Method and apparatus for transferring bottles arriving in upright position in laterally adjacent rows on a feed conveyor into a single row of bottles on a downstream conveyor
First Claim
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1. A method for transferring bottles arriving in an upright position and in laterally adjacent rows on a feed conveyor traveling at a first velocity across an intermediate conveyor traveling at a second velocity faster than said first velocity and into a single row of bottles on a downstream conveyor traveling at a third velocity, the steps comprising:
- tilting the plane of each of said feed conveyor, said intermediate conveyor and said downstream conveyor in the same direction and to a sufficient angle to cause the upstanding bottles to slide laterally down the slope of said conveyors as said bottles are conveyed in a direction toward and along said downstream conveyor;
continuously passively guiding by a support rail the lowermost ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors so as to keep them in said upright position;
accelerating the velocity of said bottles in a direction toward said downstream conveyor as they slide from said feed conveyor across said intermediate conveyor to create spaces between mutually adjacent bottles engaging said support rail, the bottles which are still at a higher position on said conveyors being accelerated with some delay and slide laterally into said spaces as they become formed, while other bottles are continuously passively supported in wall-to-wall contact with each other on the next lower ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors as all of said bottles continue to move to said downsteam conveyor.
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for transferring bottles arriving in an upright position and in laterally adjacent rows on a feed conveyor into a single row of bottles on a downstream or discharge conveyor. The bottles are shifted laterally solely under a gravity effect from the feed conveyor, across an intermediate conveyor whereat they are successively accelerated to the downstream conveyor.
18 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for transferring bottles arriving in an upright position and in laterally adjacent rows on a feed conveyor traveling at a first velocity across an intermediate conveyor traveling at a second velocity faster than said first velocity and into a single row of bottles on a downstream conveyor traveling at a third velocity, the steps comprising:
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tilting the plane of each of said feed conveyor, said intermediate conveyor and said downstream conveyor in the same direction and to a sufficient angle to cause the upstanding bottles to slide laterally down the slope of said conveyors as said bottles are conveyed in a direction toward and along said downstream conveyor; continuously passively guiding by a support rail the lowermost ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors so as to keep them in said upright position; accelerating the velocity of said bottles in a direction toward said downstream conveyor as they slide from said feed conveyor across said intermediate conveyor to create spaces between mutually adjacent bottles engaging said support rail, the bottles which are still at a higher position on said conveyors being accelerated with some delay and slide laterally into said spaces as they become formed, while other bottles are continuously passively supported in wall-to-wall contact with each other on the next lower ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors as all of said bottles continue to move to said downsteam conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for transferring bottles arriving in an upright position and in laterally adjacent rows on a feed conveyor traveling at a first velocity across an intermediate conveyor traveling at a second velocity faster than said first velocity and into a single row of bottles on a downstream conveyor traveling at a third velocity, comprising:
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support means for effecting a tilting of the plane of each of said feed conveyor, said intermediate conveyor and said downstream conveyor in the same direction and to a sufficient angle to cause the standing bottles to slide laterally down the slope of said conveyors as said bottles are conveyed in a direction toward and along said downstream conveyor; support rail means oriented along a lower portion of each of said feed conveyor, said intermediate conveyor and said downstream conveyor for continuously passively guiding the lowermost ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors so as to keep them in said upright position, the difference in speed between at least said feed conveyor and said intermediate conveyor causing spaces to occur at least between mutually adjacent bottles engaging said support rail means, the bottles which are still at a higher position on said conveyors being accelerated with some delay and slide laterally into said spaces as they become formed while other bottles are continuously passively supported in wall-to-wall contact with each other on the next lower ones of said bottles on each of said conveyors as all of said bottles continue to move to said downstream conveyor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeKrones AG Hermann Kronseder
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Original AssigneeKrones AG (Krones)
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InventorsSchneider, Egon
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Primary Examiner(s)Spar, Robert J.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Holmes, Jonathan D.
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Application NumberUS06/456,208Time in Patent Office718 DaysField of Search198/443, 198/448, 198/453, 198/454, 198/529, 198/452US Class Current198/448CPC Class CodesB65G 47/31 by varying the relative spe...B65G 47/683 with tilting of at least pa...
