Height adjustable conveyor system

A height adjustable conveyor system for conveying articles having a neck ring, said system comprising:

• guide means having first, second, and third portions with each of said portions including flexible guides spaced from one another for supporting the articles at the neck rings of the articles, said guide means establishing a path along which the articles are conveyed through said portions of said guide means;
• an air conveyor having adjacent first, second, and third portions each having an end wall spaced from an opposing said end wall of the air conveyor portion adjacent thereto, said air conveyor being adjacent to said guide means and having apertures therein through which air from said air conveyor urges the articles along said path established by said guide means, and said air conveyor having said first, second, and third portions connected with and supporting different ones of said first, second, and third portions of said guide means with each of said portions of said air conveyor being capable of relative movement with respect to the other portions of said air conveyor;
• a fixed support;
• and
• actuating means connected with said fixed support and said air conveyor to cause said relative movement of said portions of said air conveyor for vertically moving said first portion of said air conveyor with respect to said third portion of said air conveyor and for tilting said second portion of said air conveyor with respect to said first and third portions of said air conveyor, said relative movement of said portions of said air conveyor causing flexing of said spaced guides to provide curvature along said guide means and thereby establish a height adjustment of said first portion of said guide means relative to said third portion of said guide means that continues to allow the articles to be conveyed along said path between said first and third portions of said guide means due to said urging of said articles along said path by the air from said air conveyor.

A height adjustable conveyor system for conveying articles having a neck ring, said system comprising:

• guide means having first, second, and third portions with each of said portions including flexible guides spaced from one another for supporting the articles at the neck rings of the articles and establishing a path along which the articles are conveyed through said portions of said guide means;
• an air conveyor having first, second, and third portions spaced from one another with said air conveyor being adjacent to said guide means for urging the articles along said path established by said guide means and having said first, second, and third portions connected with and supporting different ones of said first, second, and third portions of said guide means;
• coupling means including pivot means connecting said first and third portions of said air conveyor with said second portion of said air conveyor to allow relative movement between said portions of said air conveyor;
• a fixed support;
• and
• actuating means including a substantially L-shaped lever pivotably connected with said fixed support and at least one of said portions of said air conveyor to cause said relative movement of said portions of said air conveyor for vertically moving said first portion of said air conveyor with respect to said third portion of said air conveyor and for tilting said second portion of said air conveyor with respect to said first and third portions of said air conveyor with said movement of said portions of said air conveyor causing flexing of said spaced guides to thereby establish height adjustment of said first portion of said guide means relative to said third portion of said guide means.