Abstract: The method and apparatus of this invention include first and second sets of louvers which extend through the conveying surface for creating downstream and upstream force vectors of air which serve the dual function of creating a low pressure area under unstable, lightweight, upright containers to hold them in an upright position while simultaneously enveloping the side walls of the containers in vertical columns of air which moves along a substantially vertical force vector to further assist in holding them in an upright position as they move from an upstream location to a downstream location along the surface of an air conveyor. This is accomplished by the use of lance and coined louvers arranged in a predetermined pattern to provide both upstream and downstream force vectors of air as well as substantially vertical force vectors of air. Alternatively, an array of trapezoidal louvers can be used in conjunction with an interspersed array of vertical openings in a deck plate to provide the same dual function.

Abstract: A deck plate support structure for an air conveyor includes two major structural members; namely, an upper support member and a lower support member. The upper and lower support members are positioned below the deck plate of the air conveyor and are secured to the underside thereof. The lower support members are connected to flanges or other connecting structure of the plenum assembly. The upper support members are channel-shaped structures which attach to corresponding lower support members. A plurality of fasteners attached to the underside of the deck plate pass through slots in the upper support members and holes in the lower support members enabling the entire deck plate support structure to be attached to the underside of the deck plate. The lower support members include a plurality of openings to allow free passage of pressurized air within the plenum assembly to flow unimpeded through louvers positioned thereover.

Abstract: A tipping device includes a plurality of upper rod sections which curve to cause the tipping of the container from the vertical to the horizontal, and a single lower straight rod which does not bend or otherwise follow any curved path with respect to the tipping angle of the container. A plurality of spaced vertical plates are arranged along the length of the device to provide structural support to the rod sections. The vertical plates have an interior section that is cut out to conform to the shape of the cylindrical container passing therethrough. The vertical plates are mounted upon a deck that extends the length of the device. A container enters the device at the upstream end of the device by a conveyer. At the downstream end of the device is another conveyor for discharge of the containers. A plurality of blower jets are positioned along the length of the device which cause air to strike against the containers to provide a downstream force to move them through the tipping device to the downstream end.

Abstract: A damperless, controlled speed, coverless, isometric air conveyor and method for conveying lightweight containers en masse or individually at a controlled speed includes a first set of louvers extending through a conveyor surface from a common plenum at an incline to a conveying surface so that the air passing through the louvers has a downstream force vector of a first magnitude. A second set of louvers extend through the conveyor surface from the common plenum at an incline to the conveyor surface so that the air passing through the louvers has an upstream force vector of a second magnitude which is less than the first magnitude thereby creating a vector force differential in the downstream direction at any given location under the bottom of each container to cause movement of the containers in the downstream direction.

Abstract: A controlled speed single file conveyor conveys upright cylindrical articles in single file along a deck plate-from an upstream location to a downstream location. A plurality of rows of louvers extend through the deck plate which are generally parallel to one of the side edges. The louvers are at a very shallow angle and some of them are angled so that air discharged therethrough has a force vector component toward the inboard side edge and a force vector in the downstream direction. A vertical wall, above the deck plate and parallel to an inboard edge, is vertically adjustable above the upper surface of the deck plate to control the exhausting of air. The shallow angle of the louvers causes a portion of the air to flow along the deck and under the articles at sufficient speed to the articles toward the deck to hold them in upright position. A second portion of the air travels above the deck to create a mass air flow to move the articles along the deck in a downstream direction.

Abstract: A damperless, controlled speed, coverless, isometric air conveyor and method for controlling articles en masse or individually at a controlled speed is provided. A first set of louvers extend through the conveyor surface to a common plenum at an incline to the conveying surface so that the air passing through the louvers has downstream force vector of a first magnitude. A second set of louvers extend through the conveyor surface to a common plenum at an incline to the conveyor surface so that the air passing through the louvers has an upstream force vector of a second magnitude which is less than the first magnitude thereby creating a vector force differential in the downstream direction to cause movement of the articles in the downstream direction.

Abstract: A controlled speed single file conveyor selectively conveys a first set of upright cylindrical articles having a smaller diameter and a second set of upright cylindrical articles having a larger diameter in single file along a deck plate, having inboard and outboard edges, from an upstream location to a downstream location. A first set of a plurality of longitudinal, parallel rows of smaller inboard louvers and a second set of a plurality of longitudinal, parallel rows of larger outboard louvers extend through the deck plate at a shallow angle and are angled so that the air discharged therefrom has a force vector component toward the inboard side edge and a force vector component in the downstream direction.

Abstract: In accordance with this invention, a method of transporting upright cylindrical articles is provided wherein the articles are fed from a mass at an upstream location into single file at a downstream location. The articles are fed in mass into the infeed of the deck of an air table. A lower air pressure zone is created on a first lateral portion of the deck plate between the upstream and downstream locations. A higher air pressure zone is created on a second lateral portion of the deck plate to cause the articles to move into single file in the first lateral portion. Velocity air pressure is used to move the single filed articles to a downstream location. The articles are held in single file with a directional mass volume of air. The pressure differential between the high and low pressure zones can be adjusted to vary the density of the articles at the infeed.

Abstract: A vacuum deadplate is provided which has a surface with a low coefficient of friction and spaced longitudinal slots through which a vacuum can be drawn. The vacuum deadplate can be used in conjunction with a vacuum transfer device or a palletizing device and the position of the vacuum plenum slot under the longitudinal slots can be varied to provide optimum results.

Abstract: A deadplate construction is provided for maintaining an equilateral contiguous triangular configuration of flexible walled containers as they move across the deadplate. The containers are held in this alignment by side rails which engage the containers at their rigid bottom-most portion and has a downstream edge whose most downstream portion is truncated so that the downstream container is subjected to the vacuum of the transfer belt before the other containers in the diagonal row. In addition, adjacent the downstream edge of the deadplate are slots which correspond in width and positioning to the openings in the transfer belt for the outside container and a narrower slot is provided over one of the rows of openings in the transfer belt for the center container.

Abstract: A coverless air conveyor is provided for use with containers of varying heights. The conveyor has a jet board whose jets are substantially vertical with a slight downstream tilt and has sidewalls which form air dams to create a flowing body of air which envelopes and lifts the respective containers and moves them at a very precise speed, the speed being controlled by the small downstream vector of the air along the sidewalls of the containers. In one embodiment the sidewalls are tilted inwardly from bottom to top and air is provided in sufficient volume to vertically stabilize the containers as they move along the conveyor.

Abstract: The multiple rows of containers are brought into an alignment zone, arranged in nested relationship, merged into an equilateral triangular configuration with mutually touching side edges in a nesting section within the alignment zone and accelerated into a high pressure buffer section of the alignment zone where they are separated from each other and converged into single file. The buffer section eliminates the possibility of transmission of upstream forces through the single file apparatus due to engagement of the single file containers by downstream equipment. In one embodiment, the imperforate sidewalls in the buffer section slope downwardly away from an imperforate top cover to provide gradual relief of air pressure within the buffer section. In another embodiment, the imperforate sidewalls have an upper edge which is contiguous with a top cover which is in the form of a plenum having rows of jet openings positioned above the jet openings in the air table.

Abstract: A single file apparatus is provided for highly etched containers wherein a mass of containers is separated into two single file rows, the single file rows are merged into nesting relationship and the nested rows of containers separated and further merged into single file. The mass of containers are separated into separate rows along each side of an air conveyor having an imperforate cover forming a high pressure area between the rows. The differential pressure in this high pressure area is lower at the upstream end than at the downstream end so that containers which move into this central area will recirculate upstream. The separated rows of containers are brought into an alignment zone and arranged in nested relationship and are merged into an equilateral triangular configuration with mutually touching side edges in a nesting section within the alignment zone.

Abstract: A nesting table is provided which receives containers en masse from a mass air conveyor at an upstream end and discharges the containers onto a deadplate in three rows in contiguous equilateral configuration. In one embodiment, a high air pressure zone is provided along the nesting table by means of a cover extending from one side across the table to a point spaced at least one container diameter from the opposite side so that the containers entering the nesting table form two longitudinal rows on opposite sides and fill in between with a third row which nests with the row of containers which is not under the cover. A kicker plate is provided downstream of the cover to move the three formed rows of containers into nesting contiguous equilateral configuration for movement onto a deadplate. In a second embodiment, the cover is spaced at least two container diameters from the opposite edge and tapered side guides converge the three rows of containers.

Abstract: A vacuum single filer is provided for brining multiple rows of containers into single file at high speeds and over a relatively short distance. This is accomplished by discharging the containers in diagonal rows of three from a slotted dead plate onto a perforated conveyor belt extending over vacuum plenum chambers having slots therein for drawing a vacuum. The slot or slots aligned with the outermost container in each diagonal row draws sufficient vacuum to hold the outer container in fixed position and a deflector is used to direct the other containers into alignment behind the outer container and to slide them laterally across the belt as the belt moves them downstream until they are finally brought into single file alignment. An infeed vacuum conveyor cooperates with the slotted dead plate to arrange the containers in diagonal rows having a precise alignment prior to being picked up by the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A method is provided for conveying container ends en masse wherein the container ends are first placed in stacks of substantially equal height. These stacks are conveyed by conventional air conveying means through an accumulator which includes air mass conveyor table which has a top cover spaced above the top of the stacks of container ends at a height which is less than the overlap of the nested container ends so that the container ends remain in their respective stacks when subjected to lateral forces. These container end stacks can be brought into single file by air conveying single filing technology at the outlet of the accumulator.

Abstract: An air single filer apparatus for receiving cylindrical articles in upright position in random bulk and discharging them serially in horizontal single file is provided. Articles are received into a bulk storage zone, from where they move to a layout zone where they are aligned in horizontal single file and discharged along a path. Alignment is achieved by gravity and also by impacting the articles with pressurized air from a plenum. The invention uses slanted slots in a top plenum wall of the layout zone to use the Coanda effect to direct blow-back air along this wall without disturbing properly aligned articles therebelow. Also an adjustable horizontal blow-back slot at the downstream end of the layout path is provided for blowing air back upstream along the top wall, thereby creating a low pressure area adjacent the top wall in accordance with the Bernoulli Principle.

Abstract: An air table system which utilizes air jet openings in the table surface of a pattern configuration to lift, support and direct movement of objects, such as containers, to feed same from a plurality of sources to fewer destinations or vice versa. With suitable cover configuration, partially closed and open covers, movement of the containers around or to one side of blockades to accomplish controlled movement of the containers is made possible. The movement of objects can be further controlled by the use of the objects and/or side walls on the table to restrict air flow in conjunction with the solid cover portions to create selected higher air pressure zones and air flow paths to selectively move the objects. At a discharge end of the air table, a single file conveying zone is provided with air jets that blow air in the opposite direction to the normal flow of the objects to move them into single file.

Abstract: A damperless, controlled speed, coverless, isometric air conveyor and method for conveying lightweight containers en masse or individually at a controlled speed includes a first set of louvers extending through a conveyor surface from a common plenum at an incline to a conveying surface so that the air passing through the louvers has a downstream force vector of a first magnitude. A second set of louvers extend through the conveyor surface from the common plenum at an incline to the conveyor surface so that the air passing through the louvers has an upstream force vector of a second magnitude which is less than the first magnitude thereby creating a vector force differential in the downstream direction at any given location under the bottom of each container to cause movement of the containers in the downstream direction.

Abstract: An air table system which utilizes air jet openings in the table surface of a pattern configuration to lift, support and direct movement of objects, such as containers, to feed same from a plurality of sources to fewer destinations or vice versa. With suitable cover configuration, partially closed and open covers, movement of the containers around or to one side of blockades to accomplish controlled movement of the containers is made possible. The movement of objects can be further controlled by the use of the objects and/or side walls on the table to restrict air flow in conjunction with the solid cover portions to create selected higher air pressure zones and air flow paths to selectively move the objects. At a discharge end of the air table, a single file conveying zone is provided with air jets that blow air in the opposite direction to the normal flow of the objects to move them into single file.