Abstract: An article alignment and conveying apparatus 10 is described for aligning elongated articles 12 in single file in a plurality of transversely spaced lanes and moving the articles while in the lanes past a work station 13. The apparatus 10 includes an article feed bed in the form of a series of stepped conveyor beds 20 for receiving the articles and subdividing the articles into a number of channels 32 corresponding with the lanes. The articles fall from the channels 32 onto a belt conveyor 40 having a plurality of parallel narrow belts extending from the channels 32 past the work station. The belt conveyor 40 has a grooved bed section for corrugating the surface formed by the belts to transversely space and longitudinally align the articles. The belt conveyor 40 has a second bed section that is flat to flatten the supporting surface of the belt as the aligned articles moved past the work station 13.

Abstract: A can sorting apparatus is described for processing over 600 filled metal cans per minute. An infeed conveyor moves alongside a main conveyor in which the main conveyor is moving at a speed greater than the infeed conveyor. A transverse diverter directs the moving cans from the infeed conveyor to the main conveyor causing the cans to be automatically spaced as they move from the infeed conveyor to the main conveyor. The cans move past a sensing station to individually identify the cans and determine which cans are to be separated from the others. An overhead separating conveyor extends across the main conveyor at a separating station. An overhead electromagnet is positioned at the separating station to selectively lift a can from the main conveyor and bias the can upward against the lower flight of the overhead conveyor. The overhead conveyor then directs the lifted can transversely from the single line of filled cans to perform the separation of the cans.