Bulk closure dispensing system
AssigneeCrown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
InventorsKurt Debrunner, Patrick J. Nash
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for dispensing bulk closures from a removable and transportable bin. The system has a pivotable frame for receiving and tilting the bin and a movable gate including a closed position in which the gate covers the bin opening and an open position in which the gate is spaced apart from the opening to enable closures to flow therethrough. The gate is moveable from the open position to the closed position while closures are within the bin, thereby enabling dispensing of less than all of the closures from the bin. The system may include an access cover, hopper, slide gates, and access shield. The method may include employing the system and unloading only a portion of a particular bin.
Claims41
A bulk closure dispensing system comprising:
- a bin for housing plural closures, the bin including an opening formed in a lower portion thereof and a cover for moveably covering the bin opening;
- a frame for receiving and tilting the bin, the frame including a fixed first portion, a second portion, and a pivot operatively coupling the first and second portions thereby enabling the second portion to pivot relative to the first portion;
- a movable gate, supported by the frame, including a closed position in which the gate essentially covers the bin opening and an open position in which the gate is spaced apart from the opening to enable closures to flow therethrough, the gate being moveable from the open position to the closed position while closures are within the bin, thereby enabling dispensing of less than all of the closures from the bin.
A method of handling closures, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing plural closures in a portable bin that has an opening in a sidewall thereof and a moveable cover substantially covering the bin opening while the cover is in a cover-closed position;
- b. disposing the bin on a frame of a dispensing apparatus that includes a gate that is moveable between a closed position in which the gate essentially covers the bin opening and an open position in which the gate is spaced apart from the opening to enable closures to flow therethrough, the frame including a fixed first portion, a second portion, and a pivot operatively coupling the first and second portions thereby enabling the second portion to pivot relative to the first portion, the gate being moveable from the open position to the closed position while closures are within the bin;
- and
- c. pivoting the second frame portion, thereby tilting the bin to encourage closures to flow outward from the bin through the bin opening into a hopper while the cover is in a cover-open position and the gate is in a gate-open position.
A bulk closure dispensing apparatus for unloading closures from a bin through an opening therein, the bin including a cover pivotally connected thereto for covering the opening, comprising:
- a frame for receiving and tilting the bin, the frame including a fixed first portion, a second portion, and a pivot operatively coupling the first and second portions thereby enabling the second portion to pivot relative to the first portion, the second portion including an open front portion which is capable of receiving closures therethrough;
- a gate coupled to the frame, the gate is slideable on the frame between a closed position and an open position, whereby the gate in the gate-closed position essentially covers the frame open front portion and the gate in the gate-open position is spaced apart from the frame open front portion to enable closures to flow therethrough, the gate being capable of sliding between the gate-open and the gate-closed position during any phase of the closure unloading process;
- and
- a hopper disposed below the gate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.