Method and apparatus for feeding containers in serial order on a conveyor belt

Abstract

System for feeding empty containers on a conveyor belt, namely for packaging installations, such as bottling plants. The system for feeding containers comprises a supporting surface having dimensions sufficient to accommodate a multitude of empty containers placed side by side. This supporting surface continuously moves the containers against an abutment wall. The movement of the supporting surface causes empty containers to agglomerate against the abutment wall. A pushing device is provided to selectively push out from the containers agglomeration a number of containers over a secondary conveyor belt that will lead those containers to successive processing stations, such as a filling station, capping station, labeling station etc. The pushing device is mounted relative to the supporting surface such that it moves generally parallel to the abutment wall. The movement of the pushing device pushes out of the agglomeration a row of containers that are maintained in a serial order during this movement by the abutment wall on one hand and the rest of the empty containers on the other hand.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.