Holder assembly for case packing machine
AssigneeR. A. Pearson Company
InventorBarry Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A holder assembly is described for releasably receiving and supporting successive groups of containers in a case packing machine. The machine is operable to move successive groups vertically downward from a first station to the holder assembly at a second station. Subsequently the containers are forced downwardly again from the holder assembly to a case packing station below. The holder assembly functions to group received containers into defined rectangular clusters. The holder assembly also permits vertical movement of the containers while holding them in the rectangular array. Rotary mechanisms enable selective inversion of the holders and containers supported within.
Claims19
In a case packing machine for moving successive groups of containers lengthwise from a first station to a spaced second station and subsequently to a case packing station along a case packing framework, a holder assembly for releasably receiving and supporting a group of containers in a defined rectangular cluster at the second station, comprising:
- a hollow box frame on the case packing framework at the second station and having opposed open ends;
- fixed guide means arranged within the box frame perpendicular to its open ends for slidably engaging the side surfaces of a plurality of containers passing as a group in reversible directions alternatively through either of its open ends;
- and spring biased guide means movably mounted within the box frame and spaced from the fixed guide means to urge the received containers individually against the fixed guide means and to frictionally engage the containers in a defined rectangular cluster supported within the box frame.
In a machine for moving successive groups of bottles having cylindrical side surfaces, a holder assembly for receiving and supporting a group of containers in a defined cluster, comprising:
- a supporting framework;
- a hollow frame movably mounted on the framework, said frame having opposed open ends adapted to both receive and discharge groups of bottles passing as a group in reversible directions alternatively through either open end;
- and spring biased means on said frame for frictionally gripping the cylindrical side walls of each bottle received within the frame and for maintaining it within a defined cluster during subsequent movement of the frame relative to the framework.
In a machine for moving successive groups of bottles having cylindrical side walls, a holder assembly for receiving and supporting a group of containers in a defined cluster, comprising:
- a supporting framework;
- a hollow rectangular box frame having a pair of transversely spaced side walls spanned by end walls, said side walls and end walls having open peripheral edges about opposed open ends;
- a center dividing wall extending parallel to the side walls of the box frame between said pair of end walls;
- spring biased guides mounted within the box frame alongside the path of movement of each bottle received or discharged in reversible directions alternatively through either of the open ends of the box frame, said guides each having an inwardly facing surface adapted to frictionally engage the cylindrical side walls of a bottle located within the box frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.