Container conveyor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9499353-B2
Application number	US-201414898245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A conveyor device having a rotor and container carriers that suspend containers around the rotor includes a container support to support the sides of the suspended containers. The container support has an outer container guide with a height-adjustable outer container support surface that defines a tapered surface surrounding a machine axis about which the rotor rotates. The outer container support surface supports the containers on a radially outward portion of their surface and an inner container support surface supports the containers on a radially inward position of their lateral surface. The two support surfaces define a receptacle that receives the container's base. The receptacles width decreases as a function of distance from the container carriers. The inner container support surface is height-adjustable for adapting the container support device to different container base diameters.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed as new, and secured by letters patent is:

1. An apparatus for processing containers, each of which has a base and a lateral surface adjacent to said base, said apparatus comprising a conveyor device having a rotor, container carriers, a container support device, an outer container guide, an outer container support surface, and an inner container support surface, wherein said rotor rotates about a vertical machine axis, wherein said container carriers are distributed on said rotor about said machine axis, wherein each of said container carriers suspends a container, wherein said container support device supports said suspended containers on said lateral surfaces thereof, wherein said container support device comprises said outer container guide, wherein said outer container guide comprises said outer container support surface, wherein said outer container support surface defines a tapered surface that surrounds said machine axis, wherein said outer container support surface supports said containers on a radially outward portion of said lateral surface, wherein said outer container support surface is height-adjustable for adaptation to different container base diameters, wherein said inner container support surface supports said containers on a radially inward position of said lateral surface, wherein said inner container support surface lies radially opposite said outer container support surface, wherein said inner container support surface and said outer container support surface define a receptacle for receiving a container base, wherein said receptacle has a width that decreases as a function of distance from said container carriers, and wherein said inner container support surface is height-adjustable for adapting aid container support device to different container base diameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said inner container support surface rotates with said rotor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising container pockets, wherein said container pockets form said inner container support surface, wherein each of said pockets receives at least a part of a circumference of a container base, and wherein each of said pockets opens radially outward.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each container pocket is associated with a corresponding container carrier.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of said container pockets defines a truncated cone.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a carrier ring and an adjustment device, wherein said pockets are provided on said carrier ring, and wherein said adjustment device is configured to adjust a height of said carrier ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment device, wherein said adjustment device is configured to adjust a height of said outer container guide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment device, wherein said inner container support surface is configured to not rotate with said rotor, wherein said inner container support surface forms, together with said outer container support surface, a gully that extends along a trajectory over which container bases of said containers move as said rotor moves said containers, and wherein said adjustment device is configured to adjust a height of said gully.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said gully extends into a transfer region at which containers are transferred to container carriers of said rotor or withdrawn from said container carriers of said rotor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said gully extends into a region of a trajectory along which said container bases of said suspended containers traverse a path defined by a transport star at one of a container inlet and a container outlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a carrier ring and a spindle drive, wherein said pockets are provided on said carrier ring, and wherein said spindle drive is configured to adjust a height of said carrier ring.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a filling machine, wherein said container conveyor is a constituent of said filling machine.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a capping machine, wherein said container conveyor is a constituent of said capping machine.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a container-treatment machine, wherein said container conveyor is a constituent of said container-treatment machine.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Fahldieck Andreas
• Krieg Andreas
• Reimann Thomas

Classifications

• B65G2207/08

  Adjustable and/or adaptable to the article size · CPC title

• B65G29/00

  Rotary conveyors, e.g. rotating discs, arms, star-wheels or cones (mechanical projectors B65G31/00; screw or rotary spiral conveyors B65G33/00) · CPC title

• B65G2201/0247

  Suspended bottles · CPC title

• B67C2003/2668

  Means for adapting the filling head to various sizes of containers · CPC title

• B65G47/846 Primary

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title