Patent ID: 7762467

Claim:
A container packaging machine, comprising: a container handling and counting apparatus having: an upstream accumulation portion, as containers move through the accumulation portion they are in a closely nested configuration; a downstream separation and counting portion in which containers are shifted from the closely nested configuration to a loosely nested configuration such that a rim portion of the containers are spaced apart with the containers remaining nested to facilitate counting; and a downstream accumulation portion located downstream of the downstream separation and counting portion, the downstream accumulation portion receives the containers from the downstream separation and counting portion and places the containers in a closely nested configuration; the upstream accumulation portion including a first conveyor system comprising a conveyor belt that moves the containers through the accumulation portion in the closely nested configuration; the downstream separation and counting portion including a second conveyor system comprising a conveyor belt that receives the containers from the upstream accumulation portion and separates the containers, placing them in the loosely nested configuration and moves the containers through the downstream separation and counting portion in the loosely nested configuration; the downstream accumulation portion including a third conveyor system comprising a conveyor belt that receives the containers from the downstream separation and counting portion and places the containers in a closely nested configuration; wherein the conveyor belt of the second conveyor system moves faster than the conveyor belts of the first and third conveyor systems such that the containers are placed in the loosely nested configuration when moving from the first conveyor system to the second conveyor system and are placed in the closely nested configuration when moving from the second conveyor system to the third conveyor system.