GB921176A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for handling bottles made from synthetic thermoplastic material - Google Patents

Abstract

921,176. Endless conveyers. METAL BOX CO. Ltd. Nov. 14, 1961 [Jan. 31, 1961], No. 3716/61. Class 78 (1). Thermoplastic bottles 6, held inverted in a magazine 9 are fed to holders 2 on a continuously running endless conveyer 1. Fig. 5 shows the start of a cycle. A metal holder 2 is held against movement by a finger 15 and detected by a sensor 16 which through control circuits 16a, 17a de-energized solenoid 11 so that a finger 13 is spring-urged out of the path of lowest bottle 6 so that it falls into the holder 2 where it is located by a spigot 7 (Fig. 3). The bottle in the holder actuates photo-cell 17 which, through circuits 16a, 17a de-energizes solenoid 14 so that finger 15 releases the loaded holder 2 so that it is carried away by the conveyer 1. At the same time the finger 13 is moved into the path of the bottles and finger 12 releases the column of bottles which drops until held by finger 13. Actuation of a photocell 18 by the now lowest bottle 6 causes finger 12 to be re-inserted in the path of the bottles. As the loaded holder 2 moves away from beneath the magazine 9 sensor 16, through the control circuits causes the finger 15 to be re-set so that the apparatus is ready for another cycle. The bottle holder 2 may have an annular spigot 7a (Fig. 6, not shown) which surrounds the bottle neck 5. To reduce noise the bottle holder 2 may be of plastic or fabric material with an iron ring 20 (Fig. 7, not shown) for sensing by sensor 16. The bottles 6 may be removed from the holders 2 by air blown through the bottom of the holders.