Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a rivet element supply unit for providing rivet elements, wherein the rivet element supply unit comprises a rivet element provision unit and a handling unit, wherein the rivet element provision unit for conveying the rivet elements comprises a spiral conveyor having a longitudinal axis and a spiral, which extends around the longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis is inclined to the direction of gravity, wherein the rivet element provision unit has a pick-up region to which the spiral conveyor supplies rivet elements and from which the handling unit picks up the rivet elements for transporting to a rivet element receptacle.

Abstract: An apparatus for making beverages comprising; an extraction chamber (6) formed between a first part (12) and a second part (13), which are movable; an insertion duct (18) for insertion of a capsule (2), (3) in the extraction chamber (6), the insertion duct extending from an infeed section (19) equipped with a closing element (20) that is movable between a closed position and a disengaged position, and that is in the closed position when the extraction chamber (6) is closed; and at least one first supporting element (21) positioned upstream of the infeed section (19), for supporting a second capsule (3) outside the extraction unit (5) while a first capsule (2) is positioned at the extraction chamber (6); the first supporting element (21) being mechanically switchable, by one of either the first part (12) or the second part (13) or the closing element (20), from an active configuration in which it can support the capsule (2), (3), to an inactive configuration which it adopts when the first part (12) and the sec

Abstract: The device for sealing containers comprises a container feeding device for an intermittent feed of containers in a transport direction, a cap feeding device having a plurality of cap gripper units; and a capping device movable in and opposite to a lowering direction. The capping device has a plurality of capping units corresponding to the plurality of cap gripper units in the cap feeding device. Each capping unit has a screwing-on mechanism at one end. Each screwing-on mechanism is adapted to pick up a cap and to seal the container with the cap in a lowered position of the capping device. The capping device and the plurality of cap gripper units of the cap feeding device are configured and arranged such that the plurality of cap gripper units of the cap feeding device are positively guided in the lowering direction.

Abstract: Device for facilitating the loading of capsules into a machine for dispensing capsules or for preparing drinks based on these capsules comprising: a detachable tube (2) containing stacked capsules (8) furnished with an opening (24) for the capsules to pass through the tube, means (4) of aligning the tube allowing the tube (2) to be aligned through a capsule receiving zone (5) for the capsules to descend by gravity into this zone. The alignment means (5) comprise means (6) for retaining the capsules in their stack when the tube (2) is moved with its opening (24) oriented downwards, in the direction of the position in which the tube is aligned with the reception zone (5).

Abstract: The tablet cassette includes a division block installed to be rotated by a drive motor to discharge tablets introduced from above through transfer passages indented in an outer circumferential surface thereof. Each of the transfer passage includes a separation recess for downward transfer of the tablets, a lower end of which is blocked by a prop, and a supply recess along which the tablets having passed through the separation recess are moved on the outer circumferential surface of the division block to thereby be discharged downward via rotation of the division block. The tablet cassette further includes a bottom ring provided around a lower end of the division block to transfer the tablets located in the separation recess into the supply recess via rotation of the division block.

Abstract: An apparatus for placement of seam tape to a roof or roof membrane. The apparatus comprises first and second sides spaced a distance apart, wherein each side includes a material axle opening and a pressure applicator orifice. The apparatus also comprises a removable pressure applicator having a first end and second end positioned in the pressure applicator orifices of the first and second sides. A support element may be operatively attached to the first and second sides, span the distance between the first and second sides, and positioned opposite the pressure applicator to support the apparatus. Additionally, a material axle may be positioned such that its ends are removably positioned in the material axle openings of the first and second sides. A closed front side may connect the first and second side, while an open stern may allow direct access to the pressure applicator, the support element, and the material axle.

Abstract: A kiosk and a method for dispensing items therefrom. In various embodiments, the kiosk comprises a shelf system for holding items to be dispensed from the kiosk and a gripper capable of transporting items from the shelf system to a dispenser. The shelf system preferably comprises a series of parallel shelves, each shelf capable of holding one dispensable item. When not in operation, the shelves of the shelf system remain in an inclined position, thereby preventing the items situated thereon from falling off the shelves. To dispense an item, the shelves are rotated into a substantially horizontal position so the gripper may engage the selected item and transport the item to a dispenser.

Abstract: The invention relates to a golf ball dispenser having an upper container which houses the golf balls and a flange which receives the balls from the container and which supplies the balls individually to a dispensing arm. The dispensing arm, which is disposed such that it is essentially vertical in the rest position, includes structure for pivoting around a horizontal axis when a golf ball is being dispensed, the pivot structure is disposed in the upper part thereof close to the above-mentioned flange.

Abstract: A bead feeder for serially delivering beads to a downstream location comprises a bead supply wheel which rotates about a vertical axis. The bead supply wheel includes a bead supply bowl and a plurality of radially arranged channels below the bowl connected to rotate with the bowl. Discharge openings in the bowl are in alignment with the radially arranged channels to delivery beads to those channels, and a bead receiving pocket is positioned at the outer end of each channel. A transfer wheel picks up beads from the bead receiving pockets and transfers those beads to a delivery wheel by vacuum transfer and release. The delivery wheel serially delivers the beads to the downstream location.

Abstract: Capsule-dispensing cabinet intended for supplying machines with the aim of preparing drinks or other food preparations, comprising: a body, a plurality of buffer storage housings (3, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35) forming a capsule buffer store, intended to be supplied by a plurality of removable tubes (2) containing stacked capsules, each tube and buffer storage housing (3) being arranged relative to one another so as to form an aligned stack of capsules. Each buffer storage housing (3, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35) comprises individual selection means (5) enabling a capsule contained in the stack to be released and collection means (6, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65) enabling the capsule thus released to be collected.

Abstract: A pill-dispensing apparatus for automatically dispensing solid pills includes a plurality of storage units and a pill dispensing module. The storage units store pills in bulk and each include a hopper and an auger movably positioned with respect to the hopper. An inlet of the auger is positioned to receive pills from the hopper. The pill-dispensing module includes: a dock for receiving and holding a selected one of the storage units, a drive unit for rotating the auger to motivate the pills along the auger, a pill counter for counting pills dispensed from an auger outlet, and a lift for tilting the hopper to control flow and to assist in motivating pills to fall from the hopper and move along the auger.

Abstract: A tablet cassette in which a tablet is not discharged during a mounting or dismounting operation of the tablet cassette. The tablet cassette (1) incorporates a rotor (6) having pocket portions (7) for holding tablets (T). When the tablet cassette 1 is mounted on a mount base (2), rotation of the rotor (6) causes the tablets (T) held in the pocket portions (7) to be discharged though a discharge port (8). The tablet cassette (1) includes a press member (16) which is pressed when the tablet cassette (1) is mounted on the mount base (2) and a rotor reversing member (19) for reversing the rotor (6) by a predetermined quantity in conjunction with pressing of the press member (16).

Abstract: A screw feeder adapted for rapid changeover of screw types. The feeder has a collator section having a floor with slots to collate random screws into rows and an enclosure about the floor for retaining random screws on the floor. The screws are collated by tilting the floor in the slotted direction to raise and lower the upstream end relative to the downstream end and are fed downstream along the slots into slots in a dispensing section. The collator section enclosure has a gate closure at the upstream end of the floor and the slots on the floor extend completely to the upstream end so that, with the gate open and the collator section oscillated to tilt the slots downward toward the upstream end, the screws in the slots will slide to the upstream end and out of the enclosure.

Abstract: A medicine container comprises an upstanding body having an open mouth and a hollow interior bounded by a sidewall and a separator secured in the body and defining upper and lower compartments, the upper compartment opening into the body open mouth, the lower compartment being accessible while the separator is secured in the body.

Abstract: A device used in the tobacco-processing industry for emptying a container filled with rod-shaped articles into a magazine, in which the container has an open upper narrow side and an open wide front side. The device includes a container holder that accommodates the container and which can be tilted by 180° so that the container assumes an emptying position above the magazine. The container holder includes an article support comprising two support strips mounted for being adjacent and movable relative to the open narrow side of the container. An actuation mechanism is connected to the article support for effecting an opening movement in which the two support strips undergo a vertical drop movement and a horizontal spreading movement in which the two movable strips move in opposite directions to respective sides of the container to allow the articles to be released from the container.

Abstract: This apparatus and method for dispensing lids, such as plastic cup lids for drinking cups, one-by-one from a nesting stack of lids disposed slidable inside a vertically oriented elongated housing, such stack being initially supported from underneath the bottommost lid by a pair of lateral pivoting support plate members. Operating the dispenser by depressing a yoke-lever member urging a symmetrical outboard pair of resilient flat spring jaws laterally inward, engaging from opposing sides, flanged outer rim on such cup lid that immediately overlays the bottommost lid, causing the overlaying cup lid to be flexed, lifted, and ovally distorted. Such oval distortion wedges the overlaying lid between the resilient flat spring jaws and against the inner wall of the elongated housing vertically supporting the overlaying lid and all lids lying thereon. Further action of the yoke-lever will move the pair of support plates to an unsupporting position allowing bottommost lid to fall free, dispensed.

Abstract: The invention is a replacement cap applied to pill medication bottles having a transparent hollow storage compartment on the top of such lid, into which a daily dosage of the medicine is placed, enabling the user to visually determine whether the daily dosage of medication has been taken.

Abstract: A candy dispensing character is provided with a candy dispensing body, a hollow candy reservoir disposed in the candy dispensing body and sized to hold a plurality of candy pieces, a movable candy dispensing bin attached to the candy dispensing body and being movable between a closed position and an open position in which a portion of the candy dispensing bin extends outwardly from the candy dispensing body so that a piece of candy may be removed from the candy dispensing bin. The candy dispensing character is also provided with a biasing mechanism that causes the candy dispensing bin to be biased towards the closed position and a support, such as a pair of legs, coupled to the candy dispensing body that is shaped so as to be capable of supporting the candy dispensing body in a standing position.

Abstract: A note pad dispenser arranged to selectively lift a single web of an underlying note pad is provided, with the note pad having a reusable adhesive strip of each leaf of the note pad, with each adhesive strip arranged in a superimposed orientation relative to one another in the stack of leaves of the pad. A base member is arranged with a base member top wall pivotally mounting a platform. The platform is constructed with a platform top wall spaced from a platform bottom wall arranged in a facing relationship relative to the base top wall and pivotally mounted relative thereto. The platform includes an abutment member arranged to accommodate a stack of individual leaves to define a pad, with each of the leaves having an adhesive strip arranged in an aligned relationship relative to one another relative to the pad, with the adhesive strips positioned at a forward end of the pad, and the forward end of the pad in abutment with the abutment member.

Abstract: An easy load elevating hopper for a bottle capping machine having a stationary dispensing hopper is provided and contains a mechanism that includes a chain and two sprocket assembly for raising a bin from a lowered charging position, to an elevated discharging position, relative to the stationary dispensing hopper on the bottle capping machine.

Abstract: A receptacle having a floor with parallel slots to receive and collate screws in a collating section and to queue them in a queuing section of the slots which has an intersecting escapement for depositing screw individually into receivers. The receptacle reciprocates to tip the slots downwardly in one slot direction and then the other. A retainer overlying the queuing section excludes loose screws and retains the queued screws in the slots during tipping. The retainer moves away from the slots when the receptacle is tipped downward toward the collating section to permit displaced screws to clear to the collating section. A gate at the leading edge of the retainer closes off the margin between the retainer and the floor to entry under the retainer of loose screws outside the slots. Screw conduits leading from the escapement reciprocate with the receptacle and connect with stationary receivers through articulations.

Abstract: A low cost high speed counter and dispenser of tickets includes a feed roll and a hopper for feeding cards tangentially onto the feed roll. A pair of nip rolls rotating at a higher peripheral speed than the feed roll opens a gap between the trailing edge of one ticket and the leading edge of the next ticket that is detected by a photodetector cell providing an input for a digital counter. A D.C. motor drive is used which is dynamically braked when a desired count is reached. A collector bin includes a detector for determining if the bin is empty to automatically initiate a new dispensing cycle, if desired.

Abstract: A coin dispenser is disclosed which provides an agitator in the form of a rotatable plate having a surrounding ring which is used to agitate the coins so that the coins are constantly agitated as coins are being dispensed. A unique exit construction to minimize the dispensing of double coins and the jamming of coins at the exit location is also provided. A floating intermediate member is provided between the rotatable plate and reservoir which can move during dispenser operation to help prevent coin jamming at the reservoir/rotatable plate interface. The flow of coins to the rotatable plate may be controlled by a coin/token weight actuated pivoting reservoir.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for forming a buffer store of articles, including stackable or restable articles such as cups, plate-or disc-shaped objects, or covers. The apparatus includes supply means for feeding the articles, at least one storage tube for receiving the articles, and discharge means for discharging the articles. The bottom end of the storage tube is selectively connectable to the supply means and the discharge means. Preferably, the storage tube is supported by a pivotable suspension so that it can be swung between a first position proximate to the supply means and a second position proximate to the discharge means.

Abstract: An automatic cup dispensing arrangement for separating the bottommost cup from a stack of cups supported in a cup dispenser. The cup dispenser is pivotally mounted about a substantially horizontal pivot, about which the cup dispenser is cyclically pivoted to allow the cup stack to cyclically swing through a dispensing travel arc during a dispensing cycle. A pair of opposed cup separating members are mounted on opposite sides of the stack of cups in the cup dispenser along the dispensing travel arc. The opposed cup separating members are spaced a distance apart substantially equal to the width of a cup just beneath the cup rim, and each of the pair of opposed cup separating members comprises at least one cup separating wedge positioned opposite to a corresponding cup separating wedge in the oppositely positioned cup separating member. The oppositely positioned cup separating wedges cooperate to separate the bottommost cup from the cup stack as the cup dispenser is pivoted along the dispensing travel arc.

Abstract: The invention specifies a method and a device for supplying assembly parts which adhere to or entangle with each other. Individual assembly parts are extracted from an unsorted quantity of assembly parts in a separating or singling operation. These are aligned in a predetermined position and delivered to a delivery point. A partial quantity of separated or singled assembly parts aligned in a predetermined position is formed during a scooping operation. The assembly parts of this partial quantity are extracted singly and in aligned form.

Abstract: A vending machine having a casing enclosing a tiltable hopper cooperating with a feeding-out device. The hopper is suspended upon shelves located at the side walls of the casing, and comprises two series of pockets arranged back to back, the hopper being tiltable in two directions. The hopper does not have any permanent attachment to the tilting mechanism or to the feeding-out device, and can thus easily be fitted into the casing and be removed therefrom, respectively.

Abstract: A hopper tray for receiving a bulk array for articles, all the same oblong shape and size, is disposed on one side of an elongated conveyer. The tray is angularly movable between an up position at which articles on the tray are discharged onto the conveyer and a down position. The articles are transported one at a time, to a zone at which they are stopped by their contact with a stop plate and their arrival is indicated by a signal fed from a photodetector to a controller. A failure of an article to timely arrive at the zone indicates a probable jamming upstream of articles, and the controller responds to cause a temporary reverse movement of the conveyer tending to relieve the jam. The article stopped by the plate is, if at an angle, reoriented to bear flush against the plate, either lengthwise or widthwise to the conveyer, by the force exerted on the articles by the continuing movement of the conveyer. A probe senses whether the articles have been oriented lengthwise or widthwise.

Abstract: A dispenser for closures ejects an end-most closure contained in a pivotably mounted housing for closing a bag. The closures are formed with a hole and a cut leading from one side to the hole. In one embodiment, the dispenser is wall mounted such that a weight may be used for feeding closures to a dispensing position. A second embodiment uses a spring feed for urging the closures to the feeding position. The housing is formed with facings slots at the front end thereof, a pusher being mounted on a base member. When the housing is pivoted toward the base member, the pusher extends through one slot to displace the end-most closure through the other slot. The dispenser may include cams on either side of the dispensing slot for spreading the portions of the closure on each side of the cut, thereby faciliating application of the closure element to the neck of a bag.

Abstract: A device for the positioning and individual feeding of nails comprises a nail filling container which is pivotal upwards and downwards about a horizontal pivot shaft and in the bottom of which there are formed one or more slots which are substantially perpendicular to said pivot shaft and in which the shanks of the nails can be accommodated while the nails are maintained suspended by their upper parts, for instance their heads.

Abstract: The apparatus and technique enable a fisherman to store a batch of fish bait morsels on his body in such a way that when he needs one, he can isolate it from the batch and pluck it out of storage on the hook of his line, or between the thumb and one finger of his free hand. According to the technique, a support is formed on his body opposite the front thereof, and a device is pivotally mounted on the support which is adaptable to form an open-ended container for the morsels. The device is swingable between a first position in which the morsels are retained in the container against discharge through the end opening of the same by gravity, and a second position in which one or more morsels tend to discharge through the end opening of the container by gravity. In addition, a recess is formed on the device into which a morsel or morsels can discharge from the end opening of the container when the container is swung between the first and second positions thereof, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for producing a serial flow of balls comprising a ball feeding apparatus cooperating with means for rotating it about an axis. The apparatus comprises: (a) a container for receiving balls to be fed having a wall symmetrically disposed about said axis and a base fixed to and enclosing one end of this wall, the base having at least one outlet port extending therethrough and spaced along its periphery; and (b) at least one tubular member corresponding to the port, the member being fixed at one end to the base at the port, curving away from the base and towards the axis, for leading balls away from the container to an outlet at the other end of the tubular member. The tubular member has its outlet in closer proximity to the axis than the port on the container base.

Abstract: A document feeder for advancing original documents to the exposure platen of an electrophotographic copier which is capable of operating in either a semiautomatic or fully automatic mode. In the semiautomatic mode, an original to be copied is manually inserted face up into an inlet where it is engaged by the semiautomatic transport assembly inverted and advances to a proper position for copying. After exposure the document is again inverted and guided into a receiving tray overlying the platen. In the automatic mode of operation, a second tray normally maintained in an inoperative position is swung down to a position at which its feed end is adjacent the feeder inlet. Documents to be copied are placed face up as a stack in the second tray, and feed rollers carried by the tray are actuated to advance documents individually from the stack to the inlet.

Abstract: A soda straw dispenser consisting of a fixed body having an outlet for a single straw, a container movable within said body member and also having an outlet for a single straw, an ejector member carried by the container, the ejector member normally being open to the container for receiving a single straw therein, and mechanism carried by the container and operable to close the ejector member to the container and open it to the container outlet, when the body and container outlets are in registering relation.

Abstract: A dispenser for split retaining rings includes a base, a bracket mounted on the base, a ring-retaining rail pivotably mounted to the bracket and a guide passage for a ring-removal tool. Lateral displacement of the rail is prevented by maintaining opposite sides of the rail in contact with stationary surfaces. The base is formed of a single piece of formed sheet metal and includes a bracket supporting platform and folded portions which prevent sagging of the platform. Frictional wear of the platform is prevented by a wear plate mounted thereatop. The ring-retaining portion of the rail is designed to accommodate a wide variety of retaining rings, including rings with and without a center prong. The dispenser is assembled at the time of manufacture with the rail permanently disposed with proper clearance above the guide passage.