Abstract: An apparatus for automatically degassing a five gallon container commonly known in the beverage industry as a FIGAL is described. In order to open the lid of a FIGAL container it is necessary to first depressurize or degas the container since the lids of these containers open inwardly. The apparatus described herein automatically degasses and opens the containers which are moving substantially continuously along a conveyor. The FIGAL containers moving along a conveyor are sequentially transferred onto a ten station turntable. Associated with the ten station turntable is an indexing mechanism which rotates the containers to the proper orientation to achieve alignment between one of a pair of valves on the top of the container and a degassing socket which engages the valve.

Abstract: An inspection station for FIGAL containers which automatically tightens the container valves during movement along a continuous conveyor is described. The containers are clamped in a rotary indexing mechanism which rotates the containers until a discrete opening molded in a top rubber skirt of the container is indexed on a latch mechanism adjacent the conveyor. A pair of pneumatically driven socket wrenches are then lowered onto the container and are rotated to tighten the valves. After a predetermined period of time, the tightening of the valves is discontinued, the next FIGAL container moves into the indexing mechanism, and the valves of that container are tightened by the pneumatically driven socket wrenches.