Claims
- 1. A lid dispensing and application arrangement for separating lids from a stack of lids and applying the separated lids onto cups, comprising:
- a lid dispenser supporting a stack of lids to be dispensed; and
- a lid shuttle positioned near the bottom of the lid dispenser and supported for substantially linear translating and reciprocating movement between retracted and extended positions relative to the lid dispenser, said lid shuttle having a shuttle frame and a lid engaging member designed to engage a first bottommost lid of the stack of lids and to retain the first bottommost lid in a first intermediate position in the shuttle frame while the lid shuttle is moved in translation to said extended position, said lid dispenser having a fixed wall blocking direct translational movement of the bottommost lid of the stack of lids, said shuttle frame and said lid engaging member being independently moveable to permit passage of said first bottommost lid beneath said wall, said wall being adapted to contact and move the first lid in translation within the lid shuttle toward a loaded position for application to a cup as the lid shuttle is moved in translation to said retracted position.
- 2. The lid dispensing and application arrangement of claim 1 wherein said shuttle frame and said lid engaging member are each independently pivotable about a fulcrum for downward movement to permit passage of said first bottommost lid beneath said wall, said shuttle frame and lid engaging member being biased in a horizontal position by a spring.
- 3. A lid dispensing and application arrangement for separating lids from a stack of lids and applying the separated lids onto cups, comprising:
- a lid dispenser supporting a stack of lids to be dispensed; and
- a lid shuttle positioned near the bottom of the lid dispenser and supported for substantially linear translating and reciprocating movement between retracted and extended positions relative to the lid dispenser, said lid shuttle having a shuttle frame and a lid engaging member designed to engage a first bottommost lid of the stack of lids and to retain the first bottommost lid in a first intermediate position in the shuttle frame while the lid shuttle is moved in translation to said extended position, said lid dispenser having a fixed wall blocking direct translational movement of the bottommost lid of the stack of lids, said shuttle frame being moveable to permit passage of said first bottommost lid beneath said wall.
- 4. The lid dispensing and application arrangement of claim 3 further including a sensor for determining the degree of movement of said shuttle frame beneath said wall to detect the presence of extra lids or the absence of any lid engaged by said shuttle engaging member.
- 5. The lid dispensing and application arrangement of claim 3 wherein said shuttle frame has an edge of defined shape and further including a sensor adapted to detect the proper location of said shuttle frame edge as said shuttle frame carries a single lid beneath said wall, said sensor further adapted to detect the presence of extra lids or the absence of any lid engaged by said shuttle engaging member.
- 6. A lid dispensing and application arrangement for separating lids from a stack of lids and applying the separated lids onto cups, comprising:
- a lid dispenser supporting a stack of lids to be dispensed; and
- a lid shuttle positioned near the bottom of the lid dispenser and supported for substantially linear translating and reciprocating movement between retracted and extended positions relative to the lid dispenser, said lid shuttle supporting a lid engaging member designed to engage a first bottommost lid of the stack of lids and to retain the first bottommost lid in a first intermediate position in the lid shuttle while the lid shuttle is moved in translation to said extended position, the lid shuttle further supporting a lid applicator comprising an angled member and an underlying leaf spring for holding the first lid beneath and against the angled member in a second loaded position for application to a cup beneath the lid applicator as the lid shuttle is moved in translation to said retracted position.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/911,718 filed, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,096, on Jul. 10, 1992.
US Referenced Citations (42)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
911718 |
Jul 1992 |
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