Tube inserting machine
First Claim
1. An apparatus for automatically inserting a tubular article within each of a sequence of containers at the same predetermined positions therein comprising:
- means for sequentially conveying said containers through a work station;
means for temporarily arresting the conveyance of said containers when any one of said containers reaches said work station;
means for supporting a supply of tubular articles at a transfer station adjacent said work station; and
reciprocating rod means for engaging a tubular article at said transfer station and carrying said tubular article therewith into said predetermined position within a container at said work station as said rod means moves in a forward direction, and leaving said tubular article at said predetermined position as said rod means moves in a reverse direction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for sequentially feeding a plurality of flow rate control tubes into containers which are subsequently used in gravity flow post-mix beverage dispensers, including a vertical feed hopper containing a plurality of flow rate control tubes, a feeder chute positioned below or at the bottom of the hopper for receiving the tubes single file, and a reciprocating pusher member which enters the lowermost tube and carries it horizontally from the dispensing station at the bottom of the chute into an aperture in a pliable plastic container which is transported along a conveyor transversely to the direction of the movement of the pusher member.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus for automatically inserting a tubular article within each of a sequence of containers at the same predetermined positions therein comprising:
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means for sequentially conveying said containers through a work station; means for temporarily arresting the conveyance of said containers when any one of said containers reaches said work station; means for supporting a supply of tubular articles at a transfer station adjacent said work station; and reciprocating rod means for engaging a tubular article at said transfer station and carrying said tubular article therewith into said predetermined position within a container at said work station as said rod means moves in a forward direction, and leaving said tubular article at said predetermined position as said rod means moves in a reverse direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for automatically inserting a tubular article within each of a sequence of plastic containers through an aperture in the bottom thereof to the same predetermined positions within each said container, comprising the steps of:
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sequentially conveying said containers through a work station; temporarily arresting the conveyance of said containers when any one of said containers reaches said work station; supporting a supply of tubular articles at a transfer station adjacent said work station; engaging a tubular article at said transfer station with a reciprocating rod means and carrying said tubular article therewith through a container aperture into said predetermined position within said container at said work station as said rod means moves in a forward direction; and leaving said tubular article at said predetermined position as said rod means moves in a reverse direction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for automatically inserting a flow-rate control tube into each of a sequence of containers through the bottom surfaces thereof, said apparatus comprising:
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means for sequentially conveying said containers through a work station; means for temporarily arresting the conveyance of said containers when one of said containers reaches said work station; means responsive to the arrest of the conveyance of said containers for positioning and retaining at least one of said containers at said work station such that the bottom of said container is positioned to receive said tube; a tube aligning system juxtapositioned to said work station, said system including an upper V-shaped hopper containing a multitude of tubes terminating as a narrow, elongated trough at the bottom thereof, for receiving said tubes, said tubes being fed by gravity from said hopper into said trough so as to form a single stack of tubes therein, the lowermost of which being generally axially aligned with the bottom of said container at said work station such that, upon axial movement of the lowermost tube, said tube is inserted into said container at said work station; and means for moving said lowermost tube axially out of said trough into a predetermined position within said container through the bottom thereof at said work station. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification