Lubricant qualified for contact with a composition suitable for human consumption including a food, a conveyor lubrication method and an apparatus using droplets or a spray of liquid lubricant

A method to form a finely divided distribution of lubricant droplets, the method comprising:

• (a) establishing a flow of air at a pressure of about 0.1 to 5 psi air with an intersecting stream lubricant at a flow rate of about 0.5 to 5 milliliters-sec−1 to form a finely divided flow of lubricant with a particle size of about 500 to 2500 microns;
• and
• (b) controlling the air flow and lubricant stream such that the lubricant is directed onto at least a portion of the conveyor at an add on rate of about 2×10−4 gm-in−2 to 0.01 gm-in−2 and establishing a coefficient of friction between the conveyor and less than about 0.14.

A lubricated conveyor system for transporting a polyester beverage container from a first work station to a second work station comprising a moving conveyor belt and means for producing a finely divided distribution of droplets of a liquid lubricant, the means comprising an air manifold, an air injection means and a lubricant injection means wherein the conveyor moves at a rate that can convey greater than about 200 bottles per minute, the means for lubricating can add about 5·10−4 to 0.02 gm-in−2 of lubricant, the coefficient of friction between the filled polyester beverage container and a lubricated conveyor surface is less than about 0.14.

A method to lubricate an interface between a conveyor surface and a work piece, the method comprising:

• (a) establishing a flow of air, at a pressure of about 0.1 to 10 psi, through a nozzle with an aperture with a diameter of less than 0.05 inch and contacting that flow of air with an intersecting flow of liquid lubricant at a flow rate of about 0.1 to 10 milliliters-sec−1 to form a finely divided flow of lubricant with a particle size of about 100 to 5000 microns;
• and
• (b) controlling the air flow and lubricant stream such that 90% of the lubricant is directed onto the conveyor surface at an add on rate of about 5×10−4 gms-in−2 to 0.05 gm-in−2 and establishing a coefficient of friction between the conveyor and the work piece of less than about 0.14.

A method to form a finely divided distribution of lubricant droplets, the method comprising:

• (a) establishing a flow of air at a pressure of about 0.1 to 5 psi air with an intersecting stream lubricant at a flow rate of about 0.5 to 5 milliliters-sec−1 to form a finely divided flow of lubricant with a particle size of about 500 to 2500 microns;
• and
• (b) controlling the air flow and lubricant stream such that the lubricant is directed onto at least a portion of the conveyor at an add on rate of about 2×10−4 gm-in−2 to 0.01 gm-in−2 and establishing a coefficient of friction between the conveyor and less than about 0.14.

A lubricated conveyor system for transporting a polyester beverage container from a first work station to a second work station comprising a moving conveyor belt and means for producing a finely divided distribution of droplets of a liquid lubricant, the means comprising an air manifold, an air injection means and a lubricant injection means wherein the conveyor moves at a rate that can convey greater than about 200 bottles per minute, the means for lubricating can add about 5·10−4 to 0.02 gm-in−2 of lubricant, the coefficient of fiction between the filled polyester beverage container and a lubricated conveyor surface is less than about 0.14.