Kicker clamp for containers

An assembly for feeding rows of end-to-end cylindrical containers into a laterally adjacent carrier, said assembly comprising:

• pushing means for pushing a plurality of end-to-end cylindrical containers laterally towards an adjacent carrier;
• clamping means for clamping the containers to thereby restrain longitudinal movement thereof as they are being pushed towards the carrier by said pushing means and for releasing them just prior to the completion of the pushing action of said pushing means to allow the containers to roll into the carrier;
• and
• a frame;
• said pushing means comprises:
• a kicker assembly linked to and pivotable about said frame;
• a first cylinder and a first piston;
• and
• a pivot arm pivotably connected at a first end to said first piston and linked at a second end to said kicker assembly, movement of said first piston causing said kicker assembly to pivot about said frame thereby kick said containers into the carrier, and wherein;
• said clamping means comprises:
• a clamp assembly and
• a second cylinder and a second piston, said clamp assembly linked to said second piston such that movement of said second piston causes said clamp assembly to pivot towards or away from said pushing means.

A container stick kicking system comprising:

• a container stick support surface;
• a clamper;
• a first fluid cylinder operatively connected to said clamper to operate relative to containers on said support surface to reduce longitudinal back-and-forth motion thereof;
• a kicker;
• and
• a second fluid cylinder operatively connected to said kicker to kick the containers of the stick on said support surface laterally off of said support surface.

A method for loading sticks of containers onto carriers, said method comprising:

• feeding a plurality of containers longitudinally to a container stick location;
• pushing the containers laterally from the location and onto a carrier by a pusher member;
• and
• during said pushing step, applying lateral pressure to the containers by clamping the containers between a clamping member and said pusher member to restrain back-and-forth longitudinal movement of the containers and prior to completion of said pushing step, releasing the lateral pressure.

A system for kicking containers comprising:

• a support surface disposed to support a plurality of containers;
• a frame,
• a kicker assembly for kicking the containers laterally off of said surface, said kicker assembly linked to and pivotable about said frame, said kicker assembly including a kicker member for contacting said containers and kicking the containers laterally off of said surface;
• a clamp assembly to clamp the containers against said kicker assembly, said clamp assembly including a clamping member for clamping the containers against said kicker member, said clamping member pivotable with respect to said kicker member;
• a first device, said first device imparting relative pivotal movement between the kicker member and the clamping member;
• and
• a second device, said second device simultaneously imparting pivotal movement between the kicker and clamping members with respect to said frame.