Device for feeding containers, especially bottles, to processing machines, especially container cleaning machines

• US 4,273,237 A
• Filed: 05/07/1979
• Issued: 06/16/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seitz-Werke GmbH
• Original Assignee: Seitz-Werke GmbH
• Inventors: Elsner, Paul, Wahl, Alois
• Primary Examiner(s): Nase, Jeffrey V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Watts, Douglas D.
• Application Number:
  US06/036,292
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 198/445, 198/443, 198/426, 198/427, 198/432, 198/434, 198/447, 198/817, 198/857, 198/839, 198/600
• US Class Current: 198/445
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/205 Conveying containers to or from the cleaning machines

Abstract

A device for feeding containers to a magazine table equipped with shelving and pertaining to a container delivery of processing and wrapping machines, especially of bottle cleaning machines. The device includes an endless conveyor belt passing by the shelving of the magazine table, and also includes devices, e.g. guiding plates, for exerting a lateral guiding pressure upon the containers accumulated in front of the shelving, the guiding pressure being directed toward the entrances to the shelving. The conveyor belt is so arranged with regard to the direction of introduction of the containers into the shelving of the magazine table that the feeding direction of the conveyor belt forms an obtuse angle with the direction of introduction of the containers into the shelving of the magazine table.

Claims

1. Apparatus for feeding containers to a magazine table having a plurality of entrance paths separated by parallel partitions, said apparatus including a conveyor belt arranged at an obtuse angle to said front side of said magazine table and at an acute angle to said paths, to deliver containers to said magazine table, said conveyor belt being formed by a plurality of component belts for delivering containers to said magazine table, the front side of said magazine table overlying said conveyor belt, covering plates overlying said component belts adjacent the front side of said magazine table to guide said containers from said component belts to the entrance paths between said partitions so that groups of containers conveyed by said conveyor belt are individually deflected to said entrance paths, the movement of said containers at an angle to the front side of said magazine table exerting a component of force toward said table to direct said containers into said paths.

2. A container conveying apparatus in which a linear conveying means conveys bottles to shelving in which the bottles are moved in linear rows, comprising shelving having aligned entrances of substantially the width of said bottles to receive said bottles in parallel linear rows, a linear conveyor means of a width greater than the width of each entrance, but less than the total width of said aligned entrances, leading to said entrances with the direction of travel of said linear conveyor means at an obtuse angle greater than 90°

to the linear rows of bottles formed on said shelving, so that said aligned entrances extend across the linear conveyor means from side to side at an acute angle to the direction of travel of said linear conveyor means, guiding elements along the sides of said conveyor and extending to said aligned entrances to direct masses of bottles on said linear conveyor means toward said aligned entrances, and bottle deviating means overlying the end of said linear conveyor means at said aligned entrances to deflect bottles on said linear conveyor means into said entrances in parallel linear rows at an angle greater than 90°

to the direction of travel of said linear conveyor means, so that the movement of said bottles on said linear conveyor means provides a component of motion of said bottles in the direction of said parallel linear rows and thereby contributes to the movement of bottles from said linear conveyor means through said entrance and in said parallel linear rows.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which said obtuse angle is about 95°

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4. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which said acute angle is about 5°

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5. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which said linear conveyor means includes a plurality of substantially parallel component belts, and in which reversing stations are provided in staggered arrangement on that side of said linear conveyor means which is adjacent said entrances for reversing the direction of movement of said component belts, cover plate means being provided within the reversing region of said reversing stations and covering the curved portions of said component belts within the region of said reversing stations.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which said cover plate means are located in conformity with said component belts and said reversing stations.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, which includes means for driving said component belts at the same feeding speed.

8. An arrangement according to claim 6, in which said linear conveyor means comprises first component belts and second component belts, and in which said second component belts are spaced farther than said first component belts from that side of said linear conveyor means which is adjacent said entrances, and driving means operatively connected to said first and second component belts and operable to drive said second component belts at a higher speed than said first component belts.

9. An arrangement according to claim 3, which includes an infinitely variable drive drivingly connected to the slack section of said conveyor belt.