surrounded by said first curved wall and having a first side, a second side and an end wall, said generally circular floor lying in a second plane that is generally perpendicular to said first plane, said end wall cooperating with said first curved wall to define a channel for receiving containers to be unscrambled; and
first adjusting means for adjusting a first dimension of said channel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An unscrambler comprising:
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a generally circular wall for providing a boundary around a bowl area , said generally circular wall having at least one opening for enabling containers to pass from a bowl area to a second area outside of said bowl area;
a rim situated adjacent said generally circular wall;
a generally circular floor that is expandable to change a diameter of said generally circular floor and that is also moveable from a home position to an operating position;
said generally circular floor comprising an outer wall that cooperates with said rim and said generally circular wall to define a channel having a first predetermined dimension when said generally circular floor is moved from said home position to said operating position. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An unscrambler comprising a channel that is adjustable in size to accommodate containers of different sizes, said unscrambler comprising:
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a central floor for defining at least a portion of a floor of said unscrambler;
a plurality of concentric rings surrounding said central floor;
a drive motor for rotatably driving said central floor and said plurality of concentric rings;
an unscrambler wall surrounding said central floor and said plurality of concentric rings; and
a ring drive assembly for selecting at least one of said plurality of concentric rings and also for moving it from a home position to an operating position, with a ring wall of the at least one of said plurality of concentric rings that is in the operating position and said unscrambler wall defining the channel for receiving a container to be processed. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An unscrambler comprising:
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an outer wall; and
a channel adjacent said outer wall;
said channel being adjustable in order to accommodate containers of different sizes. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An unscrambling bowl comprising:
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a bowl wall;
a floor at least part of which is defined by a plurality of concentric rings that each of which are moveable from a home position to an operating position, at least one of said plurality of concentric rings and said bowl wail cooperating to define a channel adjacent said bowl wall for receiving containers;
a drive system for rotatably driving said floor and for selected and moving selected ones of said plurality of concentric rings to be moved to said operating position.
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60. A method for changing a channel size in an unscrambling bowl having a bowl wall and an interior floor having members that may be raised to an operating position to define a channel;
- said method comprising the steps of;
selecting which of said members should be moved to define said channel; and
moving said members to define channel. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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63. An unscrambler for unscrambling containers comprising:
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a bowl having a bowl wall;
a turret situated in the bowl;
a drive system coupled to said turret for rotatably driving said turret;
said drive system also being capable of driving said turret along an axis of rotation from a home position to an operating position. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification