Article holding apparatus of rotary type

An apparatus for firmly holding bottle like containers to rotate about a center axis of each of a plurality of supporting mechanisms at high speed while they revolve around a center axis of the apparatus comprising in combination:

• a rotating means adapted to rotate about the center axis of the apparatus:
• a plurality of supporting mechanisms rotatably held on said rotating means to hold a bottom of each container thereon so that the container is in an upright position, said supporting mechanisms being located at an equal distance along a periphery of a circle on the rotating means;
• an endless belt for rotating each of said supporting mechanisms in one direction about the axis of the latter while the latter revolve around the axis of the apparatus;
• means for controlling the tension in the endless belt;
• said endless belt being disposed along a part of a periphery of the rotating means so as to contact each support mechanism to thereby rotate the support mechanism when the support mechanism passes within a region where the endless belt is disposed;
• and
• a plurality of holding means for firmly holding the containers thereon with the aid of attractive force generated under reduced pressure, a vacuum source generating said reduced pressure, a suction cup being in communication with said vacuum source and cooperating with a frictional disc disposed on a top end part of each supporting mechanism.