Abstract: A method and apparatus for singulating individual product items, such as pills, in unit-dose or multi-dose dispersing packaging that utilizes a pill-filling mechanism for reducing a large amount of bulk pills to a single-file stream of pills; a pill separation mechanism for singulating a variety of different sized and shaped pills; and a mechanism for delivering pills to a package, such as a blister-pack. Bar-code scanning and identification software may also be implemented to adjust the mechanisms to adapt the apparatus to different pills as they are presented to the apparatus.

Abstract: A rotary feeder for transferring articles includes a support frame, a rotatably driven bowl assembly mounted on the support frame and including a bowl mounted for rotation about a bowl axis, and a rotatably driven shaft mounted on the support frame for rotation about a shaft axis. A coupling is rotatably driven by the shaft and has a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end, the second end being pivotable with respect to the first end to define a tilt axis oriented at an angle with respect to the bowl axis. An adjustable guide assembly is mounted on the support frame and adapted to secure the coupling second end along a selected tilt axis. A disc is coupled to the coupling second end and rotates about the tilt axis, the disc including a lower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion defining an article transfer point.

Abstract: An apparatus provided for orienting concrete blocks into a desired position comprises a pair of upper and lower turntables including respectively upper and lower block supporting surfaces. The lower supporting surface extends outwardly of, and below, the upper supporting surface. A stationary peripheral wall extends outwardly of the lower turntable and defines with the upper turntable and the lower supporting surface a gutter. The gutter is dimensioned to receive blocks therein in a substantially longitudinal orientation thereof. An outlet is provided at a downstream end of the gutter for allowing the substantially oriented blocks to be discharged from the apparatus. Therefore, concrete blocks, or the like, fed to the apparatus are received by the upper turntable, are then positioned in the gutter under the rotation of the upper and lower turntables, which typically rotate at different speeds, and are then discharged from the apparatus via the outlet.

Abstract: A bailing apparatus includes a bailer feeder and a handle return device. The bailer feeder is adapted to feed handles to a bailer which couples the handles to containers. The handle return device is arranged to return handles that fall from the bailer feeder back to the bailer feeder.

Abstract: A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming items includes a rotatable table having a peripheral wall and a discharge opening in the peripheral wall, the discharge opening allowing the items in a predetermined orientation to be successively withdrawn from the rotatable table in a single file line, the rotatable table being fed with disorderly items; a first carrier disposed proximate to the discharge opening, the first carrier recovering the oriented items exiting through the discharge opening; and an item spacer mounted proximate to the first carrier, the item spacer providing a predetermined spacing between two consecutive oriented items. It also relates to a method for doing same.

Abstract: A feeder for orienting and aligning disorderly incoming articles includes a table having a peripheral wall, a rotary surface surrounded by the peripheral wall, and a discharge substantially tangential to the peripheral wall, the discharge being sized to receive one article at a time from the rotary surface in a predetermined orientation; and at least one pile eliminating member extending above the rotary surface and defining a gap with the rotary surface, the gap being sized to solely permit passage of non-superposed articles laying in the predetermined orientation on the rotary surface. It also relates to a method for doing same and a method and an apparatus for removing obstructing blocks from the discharge.

Abstract: A component handler includes an improved test seat having a shape that ensures that an electronic component seated in the test seat is in an appropriate orientation for parametric testing. The test seat has a base surface and first and second opposed seat side surfaces separated by generally increasing distances from a narrower notch end to a wider notch end. There is an opening at the narrower notch end. An electronic component is seated within this test seat such that the first and second side surfaces of the electronic component rest against the first and second seat side surfaces. A side surface side margin on which is formed a wraparound electrode is exposed by an opening at the narrower notch end and a second side surface side margin on which is formed a second wraparound electrode is exposed by an opening at the wider notch end.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adaptable automatic machine for the orientation and aligned supply of lightweight hollow articles, comprising cavities (6) delimited by front, back and lateral walls (116), an open bottom enabling the passage of articles (A), support/stop configurations for the article (A) to confer a predetermined orientation to the article as it falls through said bottom, in addition to conduits for receiving and transporting the articles (A) beneath the cavities (6). The articles are displaced together in a closed circuit, support means being placed between the bottom of each cavity (6) and each corresponding conduit for temporarily retaining the articles (A) in said cavities (6) in part of the circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding to an automated analyzer a bulk quantity of vessels is provided. The bulk vessel feeding apparatus has a frame structure, a vessel hopper and an elevator chain supported by the frame structure. The elevator chain is driven by a drive sprocket and carries a plurality of scoopers for transporting the vessels from the hopper to a sorting and orienting mechanism. The sorting and orienting mechanism has two actuated rams for ejecting the vessels from the scoopers into a guide, while sorting and orienting the vessels, such that they are all headed by their closed ends when traveling in the guide. The guide leads to an escape mechanism for dispensing the vessels one at a time to the analyzer.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting and feeding identically shaped small objects has a funnel adapted to hold the objects and having a downwardly open outlet and a housing and a wheel together forming an arcuate passage generally centered on an axis and having an upper inlet end at the outlet and a lower outlet end so that the objects can enter the upper inlet end of the passage and move downward through the passage. The wheel has an outer periphery exposed in the passage and formed with a row of outwardly open pockets of a shape corresponding generally to a shape of the objects. The wheel is rotated such that its periphery moves upward in the passage so that the objects are separated from one another and aligned behind one another in the passage.

Abstract: A rotary orienting feeder is configured for singulating/orienting bulk volumes of articles. The feeder includes a rotatably driven feed disc, and a rotatably driven orienting bowl assembly which is positioned generally about the feed disc. The feed disc is driven about an axis which angularly intersects an axis about which the bowl is driven, whereby during operation articles are transferred from the feed disc to an upper flange portion of the bowl assembly. An outer guide fence, which may be provided with suitable tooling, cooperates with the bowl and the articles carried thereby to effect singulation/orientation. Economical and versatile manufacture and operation are achieved by forming an outer bowl of the orienting bowl assembly of non-metallic material, such as polymeric resin. Reduced weight, reduced power consumption, quieter operation, and gentler part handling are desirably achieved.

Abstract: The method and apparatus (10) for moving and positioning parts (150, 250, 350 or 450) on workpieces (160) is described. The apparatus includes a vibratory bowl (12), a conveyance and feed system and a positioning cylinder (82). The bowl aligns the parts and orients the parts using a gauge (16, 216, 316 or 416). The conveyance and feed system moves the parts through a conduit (34) using an escapement (44) to feed the parts one at a time to the positioning cylinder. The positioning cylinder has a pneumatic piston (90) with a piston rod (100) having an extension (102) and tip (104). An electromagnet (112) is mounted at one end of the positioning cylinder. When activated, the positioning cylinder extends the piston rod such that the tip extends into an opening (150D, 250D, 350D or 450D) in the part. The electromagnet is activated simultaneously and sends a charge down the piston rod which charges the extension which is constructed of a magnetic material.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding to an automated analyzer a bulk quantity of vessels is provided. The bulk vessel feeding apparatus has a frame structure, a vessel hopper and an elevator chain supported by the frame structure. The elevator chain is driven by a drive sprocket and carries a plurality of scoopers for transporting the vessels from the hopper to a sorting and orienting mechanism. The sorting and orienting mechanism has two actuated rams for ejecting the vessels from the scoopers into a guide, while sorting and orienting the vessels, such that they are all headed by their closed ends when traveling in the guide. The guide leads to an escape mechanism for dispensing the vessels one at a time to the analyzer.

Abstract: A generally cylindrically shaped feeder having a feeder housing defining a cavity bounded by an inner surface having a plurality of spiral grooves spaced apart from each other and extending from a front end to a back end of the inner surface of the feeder housing. A generally cone shaped end cap is dimensioned such that a cone base engages the back end of said cylindrically shaped feeder housing. The cap has an inner surface which faces the cavity and forms a plurality of grooves cut into the inner surface which extend radially from a cone top to the cone base and are spaced about a periphery of the end cap to align with corresponding spiral grooves in the feeder housing. A drive rotates the cylindrically shaped feeder about an axis of rotation to move parts along the pluralite of spiral grooves to the pluralite of radial grooves for delivery to a discharge zone at the top of said cone.

Abstract: A recirculating device receives parts in bulk which are bunched together. The device includes a cone-shaped rotating disk which receives the parts and redistributes the parts into separate units. The parts are delivered to an inner periphery of the cone of the cone-shaped disk and then slide down the inclined slope of the cone. As the parts slide down the rotating cone, they become spaced further apart due to the increase in radius of the outer periphery of the cone as compared with the radius of the inner periphery of the cone. The separated parts may then be effectively handled by a picker-type robot utilizing a vision system or sensors to discriminate the individual parts.

Abstract: Machine for aligning objects, such as variously shaped cylindrical containers to be fed to printing machines, filling machines, labelling machines or the like, comprises a rotary disc shaped as a cone with its vertex facing upwards, an underlying flat circular concentric disc the periphery of which projects beyond the edge of the upper disc and which is rotated in the same direction as but at a different speed from the upper disc, a fixed first portion of rigid cylindrical wall bounding a sector of said upper disc, and a second portion of curved wall adjustable in the radial direction and connecting the first wall overlying the edge of the upper disc to a deformable third wall extending from said second wall to lie in front of and at an adjustable distance from at least a portion of said first wall, said third wall being a flexible wall constructed of synthetic material and being supported by a series of supports, the distance of which from the centre of the machine is adjustable in synchronism.

Abstract: A relatively simple and small-sized drive mechanism for high-speed transfer of chip components. A transfer disc is disposed so that it may be inclined to a horizontal surface, and the disc has a transfer groove on the upper surface thereof, and has a cavity at the peripheral edge part of the transfer groove. A chip component is made to fall into the transfer groove in connection with the rotation of the transfer disc. The chip components are aligned in a predetermined direction, and one chip component is maintained in a cavity by effect of gravity. A conveying disc has cavities for receiving chip components from the transfer disc. Those cavities are provided at an equal pitch interval in the outer peripheral portions of the disc. When a chip-component is transferred from the transfer disc to a cavity, an adsorption hold is performed by an air suction hole provided in the cavity.

Abstract: An automatic loader has a vibrational feeding assembly for vibrationally feeding ferrules to a loader of a ferrule assembling machine. The vibrational feeding assembly has a frame for containing the ferrules and a guide channel having a transport surface along which the ferrules are vibrationally transported from the frame to the loader of the ferrule assembling machine. A detecting device detects an orientation of each ferrule while the ferrule is vibrationally transported along the transport surface of the guide channel. An expulsion device expels the ferrule back to the frame of the vibrational feeding assembly when the orientation of the ferrule detected by the detecting device does not correspond to a preselected orientation of the ferrule.

Abstract: A component feeder is provided in which damage to chip components is minimized, being capable of efficiently discharging chip components aligned in a line. A bulk case is attached on the top portion of an outer storage housing capable of being supplied by a large number of chip components. Chip components are supplied from the outer storage housing to an inner housing of a component-storage housing via a supplying path. A predetermined number of the chip components in the inner housing is fed at a time to the outer housing via a communicating path in accordance with rotation of a rotary drum so as to be dropped into an aligning groove and aligned by a lug member of the rotary drum. The number of components in the outer housing is reduced, resulting in high efficiency of aligning and reduced damage to components. The chip components slide down on the aligning groove to be discharged to a discharge path, via the gate, aligned in a line.

Abstract: A part-aligning apparatus is simple in structure, causes less damage to chip parts, and operates well even if its chip discharge passage is clogged or overflows. The apparatus has a part-holding chamber for accommodating a number of chip parts. An arc-shaped chute groove is formed in the inner surface of the bottom of the part-holding chamber to orient the chip parts in a given direction and to guide the sliding chips. A gate port is formed at the lower end of the chute groove to pass the sliding chip parts in series out of the apparatus. The discharge passage is formed tangent to the chute groove to align the passed chip parts in a row and to deliver the chip parts in sequence. A swingable plate having a blade is mounted inside the part-holding chamber. This blade urges any chip part which is stopped in the gate port due to an abnormal orientation toward a direction different from the direction in which the chip parts are discharged, thus removing clogging.

Abstract: Apparatus for single file transporting of bottles and molded articles from a mass of initially disposed horizontally and standing bottles and molded articles includes a receiving container made of dimensionally stable material, with the interior space of this container being open at the top and receiving a molded article in the horizontal position. Each receiving container removes an individual article from the mass of molded articles with the help of a transporting unit, and the molded articles and receiving container are together received by a processing machine.

Abstract: A part-aligning apparatus is provided which is not overly complex in structure, which reduces the damage to chip parts, and which operates well even if its chip discharge passage is clogged or overflows. The apparatus has a part-holding chamber for accommodating a number of chip parts. The chamber is formed between a stationary drum and a rotary drum. The rotary drum has an annular portion forming an outer wall of the part-holding chamber. An arc-shaped chute groove is formed in the inner surface of the annular portion. At least one gate hole extends through the annular portion and is in communication with the chute groove. An arc-shaped guide groove corresponding in position to the outer opening of the gate hole is formed in the inner surface of the stationary drum. A discharge passage is formed at the lower end of the guide groove. The rotary drum is rotated to align the chip parts and to deliver the chip parts into the discharge passage via the chute groove, the gate hole and guide groove.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for loading and positioning of elongate terminated electronic components include a load plate having vertical slots extending therethrough, the slots being spaced apart at regular intervals and each slot having parallel opposing sidewalls. Components are positioned and retained in the load plate slots with the long axes of the components in an orientation transverse to the upper surface of the load plate. At a predetermined time, each component is allowed to drop out of the slot and through a curved chute, the chute bending from an upper opening to a medial point and flaring outwardly from the medial point to a lower opening, and having a width at the medial point larger than the short axis of the component and a width at the lower opening slightly larger than the long axis of the component so that the component is rotated through about 90.degree. on passage through the chute.

Abstract: A parts feeding, presenting and/or orienting apparatus is provided having a rotatable disc for receiving parts from a hopper. The parts can slide from the disc onto a curved section of a conveyor or onto a linear section of conveyor or other discharge device. The rotatable disc can be vertically reciprocated and can have a plurality of ridges in order to preorient the parts. A downstream qualifier can return misoriented parts to the hopper for recirculation of the parts. The apparatus can operate from a slow to a fast speed. A robotic device can be used downstream of the qualifier and a return path can be provided in order to recirculate all parts, if so desired.

Abstract: A method and unit for orienting pump-operated caps, whereby a disorderly succession of caps, each having an elongated head and a draw tube extending from the head, is fed on a conveying surface to an engaging station. At the engaging station the draw tube of each cap is engaged by an orienting seat and an elastic cord. The seat is movable with respect to the elastic cord, and cooperates with the elastic cord to rotate the cap about a respective axis of rotation crosswise to the conveying surface, so as to impart a given orientation to the cap.

Abstract: Products advancing en masse, typically candy or chocolates, are aligned by a device comprising a drum, and inside the drum, a rotating disc by which the products are taken up from an infeed belt, aligned and oriented exploiting centrifugal force and directed onto a conveyor belt extending toward a wrapping machine; the top surface of the rotating disc incorporates an upwardly directed portion of concave profile serving to establish a path along which the effects of centrifugal force on the advancing products are suitably counteracted and controlled.

Abstract: A lid handling system employs a lid alignment assembly for aligning lids randomly placed on a rotating input disc, a lid separation assembly for separating lids spinning on a pair of horizontal spin bars into a counted stack, a vacuum pickup assembly for picking up a counted stack of lids, a pick and place assembly for transporting and placing stacks of lids into trays having upwardly bent side members, and a conveyor for conveying filled trays toward a carton.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting and feeding articles or parts that is particularly adapted for use in an automated assembly system and has a feeder bowl that includes a helical internal track which terminates at the upper edge of the bowl adjacent to an annular feeder ring mounted for selective rotational movement around the feeder bowl to receive parts P therefrom. A control circuit including a stationary camera positioned above the annular feeder ring acts to control rotational movement of the annular feeder ring by an operatively connected motor in order to bring successive portions of the annular feeder ring into a predetermined vision field of the camera in order that correctly oriented parts can be differentiated by incorrectly oriented parts and a signal then provided to a pick-and-place robot to remove the correctly oriented parts. A sweeper bar is positioned at a selected location to urge incorrectly oriented parts off of the annular feeder ring and back into the feeder bowl for recycling.

Abstract: A rotary puck conveying mechanism and method will qualify articles and place them within a puck or article handling device. This puck has a centrally disposed opening for receiving the articles. The mechanism includes a centrifugal feeder with a rotatable rim having a plurality of openings. Pucks are positioned beneath the openings in order to receive the articles. The pucks will be fed to the centrifugal feeder and aligned with the openings in the rim. The pucks will simultaneously move with these aligned openings beneath the rim. When the articles remaining on the rim are swept off of this rim, the pucks or at least a piece of the pucks can then be detached and conveyed away from the centrifugal feeder. The pucks are designed to maintain orientation of an article held therein even when the pucks are inverted. The pucks can also have a movable insert for exposing and orienting articles held therein.

Abstract: A parts arranger comprising a rotating disk (4) which has a plurality of part accommodating holes (6) for accommodating screws (5) arranged in a circumferential row or a plurality of concentric rows and is supported in a condition inclined at a predetermined angle .theta. relative to a horizontal plane, a circumference guide (7) which is disposed along an outer circumference of the rotating disk (4) so as to be substantially perpendicular to a surface of the rotating disk, and a stepping motor (1) which rotates the rotating disk (4) at a predetermined angle in a normal direction and then at a predetermined angle in a reverse direction.

Abstract: In an apparatus for inspecting small articles, such as in particular tablets, for obtaining a precise lining up of the articles there is a rotationally symmetrical separating body (4) rotatable about a vertical rotation axis (A), which has a substantially conical feed section (6) and a section (7, 8) for orienting and/or separating the articles (G) surrounded by a ring slot (S) at least corresponding to the thickness of the articles (G). The separating section (8) is subdivided into individual shafts (11) for receiving the articles (G) by ribs (9) circumferentially succeeding one another with a spacing at least corresponding to the width or diameter of the articles (G).

Abstract: A singulator for transporting and separating tires is provided having a disk with inverted cone shaped front surface at an angle .alpha., a center hub and a plurality of flights. Each extends from a side of the hub to an edge of the disk for dividing the disk's front surface into sections where each section is defined by two adjacent flights namely a leading flight and a trailing flight. A first element is connected to the disk for rotating the disk at a rearward angle .DELTA. with reference to a horizontal ground plane such the disk's front surface is at an angle .epsilon. where .epsilon.=.DELTA.-.alpha.. A hopper is mounted at a downward angle .gamma. and is semicircular in shape and has approximately the same radius as a radius of the disk. A chute is provided in the hopper for transporting tires in the hopper to a bottom area of the hopper such that a tire in the bottom area will stand upon its treads. The surface angle .epsilon. and the hopper angle .gamma.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing randomly received items, such as poultry carcasses, in a single file and for placing adjacent single filed items in a substantially equidistant spaced relationship 10 includes a rotatable cone 12 having an outer periphery 14, a conveyor belt 28 disposed about the outer periphery 14 of the rotatable cone 12, a guide wall 64 for effecting disposal of the items in a single file on the conveyor belt, a speedup conveyor section 160 for receiving and accelerating the single filed items, and an inclined conveyor section 162 having a plurality of substantially equidistantly spaced carriers 220 for receiving the items from the speedup conveyor section 160 and placing adjacently received items in a substantially equidistantly spaced relationship to each other.

Abstract: A rotary puck conveying mechanism and method will qualify articles and place them within a puck. This puck has a centrally disposed opening for receiving the articles. The mechanism includes a centrifugal feeder for supply a plurality of articles to an outer peripheral rim of the feeder. The rim is rotatable and has a plurality of openings. Pucks are provided beneath the openings in order-to receive the articles. Different devices are provided for agitating articles on the rim to cause them to fall through the openings into the pucks. If the articles eventually do not fall through the openings, a jet or other suitable device is provided for removing the articles from the rim. The pucks will be fed to the centrifugal feeder and aligned with the openings in the rim. The pucks will simultaneously move with these aligned openings beneath the rim. When the articles remaining on the rim are swept off of this rim, the pucks can then be detached and conveyed away from the centrifugal feeder.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An article handler for orienting and conveying flexible or thin articles. The article handler includes a centrifugal drum rotated about a central axis and a rotary disc disposed radially inward of a lower portion of the centrifugal drum. The centrifugal drum and rotary disc rotate simultaneously and a circumference of the rotary disc approaches a position adjacent to a ledge on an inner surface of the centrifugal drum at one location as the rotary disc rotates about a slanted axis. Articles which are introduced into the article handler become disposed on the ledge of the centrifugal drum in a singulated fashion. Improperly oriented articles are then removed from the ledge, and the properly oriented articles are removed from the ledge of the centrifugal drum by a beveled rotor in a similarly oriented fashion and conveyed to a packing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing items such as poultry carcasses in a single file is disclosed which includes a rotatable cone having an outer periphery, a conveyor belt dispersed about the outer periphery of the rotatable cone and a guide means for effecting disposal of the items in a single file.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting parts at high speed without undue wear on mechanical parts is disclosed. A mechanism for automatic removal of a defective part that is blocking the flow of parts is also provided. When a sensor downstream from the likely blockage point detects that there is no flow of parts, controlling means activate a number of steps in succession to remove the blocking part. Also disclosed are methods for achieving the desired performance of the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for aligning bodies supplied in a disordered fashion has a drum defined at the underside by a bottom which comprises at least first and second disks or annular disks arranged one above the other. The outside diameter of a disk or annular disk is smaller than the outside diameter of the disk or annular disk disposed immediately therebeneath. The lowermost disk or annular disk forms the bottom boundary of a generally annular channel whose radially inward boundary is formed by the peripheral portion of the disk or annular disk disposed above the lowermost one, the bottom of the drum thus being of a stepped configuration. The bodies are introduced into the drum and pass outwardly into the channel within which the bodies are then aligned to be transported forwardly in succession therein, and are finally passed out of the drum.

Abstract: Machine for automatically positioning and aligning containers, such as plastic bottles, including a hopper (48, 48a, 48b, 48c) for receiving randomly containers (4, 4a, 4b) to be sorted, a hopper bottom (12, 12a, 29) with a peripheral edge portion spaced at a distance from the side wall of the hopper to provide a space through which the containers can drop by gravity towards a lower section, a rotatable disc (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) below the hopper bottom and container holders supported on the disc for movement therewith and having recesses therein for receiving and holding containers in a lying position. A container support shelf (28, 59) with a discharge section extends below container holders for supporting containers in the holder recesses during movement.

Abstract: A device for ordering bulk fed confectionery products, wherein a continuously rotating annular accelerating and transfer element is interposed between the outer periphery of a discontinuously rotating central plate, designed to receive the products in bulk, and an annular conveyor having a number of pockets, each for receiving a respective product.

Abstract: Apparatus for orienting cap assemblies presented serially in a stream of random oriented cap assemblies, each cap assembly having a span between a leading edge and a trailing edge and an axis located intermediate the leading and trailing edges, the apparatus including a gate having opposite abutments spaced relative to the span and the axis of each cap assembly, and a rotor for advancing the cap assemblies through the gate such that a selected one of the leading edge and the trailing edge of each cap assembly will engage one of the opposite abutments as the cap assembly passes through the gate to turn the cap assembly into the desired orientation for delivery of a stream of uniformly oriented cap assemblies.

Abstract: An apparatus having a rotary member which utilizes various forces acting upon articles when rotated on a surface of the member for singulating the articles. The rotary member has a surface that forms an angle .theta. to a horizontal plane where the angle .theta. is between about 0.degree. and 200.degree.. A motor and coupling elements couple the motor to the surface and the surface is rotated about an axis at about 10 to 15 RPM. The surface of the device has a coefficient of friction with respect to the articles such that the articles entering onto the surface at the region of ingress are moved toward a stationary wall circumscribing the surface. Outboard articles, i.e., articles that are lodged in an abutting relationship with the wall, are translated while the inboard stacked articles, i.e.

Abstract: The method of orienting plastic pipe fittings in predetermined positions by passing the fittings downwardly through an inclined, rotating tube having a relatively smooth-walled bore so that the frictional agitation of the gravitating articles permits them to settle into a predetermined position with the center of mass in the lowermost possible position. The rate of rotation and the angle of incline are adjusted for different articles, and tubes of three different sizes are provided for interchangeable use. Two pairs of supporting rollers on opposite sides of the tube position are engageable with axially spaced annular collars on the tubes, the collars being sized to hold the tubes at the same discharge level and one of the rollers of each pair being driven by a variable speed motor to rotate the tube.

Abstract: A feeding device in accordance with the invention comprises a dosing wheel driven by a drive mechanism which rotates on a horizontal axis; a plurality of carrier shelves for receiving the components and attached to an inside periphery of the dosing wheel; an opening disposed in the dosing wheel for supplying the components to the carrier shelves disposed inside the dosing wheel; an inclined sorting groove projecting partly into the dosing wheel and having a V-shaped cross section and a bottom surface having a width corresponding to a width of the components; an open groove positioned between the sorting groove and a covered feeder channel with the open groove having a width which corresponds to the width of the components and with the feeder channel having a cross section corresponding to a cross section of the components; a first air nozzle positioned in front of the feeder channel for blowing away components which are incorrectly oriented to pass into the feeder channel; a forward directed second air nozzle

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically separating cuvettes supplied in bulk form to an analytical instrument, the cuvettes being suitable for the performance of photometric measurements on samples contained in the cuvettes. To automatically separate cuvettes, the apparatus contains a receiving station for receiving the cuvettes in bulk form. It also includes a device for separating cuvettes, the device having an inlet through which disordered cuvettes can be supplied to the device, and an outlet through which individual cuvettes successively leave the device. A device is provided for conveying disordered cuvettes from the receiving station to the inlet of the device for separation of the cuvettes.

Abstract: One or more kinds of plenty scattered parts are successively fed out of an automatic feed unit. The successive parts are then conveyed at a high speed by a conveyer belt. Then, the conveying belt is automatically shifted down to a low speed when a first parts detector detects that a leading end of the successive parts being conveyed at the high speed has arrived at a forward end of the conveyer belt. The conveyer belt is then automatically stopped temporarily when a second parts detector detects that the leading end of the successive parts being conveyed has fallen from a turn end of the conveyor belt which has been shifted down to the low speed.

Abstract: A precision feeding device for soft and hard packaged articles includes an angled rim for improved feeding and alignment. Separated rollers are placed between a rigid plate and a flexible disc to further enhance the operation and durability of the device.

Abstract: A machine for orienting randomly arranged articles by a hopper bowl having a rotary bottom support. The rotary bottom support has peripherally spaced openings which permit downward discharge of the articles. An article support self extending below said openings prevents article passage through said openings until the articles arrive at a discharge location. Said article support self having a duct which connects a plurality of holes in said self with a negative air pressure source so that the articles are held against said self while they are in said peripheral openings.

Abstract: A system for producing and distributing index coded hangers to a plurality of locations, wherein the index indicia is correlated to the characteristics of the garment to be hung from the hanger at each of the plurality of locations. A unique hanger and index cap is disclosed, along with a method and means of making the same that is particularly adapted to high volume semi-automated operation. A device for assembling the index cap and hanger at the time the garment is hung is also disclosed.The system contemplates the localized production of the index caps for improved control of batch color and other characteristics, with remote molding and assembly of the hangers at said plurality of remote locations.