Air conveyor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced neck tracks defining an elongated slot therebetween for slidingly supporting a container body by its neck;
an inverted, U-shaped, interior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks spanning the slot and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot and having a cross sectional area sufficient to receive the portion of a container body above its neck, the interior channel member having a top wall and side walls with air directing louvers formed in the top wall and side walls, the louvers of the top wall being shaped to direct a flow of air into a container body located in operative proximity therewith to thereby provide a driving force within the container body in addition to the driving force outside the container body created by the side louvers;
an inverted, U-shaped, exterior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks enclosing the interior channel member and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot, the cross sectional area of the exterior channel member being between about five and fifteen times larger than the cross sectional area of the interior channel member; and
pneumatic means to introduce air under pressure to the space between the exterior and interior channel members whereby such space may constitute a plenum chamber and direct a flow of air within the interior chamber in a direction dictated by the angle of the louvers for conveying container bodies supported by their necks on the neck tracks in the direction of the air flow.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A machine for manufacturing bottles including pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies and pneumatic conveying apparatus for base cups and a base cupping assembly and for joining the conveyed container bodies and base cups to form bottles. The conveying apparatus for the container bodies has an interior channel member with louvers in the top and side walls and an exterior channel member thereover to form a plenum chamber therebetween for functioning with the interior channel member and its louvers in effecting the conveying of container bodies.
46 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies comprising:
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a pair of laterally spaced neck tracks defining an elongated slot therebetween for slidingly supporting a container body by its neck; an inverted, U-shaped, interior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks spanning the slot and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot and having a cross sectional area sufficient to receive the portion of a container body above its neck, the interior channel member having a top wall and side walls with air directing louvers formed in the top wall and side walls, the louvers of the top wall being shaped to direct a flow of air into a container body located in operative proximity therewith to thereby provide a driving force within the container body in addition to the driving force outside the container body created by the side louvers; an inverted, U-shaped, exterior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks enclosing the interior channel member and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot, the cross sectional area of the exterior channel member being between about five and fifteen times larger than the cross sectional area of the interior channel member; and pneumatic means to introduce air under pressure to the space between the exterior and interior channel members whereby such space may constitute a plenum chamber and direct a flow of air within the interior chamber in a direction dictated by the angle of the louvers for conveying container bodies supported by their necks on the neck tracks in the direction of the air flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A machine for manufacturing bottles by coupling container bodies and base cups comprising:
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a base cupping assembly for receiving conveyed container bodies and conveyed base cups and for coupling the received container bodies and received base cups; a first pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies with an input end and with an output end positioned in operative association with the base cupping assembly for pneumatically conveying container bodies to the base coupling assembly for being coupled with conveyed base cups;
the first pneumatic conveying apparatus having a pair of laterally spaced neck tracks defining an elongated slot therebetween for slidingly supporting a container body by its neck;
the first pneumatic conveying apparatus also having an inverted, U-shaped, interior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks spanning the slot and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot and having a cross sectional area sufficient to receive the portion of a container body above its neck, the interior channel member having a top wall and side walls with air-directing louvers formed in the top wall and side walls;
the first pneumatic conveying apparatus also having an inverted, U-shaped, exterior channel member extending upwardly from the neck tracks enclosing the interior channel member and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot, the cross sectional area of the exterior channel member being between about five and fifteen times the cross sectional area of the interior channel member; and
the first pneumatic conveying apparatus also having pneumatic means to introduce air under pressure to the space between the exterior and interior channel members whereby such space may constitute a plenum chamber and direct a flow of air within the interior chamber in a direction dictated by the angle of the louvers for conveying container bodies supported by their necks on the neck tracks in the direction of the air flow; anda second pneumatic conveying apparatus with an input end and with an output end positioned in operative association with the base cupping assembly for pneumatically conveying base cups to the base coupling assembly for being coupled to conveyed container bodies;
the second pneumatic conveying apparatus also having an elongated plenum chamber extending substantially from its input end to its output end and with the upper surface of the of the plenum chamber being formed with air-directing louvers and constituting the surface over which the base cups are conveyed by a flow of air from the plenum chamber, through the louvers in contact with the base cups being conveyed; and
the second pneumatic conveying apparatus also having pneumatic means to introduce air under pressure to the plenum chamber.
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Specification