Air-driven container twisting system
AssigneeArrowhead Systems LLC
InventorsCary Lindauer, David M. Walters, Michael S. Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air-driven container twisting system is configured for changing orientation of containers moving through a material-handling system. The air-driven container twisting system may include a container guide that extends through an air drive arrangement with the container guide configured to direct containers longitudinally while simultaneously rotating the containers while moving through the air-driven container twisting system without the need of declining elevation change and gravity assist.
Claims16
An air-driven article twisting system, comprising:
- an inlet end configured to receive articles into the air-driven article twisting system;
- an outlet end configured to deliver the articles out of the air-driven article twisting system;
- an airflow chamber housing arranged between the inlet and outlet ends;
- an airflow chamber arranged within the airflow chamber housing and configured to direct an airflow within the airflow chamber housing in an airflow direction from the inlet end to the outlet end of the air-driven article twisting system;
- and
- an article twist track that extends through the airflow chamber and is configured to direct the articles through the airflow chamber as driven by the airflow along a travel path that extends longitudinally and helically through the airflow chamber.
An article transporting system, comprising:
- an article guide arrangement having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the article guide arrangement is configured to receive articles at the upstream end in a first orientation and to discharge articles at the downstream end in a second orientation;
- an air drive arrangement that extends along a majority of the length of the article guide arrangement, wherein the air drive arrangement is positioned about the article guide arrangement, and wherein the air drive arrangement discharges air toward the article guide arrangement for advancing the articles from the upstream end of the article guide arrangement toward the downstream end;
- and
- an enclosure that includes at least one wall that extends longitudinally with respect to and is arranged outwardly of the air drive arrangement, wherein the enclosure defines an outer boundary of the air drive arrangement.
An article transporting system, comprising:
- an article guide arrangement having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the article guide arrangement is configured to receive articles at the upstream end in a first orientation and to discharge articles at the downstream end in a second orientation;
- and
- an air drive arrangement that extends along a majority of the length of the article guide arrangement, wherein the air drive arrangement is positioned about the article guide arrangement, and wherein the air drive arrangement discharges air toward the article guide arrangement for advancing the articles from the upstream end of the article guide arrangement toward the downstream end;
- wherein the article guide arrangement comprises an article twist track that includes a series of helical rails;
- and
- wherein the article twist track and the air drive arrangement are configured to direct air onto a pair of opposite end surfaces of each of the articles to advance each of the articles in a downstream direction and onto side surfaces of each of the articles to provide an air cushion between the side surfaces of each of the articles and the rails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.