Apparatuses for holding and conveying glass articles

#The present specification generally relates to apparatuses for holding glass articles during processing and, more specifically, to conveyor ribbon apparatuses for holding glass articles during processing.

#Historically, glass has been used as a preferred material for many applications, including food and beverage packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, kitchen and laboratory glassware, and windows or other architectural features, because of its hermeticity, optical clarity and excellent chemical durability relative to other materials.

#However, use of glass for many applications is limited by the mechanical performance of the glass. In particular, glass breakage is a concern, particularly in the packaging of food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. Breakage can be costly in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging industries because, for example, breakage within a filling line may require that neighboring unbroken containers be discarded as the containers may contain fragments from the broken container. Breakage may also require that the filling line be slowed or stopped, lowering production yields. Further, non-catastrophic breakage (i.e., when the glass cracks but does not break) may cause the contents of the glass package or container to lose their sterility which, in turn, may result in costly product recalls.

#FIG. 1 schematically depicts a conveyor apparatus, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

#FIG. 2A schematically depicts a side view of a conveyor ribbon, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

#FIG. 2B schematically depicts a top view of a conveyor ribbon, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

#Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of conveyor ribbons and conveyor apparatuses for holding and retaining articles during processing, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. One embodiment of a conveyor apparatus for holding and retaining articles during processing is schematically depicted in FIG. 1. The conveyor apparatus generally includes a conveyor ribbon that holds and retains a plurality of articles. The conveyor ribbon has a plurality of apertures (FIGS. 1-10) which allow for the plurality of articles to be loaded into the conveyor ribbon at a loading station. The articles are loaded into the conveyor ribbon by a portion of an article passing through the conveyor ribbon such that a top portion of the article is held on one side of the conveyor ribbon and a body of the article is held on an opposite side of the conveyor ribbon. A conveyor ribbon drive and guidance system directs the conveyor ribbon with the plurality of articles through an immersion section and a drain section. In the immersion section the articles are immersed in a liquid for a predetermined amount of time. Upon exiting the immersion section, the conveyor ribbon drive and guidance system directs the conveyor ribbon with the plurality of articles through the drain section which rotates the glass articles about a horizontal axis and allows for liquid within or on the articles to drain. The conveyor ribbon with the plurality of articles then proceeds to another station, e.g. another immersion section, a washing section, etc., before the articles are removed from the conveyor ribbon at an unloading station and the conveyor ribbon returns back to the loading station to receive additional articles to be processed. Various embodiments of apparatuses for holding and conveying glass articles during processing will be described in further detail herein with specific reference to the appended drawings.

#Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

#Directional terms as used herein—for example up, down, right, left, front, back, top, bottom—are made only with reference to the figures as drawn and are not intended to imply absolute orientation.