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: Apparatus for conveying articles along a path of travel, the articles being of the type having an upper portion for being supported by the apparatus, a lower portion for being suspended from the apparatus and a low-angle transition portion therebetween, the apparatus comprising in combination a conveyor defining a path of travel along its length with neck rails for receiving the upper portions of the article to be conveyed, a pressure source operatively coupled to the conveyor to move the received articles to be conveyed, and control brushes coupled with respect to the conveyor along at least a portion of the path of travel to contact the lower portions of the bottles while being moved for providing a rearwardly directed angle to the articles to thereby abate the forward and rearward swinging of the articles.