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: A chuck apparatus for threading a cap having a spout onto a bottle has a chuck with opposing gripping jaws for gripping the cap; a chuck rotating assembly for rotating the chuck to thread the cap on the bottle; a shaft connected with the chuck and an assembly for epicyclically rotating the shaft about a central axis; a raising and lowering assembly for raising and lowering the chuck out of and into engagement with the cap; a coupling rotatably connected with the shaft, and a cam assembly for raising and lowering the coupling; a spout alignment assembly for maintaining the spout at a first predetermined orientation with respect to the bottle while the chuck is rotated to thread the cap on the bottle, and including a saddle for engaging the spout, and a rod extending coaxially and rotatably through the shaft, for supporting the saddle above the gripping jaws in the first predetermined rotational orientation; and a chuck aligning assembly for aligning the chuck in a second predetermined orientation with respect

Abstract: An orienter accepts trigger pump cap assemblies of the type in which a trigger is spaced from a cap along the pump housing of the cap assembly, the cap assemblies being presented serially in either one of first and second front-to-back orientations, and discharges the cap assemblies in only the second one of the orientations, the orienter including a pusher member which engages the pump housing of each cap assembly, as the cap assemblies travel downstream through the orienter, and pushes laterally against each pump housing to rotate the pump housing about the cap of those cap assemblies in the first orientation to reverse the front-to-back orientation of those cap assemblies so that all of the cap assemblies emerge oriented in the second orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting and delivering dispenser cap assemblies includes a transfer arrangement for accepting oriented cap assemblies from an orienter and stabilizing the cap assemblies into a stabilized stream of oriented cap assemblies for further operations, the transfer arrangement having a guide track with a gate section at a jam-prone portion of the guide track and a diverter section upstream of the gate section such that upon the occurence of a jam in the jam-prone portion, the gate section is actuated to open the jam-prone portion and clear the jam, and the diverter section is actuated to divert further cap assemblies away from the jam-prone portion until the jam is cleared.

Abstract: Method and apparatus in which dispenser cap assemblies of the type having a trigger-type pump cap and a dip tube are fed to a generally cone-shaped drum which rotates about a vertical axis and carries compartments within which the cap assemblies are moved in a generally spiral outward direction while moving axially downwardly to be oriented vertically, with the cap below the dip tube, the cap assemblies then being transferred to a turnover wheel which rotates about a horizontal axis so that the cap assemblies are inverted to re-orient each cap assembly into a position where each dip tube depends vertically downwardly from the respective cap, the cap assemblies then being passed to a horizontal conveyor for advancement to a discharge point where the cap assemblies are presented serially in a prescribed alignment and orientation, at a relatively high rate, for capping operations.