US 4,225,034 A · Container conveying and elevating apparatus

Abstract

A container conveying and elevating apparatus conveys relatively shallow containers having a relatively large diameter, such as aluminum can cup bodies, in banks, or en masse, that is, in multiple rows, along a generally horizontal feed-in conveyor to the front or imput side of a vertically extending elevator housing and onto the bottom run of a generally vertically extending elevator conveyor which is arranged in the housing. The elevator conveyor embodies multiple rows of generally horizontally or longitudinally and transversely extending spaced flexible container-conveying and supporting finger members which are adapted to project into the interiors of, or otherwise engage, the containers as they are fed by the feed-in conveyor to the bottom horizontal run of the elevator conveyor. The containers are then conveyed by the bottom run of the elevator conveyor, and the flexible finger members thereon, around the first and lower turn-around of the elevator conveyor, during which they are turned through an arc of approximately ninety degrees (90.degree.) from a vertical position into a horizontal position on the vertically extending rear run of the elevator conveyor. The containers are then conveyed upwardly on the rear run of the elevator conveyor into the upper area of the elevator housing where they are again turned through an arc of approximately ninety degrees (90.degree.) from a horizontal position into an upright or vertical position, when they are delivered, en masse, in upright position, from the rear run of the elevator conveyor to a take-away or delivery conveyor by which they are conveyed to work station for extrusion of the can cup bodies or for other operations on the containers or container bodies.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A conveying and elevating apparatus for conveying and elevating articles from a supply of randemly arranged articles while maintaining their orientation, said apparatus comprising:

(a) an upwardly extending elevator housing,
(b) an endless conveyor mounted in said housing for conveying said articles, said endless conveyor having an upwardly extending run, a generally horizontal lower run which curves upwardly at the end thereof to join said upwardly extending run and a return run which extends from the top of the upwardly extending run and which merges with the horizontal lower run at the beginning thereof,
(c) a plurality of flexible conveying and supporting members mounted on, and distributed transversely and longitudinally of, said endless conveyor and projecting outwardly therefrom on the side thereof which faces downwardly from said horizontal run,
(d) a bottom support extending below said horizontal run for supporting said articles as they become engaged by the flexible conveying and supporting members at the beginning of said horizontal run,
(e) a rear support which extends from said bottom support and which curves upwardly to follow said horizontal run and said upwardly extending run,
(f) anti-tilting means arranged below said horizontal run and extending laterally and horizontally across the run and longitudinally from the entrance thereto to a location beyond the beginning thereof and cooperating therewith and with said bottom support to maintain said randomly arranged articles oriented on said bottom support until said articles become engaged by said flexible conveying and supporting members,
(g) feed-in means for feeding said articles onto said bottom support, and
(h) discharge means for discharging said articles from the upper end of said upwardly extending run.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Container conveying and elevating apparatus

Life of this patent

Container conveying and elevating apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15