Belt Bottle Spacer (BBS)

The Belt Bottle Spacer uses a unique spacing method (for round ware) to accurately separate containers at high throughput speeds. Most bottle spacers operate based on the same principle: The container is slowed down and released on a faster moving conveyor chain. Slowing down the container through the spacing device creates space between the containers as they speed up to conveyor speed. When the container is released from the device, the faster moving conveyor chain accelerates the container back up to speed. Due to this speed mismatch, the container initially slides on the conveyor chain. At very high speeds, this sliding action causes instability and variability in the spacing. The BBS operates in a manner that controls the ware acceleration phase within the device. Round bottles are deposited back on the conveyor at conveyor speed. This provides accurate spacing and stable containers to the inspection machine. The BBS is designed to release containers spaced at two times the bottle diameter.

The BBS uses two opposed belts that are set up to run at the same speed as the conveyor. One belt is routed in a manner that allows a fixed guide rail to be placed at the start of the machine. Round containers enter the machine and roll between the fixed guide rail and the opposed moving belt. Due to this rolling action, the bottles travel at half of the belt velocity. The containers transition from the guide rail to the second moving belt. This transition causes the containers to return to conveyor speed as they are discharged from the BBS.

For non-round containers, the BBS is reconfigured to convert it to a conventional opposed belt spacer.

Ware range

Diameter: 16 to 170 mm [5/8 to 7 in.]

Maximum speed The BBS is designed to operate at conveyor speeds up to 103 m/min. [340 ft./min.]

SBS 1000 Synchronous Bottle Spacer

The SBS 1000 uses an infeed wheel, configured with spring-loaded fingers, that holds back and separates round and non-round containers as they exit the SBS 1000. The speed of the SBS 1000 is internally synchronized with the speed of the conveyor using a digital pulse tachometer or encoder.

Ware range

Diameter: 25 to 203 mm [1 to 8 in.]

Maximum speed: 400 bpm, depending on container size and conveyor line speed and configuration.