Patent ID: 7454878

Claim:
A neck support knife for use in an automated capping machine used to put caps on a container having a neck with a flange, the neck support knife comprising: a substantially planar surface having a recess surrounding a central area adapted to receive a container neck; an array of five elongated substantially evenly spaced cleats rising away from the substantially planar surface, the cleat array at least partially surrounding the central area and the cleat array adapted to engage a flange of a container neck located in the central area; each cleat having a tooth-like cross-sectional profile forming a ridge along the top of each cleat, the ridge extending in a generally radial direction away from the recess and the ridge having a length greater than the width of the cleat at the substantially planar surface; and each cleat having a substantially planar gripping surface extending from the ridge toward and substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar surface.