Abstract: A new and improved conveying system for lifting and orienting caps comprising a conveyor belt which is formed of articulated sections and with guide rollers to support the belt with an upper lifting section having an essentially vertical path of travel and a lower loading section with an angled path of travel. Also included are sprockets on the guide rollers to effect movement of the belt in an upward path of travel through the lower section and then the upper section. Further included is a plurality of cleats secured to the exterior surface of the conveyor belts. The cleats have supporting surfaces which extend at right angles from the exterior surface of the conveyor belt for retaining bottle caps thereon in a proper orientation when the upper surface of the cap is in contact with the conveyor belt and the lower edge thereof supported on the supporting surfaces of the cleats but to effect the dropping thereof when the caps are not in the proper orientation.

Abstract: An air handling system comprising a track having a lower extent for supporting an object to be conveyed by the flow of pressurized air and an upper extent having a plenum chamber for receiving pressurized air and for directing it in contact with the object to be conveyed for effecting movement of the object. The track also has air-directing louvers between the upper and lower extents and an aperture in the upper extent. An impeller is mounted adjacent to the aperture of the upper extent of the track. A tapering input duct with an inlet end and a circular outlet end are mounted adjacent to the impeller with a circular screen in the outlet of the duct adjacent to the impeller. The screen has a centrally disposed hole. A baffle is mounted adjacent to the screen. The baffle includes a plurality of pie-shaped segments each with an arcuate outer edge overlying the periphery of the screen and with V-shaped interior edges with a hole. The segments are similarly configured.

Abstract: A new and improved multi position bottle guide assembly for bottles suspended by a neck ring and conveyed by pneumatic power. The bottle guide assembly includes a pair of elongated guide rails positioned along the path of travel of a bottle which is pneumatically conveyed while supported by a neck ring. The rails are adapted to be in proximity to the sides of the bottle on opposite sides of its path of travel to preclude lateral movement. Further included are support mechanisms for the rails located at the ends of the rails. Also included are a plurality of rods for supporting the rails. Each rod has coupling mechanisms for the support mechanism at a first end and a piston at the second end. A block for each rod has a bore of a diameter essentially that of the diameter of its piston and extends through the block with its axis in alignment with the axis of the rod.

Abstract: A new and improved conveying system for lifting and orienting bottle caps comprising a conveyer belt which is formed of articulated sections and with guide rollers to support the belt with an upper lifting section having an essentially vertical path of travel and a lower loading section with an angled path of travel. Also included are sprockets on the guide rollers to effect movement of the belt in an upward path of travel through the lower section and then the upper section. Further included is a plurality of cleats secured to the exterior surface of the conveyer belts. The cleats have supporting surfaces which extend at right angles from the exterior surface of the conveyer belt for retaining bottle caps thereon in a proper orientation when the upper surface of the bottle cap is in contact with the conveyer belt and the lower edge thereof supported on the supporting surfaces of the cleats but to effect the dropping thereof when the bottle caps are not in the proper orientation.

Abstract: A pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies having neck rings. The apparatus comprises a plurality of pairs of laterally spaced neck tracks, each pair defining an elongated slot therebetween for slidably supporting container bodies by their neck rings and a plurality of inverted, U-shaped, interior channel members, each extending upwardly from one of the pairs of neck tracks spanning the slot and extending longitudinally substantially the length of the slot and having a cross sectional area sufficient to receive the portions of the container bodies above their neck rings, each interior channel member having a top wall and side walls with air directing louvers formed therein to provide a driving force for the container bodies.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving a plurality of component parts of a hypodermic syringe, at least some of which are elongated with one enlarged end, from a plurality of molding machines and for conveying such parts in a programmed manner to a plurality of assembly machines including a plurality of coneyors each having a primary conveyor paths for feeding parts from a molding machine and a plurality of secondary conveyor paths for feeding parts from a primary conveyor path to the assembly machines; diverter means between the primary conveyor path and secondary conveyor path for directing parts to a preselected one of the secondary conveyors and to a preselected assembly machine; isolator means on a primary conveyor path to separate a predetermined number of parts from all other parts and to allow such separated parts to be fed as a group to the diverter means; and orienting means associated with at least some of the primary conveyor path to move elongated parts in a hopper to a position at the input end of

Abstract: An improved system for directing a flow of container bodies to a plurality of base cupping machines from a plurality of blow molding machines comprising: (1) a plurality of primary conveyors, each primary conveyor adapted to feed container bodies from a blow molding machine toward a base cupping machine; (2) a plurality of cross-over conveyors for feeding container bodies from one of the primary conveyors to another of the primary conveyor; (3) diverter blades and converger blades positioned at the junction of primary and cross-over conveyors to direct container bodies between various primary conveyors; (4) a sensor upstream and two sensors downstream of each diverter blade and a sensor downstream and two sensors upstream of each converger blade to detect the flow of container bodies therepast; and (5) programmable control means responsive to the sensors to switch the blades as required for proper feeding of container bodies.

Abstract: Plastic composite bottles fabricated of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The bottles comprise a container portion and a base portion. The base portion is formed with an upwardly extending annular saddle to contact and support the spherical lower end of the container portion. The two portions are welded together at the saddle. This invention also relates to the method of, and apparatus for, welding together such portions.

Abstract: A machine for manufacturing bottles including pneumatic conveying apparatus for container bodies and pneumatic conveying apparatus for base cups and a base cupping assembly and for joining the conveyed container bodies and base cups to form bottles. The conveying apparatus for the container bodies has an interior channel member with louvers in the top and side walls and an exterior channel member thereover to form a plenum chamber therebetween for functioning with the interior channel member and its louvers in effecting the conveying of container bodies.

Abstract: A machine for threadably engaging a supply of screw caps onto the threaded neck of a supply of containers, comprising in combination: said intermediate turret plate including at least one pocket for receiving the container; means for sequentially infeeding the containers into said container pocket of said intermediate turret plate; at least one chuck spindle mounted relative to said upper turret plate in concentric alignment with said container pocket of said intermediate turret plate, said chuck spindle including a rotatable, non-reciprocable shaft journaled relative to said bracket and a cap chuck rigidly secured to a lower end of said shaft in concentric alignment with said container pocket and said chuck spindle; means for rotating said shaft of said chuck spindle; means for sequentially infeeding the screw caps into said chuck; at least one container platform positioned concentrically below said container pocket of said intermediate turret plate to provide seating for said container; means for vertically