Liner and liner load assembly

Abstract

The load assembly includes a feed mechanism configured to feed a plurality of container closures and a transport assembly including a star wheel including a number of loading pockets configured to receive the plurality of container closures and move the container closures from the feed mechanism to the processing assembly, the star wheel having an outer periphery, each of the loading pockets configured to receive a corresponding container closure in the plurality of container closures inside the outer periphery of the star wheel.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 140,330, filed Jan. 4, 2021, entitled "LINER AND LOAD ASSEMBLY FOR LINER."

[0002] <Technical field> The disclosed concepts generally relate to container closure machines, and more particularly to liners for applying coating materials to container closures, such as can ends. The disclosed concepts also relate to a load assembly for the liners. [Background technology]

[0003] It is known that applying a sealant material, commonly referred to as a compound, to the underside of a container closure facilitates subsequent sealing attachment (e.g., but not limited to, seaming) of the closure to containers such as beer / beverage cans and food cans.

[0004] Rotary liner machines are used, for example, to line (i.e., apply sealant or compound) container closures, commonly referred to as can lids, shells, or can ends, at relatively high speeds in relatively high-volume applications. Rotary liners generally include a base with a chuck assembly. A pivoting upper turret assembly is positioned above the chuck assembly and includes an electrical tank assembly, a rotating compound tank assembly, and several peripherally positioned fluid dispensing devices (e.g., sealant or compound guns). A lower turret assembly rotates the chuck. A downstacker feeds can ends to a starwheel, which then cooperates with a corresponding chuck member of the chuck assembly to support the can ends and rotate them relative to the fluid dispensing devices.

[0005] Specifically, the star wheel rotates the can end on a chuck member, which is then raised by a cam to receive the can end. The chuck member then begins to rotate the can end. This is commonly referred to as "pre-spin." Once the can end reaches the desired rotational speed, a fluid dispenser applies sealant to the can end (for example, but not limited to, spraying it). This is commonly referred to as "spray time." After the sealant is applied, the can end continues to rotate for a relatively short period to lubricate the sealant. This is commonly referred to as "post-spin time." Finally, the cam lowers the chuck member and can end, and each can end is removed and ejected from the rotary liner via an unloading guide.

[0006] Among other limitations, conventional rotary liner designs suffer from speed limitations to avoid damage to the container closures being processed. For example, but not by way of limitation, one known eight-head rotary liner is limited to approximately 262.5 revolutions per minute (rpm) at the turret. Thus, taking a 202mm diameter can end as an example, the maximum liner capacity is 2100 ends per minute (epm). To increase the total volume of can ends, it is desirable to increase the speed of the liner machine. However, known load assembly components, such as, but not limited to, existing starwheel or downstacker designs, are known to damage can ends when speeds are increased beyond this limit (e.g., but not by way of limitation, greater than approximately 262.5 rpm at the turret).

[0007] Therefore, there is room for improvement in liners and liner load assemblies. Summary of the Invention

[0008] These and other needs are met by embodiments of the disclosed concepts directed to a liner and a load assembly for the liner. Among other benefits, the load assembly reduces the force applied to the can end, thereby allowing for higher line speeds and increased production.

[0009] In one aspect of the disclosed concept, a load assembly includes a feed mechanism configured to feed a plurality of container closures, and a transport assembly including a star wheel including several loading pockets configured to receive the container closures and move the container closures from the feed mechanism to a processing assembly, the star wheel having an outer edge, and each loading pocket configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures within the outer edge of the star wheel.

[0010] The star wheel may rotate at an outer edge at a first tangential velocity. The loading pockets may extend radially inward from the outer edge and include a center point, and the star wheel may rotate at a second tangential velocity at the center point, the second tangential velocity being less than the first tangential velocity. Each of the loading pockets may be configured to fully receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures such that the container closure is entirely disposed inside the outer edge of the star wheel.

[0011] The feed mechanism may include a downstacker configured to hold a plurality of container closures in a vertical stack. The transport assembly may further include a cam assembly, a guide member, and a pair of lead screws. The pair of lead screws may be configured to remove a container closure at a first height from a bottom of the vertical stack, and the cam assembly and guide member may be configured to guide the container closure through a radial path as the container closure moves from the first height to a second height corresponding to a loading location in a loading pocket of the star wheel.

[0012] A liner with a load assembly is also disclosed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] The disclosed concepts can be better understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a liner and liner load assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with some components of the liner omitted to better show hidden features of the load assembly. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the liner and load assembly of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a prior art liner and load assembly provided for comparison purposes with the liner and load assembly of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the load assembly of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of a prior art load assembly provided for comparison purposes with the load assembly of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a prior art load assembly cam track design. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of a cam track design for a load assembly according to one embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a star wheel of a prior art load assembly. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a star wheel for a load assembly according to one embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a top view of a cam assembly for a load assembly according to one embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a portion of a guide for a prior art load assembly. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a portion of a guide for a load assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is another isometric view of a portion of the prior art guide of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is another isometric view of the portion of the guide of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Although a load assembly based on the disclosed concepts is shown and described herein as being used in connection with a rotary liner for applying a sealant or compound to a container closure, it will be understood that it may alternatively be used in other applications to transport container closures using a wide variety of other types of devices and mechanisms (not shown).

[0016] Directional terms used herein, such as up, down, clockwise, counterclockwise, and derivatives thereof, relate to the orientation of the elements as shown and do not limit the scope of the claims unless expressly stated in the claims.

[0017] The specific elements illustrated in the drawings and described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the disclosed concepts, and thus, specific dimensions, orientations, and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the disclosed concepts.

[0018] As used herein, the terms "container closure," "can end," "shell," and / or "lid" are generally synonymous and used substantially interchangeably to refer to any known or suitable closure member that is applied (e.g., without limitation, seamed) to the open end of a container (e.g., without limitation, a beer / beverage can, a food can) to seal the contents of the container therein.

[0019] As used herein, the terms "sealant" and / or "compound" are generally synonymous and are used substantially interchangeably to refer to any known or suitable coating that is applied (e.g., limited to, sprayed) onto the surface of a container closure.

[0020] As used herein, the term "production rate" refers to the production rate of the liner, preferably measured in container closures per minute, more commonly referred to in the industry as "ends per minute" (epm).

[0021] As used herein, the statement that two or more components are "coupled" to one another means that the components are joined directly to one another or are joined through one or more intermediate components.

[0022] As used herein, the term "several" means one or an integer greater than one (ie, a plurality).

[0023] A liner machine 2, such as, but not limited to, a rotary liner machine 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2, is used to line (i.e., apply a sealant (not shown) or compound (not shown)) can ends 50. The liner machine 2 is commonly referred to simply as a "liner" and uses a load assembly 100 (best shown in Figure 2) according to one embodiment of the disclosed concepts.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 , the liner 2 generally includes a base 4 having a processing assembly 5. The processing assembly includes a chuck assembly 6 having several rotating chucks 8 and a pivoting upper turret assembly 10 disposed above the chuck assembly 6. The pivoting upper turret assembly 10 includes an electrical tank assembly 12, a rotating compound tank assembly 14, and several peripherally disposed fluid dispensing devices 20 (e.g., sealant or compound guns). A lower turret assembly 22, best seen in cross-section in FIG. 2 , is disposed within the base 4 and configured to rotate the chucks 8. The exemplary liner 2 includes eight guns 20, each associated with a corresponding rotating chuck 8 in the chuck assembly 6. However, it will be understood that any suitable alternative number and configuration (not shown) of chucks 8 and guns 20 or other fluid dispensing devices (not shown) may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosed concepts.

[0025] Load assembly 100 includes a feed mechanism 102, which in the illustrated example is a downstacker 104. Downstacker 104 is configured to hold and feed a plurality of container closures 50. More specifically, as shown in simplified phantom in FIG. 2 , downstacker 104 is preferably configured to hold a plurality of container closures 50 arranged in a vertical stack 52. Load assembly 100 further includes a transport assembly 120 having a star wheel 122.

[0026] As best shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 10, the star wheel 122 includes several loading pockets 124 configured to receive and move the container closures 50 from the downstacker 104 to the processing assembly 5. The star wheel 122 has an outer edge 126. Each of the loading pockets 124 is configured to receive a corresponding one of the container closures 50 inside the outer edge 126 of the star wheel 122, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, for example. Each loading pocket 124 of the star wheel 122 has a center point 128 (FIG. 10). It will be appreciated that the star wheel 122 rotates at the outer edge 126 at a first tangential velocity and at the center point 128 of each loading pocket 124 at a second tangential velocity that is less than the first tangential velocity at the outer edge 126. Thus, moving the loading pocket 124 inward from the outer edge 126 of the starwheel 122 reduces the tangential velocity at the inner position (i.e., the center point 128), which in turn reduces the force applied to the container closure 50. Stated another way, the starwheel 122 has a center point 138, a first radial dimension 300 measured from the center point 138 of the starwheel 122 to the outer edge 126 of the starwheel 122, and a second, smaller radial dimension 302 measured from the center point 138 of the starwheel 122 to the center point 128 of the loading pocket 124 of the starwheel.

[0027] Thus, the disclosed starwheel 122 has a significantly different design compared to known prior art starwheels (FIGS. 6 and 9), in that the loading position of the container closure 50 is moved inward from the outer edge 126 of the starwheel 122 by a relatively large distance, thereby reducing the associated forces and stresses on the container closure 50. More specifically, as used herein, "inward from the outer edge 126" means that at least a majority (i.e., more than half) of the container closure 50 is located inward of (i.e., inward relative to) the outer edge 126, unlike known prior art starwheel designs such as the starwheel shown in FIG. 5 and 9 includes a loading pocket 124 configured to fully receive the container closure 50 such that the entire container closure 50 is located inside the outer edge 126 of the starwheel 122 when fully loaded within the loading pocket 124, it will be understood that alternative embodiments (not shown) in which the container closure 50 is located a smaller amount inside the outer edge 126 are also expressly included within the scope of the disclosed concept. Comparing the prior art starwheel shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 with the disclosed starwheel 122 shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, it will be understood that the design of the loading pocket 124 of the disclosed starwheel 122 is a significant departure from the conventional starwheel designs shown in prior art FIGS. 6 and 9, which have shallower loading pockets in which the container closures, even when loaded, are located at the outer edge of the starwheel and therefore rotate at a higher tangential velocity associated with this outer position.

[0028] Among other advantages, the starwheel 122 speed can be increased because less force is exerted on the container closure 50 at locations inside the starwheel loading pocket 124, thereby allowing the liner 2 to operate at a faster processing rate and increase production. According to one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, if the liner is an eight-head rotary liner 2 configured to line standard 202 diameter container closures, the turret speed can be increased to approximately 400 revolutions per minute (rpm) or more. This is a significant increase compared to conventional liners, where turret speeds are limited to approximately 262 rpm, and excessive force would result in damage to the container closure 50, as discussed above. Thus, by way of example and not limitation, when the disclosed liner 2 operates at a turret speed of approximately 375 rpm, the production rate of the liner 2 increases to approximately 3,000 ends per minute (epm), compared to the approximately 2,100 epm production rate of a conventional rotary liner (FIGS. 4, 6, 9, 12, and 14) operating at a conventional maximum turret speed of approximately 262 rpm.

[0029] In addition to the aforementioned enhancements to the starwheel 122, the disclosed liner 2 also includes several additional unique features that allow the container closure 50 to be "gently" or "softly" loaded into the starwheel 122 in both radial and vertical directions (i.e., with reduced force compared to the prior art). These features, individually or in combination, allow the liner 2 to operate at relatively higher speeds than prior art liners without causing damage to the container closure 50, further improving production yields.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the load assembly 100 preferably further includes a cam assembly 140, a guide member 160, and a pair of lead screws 180, 182. The pair of lead screws 180, 182 are configured to remove (e.g., peel) a container closure 50 from the bottom of a vertical stack 52 of container closures 50 (shown in simplified form in phantom in Figure 2) within the downstacker 124. This occurs at the first height 130. The cam assembly 140 and the guide member 160 are then configured to guide the container closure 50 through a radial path as the container closure 50 moves from the first height 130 to a lower second height 132, which corresponds to a loading position within a corresponding loading pocket 124 of the star wheel 122. That is, the cam assembly 140 and / or the guide member 160 are configured to completely guide and control the movement of the container closure 50 throughout the radial distance 150 from the first height 130 to the lower second height 132. As can be seen by comparing Prior Art Figures 4 and 3, this radial distance 150, i.e. Lead-in Radius The lead in radius is increased relatively significantly over prior art liners. For example, but not by way of limitation, in one non-limiting example embodiment of the disclosed concept: Lead-in Radius 150 is at least 5 degrees, and preferably about 45 degrees.

[0031] With continued reference to FIG. 2 and further reference to FIGS. 13 and 15, it will be understood that the exemplary guide member 160 includes a first end 162, a second end 164, and an arcuate body portion 166 extending therebetween. The arcuate body portion 166 includes opposed first and second edges 168, 170. The guide member 160 is configured to guide the container closure 50 between the first edge 168 and the second edge 170, as shown in simplified phantom in FIG. 13. The arcuate body portion 166 of the exemplary guide member 160 includes a first segment 172 and a second segment 174, wherein the first segment 172 has a first radius of curvature 176 and the second segment 174 has a second radius of curvature 178 that is different from the first radius of curvature 176. That is, the first radius of curvature 176 is sharper, or steeper, than the second radius of curvature 178. This unique configuration functions to achieve the aforementioned transfer of the container closure 50 radially inward from the initial feed location 146 (FIGS. 2 and 5) in the downstacker 124 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to a position inside the starwheel loading pocket 124. At the same time, this unique configuration of the guide member 160 also functions to minimize forces on the container closure 50 and protect it by providing complete control and guidance to the container closure 50 as it vertically transitions from the first height 130 at the bottom feed location 146 (FIGS. 2 and 5) of the downstacker 124 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to the lower second height 132 of the starwheel pocket 124. The aforementioned radius of curvature 176, as measured from the center point 138 of the starwheel 122, Lead-in Radius 150 is also shown in Figures 13 and 15. It will therefore be appreciated that the guide member 160 of the disclosed load assembly 100 differs significantly from the prior art (Figures 12 and 14).

[0032] The aforementioned cam assembly 140 also functions to control and guide the movement of the container closure 50 in a beneficial and unique manner. Specifically, the cam assembly 140 of the disclosed load assembly 100 preferably includes an inner cam 142 (partially shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) and an outer cam 144 spaced apart from the inner cam 142 and defining a space therebetween, as best shown in FIG. 11. Thus, a container closure 50 (one container closure 50 is shown in simplified form in phantom in FIG. 11) is received in the space between the inner and outer cams 142, 144 as the cam assembly 140 guides and controls the movement of the container closure 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, as the star wheel 122 rotates, the cam assembly 140 guides the movement of the container closure 50 from the aforementioned supply location 146 in the downstacker 104 (Figures 1 and 2) to the transfer location 148 of the processing assembly 5, and in particular to the chuck member 8 of the chuck assembly 6, as shown in Figure 3.

[0033] 5, it will be appreciated that the feed location 146 is disposed at a first radius 304 measured from the center point 138 of the star wheel 122, and the transfer location 148 is disposed at a larger second radius 306 also measured from the center point 138 of the star wheel 122. It will thus be appreciated that the cam assembly 140 is configured to guide the radially outward movement of the container closure 50 from the first radius 304 to the second radius 306 over the course of the loading path shown in FIG.

[0034] 2, 3, and 8, the transport assembly 120 of the disclosed load assembly 100 further includes an ejection guide 200 (FIGS. 2 and 3) configured to eject the container closure 50 from the processing assembly 5 at an ejection location 190. In addition to the aforementioned turret assembly 22, the processing assembly 5 further includes a generally circular cam track 30. The generally circular cam track 30 (FIGS. 2 and 8) is disposed below and generally corresponds to the chuck member 8 of the chuck assembly 6. In operation, the generally circular cam track 30 defines a radial processing path 40 (FIG. 8) that extends from a transfer location 148, where the container closure 50 is transferred from the star wheel 122 to the corresponding chuck member 8 of the processing assembly 5, all the way to the ejection location 190, where the container closure 50 is ejected via the ejection guide 200, as shown in FIG. In the non-limiting exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the processing path 40 extends a radial angle 42 (measured as shown in FIG. 8) of greater than 180 degrees, and preferably extends approximately 225 degrees. This angle 42 and the associated additional length of the processing path 40 is necessary to ensure that the required length of processing time is provided at the increased speed of the disclosed liner 2, as compared to the prior art cam track shown in FIG. 7, for example.

[0035] It will therefore be appreciated that, among other advantages, the disclosed load assembly 100 provides several unique features which function individually or in combination to reduce or "ease" the loads applied to the container closure 50, thereby enabling the operating speed of the liner 2 to be increased, advantageously improving production yields.

[0036] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and substitutions to those details may be made in light of the overall teachings of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the particular configurations disclosed are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting on the scope of the invention, which is given the full scope of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A load assembly comprising: a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense a plurality of container closures; a transport assembly including a star wheel including several loading pockets configured to receive the plurality of container closures and move the plurality of container closures from the feeding mechanism to a processing assembly; It is equipped with the star wheel has an outer edge; each of the number of loading pockets configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures inside an outer edge of the star wheel such that more than half of the corresponding one of the plurality of container closures is inside the outer edge of the star wheel; the feeding mechanism includes a downstacker configured to hold the plurality of container closures in a vertical stack; the conveying assembly further includes a cam assembly, a guide member, and a pair of lead screws; the pair of lead screws are configured to extract a container closure from a bottom of the vertical stack at a first height; the cam assembly and the guide member are configured to guide the container closure through a radial path as the container closure moves from the first elevation to a second elevation corresponding to a loading position within a loading pocket of the star wheel; A load assembly, wherein the guide members are configured to move the plurality of container closures radially inward from an initial feed location in the downstacker to a position inside a loading pocket of the starwheel.

2. 2. The load assembly of claim 1, wherein the star wheel rotates at the outer edge at a first tangential velocity, and wherein each of the several load pockets extends radially inward from the outer edge and includes a center point, and the star wheel rotates at the center point at a second tangential velocity, the second tangential velocity being less than the first tangential velocity.

3. 2. The load assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the several load pockets is configured to fully receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures such that the container closure is positioned entirely within an outer edge of the star wheel.

4. 2. The load assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide member and the cam assembly is configured to completely guide and control movement of the container closure from the first height to the second height over a radial distance.

5. 5. The load assembly of claim 4, wherein the radial distance includes a lead-in radius, the lead-in radius corresponding to at least 5 degrees of rotation of the star wheel.

6. 5. The load assembly of claim 4, wherein the guide member includes a first end, a second end, and an arcuate body portion extending between the first end and the second end, the arcuate body portion including a first edge and a second edge disposed opposite the first edge, and the guide member is configured to guide the plurality of container closures between the first edge and the second edge.

7. 7. The load assembly of claim 6, wherein the arcuate body portion includes a first segment and a second segment, the first segment having a first radius of curvature and the second segment having a second radius of curvature different from the first radius of curvature.

8. 2. The load assembly of claim 1, wherein the cam assembly includes an inner cam and an outer cam spaced apart from the inner cam to define a space between the inner cam and the outer cam, the cam assembly being configured to guide and control movement of the plurality of container closures.

9. 9. The load assembly of claim 8, wherein the cam assembly is configured to move the plurality of container closures from a supply location of the downstacker to a transfer location of the processing assembly, the supply location being positioned at a first radius and the transfer location being positioned at a second radius, the second radius of the transfer location being greater than the first radius of the supply location.

10. 10. The load assembly of claim 9, wherein the transport assembly further comprises an ejection guide configured to eject the plurality of container closures from the processing assembly at an ejection location, the processing assembly comprising a turret assembly and a generally circular cam track, the generally circular cam track defining a radial processing path extending from the transfer location to the ejection location, the radial processing path extending more than 180 degrees.

11. A liner, With the base, a processing assembly operably coupled to the base; a load assembly; the load assembly comprising: a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense a plurality of container closures; a transport assembly including a star wheel including several loading pockets configured to receive the plurality of container closures and move the plurality of container closures from the feeding mechanism to the processing assembly; It is equipped with the star wheel has an outer edge; each of the number of loading pockets configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures inside an outer edge of the star wheel such that more than half of the corresponding one of the plurality of container closures is inside the outer edge of the star wheel; the feeding mechanism includes a downstacker configured to hold the plurality of container closures in a vertical stack; the conveying assembly further includes a cam assembly, a guide member, and a pair of lead screws; the pair of lead screws are configured to extract a container closure from a bottom of the vertical stack at a first height; the cam assembly and the guide member are configured to guide the container closure through a radial path as the container closure moves from the first elevation to a second elevation corresponding to a loading position within a loading pocket of the star wheel; The guide member is configured to move the plurality of container closures radially inward from an initial feed location in the downstacker to a position inside a loading pocket of the starwheel.

12. 12. The liner of claim 11, wherein the star wheel rotates at the outer edge at a first tangential velocity, and each of the number of loading pockets extends radially inward from the outer edge and includes a center point, the star wheel rotates at the center point at a second tangential velocity, the second tangential velocity being less than the first tangential velocity.

13. 12. The liner of claim 11, wherein each of the several loading pockets is configured to fully receive a corresponding one of the plurality of container closures such that the container closure is positioned entirely within an outer edge of the star wheel.

14. 12. The liner of claim 11, wherein at least one of the guide member and the cam assembly is configured to completely guide and control movement of the container closure from the first elevation to the second elevation over a radial distance, the radial distance including a lead-in radius, the lead-in radius corresponding to at least 5 degrees of rotation of the star wheel.

15. 12. The liner of claim 11, wherein the guide member includes a first end, a second end, and an arcuate body portion extending between the first end and the second end, the arcuate body portion including a first edge, a second edge disposed opposite the first edge, a first segment, and a second segment, the first segment having a first radius of curvature and the second segment having a second radius of curvature different from the first radius of curvature, and the guide member is configured to guide the plurality of container closures between the first edge and the second edge.

16. 12. The liner of claim 11, wherein the cam assembly includes an inner cam and an outer cam spaced from the inner cam to define a space between the inner cam and the outer cam, the cam assembly is configured to guide and control movement of the plurality of container closures, the cam assembly is configured to move the plurality of container closures from a supply location of the downstacker to a transfer location of the processing assembly, the supply location being positioned at a first radius and the transfer location being positioned at a second radius, the second radius of the transfer location being greater than the first radius of the supply location.

17. 17. The liner of claim 16, wherein the transport assembly further comprises an ejection guide configured to eject the plurality of container closures from the processing assembly at an ejection location, the processing assembly comprising a processing turret and a generally circular cam track, the generally circular cam track defining a radial processing path extending from the transfer location to the ejection location, the radial processing path extending more than 180 degrees.

Images