Method and Apparatus for Use in Packaging a Selected Number of Containers
AssigneeRennco LLC
InventorsRobin G. Thurgood, Brian C. Bowerman
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Abstract
A container packaging machine includes a container handling and counting apparatus including an upstream accumulation portion and a downstream container separation and counting portion. The containers having a relatively tightly nested configuration as the containers move through the accumulation portion and having a relatively loosely nested configuration as the containers move through the container separation and counting portion where separation of the containers form distinct peaks and valleys for use in counting the containers.
Claims17
A container packaging machine, comprising:
- a container handling and counting apparatus having:
- an upstream accumulation portion, as containers move through the accumulation portion they are in a closely nested configuration;
- and
- a downstream separation and counting portion in which containers are shifted from the closely nested configuration to a loosely nested configuration such that a rim portion of the containers are spaced apart to facilitate counting.
A method of packaging containers, comprising:
- conveying containers in a closely nested configuration through an upstream accumulation portion of a container handling apparatus;
- and
- separating the containers to a loosely nested configuration where rim portions of adjacent containers are separated when they are conveyed through a downstream separation and counting portion of the container handling apparatus for facilitating counting of the containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.