Patent ID: 7980380

Claim:
A plate support arrangement being configured to support containers in a container handling machine, said plate support arrangement comprising: a plate support device being configured and disposed to support containers in a container handling machine; a turning mechanism being configured and disposed to rotate said plate support device in a controlled rotation about a vertical axis; said plate support device comprising a top plate portion and a bottom plate portion; said top plate portion and said bottom plate portion being configured to be engaged to prevent separation of said top plate portion from said bottom plate portion and to substantially restrict or limit rotation of said top plate portion with respect to said bottom plate portion; an interlock device being configured and disposed to substantially prevent separation of said top plate portion from said bottom plate portion at least upon a container being supported on said top plate portion, and to permit detachment of said top plate portion from said bottom plate portion upon a container not being supported on said top plate portion; said plate support device comprising a friction lining being configured and disposed to support a container thereon; said top plate portion comprising a recess being configured and disposed to receive and hold said friction lining therein; said friction lining being permanently affixed in said recess of said top plate portion; said top plate portion being detachably connected to said bottom plate portion to permit removal of said top plate portion from said bottom plate portion upon said friction lining being substantially worn or upon a change in the dimensional size or shape of the bottles being handled, and to permit replacement of said top plate portion with another top plate portion having a new or less worn friction lining or being configured to handle bottles of a different dimensional size or shape; said top plate portion comprises a plurality of tab-like extensions disposed about the periphery of said top plate portion, and being disposed to extend substantially radially away from other portions of said top plate portion; portions of each of said plurality of tab-like extensions are disposed a further distance from the center of said top plate portion than other portions of said top plate portion; and said interlock device is formed by at least one permanent magnet.