Patent ID: 7686565

Claim:
A method for automatically processing contents of containers, the method comprising: advancing a first container, in an upright position, along a track; grasping the first container at a first predetermined position; securing the contents of the first container using a motorized lid movably connected to a lifting mechanism, the motorized lid being substantially perpendicular to a guide ramp while the motorized lid is in a closed position, wherein the guide ramp is immovably affixed to the lifting mechanism; lifting, by the lifting mechanism, the first container to a second predetermined position, while the contents are secured inside the first container by the motorized lid; rotating the first container to a third predetermined position; moving the lid to an open position where the lid is substantially parallel to the guide ramp and forms a passageway with the guide ramp to allow the contents to exit from the first container and to limit a direction of the contents exiting the first container; returning the first container, in the upright position, to the first predetermined position; and advancing the first container along the track so that a second container may be processed.