Spout handling and applying system

A machine for applying spouts to containers, comprising:

• a heating tunnel for heating spouts;
• a conveyor configured for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating, wherein the conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone;
• and
• a spout infeed track located at a spout infeed side of the conveyor, wherein the spout infeed track includes an adjustment assembly for permitting adjustment of a number of spouts fed from the spout infeed track into an aligned spout holding rack assembly;
• wherein each spout holding rack assembly has a length configured for holding multiple spouts as the rack holding assembly is conveyed through the heating tunnel.

A machine for applying spouts to containers, comprising:

• a heating tunnel for heating spouts;
• a conveyor configured for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating, wherein the conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone;
• and
• a spout emptying passage is provided at a spout outfeed side of the conveyor in alignment with a spout infeed track at a spout infeed side of the conveyor;
• wherein each spout holding rack assembly has a length configured for holding multiple spouts as the rack holding assembly is conveyed through the heating tunnel.

A machine for applying spouts to containers, comprising:

• a heating tunnel for heating spouts;
• a conveyor for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating, wherein the conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone;
• and
• a controller is configured to track a position of each spout holding rack assembly along the conveyor path, wherein the controller is configured to permit each spout holding rack assembly to be individually designated as disabled for preventing use thereof;
• wherein the controller is configured such that, for each spout holding rack assembly has been designated as disabled, the controller prevents spouts from being loaded into the spout holding rack assembly when the spout holding rack assembly is aligned with the spout loading zone.

A machine for applying spouts to containers, comprising:

• a heating tunnel for heating spouts;
• a conveyor for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating, wherein the conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone;
• and
• a controller is configured to track a position of each spout holding rack assembly along the conveyor path, wherein the controller is configured to permit each spout holding rack assembly to be individually designated as disabled for preventing use thereof;
• a user interface associated with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to provide a display of a disabled or enabled status of each spout holing rack assembly.