Abstract: Articles that pass an inspection station seriatim are removed from their subjacent conveyor or not, depending on the results of inspection, by an ejection device which is a pair of vertically superposed horizontal chains that carry between them upright holders on each of which is mounted a rod for vertical swinging movement from an upright inactive position, to a horizontal outwardly projecting active position. Depending on the results of inspection, one of these rods will be pushed down to the lowered or active position to come into registry with the article to be ejected. The endless chains converge toward the conveyor on which the inspected articles rest, so that the rods progressively push the defective articles from their subjacent belt onto a discharge belt, after which the rods are swung back up to their inactive raised position.

Abstract: A process for separating limestone ore particles from gangue particles comprises the steps of (1) conditioning the mixed particles with an agent comprising a compound having both a surface-selective functional group and a fluorescent moiety, to selectively coat either the ore particles or the gangue particles, to the substantial exclusion of the other; (2) irradiating the mixture to cause fluorescence in the coated particles; and (3) separating the fluorescing, coated particles from the substantially uncoated particles. The process may be used to separate by coating either the ore particles or the gangue particles.

Abstract: An article holder and dispenser including a vertically extending elongate hollow container especially suitable for storing and dispensing a stack of nested articles such as ice-cream cones, cups and the like is disclosed herein along with a particular article release arrangement at the discharge end of the container. This arrangement utilizes a plurality of article retaining elements having upper gripping portions and lower supporting portions, the latter being adapted to engage the lowermost article in the stack for releasably retaining the engaged article and the rest of the stack within the container.

Abstract: For the purpose of automatically vending cups of cold drinks, ice being directly put into a cup, source powder or a concentrated source liquid, and cold water are required for mixture. Ice is made by an ice making machine. Cold water is prepared by cooling city water with ice made by the ice making machine. To that end, a cylinder for stocking ice formed of apertures at a portion of the peripheral wall thereof for allowing a flow of the water therethrough and a cold water tank for storing cold water around the cylinder are provided. Ice made by the ice making machine is selectively supplied into a cup for vending or into the ice storing cylinder for the cold water. The cold water is held in the cold water tank and is withdrawn through the ice storing cylinder while the same is in contact with the ice stored therein. The cold water is mixed with the source powder or the concentrated source liquid and the mixture is guided to a cup together with the ice.

Abstract: A device for drop-sorting timber comprises a series of hooks for carrying timber pieces and a conveying system for advancing the hooks to drop positions over timber compartments. The hooks can be pivoted at selected positions to drop their timber pieces and are so formed that while being advanced the open end of a hook is effectively closed by the next following hook to prevent premature discharge.

Abstract: A device for sorting out individual articles which differ from the main quantity in a consecutive feedout. Articles to be conveyed in response to specific conditions, for example monetary bills which are to be discharged individually and which are to face the same direction, are supplied to a nip between a pair of rollers, with the axes of said rollers being disposed in a plane forming an acute angle to the path of conveyance through the rollers. The articles are sensed individually after passing said rollers, and if the specific condition is not fulfilled the direction of rotation of the rollers is reversed, whereby the differing articles (bills) are returned towards the place where they originally entered the nip but are conveyed down below a shield which they have passed over in their previous conveyance. The rejected articles are collected after having passed below the shield.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing diluent from a large volume syringe, into a sealed medical container, the apparatus including a frame, a syringe supporting bracket assembly, and a lever or handle pivotally mounted on the frame and a compensating link connecting the handle to the plunger of the syringe, the plunger being moved by the pivotal movement of the lever to dispense a predetermined amount of diluent from the syringe into the container.

Abstract: This invention relates to a sieving roller conveyor for transporting green pellets and for sieving off fines. The conveyor comprises a series of horizontally disposed rollers which are alternately spaced to provide a cleaning clearance and a sieving clearance. The rollers extend transversely to the direction in which pellets are to be conveyed and are rotatably mounted in a frame and provided with drive mechanism for the rotation of the rollers in the direction in which the pellets are to be conveyed.

Abstract: An apparatus for intermittently feeding a solid particulate material, in which a measured quantity of the particulate material is periodically fed into a cavity of predetermined volume and the particulate material is thereafter discharged from the cavity, substantially all of the particulate material is removed from the cavity by scraping the particulate material from the cavity simultaneously with the discharge of the material from the cavity.

Abstract: Improvements in automatic lottery ticket vending machines adapted upon lottery ticket purchase to dispense one or a definite number of tickets at a time from an externally inaccessible portion of the interior of the vending machine.For the purpose of facilitating loading of the automatic lottery ticket vending machine so that the loading can be effected safer and at a more rapid rate, as well as to simplify the construction of the vending machines, the invention comprises at least one transport container for the tickets detachably connected to rotation means forming part of the automatic vending machine and adapted to rotate the container as a unit for mixing and dispensing the tickets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for segregating articles, such as envelopes (14a, b, or c) bearing address labels (15) into separate groups, with all the articles in each group having the same unique mark (such as a zip-code-area mark). The apparatus includes a right angle conveyor (12) positioned perpendicular to a discharge conveyor (10), an article deflector plate (20), and two or more freely rotatable balls (38, 40) supported in contact with the right angle conveyor (12) and spaced laterally across the face thereof. At least one freely rotatable ball (38) is selectively removable from contact with the right angle conveyor (12) by a solenoid (18) acting through a beam (32) and a control arm (26). The solenoid (18) is activated by a signal from a detector (16) which detects a change in unique markings on address labels of articles just prior to their engagement with the selectively-removable, freely-rotatable ball and the right angle conveyor.

Abstract: A mechanical rejection mechanism for an automatic sorting machine has an inclined surface along which the objects to be sorted move by gravity. A separate section of the surface is movable outwardly by an operating mechanism responsive to an upstream sensor to push rejected objects off the surface toward a reject collecting station.

Abstract: A loader-unloader system for loading and unloading work pieces, particularly work pieces having thin portions, in a machine tool wherein each work piece is held in position for rotation about a longitudinal axis during which various machine operations may be performed by the tool comprising a loading conveyor adapted to deliver articles in succession to a loading position, an unloading conveyor adapted to receive work pieces, and a loader-unloader assembly. The loader-unloader assembly comprises a track extending along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, a trolley movable along the track and means for moving said trolley back and forth along the said track. A load-vacuum clamping head assembly is mounted on the trolley, and an unload-vacuum head assembly is mounted on the trolley.

Abstract: Method for separating clods and the like from potatoes, which includes placing the clods and potatoes on a first belt for transporting the potatoes and clods toward a forward end and positioning a second belt spaced horizontally apart from and vertically lower than the end of the first belt such that potatoes leaving the end travel through the air and land on the second belt. The clods are detected by a detector that includes a magnet and a coil positioned in the field of the magnet. The clods are removed from the system by a normally flaccid inflatable finger positioned between the forward end of the first belt and the second belt. When the detector signals the presence of a clod, air is supplied to the finger causing the stiffening thereof, which deflects the trajectory of the clod causing it to fall between the forward end and the second belt.

Abstract: A receptacle for receiving and sequentially dispensing individual shaped bodies from a stack of like bodies. The receptacle has a pivotal cover at the dispensing end thereof and a cap mounted on said cover. The cap has a skirt extending around the pivotal cover. This skirt has a first portion engaging the cover, a second portion adapted to engage the housing of the receptacle when the cover is pivoted toward an open position and a pair of elastically deformable portions intermediate said first and second portions. The elastically deformable portions constitute a spring for biasing the pivoted cover into its closed position. The cover also has a finger portion for pushing the uppermost shaped body and dispensing it from the receptacle when the cover is pivoted against the spring bias.

Abstract: A machine for sorting objects of various destinations, particularly for bulky postal correspondence. A guide defines a path passing through at least one loading station and at least one sorting station. At least one succession of compartments for containing individual objects is moved along said guide. Each compartment is in the form of a narrow pigeon hole, which has its surface of maximum size perpendicular to the direction of movement of the compartment and is provided with an operable base wall.

Abstract: An automatic medication dispenser is disclosed which dispenses medication serially at preselected time intervals. The medication may be retrieved by the patient within a grace period after which time the medication returns to an inaccessible location within the device. The apparatus includes an endless chain of containers holding prepackaged medications which are moved sequentially under the control of a programmable timer from within the device to a presentation position accessible to the patient.

Abstract: This invention is a device for the discreet storage and dispensing of tampons. The device is characterized by including a storage container having a dispensing apparatus which will dispense one tampon at a time without display except when actually dispensed and wherein it is dispensed by means of an elongated member having a suitable pocket therein for said purpose. It is further characterized by being suitable to accommodate different sizes of commonly used tampons.

Abstract: A apparatus for separating unacceptable elongated elements from a batch of such elements being dropped laterally and singly from a delivery mechanism into a receiver. The unacceptable elements are deflected away from their path of descent from the delivery mechanism to a laterally located discharge zone, from which the unacceptable elements are then removed longitudinally to a location remote from the receiver.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatic closed loop retrieval and return of a document, bearing coded document-identifying edge notching, from a mass document store. The mass document store contains plural, selectively retrievable cartridges normally stored at addressable locations, with each cartridge containing plural minicartridges at addressable locations within the cartridge. The documents, randomly stored in the minicartridges, are each coded with an identifying number which distinguishes each document from others in the same minicartridge. A cartridge retriever transfers a cartridge containing a desired document from its addressable storage location to a remote document selector whereat only the minicartridge containing the desired document is selected and released from the cartridge for operative cooperation with document selector to facilitate selection of the desired document therein.