Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for washing position oriented stoppers in a closed environment while retaining the orientation comprises a closed chamber, and a chain conveyor located in the closed chamber for receiving position oriented stoppers. The chain conveyor includes two spaced chain wheels, and a chain passing over the chain wheels. A plurality of dogs are fixedly attached to at least some of the chain links. The chain conveyor defines curved portions around the chain wheels and straight portions therebetween. A supply conveyor communicates with the closed chamber at a location of one of the chain wheels. A washing station is located along one of the straight portions and a closed delivery member is in communication with a closed chamber at the other chain wheel. The dogs grip each stopper between two adjacent dogs and carry them along the straight portions of the conveyor. The dogs move away from each other while passing together with the chain links along the curved portions to allow receiving the stoppers from the supply conveyor, carrying the position oriented stoppers along the straight portion past the washing station and releasing and feeding the stoppers in the retain orientation to the delivery member.

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First Claim