Patents by Inventor Andrew T. Kettle

Andrew T. Kettle has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5074399
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for angularly orientating the beverage cans of multipacks 12 having sheet plastics couplers. The preformed multipacks, with their cans unorientated, are fed between a pair of opposed scrolls 36 of a can orientation station 34. While held by the scrolls against lateral movement they are clamped longitudinally and then individually rotated to desired orientated positions against the frictional resistance presented by the coupler. Orientation is achieved in two stages, in the first stage of which the cans are orientated to datum positions as determined by sensor recognition features on the can. In the second stage of the orientation process the cans are individually rotated from their datum positions to their desired final orientation in accordance with preset programmes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: CMB Foodcan plc
    Inventors: Andrew T. Kettle, Eric Spooner