Container lift mechanism

摘要

A container lifting arrangement wherein a pair of spaced rails and a vacuum cup assembly are concentrically mounted and relatively actuated to raise and lower a container, in part while the container is being conveyed toward a filling station by a conveyor. The vacuum cup is caused to engage the bottom surface of the container only after the container's forward movement has been stopped so as to not be subjected to any sliding action by the container, such action tending to roll the cup's edge and destroy its suction capabilities. Lifting the container before the conveyor stops provides additional time for filling the container.