Abstract: An article transfer system and method and various components thereof that provide various benefits and advantages comprises a conveyor carrying a plurality of article holding devices having an eject feature, a rotary loader for loading articles onto the holding devices carried by the conveyor for transfer through one or more processing stations including, for example, a spray coating station, and a rotary unloader for removing the articles from the holding devices. Provision also is made for selective removal of articles from the holding devices at one or more strategic locations along the conveyor.

Abstract: A finger chuck assembly and method for holding a bottle or other hollow article having a neck opening at one end, characterized by a support member having an axis; a plurality of jaws each including a finger, an actuator arm and an intermediate portion interconnecting the finger and actuator arm; and a chuck operator member carried on the support member for movement relative to the support member. The jaws each are pivotally mounted at the intermediate portion to the support member for movement of the jaw between a contracted position for inserting the fingers into a neck opening of a hollow article and an expanded position for engaging an interior surface of the hollow article. The fingers of the jaws extend generally parallel to one another and to the axis of the support member when the jaws are in the contracted positions thereof and diverge laterally outwardly away from one another when the jaws are in the expanded positions thereof.

Abstract: A finger chuck assembly and method for holding a bottle or other hollow article having a neck opening at one end, characterized by a support member having an axis; a plurality of jaws each including a finger, an actuator arm and an intermediate portion interconnecting the finger and actuator arm; and a chuck operator member carried on the support member for movement relative to the support member. The jaws each are pivotally mounted at the intermediate portion to the support member for movement of the jaw between a contracted position for inserting the fingers into a neck opening of a hollow article and an expanded position for engaging an interior surface of the hollow article. The fingers of the jaws extend generally parallel to one another and to the axis of the support member when the jaws are in the contracted positions thereof and diverge laterally outwardly away from one another when the jaws are in the expanded positions thereof.

Abstract: A tandem belt conveyor system comprising an endless primary conveyor belt, an endless support conveyor belt and a synchronous drive for synchronously driving the primary and support conveyor belts. The primary conveyor belt is a flat wire belt having a carrier flight for transport of articles and a return flight. The support conveyor belt has a support flight for supporting the carrier flight of the primary conveyor belt, and a return flight. The support conveyor belt includes a pair of chains interconnected by transverse cross bars for supporting the primary conveyor belt. The synchronous drive includes an AC motor for driving one of the belts, a DC motor for driving the other belt, and a DC motor controller for controlling the AC and DC motors in master-slave relationship to synchronize the speeds of the belts.

Abstract: An energy efficient fume incinerator and method for eliminating fumes from a process gas stream while avoiding or minimizing the problem of build-up of organic or other constituents of the fume-laden process gas stream on the surfaces of the heat exchanger in which the fume-laden process gas stream is preheated. The fume incinerator and method are characterized by a first stage reaction chamber for preheating the process gas to a first temperature for preoxidizing organic constituents in the process gas, a second stage reaction chamber for heating the preheated process gas to a second temperature higher than said first temperature for incinerating the fumes; and a first stage heat exchanger for exchanging heat from the process gas exiting from the second stage reaction chamber to the preheated process gas passing from the first stage reaction chamber to the second stage reaction chamber.

Abstract: A tandem belt conveyor system comprising an endless primary conveyor belt, an endless support conveyor belt and a synchronous drive for synchronously driving the primary and support conveyor belts. The primary conveyor belt is a flat wire belt having a carrier flight for transport of articles and a return flight. The support conveyor belt has a support flight for supporting the carrier flight of the primary conveyor belt, and a return flight. The support conveyor belt includes a pair of chains interconnected by transverse cross bars for supporting the primary conveyor belt. The synchronous drive includes an AC motor for driving one of the belts, a DC motor for driving the other belt, and a DC motor controller for controlling the AC and DC motors in master-slave relationship to synchronize the speeds of the belts.

Abstract: A pin oven stripper for removing can bodies having bases from a moving pin conveyor at a vertical inclined flight of the pin conveyor. The stripper comprises a drive sprocket, an idler wheel and a vacuum conveyor chain composed of plastic links. The chain is trained around the drive sprocket and idler. A carrying way guides the vacuum chain from the idler to the drive sprocket first along a vertical inclined flight parallel to the path of the pin conveyor in close proximity to the bases of the can bodies, then along a vertical flight for effecting removal of cans from the pin conveyor, the can bodies being removably secured to the chain by suction supplied through apertures in the links, and then along a curved flight extending to a horizontal flight terminating at the drive sprocket. The chain further has as a characterizing feature thereof a substantially free hanging return flight extending from the drive sprocket to the idler, which enables high speed operation at speeds in excess of 1500 cans per minute.

Abstract: A rotary mixer and conveyor system wherein the containers are automatically processed through a rotary mixer. The rotary mixer is of a simple and reliable design which lends itself to each integration into new or existing conveyor lines. The rotary mixer is operative to engage and rotate simultaneously a plurality of containers end over end to effect mixing of the contents of the closed containers. The containers are fed automatically by a conveyor to a pick-up area in the rotary mixer where the containers are automatically engaged and rotated and then redeposited on the conveyor for automatic transfer out of the rotary mixer.

Abstract: A container holding device intended for use with a chain conveyor for conveying containers such as bottles. The container holding device for receiving and gripping open-ended containers includes an elongated spindle and a chuck mounted for telescoping movement on the spindle. The chuck includes jaws arranged around the spindle and engageable by a cam on the spindle which controls radial expansion and contraction of the jaws. The jaws support radially outwardly thereof one or more resilient members such as O-rings for applying resilient gripping and friction holding force to the interior surface of the container telescoped over the jaws. For use with an overhead chain conveyor, the container holding device may be attached to a pin depending from the chain.

Abstract: A glass bottle inspection unit includes an endless conveyor having a series of spaced roller members defining therebetween grooves for receiving glass bottles for inspection. The conveyor member carries the bottles through an inspection station and means are provided for rotating the rollers and bottles several times as they move through the inspection station to facilitate inspection. An inspection unit module may be tilted between horizontal and vertical positions to facilitate viewing at the inspection station. Illumination is provided as an aid to visual inspection of the bottles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transferring can bodies from forming to washing equipment and for collecting the excess oil that drains from the can bodies in transit. In one form the invention includes a horizontal infeed conveyor for receiving can bodies in upright orientation, a vertical or elevator conveyor for bringing the cans to a second elevation and to a mass accumulating conveyor. The conveyors have perforated conveying surfaces and subjacent evacuated plenum chambers for drawing surface bound oil from the can bodies.

Abstract: A pin oven is disclosed for curing coated or decorated can bodies travelling in a serpentine path wtih jets of a curing medium. The pin oven chamber is divided by an interior louver wall into a curing medium supply plenum chamber and a curing chamber. The cans move through the oven on a pin conveyor and jet nozzles in the louver wall are arranged in a pattern for instantaneously confronting moving can bodies with substantially the same number of nozzles for immersing the can bases in a substantially uniform air stream in order to minimize can flip-flopping on the pin conveyor in order to achieve oven speeds in excess of 1000-1200 cans per minute. The louver wall is provided with chambers for uniformly distributing the pressure and velocity of air jets to reduce the tendency of cans to pulsate as they pass through the oven. The louver walls are of modular construction for application of the oven to a variety of can sizes and decorating or coating technologies.

Abstract: A rotational and retractable container holding device and conveyor therefor in which a conveyor member is supported in cantilever fashion by support members extending along the conveying path. A plurality of container holding devices extends in a generally horizontal orientation from one side of the conveyor member and include an inner housing slidably mounted on a supporting spindle, an outer housing rotatably mounted with respect to the inner housing and slidably mounted with respect to the spindle, and a container gripping member at the outer end of the outer housing for gripping a container by its neck. The container holding device and its conveyor are particularly suited for receiving newly formed containers and for conveying the containers through a series of bottle forming operations including coating, decorating and so forth.

Abstract: A container transfer system in which containers such as plastic bottles having been newly formed are brought to a transfer conveyor in upright condition, reoriented to a horizontal position along a transfer conveyor and are engaged by their necks by carrier members on a carrier conveyor, removed from the transfer conveyor, and carried to subsequent container operations with substantially the entire exterior surface of the container exposed for subsequent operations such as coating or decorating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reversible cross flow drying or curing oven including first and second ducts on opposite sides of the heated oven chamber. A fan forces heated air through a main supply passage into one or the other of the first and second ducts for transmission into the oven chamber. The air in the oven chamber is returned to a main return passage through the other of the first and second ducts thereby establishing a cross flow of heated air in the oven chamber from one duct to the opposite duct. The main return passage communicates with the main supply passage for recirculation of the heated oven air. Flow control devices are provided in the supply and return passage to alternate the direction of the flow of air across the oven chamber between the ducts to provide for even drying or curing of the articles in the oven chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed is an overvarnish unit for applying varnish to a web of printed material as a protective overlay. The overvarnish unit includes a varnish fountain for receiving paste varnish, a form roller, and a plurality of rollers intermediate the fountain and form roller. The form roller engages an impression cylinder roller forming part of a printing assembly. The varnish is transferred from the fountain to the form roller by the intermediate rollers which also mill the varnish as it is being transferred to reduce its viscosity. The form roller is driven at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the web over the impression cylinder roller. This form roller overspeed provides a smearing action in applying the varnish to the web rather than a one to one or line by line printing action thus achieving control over the thickness of the applied varnish and the appearance of the final product.