Patent GB-1342774-A (GB)
Title: Container handling apparatus
IPC: C03B9/44
Filed: 1971-04-19
Abstract: 1342774 Glass manufacture OWENSILLINOIS Inc 19 April 1971 [31 March 1970] 25819/71 Heading C1M [Also in Division B8] Glass containers C (Fig. 5) are transferred from a conveyer 32 (Fig. 1) to a conveyer 30 which carries them through an inspection station 38, and a spraying chamber 36. Rejected containers are discharged into a shoot 40, otherwise the containers are transferred to a container 34. The conveyer 30 comprises a series of interlinked carriers 50 (Fig. 5). The carriers 50 are guided around an endless path by the action of guide wheels 220, 224 and 226 which run on horizontal and vertical guide rails. Each carrier 50 has a guide rod 60 and an assembly 62, 64, carrying an article-engaging chuck 98. The latter is connected by a normally closed spring-loaded valve 100 with a passage 90, 68 leading to a valve 172 (Fig. 6). As shown, the latter is in a position which admits compressed air from a port 148. However, it is normally biased by the action of the compressed air, and by the action of vacuum from a port 150, to a position to the right of that shown, in which the port 148 is closed and vacuum is connected to the passage 90 above the valve 100 of the chuck. Thus when each chuck 98 is lowered towards the containers C on the conveyer 32 each container successively engages a stem 108 of the valve 100 of a respective chuck 98. This admits vacuum to the mouth of the chuck and causes the latter to engage and hold the container C. The raising and lowering of the chuck 98 results from the action of a guide wheel 198 carried by the assembly 62, 64 and running on a variable height rail 200. The deflection of the valve 172 is brought about by the engagement of an operating lever 180 acting through a spring 186. The lever 180 is engaged by a cam rail when the respective carrier comes into position over the conveyer 34. This causes release of vacuum and discharge of the container, assisted by the application of compressed air to the chuck 98. The conduits 150 and 148 are interconnected by a series of supply pipes with the corresponding conduits 150 and 148 of all the other carriers. One carrier is supplied by flexible supply pipes 270, 272 (Fig. 3) with a rotating supply manifold 262. In order to compensate for the varying distance of the carriers due to the square path of the conveyer 30, the pipes 270, 272 are carried around an extensible system 260A-260C. The chucks are rotated to provide uniform spraying by the action of a drive chain (332) engaging a sprocket 120 (Fig. 5). Rejection of faulty containers.-A signal generated at the station 38 (by means not described) is applied to a shift register and this causes a solenoid (382) (Fig. 12, not shown) to be energized when the carrier concerned arrives at the shoot 40. The solenoid (382) deflects a trip wheel (398) to engage a latch 346 (Fig. 11). The latter releases a trip member 342 for movement under the action of a spring 358 to the broken line position in which it engages the valve 172 actuating member 180 of the appropriate carrier 50. The latch 346 is reset by the action of a member (414) (Figs. 10 and 14, not shown) which engages a roller 362 on the trip member 342. The reset member may be overridden by the action of a solenoid (426) when for any reason it is desired to discharge all of the containers successively into the shoot 40. The containers C are coated as they pass through the chamber 36 (Fig. 9, not shown) for the purpose of improving scratch resistance and lubricating, by a vapour which is applied through orifices (316), and passes to an exhaust conduit (320).