Abstract: An apparatus for handling objects such as container lids utilizes a separator assembly comprising a downwardly extending chute having an essentially L-shaped cross-section, for the rotation of the lids from a vertical disposition, to a horizontal disposition upon their ejection on to a horizontal conveyor or the like. An endless, movable platform is adjacent the chute and is adapted for downward movement in a line of travel that is essentially parallel and inboard of the chute. A plurality of cleats are mounted on the movable platform, and sweep through the channel within the chute, to urge the container lids to enter and make full traverse without jamming of the assembly, or damage to the lids. The present assembly is capable of high speed operation with minimal jamming and container lid damage.

Abstract: Individual assembly parts are separated from a coherent mass of the parts resting on a support by randomly sub-dividing the mass into clusters by continuously and successively lifting randomly selected clusters off the support and dropping the lifted clusters thereon until the mass is resolved into clusters and the clusters are further resolved. The continuous and successive lifting and dropping of the clusters causes continuously changing portions of the mass and clusters to rest on the support and the support is continuously and successively relieved of the weight of the randomly selected lifted clusters of assembly parts. The resolved clusters are singled into individual assembly parts and the individual parts are removed from the support to a conveyor where they are oriented.

Abstract: Carrier attachments on a roller chain receive a bottle cap for printing at a loading station formed at the discharge end of a downwardly-inclined chute. A top constrainment member is normally spaced from the top of the carrier attachments at the loading station by a distance less than the height of the bottle caps in the supply chute to prevent advancement of the caps until an underlying carrier attachment advances beyond the bottom support surface of the cap. The constraining member is resilient to urge the article into the space between the attachments according to one embodiment or according to a second embodiment, the article drops onto a carrier. The article is supported by surfaces on guide rails during movement to a printing station by the conveyor.

Abstract: A device for disentangling bundles of concrete-reinforcing steel bars comprises a storage bed composed of a number of frame units each of which defines a respective upwardly opening V-shaped recess, the bars being received in the recesses and the frame units being spaced apart longitudinally of the bars with the recesses mutually aligned. A plurality of lifters intermesh with the frame units, each lifter being vertically movable in a space defined between a respective adjacent pair of the frame units and including a middle part having a flat upper surface whose width perpendicular to the bars is intermediate the width of an upper end of each recess and the width of a lower end of each recess. Means is also provided for raising and lowering the lifters.

Abstract: An apparatus for particular use in delivering leadless, tubular ceramic capacitors or like electronic components from a receptacle, containing a random pile of such components, to templates for the prearrangement of the components, preparatory to their attachment to printed circuit boards. The apparatus includes a vacuum pickup assembly for repeatedly picking up the components, at least one at a time, in the receptacle and depositing them on an entrance guide of approximately V-shaped cross section extending from an inclined, rotatable, tubular chute. The entrance guide functions to direct the components into the chute in alignment, for delivery to a desired location. After the pickup assembly deposits a component or components on the entrance guide each time, the entrance guide and the chute are bidirectionally rotated through a preassigned angle in each direction to facilitate the entrance of the component or components into the chute.

Abstract: An allocating means for sorting or allocating of side boards individually immediately after sawing of logs into a main yield and an number of side boards. The allocating means comprises a longitudinal conveyor (10) for the main yield and movable support rolls (11, 12) for the side boards. Below the support rolls there are disposed stops (16, 17) for the side boards and in level with the stops there are disposed arresting means in the form of suction plates (18, 19) adapted to first hold one side board of each pair whereas the other one of that pair is permitted to fall into a compartment of a cross-conveyor, and then to free also that second side board of the pair so that it falls into a further compartment of the cross-conveyor for individual transport to a place for further handling.

Abstract: A rotary feeder mechanism capable of attachment to and synchronized operation with a variety of different types of fruit juice extracting apparatus, in which a fruit receiving hopper is rotatable about a generally vertical or tilted axis of rotation, the received fruit being moved under centrifugal force to the hopper periphery area containing entrance openings to depending magazines in which the fruits are stored in stacked relation. The lower ends of the magazines are respectively arranged with a pair of spaced-apart gating fingers which are controlled by separate cam tracks to successively release the lowermost fruit in the magazine, while opposing release of the other fruits in the magazine, at a predetermined point of the hopper rotation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of reheating, storing and conveying metal bars or rounds cast by continuous casting processes whereby uniform bar temperature is achieved, lengthwise and cross sectionally, prior to rolling, cutting and other secondary operations, and discloses apparatus for practicing the novel process concepts. Cast metal bars having varying heat content throughout their length and cross section have their local heat content restored by heaters at a variable rate proportional to the energy required to produce a substantially uniform temperature throughout the bar length end cross section. The reheated bars are stored in a inventory control and soaking furnace for a duration at least sufficient to permit the energy absorbed by the bars during reheating to uniformly dissipate throughout the bars, and and bars of uniform temperature are released from the furnace at a controlled rate for subsequent processing.

Abstract: A conveyor for sorting and arranging in single file randomly received articles is disclosed. The unscrambling device has an acticle conveying surface consisting of skewed rollers divided into a number of zones arranged in tandem along the conveyor. The rollers in each zone from infeed to discharge are driven at increasingly higher speeds with the zones overlapping in such a manner that abrupt speed changes occur in steps both lengthwise and laterally of the conveyor. The articles are biased to one side of the conveyor which side is equipped with an article contacting rail divided into segments at least some of which are inclined to impart a jostling effect to the articles.

Abstract: A singulator for separating a discrete object from a mass of such objects has a rotary, horizontal table on the central top portion of which the mass of objects is randomly arrayed. There are radial pockets at the top periphery of the table. The pockets are alternately opened and closed at their inner ends as the table rotates, preferably by triangular gates at the entry ends of the radial pocket walls. The gates are operated by levers actuated by a stationary cam as the table rotates with respect thereto. As they open and shut, the gates let one object at a time move from the central top portion of the table into a receiving pocket. A driving belt disengages from the wall ends to open the pockets to discharge at their outer ends for part of the table rotation. The belt reengages the pocket walls to close the pockets against discharge for the rest of the table rotation.

Abstract: A circular mail singulator is provided having a continuous spiral baffle which is disposed immediately above a rotating annular table with a frictional top surface, there being a central cone for the delivery of envelopes into the inner convolution of the spiral and a linear conveyor tangential to the outermost convolution to receive envelopes delivered therefrom and, without interrupting the envelope speed, deliver the envelopes into a stamp cancelling machine.

Abstract: A high speed machine which successively removes unbound book pad strips from the bottom of a stack and feeds them toward a glueing machine. The feeder is adapted for different strip sizes including larger sizes and comprises stack guide device disposed above synchronized, rotating, slotted discs which support the forward edge of the stack bottom. The strips in the stack are provided with cardboard separators therebetween and a knife enters the stack bottom and lifts all except the lowermost strip to permit the leading edge of the first slotted disc to enter. The rotating discs progressively push the leading edge of the lowermost strip downwardly past a group of rollers. These rollers, which are movably mounted, are then depressed to press the lowermost strip against an endless belt. The belt carries the stack to a rotating carriage which will deposit the stack in the glueing machine.

Abstract: An article handling system for cans and the like, wherein improved means are employed for selectively isolating individual cans from a substantially continuously recirculating mass or plurality of cans and for, therafter, transferring the isolated cans in single file fashion away from said recirculating mass of cans to a discharge station located somewhat remote from the recirculating mass of cans in such a fashion as to avoid adverse interference with the normal movements of the recirculating mass of cans. The single file movement of the isolated cans is then continued as the isolated cans are individually transferred from the discharge station to a further location.

Abstract: A vibration or shaking feeder combined with a drum which is rotated at high speed is disclosed. The vibration feeder includes a container having a helical ledge around the inner wall of the container for making articles in the container travel to rise up the helical ledge by vibratory motion of the container. The articles advanced up to the uppermost ledge are transferred to the outer drum rotated at high speed and fed to a next stage for further processing.

Abstract: An oscillating feeding apparatus has an oscillating cup and a storage hopper. A rotatably driven separating disc is at the foot of the storage hopper and, at the lower edge of the storage hopper, there is provided an annular output opening which is closed by a flexible annular curtain. A separating disc defines a spiral path so that the parts are urged individually through the annular curtain into the oscillating cup.

Abstract: A timber-conveying method and apparatus according to which a batch of timber is delivered by any suitable delivery structure onto a conveyer. This conveyor provides for the batch of timber delivered thereto an initial path of movement which has with respect to a horizontal plane an inclination, if any, which is small enough to provide for conveying not only of those timber pieces which directly engage the conveyer but also of timber pieces which are on top of the pieces engaging the conveyer. The conveyer provides for the timber a path of movement subsequent to the initial path of movement and inclined upwardly with respect to a horizontal plane at an angle which is substantially greater than the inclination, if any, of the initial path of movement.

Abstract: The device for the removal of rod-like articles from a hopper in which a bulk supply of articles is provided and a rotating fluted drum is arranged to form the bottom wall of the hopper so that the articles are removed from the hopper by being picked by the flutes of the drum, presents the feature that each flute of the rotating drum has a depth so as to be capable of housing at least two superposed articles. The flutes filled with the articles come out of the hopper zone and a stripper takes out from each flute just one article, while the other article, if two of them were present in the flute, is again inserted in the operational cycle of the flute.

Abstract: A board separator apparatus for separating boards from groups of boards is described. The separator apparatus includes an input conveyor for feeding the groups of boards in a vertical position longitudinally into a transfer box, which is pivoted to transfer the boards onto an elevator member in the separation means. The elevator member lowers each group of boards into a separation position where they are held by a pressure plate against separator arms. The separator arms are moved outward into three different separator positions, thereby selectively causing three boards in a group to be moved one at a time off of the elevator into a separated condition. The separated boards slide down a ramp from the elevator member onto an output conveyor which transports the boards laterally away from the separator in a horizontal position. The boards are fed onto the output conveyor with the wane side of the boards facing up when such boards are cants cut from the side of a round log.

Abstract: An unscrambling apparatus for bars of material, including lumber which is unloaded in a bulk pile onto said unscrambler to be arranged for individual delivery from the discharge end of the apparatus comprising an elongated stationary frame having rails to receive said bulk at one end, an advancing frame operable sequentially to raise and advance said bars and including means to gradually arrange the bars in a limited row from the outer end of which control means are actuated for the outermost bar to be moved by flipping means to remove said outermost bar from the machine for transfer to further machines or operations.

Abstract: High speed feeding, counting, orienting and storing of small parts such as ammunition, candy, pills, machine screws, nuts, miniature containers and the like. The articles are radially distributed upon a rotating planar surface having an axis; the articles are then advanced upon a plurality of peripherally spaced spindles or rollers which extend radially outwardly from the axis. The articles are then discharged from the spindles. The spindles may be of the idler or power driven type enabling the sorting of heavy parts. For example, the spindles may be rotated at a speed proportional to the rotational speed of the inner axis, such that the high surface speed of the individual rollers will enhance discharge, alternatively, the rollers may be rotated at a speed lower than the rotational speed of the inner axis which will enhance radial distribution prior to discharge.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus employing a cleated endless conveyor belt to receive and convey plastic containers on to an orientation apparatus provided with like cleated endless conveyor belt, moving in synchronism with the conveying apparatus. A pair of rotatable brushes positioned along and above the conveying apparatus causes containers to individually and separately lodge within the spaces between the cleats as they advance in a forward direction along the endless conveyor belt. A cross belt disposed along the downward travel of the conveyor belt engages the containers and moves them in a lateral direction within the spaces between the cleats until container engagement with an abutment at the edge of the conveyor belt. After traveling through a prescribed course on the conveyor apparatus belt, the respective containers are individually discharged through a passage in the conveyor apparatus on to respective spaces on the advancing orientation apparatus belt cleats.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus for caps which are made of magnetic substance to feed the caps of bottles to a cap placing apparatus one by one in good order in a continuous manner, in which said feeding apparatus comprises: a magnetic first conveyor belt to attract and transfer the caps from a hopper; a baffle to remove overlapping caps on said first conveyor belt; a second conveyor belt to select out the caps which are in the wrong position; a guide passage to feed the caps one by one to said cap placing apparatus; a set of an inclined guide fence and a swingable fence to define a guiding section; an outlet to discharge excess caps; and a swinging means to swing said swingable fence.

Abstract: A loose piece feeder comprising a slotted, inclined track extending down at an angle .alpha. from a cylindrically-shaped reservoir holding small terminals or pieces to an applicator station. The slotted track enters the reservoir through a window in the bottom of the side wall thereof and extends across the cylinder bottom along a chord line thereof which lies below the axis of the tilted reservoir. A brush oscillates back and forth across the track slot within the reservoir and, when moving away from said window, tends to brush away improperly seated connectors, and, when moving towards said window, tends to properly seat said connectors in said track slot and to push said properly seated connectors out of said window and down said inclined track towards said work station, aided by vibrating the entire system.

Abstract: A machine for conveying similarly shaped articles in a single file is disclosed comprising drive and return conveyors with said drive conveyor having a loading portion and a discharge portion. A plurality of similarly shaped articles are loaded at the loading portion of the drive conveyor. A separator separates the articles in a single file on the drive conveyor and ejects articles from the drive conveyor which vary from the single file. The return conveyor forms an angle relative to the drive conveyor for receiving the ejected articles from the drive conveyor to return the ejected articles on the return conveyor to the drive conveyor.

Abstract: A high capacity device for reliably sorting pieces of fruit from a bulk supply into individual cups for processing. The fruit is received in bulk in a hopper, a side of which is open to a center hub of a connected pair of feed wheels revolving coaxially in spaced horizontal relation. Each feed wheel carries a plurality of radially-extending through passages about its periphery. Each passage carries at least two individual pieces of said fruit simultaneously. An outward, exit end of each passage is normally blocked by cammable gate fingers. The feed wheels are rotatably synchronized with a pair of chains engaged with sprockets attached to the feed wheels and carrying therebetween a conveyor carrying the fruit cups. The speed of revolution of the feed wheels is sufficient to keep an outermost one of the fruit pieces lodged adjacent the gate fingers.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying cops from bulk storage to a usage station through intermediate storage points which includes a first conveyor belt which is sloped substantially upwardly carrying lateral limiting dividers to define single cop compartments, a second substantially horizontal or downwardly sloped conveyor belt, carrying pivotal limiting dividers to define single cop compartments whereby the limiting dividers for forming the single cop compartments pivot downwardly; an intermediate storage point substantially parallel and above the second belt carrying lateral guides for the cops and a frontal stop at the end of the intermediate storage point. At least one compartment of the first conveyor belt substantially coincides with one compartment of the second conveyor belt at a temporary position where they are both halted at the same time. The first belt moves step by step out of phase with the second belt which moves step to step.

Abstract: An accumulator is formed alongside the main feed portion of a vibratory object feeder having a vibrated base covered with inclined pile material, and the accumulator is formed by arranging the pile in different bristle inclination directions. A removal portion of the accumulator receives objects crowded out of the feed portion, and a re-entry portion of the accumulator moves the crowded-out objects back into the feeder portion. The bristle inclination directions of the pile material in the accumulator cooperate to move the crowded-out objects in a generally arcuate swirl that re-enters the objects into the feed path as soon as space is available. A small number of crowded-out objects form a small diameter swirl, and the swirl diameter increases with increase in the number of crowded-out objects to accumulate as many objects as desired.

Abstract: A general purpose part feeder is disclosed based on a modified conventional bowl feeder, the modifications including the lining of the bowl spiral trough with a fiber material which upon induced vibratory motion causes advancement of the parts in a particular direction dependent on the orientation of the material with respect to the trough and also including an intermittent mode of operation. The fiber material is disposed in the trough in segments oriented such that the part velocity varies in different sections of the trough so that the parts are separated in the last trough section proximate the feeder outlet. Parts are fed out of the bowl feeder singly by means of a photodetector-timer relay control which causes the bowl feeder to be operated in intervals so as to advance a part to the exit point whereat the photodetector detects its presence and causes the bowl to be shut off.

Abstract: An apparatus for destacking a substantially spiral-shaped formed stack of printed products, wherein the printed products partially bear upon one another in overlapping formation. There is provided a stack support for the reception of the stack of printed products at its support surface means. Further, a rotational drive serves to place into rotation the stack of printed substantially spiral-shaped formed stack of printed products supported upon the stack support about the axis of the spiral, there being provided a stationary opening or throughpassage at the stack support following which there is arranged an outfeed conveyor.

Abstract: Takeout apparatus for a blow molding machine which includes a turret assembly having a plurality of article pickup heads which may be suction operable and telescopically mounted to facilitate clearing closely adjacent components during removal of the articles from the molds, turret assembly positioning means for swingably moving the assembly into and out of operative position adjacent the periphery of the path of movement of the molds and drive means for turning the assembly in synchronism with the blow molding machine which may include a clutch operative to cut off power to the turret shaft when the turret assembly is in inoperative position yet while the blow molding machine is operating. The pickup heads may be selectively associated with a positive pressure source to facilitate urging the removed articles onto a downstream conveyor.