US 4,290,519 AGranted

Article support system

AssigneeDiamond International Corporation

InventorAlbert J. Harvey

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Abstract

A support system for articles being decorated at a decorating station is disclosed. A plurality of spaced receptacles are disposed on a horizontally moving endless conveyor which transports the receptacles and articles supported therein to the decorating station. The receptacles are contoured to the general shape of the bottom of the article to be decorated and have a recessed portion and upwardly extending edge portions. Each receptacle is formed of two sections separated along a line transverse to the path of travel of the conveyor such that the receptacle sections open and separate from one another when passing over a curved surface. In this manner, the article to be decorated may be conveyed along an adjacently disposed conveying system and directly transferred into engagement with the receptacle for conveying to the decorating station.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An article support system adapted to engage and transport articles to be decorated through an article decorating station which comprises:

an endless conveyor having an input end and extending through said decorating station, said input end being gradually inclined towards the portion of said conveyor means extending through said decorating station;
means for driving said endless conveyor through said decorating station;
means for feeding articles to be decorated to said input end of said endless conveyor along a path generally parallel to the path of travel of said endless conveyor through said decorating station,
a plurality of spaced receptacles attached to said endless conveyor suitable for supporting the article to be decorated, each of said receptacles being contoured with a central recessed portion and upwardly extending edge portions, said contoured shape being in general conformance with the configuration of the bottom of the article to be decorated such that said receptacles are adapted to support the articles along a substantial portion of their lower peripheral shape, each of said receptacles being formed of two sections closely spaced to one another and separable along a line transverse to the path of travel of said endless conveyor so that said receptacle sections open away from one another when passing along a curved path, the inclination of said input end of said conveyor means and the separability of said two sections of said receptacles facilitating the sliding of the article to be decorated as fed by said feeding means into the path of travel of said endless conveyor and the engagement of the article to be decorated by said receptacle;
and
means for attaching each half of said receptacle to said conveyor.

3 more elements

An article holding means suitable for receiving an article to be decorated, supporting the article being decorated while it is transported through an article decorating station and discharging a decorated article, said article holding means comprising a contoured receptacle having a central recessed portion and upwardly extending edge portions disposed about the perimeter thereof, said contoured shape being in a general conformance with the configuration of the bottom of the article to be decorated and slightly larger to facilitate seating of the article therein, said receptacle being adapted to support the article along a substantial portion of its lower peripheral shape, said receptacle being severed in the approximate center thereof and formed of two sections closely spaced to one another to facilitate separation from one another thereby permitting sliding of the article to be decorated into engagement with said receptacle along a path parallel to the path of travel of said receptacle through the decorating station and sliding of a decorated article out of engagement with said receptacle along a path parallel to the path of travel of said receptacle through the decorating station, said receptacle being connected to an endless conveyor having an input end and an exit end, and extending through said decorating station, said input end and said exit end being gradually inclined towards the portion of said endless conveyor extending through said decorating station, said receptacle thereby entering and leaving said path of travel along inclined paths which further facilitate sliding of the article into and off said receptacle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.