Rennco LLC

Phillip D Hillard

Robin G Thurgood

Brian C Bowerman

The present invention provides a transfer system and method for aligning articles. The transfer system comprises a transfer member adapted to transfer the articles along a designated path, an orientation-adjustment portion having an orienter that is adapted to rotate at least a first portion of the articles, and a receiving portion that is adapted to restrict movement of at least a second portion of the articles along the designated path Each of the articles has a surface configuration that allows the articles to compress along an axial direction when at least two of the surface configurations of a respective adjacent two of the articles are aligned, and the receiving portion and the orienter cooperate to align the first portion and the second portion and compress a length of the first portion and the second portion along an axial direction of the articles.

Article transfer system

An apparatus for use in packaging containers and associated lids together includes a moveable gantry with a first support portion and a second support portion alongside the first support portion. The first and second support portions are sized and configured to support the containers and the lids. A container path and a lid path are included along which containers and lids, respectively, are directed to the gantry. The gantry has a first orientation in which the first support portion is aligned with the container path to receive containers and the second support portion is aligned with the lid path to receive lids. The gantry also has a second orientation in which the gantry is repositioned such that the first support portion is aligned with the lid path to receive lids and the second support portion is aligned with the container path to receive containers.

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Hudson, MI, United States of America

Phillip D Hillard