| 摘要 |
A machine for automatically positioning, aligning, and continuously feeding containers, for example, bottles or other hollow articles made from synthetic material, which may be of very different sizes and shapes. The machine includes a main hopper for receiving a plurality of randomly positioned containers. The bottom of the main hopper has a peripheral portion spaced from its side wall to provide a space through which containers can pass. A container holder support is supported below the hopper and includes a peripheral portion for movement in a path adjacent to the peripheral portion of the hopper's bottom. Container holders having recesses for receiving the containers and discharge openings, are mounted on the container holder support for movement therewith. A container support shelf supports the containers in a lying position in the recesses during movement of the container holder, until a discharge section of the support shelf is reached. At the discharge section, the containers are discharged through discharge openings into chutes. The chutes converge over a single annular plane and uprightly position and re-group, in a single row, all of the containers. There are at least two rows of openings in the container holder support for receiving the containers from the hopper. Preferably, a covering mechanism separates the rows of openings in several non adjacent areas, staggered along the peripheral portion of the hopper's bottom so that at each of the areas only one portion of the rows of openings is uncovered to allow passage of containers.
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