Plastic water bottle and apparatus and method to convey the bottle and prevent bottle rotation

A plastic container for beverages comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter, a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite said apex, said diametrical distance being at least 0.195 inch greater than said neck diameter.

A plastic container for beverages to be conveyed by air along a track with inwardly extending track rails spaced from one another a set distance, said container comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter less than said set distance of said track rail spacing;
• a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite said apex, said diametrical distance being at least 0.185 inch greater than said set distance of said track rail spacing.

A plastic container for beverages to be conveyed by air along a track with inwardly extending track rails spaced from one another a set distance, said container comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter less than said set distance of said track rail spacing;
• a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite to said apex, said diametrical distance at least 17 percent greater than said set distance of said track rail spacing.

A plastic container for beverages to replace a plastic container having a round flange with a round flange diameter, the replaced container being adapted to be conveyed by air along a track with inwardly extending track rails spaced from one another a set distance, said container replacing the replaced container without modifying the inwardly extending track rails of the track, said container comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter, a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite said apex, said plurality of apexes together defining an outer apex diameter, each of said plurality of flats having a central point and said central points together defining an inner flat diameter, said inner flat diameter being no more than 0.115 inch smaller than the round flange diameter of the replaced container.

A plastic container for beverages to replace a plastic container having a round flange with a round flange diameter, the replaced container being adapted to be conveyed by air along a track with inwardly extending track rails spaced from one another a set distance, said container replacing the replaced container without modifying the inwardly extending track rails of the track, said container comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter, a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite said apex, said diametrical distance being no more than 0.050 inch smaller than the round flange diameter of the replaced container.

A plastic container for beverages to replace a plastic container having a round flange with a round flange diameter, the replaced container being adapted to be conveyed by air along a track with inwardly extending track rails spaced from one another a set distance, said container replacing the replaced container without modifying the inwardly extending track rails of the track, said container comprising:

• a central axis;
• an upper mouth portion;
• a neck portion coaxial to said axis with a diameter, a cylindrical sidewall;
• a lower base and an anti-rotation flange below said upper mouth portion having a polygonal peripheral edge with a shape including a plurality of flats and a plurality of apexes each located between adjacent flats and each apex being diametrically opposite one of said flats, said peripheral edge having a diametrical distance between each of said apexes and the flat opposite said apex, said plurality of apexes together defining an outer apex diameter, each of said plurality of flats having a central point and said central points together defining an inner flat diameter, said outer apex diameter being greater than the round flange diameter of the replaced container.