Abstract: A bottom guard for a machine having a plate with a hinged side pivotably attached to a first frame member of a machine and a catch side opposite the hinged side releasably held near a second frame member by a latching device. The plate holds debris from the operation of the machine and serves as a safety guard. The latching device has a first portion attached to the second frame member and a second portion attached to the catch side of the plate. The two portions of the latching device mechanically interlock and a solenoid actuated mechanism releases them upon a remote signal to the solenoid which allows the catch side of the plate to move by gravity, thereby opening the guard and discharging accumulated debris to a side of the machine. At least one shock absorbing device, such as an elastomeric shock cord, a pneumatic cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder limits the amount that the plate will swing open when the catch is released and cushions the plate as it falls open.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a guide slidably mounted on a machine wherein the guide is driven by a lead screw turned by a DC motor through a worm drive gearhead. The DC motor is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) with input from an operator interface and feedback from a hollow shaft encoder attached directly to a shaft extending from the lead screw. Ladder logic programming in the PLC directs the motor to run or stop based on comparing a target position for the guide with the current position based on electrical signals from said encoder. A home position for each guide corresponds to the guide's position when it has moved fully outward encountering an outward stop. The programming also allows manual jogging of the guide through the operator interface. The programming takes up mechanical backlash in the apparatus on each move by overshooting the target position a predetermined amount when a move is made in an outward direction.

Abstract: A self-locating star wheel system for spacing bottles on a conveyor in a packaging machine comprising a pair of star wheels with a hub and cam disposed between them and mounted on an arm which moves them into the stream of bottles until the cam engages a pair of rollers mounted at the ends of a U-shaped pivoting bracket attached to the machine frame to control the lateral position of the star wheels with respect to the stream of bottles. The cam diameter is specific for a given size star wheel so that the proper positioning of the star wheel is achieved by the geometric relationship between the star wheel and the cam. The mechanism also functions as a safety feature by sending a stop signal to the machine when something, such as a down bottle, causes the star wheels move away from the rollers.