The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 30, 1993
Filed:
Jan. 31, 1992
Victor V Menayan, Cary, NC (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention entails a conveyor system for use in conjunction with a band application machine that applies tamper-evident bands to containers being conveyed by the conveyor system. The conveyor includes a conveyor with an upper run and a lower run. Connected to the conveyor and moving with the conveyor is a series of band support plates that each define an individual container opening. A container support plate extends beneath the conveyor's upper run and below the band support plates being conveyed along the conveyor's upper run. Each container is inserted into an individual container opening such that the container is vertically supported by the container support plate and such that the band support plate extends around the container. The band support plates are positionable at a selected vertical position about the containers by varying the relative height of the container support plate beneath the band support plates. The inserted containers are slid along the container support plate by the band support plates toward the band application machine. The band application machine places tamper-evident bands about the top of containers and the tamper-evident bands are supported by the band support plates at a selected vertical position on the container. The band support plates encircle the containers and provide continuous support for the tamper-evident bands placed about the container. While the bands are supported by the band support plates at a selected position about the containers, the bands are spot-heated or heat shrunken to fix the tamper-evident bands about the containers.