US 5,597,284 AGranted

Method and apparatus for processing container ends

AssigneeBall Corporation

InventorsKenneth E. Weltlich, Howard C. Chasteen, Michael A. Shuster, Stephen R. Pickenbrock

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Abstract

An assembly is provided for processing container ends received from at least two sources by loading the container ends into trays and stacking the trays. The assembly has a transport device capable of engaging sticks of container ends in a pick-up area and providing the sticks to a plurality of corresponding loading areas such that sticks from different sources are placed in different loading areas. Sticks are provided to the pick-up area by supply subassemblies which receive continuous arrays of container ends from the sources, separate the arrays into sticks, and provide the sticks to the pick-up area. The tray loading subassembly is further capable of engaging and transporting an empty tray from a stack of empty trays to the loading areas such that a stack of trays may be formed. Once the desired stack of trays is formed, a discharge subassembly transports the stack from the loading area to a discharge area for subsequent removal and transport to a desired location.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An assembly for processing container ends received from at least two sources, said assembly comprising:

a pick-up area for receiving a plurality of container ends from a first source and second source, different from the first source;
a first loading area for accommodating a plurality of container ends and comprising a first tray;
a second loading area for accommodating a plurality of container ends and comprising a second tray, said first and second trays being positioned so as to be simultaneously accessible for receiving container ends;
and
a moving means for engaging container ends from the first source at said pick-up area and depositing the container ends at said first loading area and in said first tray to form a first load and for engaging container ends from the second source at said pick-up area and depositing the container ends at said second loading area and in said second tray to form a second load, wherein container ends from said first source are only deposited at said first loading area, and wherein container ends from said second source are only deposited at said second loading area, said moving means comprising a common pick-up head which interfaces with container ends from each of said first and second sources and moves said container ends to said first and second loading areas, respectively.

2 more elements

A method for processing container ends received from at least two sources utilizing a transport device comprising a pick-up head, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first stick of container ends at a pick-up area from a first source;
receiving a second stick of container ends at the pick-up area from a second source, different from the first source;
engaging the first stick at the pick-up area with the pick-up head of the transport device, moving the transport device to a first position, and depositing the first stick at a first loading area to form a first load;
and
engaging the second stack at the pick-up area with the pick-up head of the transport device, moving the transport device to a second position different from the first position, and depositing the second stick at the second loading area to form a second load, wherein sticks from the first source are only deposited at the first loading area, and wherein sticks from the second source are only deposited at the second loading area.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.