Abstract:
Provided is a method and apparatus for applying a bail handle to a container. The applicator includes a pickup mandrel for picking up the bail handle to be applied to a container; a stationary mandrel for receiving the bail handle from the pickup mandrel, the stationary mandrel having an engaging surface which has a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the bail handle when picked up by the pickup mandrel; and an applicator mandrel for receiving the bail handle from the pickup mandrel, the applicator mandrel having an engaging surface which has a diameter equal to or smaller than the stationary mandrel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying a bail handle to a lightweight container, which requires little to no container top load strength. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    What has existed before are ways to install a bail handle to a plastic bottle once it has been filled with product. 
         [0005]    It became clear that this invention is needed in order to provide customers a light bottle with a handle so that the customer would not have to modify their fill line or maintain another piece of equipment. The present invention relates to installing a handle on an empty lightweight container that has very little top load capability. 
         [0006]    The invention relates to applying a bail handle without putting any force on the top of the bottle. This solves the issue of the top of the bottle crushing when applying a handle in the usual fashion. 
       SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION 
       [0007]    According to one aspect of the application, an applicator for applying a bail handle to a container is provided. The applicator includes a pickup mandrel for picking up the bail handle to be applied to a container; a stationary mandrel for receiving the bail handle from the pickup mandrel, the stationary mandrel having an engaging surface which has a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the bail handle when picked up by the pickup mandrel; and an applicator mandrel for receiving the bail handle from the pickup mandrel, the applicator mandrel having an engaging surface which has a diameter equal to or smaller than the stationary mandrel. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect, the applicator may include a lower pressing collar movably disposed on the stationary mandrel that is configured to move vertically upward and downward to push the bail handle off of the stationary mandrel; and an upper pressing collar movably disposed on the applicator mandrel and configured to move vertically upward and downward to push the bail handle off of the applicator mandrel. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect, the applicator may include a pickup mandrel that further comprises openings for applying a vacuum to the bail handle and a pushing surface for supporting the bail handle on the vacuum is applied. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect, the each of the pickup mandrel and the applicator mandrel have a frustoconical shape on a lower surface thereof, and the stationary mandrel has an inner surface that is tapered to mate with the frustonconial shapes of the pickup mandrel and the applicator mandrel. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect, the bail handle comprises a circular mount portion and a handle portion extending from the mount portion, an radially inward side of the mount portion comprising a plurality of inclined tabs separated by gaps. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect of the application, provided is a method for applying a bail handle having a mount portion configured to mount to a neck of a container to a container having a supporting bead formed on a neck thereof. The method includes picking up the bail handle using a pickup mandrel; positioning the pickup mandrel over a stationary mandrel and pushing the bail handle over an engaging surface of the stationary mandrel; moving the pickup mandrel away from the stationary mandrel; positioning an applicator mandrel over the stationary mandrel to engage the stationary mandrel and pushing the bail handle from the engaging surface of the stationary mandrel to an engaging surface of the applicator mandrel; and positioning the applicator mandrel over the container and pushing the bail handle over a support bead formed on a neck of the container. 
         [0013]    According to another aspect, the bail handle is pushed over the engaging surface of the applicator mandrel using a collar movably disposed on the stationary mandrel, and the bail handle is pushed over the support bead of the container using a collar movably disposed on the applicator mandrel. 
         [0014]    According to another aspect, the method includes applying a vacuum through openings in the pickup mandrel to pick up the bail handle; and pushing the bail handle using a pushing surface of the pickup mandrel to push the bail handle over the engaging surface of the applicator mandrel. 
         [0015]    According to another aspect, the bail handle comprises a circular mount portion and a handle portion extending from the mount portion, an radially inward side of the mount portion comprising a plurality of inclined tabs separated by gaps. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail non-limiting, exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows a device for picking up a bail handle to be applied to a container. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a view of transferring the bail handle from the pickup device to a stationary mandrel. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows the process of transferring the bail handle from the stationary mandrel to an applicator mandrel. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show the process of transferring the bail handle from the applicator mandrel to a container. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 6 through 10  show the process of applying a mandrel to a container using the applicator parts according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  shows a bail handle. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  show an apparatus for applying a bail handle to a container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The container according to the present invention according to the non-limiting, exemplary embodiments of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0025]    This embodiment describes the method and apparatus for installing a plastic bail handle onto a plastic bottle. The plastic bottle will be empty at the time of application. This embodiment works well with plastic bottles will be very light and unable to support a top load without crushing. The downward force required to install the handle is greater than the bottle can withstand. The process begins with the handle being picked up using a vacuum cup as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . The vacuum cup will not only transport the handle but will also press the handle onto a round mandrel as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 . As the handle is pressed onto the mandrel, the locking tabs on the handle spread open and are facing up. The vacuum cup then returns to get another handle. Another round (applicator) mandrel is then located on top of the first (stationary) mandrel on which the handle has been applied. The two mandrels (stationary and applicator) are designed to center on each other and the outer most diameters of each mandrel are the same. A pressing collar on the first (stationary) mandrel then presses the handle over and onto the second (applicator) mandrel. The locking tabs are still facing up so the handle is pressed in the direction that is against the locking tabs. Now the handle is on the second (applicator) mandrel with its locking tabs still spread open and facing up. The second (applicator) mandrel is now located over the neck of the bottle. The second (applicator) mandrel is also hollow on the inside so as to fit over the threads of the neck and its outside diameter is the same as or greater than the locking bead on the neck of the bottle. The second (applicator) mandrel is located over the neck and just touches the locking bead of the neck in a way that does not apply any downward force on the bottle. So at this point the threads of the neck are inside the second mandrel and the handle is on the outside of the second mandrel with its locking tabs facing up. A pressing collar on the second mandrel now pushes the handle off the mandrel and past the locking bead on the neck. The handle is now installed on the container. 
         [0026]    The apparatus and method for applying a bail handle to a container is described in detail below with reference to  FIGS. 1-12B . The bail handle  10  includes a mount portion  9  and a handle portion  8 . The mount portion  9  includes a plurality of flexible inclined tabs  15 . The inclined tabs  15  are configured to have enough flexure such that when inclined further upward the inner diameter of the mount portion  9  is equal to or greater than outer diameter the support bead  70  of the container  80 . These inclined tabs  15  have resilience such that after being pressed over the support bead  70 , they return to their original positions such that the inner diameter of the mount portion  9  defined by the tabs  15  is less than the outer diameter of the support bead  70 . 
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the apparatus for applying a bail handle  10  to a container  80  includes a bail handle initial supply point  11 , a vacuum cup mount  120 , a stationary mandrel mount  130  and an applicator mandrel mount  140 . The vacuum cup applicator  20  is movably attached to the vacuum cup mount  120  so as to move in a vertical direction in order to engage the bail handle  10  at the bail handle initial supply point  11 . The vacuum cup  20  is also configured to move horizontally  40  to position vacuum cup applicator  20  above the stationary mandrel  30 . Additionally, the applicator mandrel  40  is movably attached to the applicator mandrel mount  140  to move vertically and upward and downward direction. The applicator mandrel mount  140  is also configured to move horizontally so that the applicator mandrel  40  can be positioned above the stationary mandrel  30  and the container  80 . 
         [0028]    The process for mounting the bail handle  10  to the container  80  is described below. With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the vacuum cup applicator  20  is configured to be supplied with a vacuum to pick up and hold the bail handle  10 . The vacuum cup applicator  20  comprises openings  22  for applying a vacuum to the bail handle  10 , and a pushing surface  21  for supporting the bail handle  10 . After the vacuum is applied to the vacuum cup applicator  20  and the bail handle  10  is engaged against the pushing surface  21 , the vacuum cup applicator  20  is moved vertically upward and then horizontally to be positioned above the stationary mandrel  30 . The vacuum cup applicator  20  is then is lowered to push the bail handle  10  over the engaging surface  31  of the stationary mandrel  30  using the pushing surface  21  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 . This causes the inclined tabs  15  of the bail handle  10  to be forced upward so that the gaps  16  open in the inner diameter of the mount portion  9  is the same as the outer diameter of engaging surface  31 . The vacuum on the vacuum cup applicator  20  is released and the vacuum cup applicator  20  is moved vertically upward and then horizontally to be positioned above the bail handle initial position  11  to engage another bail handle  10 . 
         [0029]    Next, the operation for transferring the bail handle  10  from the stationary mandrel  30  to the applicator mandrel  40  is described with reference to  FIGS. 12A, 12B and 3 . At this point the applicator mandrel mount  140  moves horizontally to be positioned over the stationary mandrel  30 . Then, the applicator mandrel  40  is moved vertically downward to engage the stationary mandrel  30 . The stationary mandrel  30  is fitted with a lower pressing collar  50  that is configured to move up and down in a vertical direction. To move the bail handle  10  from the stationary mantle  32  the applicator mandrel  40 , the lower pressing collar  50  is moved upward to push the bail handle  10  onto an engaging surface  41  of the applicator mandrel  40 . To facilitate this movement, the outer diameter of the engaging surface  41  is either equal to or less than the outer diameter of engaging surface  31 . 
         [0030]    After the bail handle  10  is moved to engage with engaging surface  41  of the applicator mandrel  40 , the applicator mandrel mount  140  moves the applicator mandrel  40  vertically upward from the stationary mandrel  30  and then horizontally to be positioned above the container  80 . The applicator mandrel  30  is lowered to engage the neck  85  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 9 . Next, the upper pressing collar  60  is lowered for the container  82  push the color  10  across the support bead  70  to engage a portion of the neck  85  just below to support bead  70  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 . It is noted that the outer diameter of the engaging surface  41  of the applicator mandrel  40  is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the support bead  70 . After passing the support bead  70 , the inclined tabs  15  of the bail handle  10  returned to their original positions thus decreasing the inner diameter of the bail handle  10  mount portion  9 . Is noted that the incline tabs  15  are still inclined upward when moving in the radially inward direction. 
         [0031]    By applying the bail handle  10  in this manner, there is no or substantially no load applied to the container  80 . According to this method apparatus, a bail handle  10  can be applied to a container  80  that does not have enough support structure to sustain a large downward force. 
         [0032]    Is also noted that the lower surface of the vacuum cup mandrel  20  and a the lower surface of the applicator mandrel  40  have a frustoconical shape. The stationary manner has an inner surface that is tapered to align with the frustonconical surfaces of both the vacuum cup mandrel  20  and the applicator mandrel  40 . This meeting between frustonconical shape and the tapered surfaces aids in aligning the vacuum cup mandrel  20  and the applicator mandrel  40  with the stationary mandrel  30 . 
         [0033]    The foregoing is illustrative of example embodiments and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few example embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the embodiments. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the embodiments as defined in the claims. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of various example embodiments and is not to be construed as limited to the specific example embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed example embodiments, as well as other example embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.