Container restraint system
AssigneeOwens-Illinois, Inc.
InventorAlois F. Trendel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for restraining containers against rotation when being moved through operation stations of a cap application process. In the embodiment shown a resilient belt is supported on a star wheel so that a section of the belt subtends an arc of each container receiving pocket in the star wheel. In response to the reception of a container in a pocket the belt section conforms to and wraps around the contour of the container. The belt surface contacting the container exerts a frictional force that is greater than the frictional force applied to the container by guide rails as the star wheel moves the container past the guide rails. The container is thus restrained against rotation within the pocket during the cap application process.
Claims7
A capping machine for applying threaded caps to threaded bottle necks, comprising:
- a. a rotatable turret carrying a plurality of capping heads,
- b. rotatable capping star wheel means having a plurality of pockets formed therein for receiving and moving containers having circular cross-sections around, beneath and in synchronism with said plurality of capping heads,
- c. capper guide means spaced from said capping star wheel means for engaging circular cross-sections of and retaining containers in said capper pockets, and
- d. means supported on said capping star wheel means for yieldingly urging containers in said capper pockets against said guide means, said urging means having a greater frictional engagement with a container than said guide means thereby restraining containers against rotation in said pockets during movement of said capping star wheel means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.