Patent ID: 7836669

Claim:
A method of applying to a threaded neck of a container, lids that have at least one projection in known fixed relation to the internal lid thread or threads, the method comprising the steps of: placing the lids on a lid holder of a lid transport that transports the lids sequentially along a transport path from a lid receiving station to a lid transfer station whereat each lid is engaged by a lid applying head used to position the lid on a threaded neck of a respective container and rotate the lid relative to the threaded neck to screw the lid to the threaded neck, the lid holder allowing the lid to rotate about an axis that moves with the lid transport; and using a lid orienting device disposed in the transport path of the lid to engage a leading side surface of a projection on the lid to cause the lid, as it moves past the orienting device, to rotate about the axis that moves with the lid transport to a prescribed angular position relative to the transport path, whereby the thread or threads of the lid will be positioned in a known orientation when engaged by the lid applying head at the lid transfer station so that the lid applying head can orient the lid in a known positional relationship to the thread or threads of the threaded neck of the container to protect against cross-threading of the lid when screwed onto the threaded neck.