Abstract: A customizable putter head has a body defining an impact face formed between top and bottom surfaces. A platform extends from the body perpendicularly to the impact face. Formed in the top surface of the body is a means for engaging a putter shaft. A weighted artifact extends from the platform above the top surface. The weighted artifact is removably and rotatably attached to the platform, allowing a player to customize the aesthetic appearance of the putter head by selecting various styles of weighted artifacts, such as sculptures or models. The player may also customize the weight distribution of the putter head by rotating an attached asymmetrical weighted artifact around the platform relative to the impact face.

Abstract: A system for receiving objects to a conveying screw in an infeed sequence in an upward orientation, twisting the objects from the upward orientation to a sideways orientation by progressing the objects between a twisting plate and the conveying screw, conveying the objects in the sideways orientation in sets, each set including a first and second object to a diverting screw, inverting the first object to a downward orientation by diverting the first object between an inverting plate and the conveying screw, reverting the second object to the upward orientation by diverting the second object between a reverting plate and the conveying screw, discharging the objects from the conveying screw in sets in a discharge sequence in which each downward object is alternated with and adjacent an upward object. The object can have a tapered side where in the discharge sequence, tapered sides of adjacent containers are substantially parallel.

Abstract: A driver for coupling a driving device and a driven device includes a core defining a plurality of corner chamfers and a casing formed on and encasing the core. The casing has a contoured perimeter surface and a variable casing thickness, and is compressible during an interference fit installation to a coupling socket to provide a non-lubricated coupling which has zero backlash and substantially no running noise. The core is made of a metal-based material and includes a shaft bore for receiving an input shaft. In an illustrative example, the driver core is made of a stainless steel core and the casing is made of a high wear thermoset urethane material. The metal core can be recycled from the coated driver by removal of the polymeric casing, then recoated with a new casing to form a new coated driver including the recycled metal core.

Abstract: A driver for coupling a driving device and a driven device includes a core defining a plurality of corner chamfers and a casing formed on and encasing the core. The casing has a contoured perimeter surface and a variable casing thickness, and is compressible during an interference fit installation to a coupling socket to provide a non-lubricated coupling which has zero backlash and substantially no running noise. The core is made of a metal-based material and includes a shaft bore for receiving an input shaft. In an illustrative example, the driver core is made of a stainless steel core and the casing is made of a high wear thermoset urethane material. The metal core can be recycled from the coated driver by removal of the polymeric casing, then recoated with a new casing to form a new coated driver including the recycled metal core.

Abstract: A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.

Abstract: A driver for coupling a driving device and a driven device includes a core defining a plurality of corner chamfers and a casing formed on and encasing the core. The casing has a contoured perimeter surface and a variable casing thickness, and is compressible during an interference fit installation to a coupling socket to provide a non-lubricated coupling which has zero backlash and substantially no running noise. The core is made of a metal-based material and includes a shaft bore for receiving an input shaft. In an illustrative example, the driver core is made of a stainless steel core and the casing is made of a high wear thermoset urethane material. The metal core can be recycled from the coated driver by removal of the polymeric casing, then recoated with a new casing to form a new coated driver including the recycled metal core.

Abstract: A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A rotary orienter includes a turret rotatable about a central axis and at least one rotation pad rotatably mounted to the turret and selectively rotatable about a pad axis. The turret rotates to index the rotation pad to a receiving station, a discharge station and at least one actuating station distributed radially about the central axis. The actuating station is intermediate the receiving station and discharge station. The rotation pad indexes from the receiving station in a locked condition such that rotation of the rotation pad is prevented, and is selectively unlocked by the actuating station such that the unlocked rotation pad rotates during indexing of the turret from the actuating station to the discharge station to reorient an object received onto the rotation pad at the receiving station in a received orientation to a predetermined orientation for discharge of the object in the predetermined orientation at the discharge station.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: A rotary orienter includes a turret rotatable about a central axis and at least one rotation pad rotatably mounted to the turret and selectively rotatable about a pad axis. The turret rotates to index the rotation pad to a receiving station, a discharge station and at least one actuating station distributed radially about the central axis. The actuating station is intermediate the receiving station and discharge station. The rotation pad indexes from the receiving station in a locked condition such that rotation of the rotation pad is prevented, and is selectively unlocked by the actuating station such that the unlocked rotation pad rotates during indexing of the turret from the actuating station to the discharge station to reorient an object received onto the rotation pad at the receiving station in a received orientation to a predetermined orientation for discharge of the object in the predetermined orientation at the discharge station.