Method for processing containers and container processing machine
AssigneeKHS GmbH
InventorsManfred Härtel, Andreas Fahldieck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for processing containers in a container-processing machine includes identifying a first container behind an adjacent second container in a container flow, the first container being positioned within the container flow such that the first container will, absent intervention, occupy a first processing position that has been designated as not to be occupied by any container, holding the first container back, thereby causing the first container to move with a second velocity, that is less than the first velocity, forming a gap between the first and second containers, and releasing the first container. As a result of having been held back, will now occupy a second processing position instead of the first processing position.
Claims19
A method for processing containers in a container-processing machine comprising a plurality of processing positions formed on a circulating conveyor, said method comprising causing said containers to form a container flow that flows with a first velocity along a container path in a conveying direction, obtaining information indicative of an association between a position of a container in said container flow and a defined processing position on said conveyor, designating a first processing position from said plurality of processing positions as not to be occupied by any container, identifying a first container behind a second container in said container flow, said first container being positioned within said container flow such that said first container will, absent intervention, occupy said first processing position, holding said first container back, thereby causing said first container to move with a second velocity, that is less than said first velocity, holding said first container back to form a gap between said first and second containers, releasing said first container, and causing said first container to occupy a second processing position instead of said first processing position, said method further comprising using a supporting element to support said second container while forming a gap between said first and second containers, and withdrawing said supporting element when said second container reaches a feed that spaces said containers from each other prior to transferring said containers to processing positions.
An apparatus comprising a container-processing machine for processing containers, wherein said container-processing machine comprises a circulating conveyor, processing positions, a container feed, and a retaining element, wherein said processing positions are disposed around said conveyor, wherein said container feed defines a container path in which containers moving at a first velocity in a conveying direction are brought towards said processing positions, wherein said processing positions comprise a first processing position and a second processing position, wherein said first processing position has been designated to remain unoccupied by any container, wherein said second processing position is available for being occupied by a container, wherein said containers on said container path define a container flow such that a position of a container in said container flow is indicative of a particular processing position that is to be occupied by said container, wherein said containers comprise a first container and a second container adjacent to said first container, wherein, in the absence of intervention by said retaining element, said first container would occupy said first processing position, wherein said retaining element is configured to hold back said first container thereby causing a gap to form between said first container and said second container, and wherein, as a result of said gap, said first container occupies said second position instead of said first position, said apparatus further comprising a supporting element that is configured to move at said first velocity and to support said second container, a carriage, a computer, and a sensor, wherein said retaining element is disposed on said carriage, wherein said sensor correlates processing stations with positions of containers, and wherein said computer determines which processing stations are expected to receive which containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.