Container processing machine and method for delivering containers to and/or removing them from a container processing machine
AssigneeKHS GmbH
InventorLudwig Clüsserath
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container-processing machine includes a conveyor that rotates about a vertical machine axis, processing stations disposed around the conveyor, a star that delivers unprocessed containers to the conveyor and removes processed containers from the conveyor, and recesses disposed around a periphery of the star for engaging containers. Container transfer occurs by raising a container from a transfer position into a processing position.
Claims24
An apparatus for processing containers, said apparatus comprising a container-processing machine, said container-processing machine comprising a conveyor, processing stations, a star, and recesses, wherein said conveyor rotates about a vertical machine axis, wherein said processing stations are disposed around said conveyor for processing containers, wherein said star delivers containers that are in a first state to said conveyor and removes containers that are in a second state from said conveyor, wherein said recesses are disposed around a periphery of said star for engaging containers, wherein containers in said first state are containers that are to be processed by a processing station, and wherein containers in said second state are containers that have been processed by said processing station, and wherein said container-processing machine is configured to transfer a container that is in said first state to a processing station of said container-treatment machine by raising said container from a transfer position into a processing position, and wherein said conveyor and said star are driven independently of each other.
A method for transferring containers between a conveyor of a container-processing machine and a star, said method comprising delivering a first container to a recess on a circumference of said star, said container being in a first state, as a result of rotation of said star, moving said first container to a transfer position, with said container now at said transfer position, raising said container from said transfer position into a processing position at a processing station on said conveyor, with said first container now engaged at said processing position, rotating said conveyor to a position at which a second container, which is in a second state, is positioned above a free recess of said star, transferring said second container into said free recess, and removing said second container, wherein a container in said first state is a container that has yet to be processed by said container-processing machine, and wherein a container in said second state is a container that has already been processed by said container-processing machine, said method further comprising driving said conveyor and driving said star, wherein driving said conveyor is carried out independently of driving said star.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.