Abstract: A method for rotating and orienting cans in a multipack configuration pushes the cans off a conveyor belt to a scanning and rotating stations where the cans are rotated until the sensors detect that the cans are facing the correct direction. The cans are then shifted back to the conveyor belt. This is useful to prevent unintentional reading of e.g. bar codes on a single item.

Abstract: According to a conventional continuous car washing machine in which one of the right and left side brushes is stationary, a roller conveyor which transports a vehicle to be washed is provided with wheel guides to maintain a spacing between a lateral surface of the vehicle and one side brush at a given value. Thus, there has been a problem that it is difficult to drive the vehicle to move itself onto the required position on the roller conveyor. The present invention which is intended to solve the problem provides a car washing machine comprising a stationary car washing machine body in which a pair of side brushes (8a, 8b) are disposed to be retractable in the transverse direction at a right angle with the direction of transport of a vehicle in order for washing at least the lateral surfaces of the vehicle (2), and a conveyor device (3) for transporting the vehicle (2) which is free of wheel guides and has a sufficient width to accommodate a plurality of different car widths.

Abstract: An orientation parts feeder for successively feeding parts wherein each part has an irregular cross section. The feeder includes a rotating drum supported for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. The drum has on its inner cylindrical surface a plurality of circumferentially spaced wing plates, a transfer chute having a longitudinal parts guide channel, and a first and a second incorrectly-oriented-parts discriminating and removing mechanism disposed in succession on a downstream end portion of the parts guide channel. The first incorrectly-oriented-parts discriminating and removing mechanism has a response time which is shorter than that of the second incorrectly-oriented-parts discriminating and removing mechanism. The feeder is able to remove parts having undesirable postures with sufficient reliability and stability to ensure a high speed conveyance of the parts.

Abstract: A chip feed apparatus capable of permitting a chip feed casing to be used for storage and transportation of chips in a distribution channel as well and preventing a weight of chips from being applied to a chip storage space of a hopper, resulting in positive separation and feeding of chips by the hopper. The chip feed apparatus includes a chip feed casing formed on a side surface thereof with a chip outlet, a hopper formed on a side surface thereof with a chip inlet and connected to the chip feed casing while enabling vertical movement of the hopper, a chip separating and aligning pipe inserted into a hole communicating with the chip storage space, and a chip feed path of which one end communicates with the chip separating and aligning pipe and the other end is defined at a chip pick-up position. The chip outlet of the chip feed casing is open at a lowermost end of a chip receiving space or below the lowermost end.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting and feeding articles or parts that is particularly adapted for use in an automated assembly system and has a feeder bowl that includes a helical internal track which terminates at the upper edge of the bowl adjacent to an annular feeder ring mounted for selective rotational movement around the feeder bowl to receive parts P therefrom. A control circuit including a stationary camera positioned above the annular feeder ring acts to control rotational movement of the annular feeder ring by an operatively connected motor in order to bring successive portions of the annular feeder ring into a predetermined vision field of the camera in order that correctly oriented parts can be differentiated by incorrectly oriented parts and a signal then provided to a pick-and-place robot to remove the correctly oriented parts. A sweeper bar is positioned at a selected location to urge incorrectly oriented parts off of the annular feeder ring and back into the feeder bowl for recycling.

Abstract: The cloth piece transfer apparatus with side inverter of the invention is applied to the case of continuous feed of cut cloth pieces into a sewing machine or the like. Pickup 14 pinches holds and lifts the rear portion of the cloth piece N in the process of transfer of the cloth pieces N supplied and supported in horizontal position in uneven sides on a transfer device 4. A rodless cylinder 7 moves the pickup 14 in the transfer direction at a speed faster than the transfer speed of the transfer device 4. The cloth piece N moved by this rodless cylinder 7 is brought into contact with an inverting member 18 disposed beneath the middle position of the moving route of the pickup 14, and the sides of the cloth piece N are inverted. The inverted cloth piece N is dropped and supported on the transfer device 4. It enhances the transfer efficiency and is enable to transfer by inverting the sides without disturbing the interval of the cloth pieces supplied continuously.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for orientating articles being moved along a conveyor for processing, so that a selected feature of each article is facing in the same predetermined direction, ie. handle leading. The apparatus comprises a support member having a pair of parallel longitudinally extending drive belts attached thereto, for gripping an article therebetween for advancement of the article along the predetermined path. The apparatus further comprises structure for selectively rotating the support member to orientate the feature of the article in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: When an inside-out can lid is detected in a lid row, an abutting block mounted on a pneumatic cylinder moves upward. The abutting block passes through the inside of a through-hole and pushes up the lid row in a position near the inside-out can lid. Then, the inside-out can lid is popped out of the lid row upward and is removed from the lid row.

Abstract: A down-article indicator which automatically adjusts for the height difference of articles, such as bottles, when article size is changed for a new run on a machine conveying articles. A pivotably mounted height sensing arm, located on one lane of the machine, down stream from an array of freely pivoting detecting arms, is connected by an adjustable mechanical linkage to a pivoting bracket holding a retro-reflective photo eye in proper location with respect to the detecting arms so that the detecting arms do not break a light beam from the photo eye during normal operation. A non-upright article will cause a detecting arm to pivot and break the light beam to stop the machine. As a new group of articles having a different height moves into the down-article indicating station, the height sensing arm automatically moves the photo eye to its proper location for the new height articles.

Abstract: An arrangement for feeding flat, thin objects, such as valuable documents in the form of banknotes, cheques, etc., along a transport path, including object straightening and repositioning means which straighten or reposition the objects as they pass sequentially along the transport path. The straightening means includes rotating driven object straightening rollers that lie briefly against the objects as the objects pass along the transport path. The straightening means includes two rotatable, driven straightening rollers, each mounted on a driving shaft and intended to lie in abutment with the objects. The straightening means further includes control means which causes the rollers to move in accordance with the deviation of respective objects from an intended correct position on the transport path.

Abstract: In a method for transmitting rotation driving force to spindles, a plurality of spindles are intermittently conveyed one after another to a predetermined position, and rotation driving force is transmitted to a spindle, which has been conveyed to the predetermined position. A driving-side magnet coupling is located at the predetermined position. Each of driven-side magnet couplings, which correspond to the driving-side magnet coupling, is secured to an axial end of one of the plurality of the spindles such that the driven-side magnet coupling may be coaxial with the corresponding spindle and such that the driving-side magnet coupling and the driven-side magnet coupling may stand facing each other via a predetermined gap at the predetermined position. The driving-side magnet coupling is rotated, and the rotation driving force is thereby transmitted to the spindle, which has been conveyed to the predetermined position.

Abstract: A parts feeder conveys parts to a selection zone viewed by a vision system, which selects parts having an orientation allowing them to be gripped and transferred from the conveyor. Non-selected parts are conveyed from the selection zone to a hopper for recirculation to the selection zone. The parts are tumbled between successive passes through the selection zone and eventually assume orientations allowing them to be gripped. The gripper has rotatable finger pads which can be either driven or passively rotated.

Abstract: A board turning apparatus is provided with a conveyor for transporting a board through an inspection station; the inspection station includes an array of photocells located below the conveyor and which operate to detect and scan the facing surface of a board as it passes over the photocell or is held in the inspection station by a detent arm; the output of the scan by the photocell array is delivered to a computer having an analyzing program for detecting discoloration in the surface or edges of the board that are scanned by comparing the scan to a set of conditions stored in the computer; a turning arm is connected to the computer and is actuated to engage an edge of the board and turn the board over by rotating it about its opposite edge on the conveyor to turn over the board to facilitate and optimize subsequent operations on the board such as edging of the board.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for simultaneously transferring a plurality of containers onto a continuously moving conveyor from a surface located adjacent to the conveyor. A pair of pusher plates are positioned along the surface, opposite the conveyor. The pusher plates extend towards the conveyor to simultaneously transfer a predetermined number of containers onto the conveyor. A shuttle plate is positioned above the conveyor and has compartments positioned to receive the cartons as they are pushed onto the conveyor. Once the cartons are loaded into the compartments, the shuttle plate is moved along the conveyor to accelerate the batch of containers up to the speed of the conveyor. Once the cartons reach the speed of the conveyor, the shuttle plate retracts out of the path of the conveyor and the containers continues to move along the conveyor. The shuttle plate then returns to its original to accept the next batch of containers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for discriminating the right sides of test strips in an automated analyzer for arranging the test strips such that the right sides thereof may face in one direction, which comprises: suction holes formed on a transportation stage to be aligned in the direction orthogonal to the direction that the test strips are moved, at the positions corresponding to the intervals between test pads impregnated with reagents of the test strip; and suction holes formed on a turntable disposed subsequent to the transportation stage, at the positions corresponding to the intervals between the test pads impregnated with reagents of the test strip.

Abstract: A mechanism is set forth that prevents packages from tipping as the packages are moved along a conveyor line. The mechanism employs a at least one gate, a detecting means for detecting when a tipping package has been righted and holding means for holding the gate in a closed position until the detecting means detects a righted package. In one embodiment, the mechanism comprises an upper gate and a lower gate mounted in the path of a moving conveyor belt. The upper gate and lower gate are operatively connected by a camming mechanism which prevents the upper gate from opening under the influence of the upper portion of a package until the lower gate is engaged by the lower portion of the package.

Abstract: The cup return automat has a cup insertion chamber (1), a cup collection chamber (10) and a stacking shaft (9) arranged over the cup collection chamber for the cups to be stacked in the stacking shaft (9), with a device for ejecting the formed cup stack (5") laterally into the cup collection chamber (10). In between the cup insertion chamber (1) and the stacking shaft (9) there is located a transfer device, which only allows any cup received in the cup insertion chamber (1) to pass into the stacking shaft (9) when in the cup orientation permitting the cup stacking and with the cup opening turned downwards.

Abstract: The disclosure herein describes an apparatus for the measuring and positioning of cants and their subsequent feeding to a sawing station. A feed table is used for conveying the cants towards the station and includes a lateral guide against which each cant is positioned. A scanning device measures transverse distances across the planar faces of the cant at intervals during its travel on the feed table. The information is recorded by computer which, in turns, causes the cant to be clamped between live rolls after the scanning and positioned to provide optimum positioning and orientation of the cant relative to the sawing elements.

Abstract: A synchronized rotary transfer wheel for orienting containers that have been unscrambled with a pocketed disc sorter type machine. The transfer wheel utilizes momentary air pressure and an adaptive vacuum pick up assembly to grasp, rotate, and release containers that may have a relatively wide variance in width and taper; without requiring change-over parts. The vacuum cups that are used to grasp the individual containers are moved forward and backward by a constant pressure momentary activator along radials on the wheel, to automatically adjust to accumulative radial variances of the machine and the containers. The coaxial parts that are incorporated in the vacuum pickup assembly are light enough in weight to grasp and rotate containers at high rates with relatively small electromechanical rotating devices; which are incorporated into radial modules on the transfer wheel.

Abstract: A feed unit having a storage station in which a plurality of trays each carrying a plurality of cassette rows disposed consecutively in side-by-side relation is manually stacked. A first pusher mechanism moves the lowermost tray in the stack along a slide track, towards a linear feeder. An abutment wall stops the movement of trays along the slide track when a cassette row reaches a predetermined loading position, so that it is picked up by a transport arm that will deposit it on the linear feeder. A third pusher mechanism picks up the individual cassettes from the linear feeder and sends them to an output conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning vessels comprises a robot for delivering a vessel from a first conveyor to a second conveyor, a camera disposed on a path of conveyance of the first conveyor for photographing a manner of placement of vessels thereon, and correction device mounted on the second conveyor for erecting a vessel assuming a horizontal position when it is released by the robot. Any change in the size of a vessel does not require a remodelling of components of the apparatus, thus providing a vessel aligning apparatus having a high versatility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to automatically orient golf balls for milling comprising a plurality of aligned cups. Each cup has a generally hemispherical recess to receive a golf ball. A first component is provided to move the golf balls from cup to cup. A second component is provided to detect the height of the golf ball in the cup as a function of whether excess circumferential material is in the cup or resting on the upper surface of the cup. A third component is provided to initiate blasts of air when excess material is in the recess. A fourth component is provided to terminate the blasts of air at subsequent cups if there is no excess material in the recess.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a plurality of lids or other predominately flat articles having two discrete sides, such as a top and bottom, delivering them in a common orientation, which includes a conveyor system for carrying the articles along the apparatus from an inlet end to a final discharge end and an air jet nozzle which directs compressed air to engage at least some of the articles to change their orientation. The conveyor system may include a number of orienting surfaces with at least a single disjoined area to provide conditions for article orientation, or re-orientation in specialized cases. The appropriate arrangement of any two of these surfaces provides varying degrees of automated flipping. Various forces, such as, but not limited to, air, vacuum and gravity, either separately or in combination, may assist in the flipping process. Such forces are selectively enabled by the detection of an improperly oriented article.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for producing an oriented single file of articles comprising a conveyor having pockets for receiving articles, a lateral support surface forming a drop zone between it and an edge of the conveyor, a device for determining the direction in which articles are lying within the pockets, and a device for moving articles lying in one direction out of the pocket and onto the support surface. The pockets may be relatively quickly and easily changed to accommodate articles having different widths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for orienting elongated components, where the components are initially oriented in a random manner with respect to the ends of the components. Improperly oriented components are separated from properly oriented ones and are transferred to a turnaround device; this device rotates the improperly oriented components 180.degree. about a transverse axis running from one end of the component to the other end of the component. The stream of rotated elongated components is then reintegrated with the stream of elongated components which were initially properly oriented. All of the elongated components are then removed from the orienting apparatus. The output stream of properly oriented elongated components coincides with the input stream of randomly oriented elongated components.

Abstract: The invention comprises a flexible parts feeding system which can feed a large number of different types of parts to a manipulator. The system comprises a vibrating platform, a conveyor belt, a series of guides to assist in positioning and orienting parts, a vision based system for determining the orientation of a part in the staging area, and computer programming for instructing the manipulator to grasp the part if it is properly oriented in the staging area. The vibratory amplitude and speed, the speed of the conveyor belts, the positioning of the guides and the part signature of the vision system are all programmable responsive to the part which is to be fed.

Abstract: A high resolution article handling system serves as an article discriminator or identifier by creating an object silhouette. The objects are singulated on a conveyor and scanned by a linear array of CCD units (2048 pixels per inch) at a scan rate of 10 MHz. Pixel transitions corresponding to object edge points are converted to a single count value from a counter which is synchronized with the scanner. A microprocessor with a first in, first out buffer memory needs only a capacity to handle the count value rather than all data from the pixels. Article orientation is corrected in response to signal generated by determining the count value difference between a reference value and a work article value at only the scan slice windows at equally spaced positions along the article length where differences have been predetermined to be a maximum.

Abstract: This invention relates to an automatic loading mechanism for electroplating and in particular to one utilizing an inspecting means to inspect the orientation of the workpiece from the vibration, a turning device to transmit the workpiece to an outlet, an elevating mechanism and a pushing mechansim to push the workpiece between two pins of the hook, whereby the products to be plated may be automatically loaded on the fly bar thus increasing the production rate and saving a lot of labor work.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting packages of textile material into predetermined individual orientations cooperates with a package delivery system which delivers packages in random orientations. The package orienting apparatus includes a device for classifying each package on the basis of a detectably different characteristic such as, for example, the characteristic that one respective end of the tube of the package has a larger diameter than the other tube end. A disposing device is operatively connected to the classifying device for moving each textile material package through a predetermined movement in response to the sensing of the detectably different characteristic to thereby bring the package into a predetermined individual orientation. The disposing device can include a drum having a pair of package receiving elements formed therein each along a respective radius of the drum and perpendicular to the other package receiving element.

Abstract: In the apparatus for fixing the position of the test zones of a test strip and for reversing the latter, a guide (8) opens into a reversing device (1,1a) for the test strips (2). Between the guide and the reversing device is arranged a closing means (9) for the guide, which is connected to a holding device (10) via a lever (5). The holding device (10) projects into the guide and is mounted rotatably in synchronism with the closing means (9). It is also equipped with a drive device (7). The reversing device has a moveable stop (4, 4a) which is driven by a position-detection means (3) arranged in the guide (8).

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for producing an oriented single file of articles comprising a conveyor having pockets for receiving articles, a lateral support surface forming a drop zone between it and an edge of the conveyor, a device for determining the direction in which articles are lying within the pockets, and a device for moving articles lying in one direction out of the pocket and onto the support surface.

Abstract: A machine for rotationally orientating containers grouped in a multipack comprises endless chains with dogs for feeding the multipacks into the orientation station at which pneumatic cylinders are provided for raising lifters which lift the respective containers into engagement with respective chucks. The chucks are accommodated in pockets formed in a chuck housing and defining tapered surfaces to guide the containers onto the chucks. A stripper bar is provided to disengage the containers from the chucks after orientation is complete.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating feeding and sorting stacked products utilizes a computer controlled conveyor transport path. The transport path comprises infeed, separating and output sections. The infeed section includes an infeed conveyor and feed roller to regulate downstream movement into the separating section. The separating section includes a plurality of individually and selectively controlled friction feeder rolls arranged on a laterally tilted incline plane. The method and apparatus includes sensors along the separating section for determining position and relative movement of products. Through computer control, individual feeder rolls or sets of feeder rolls on the inclined plane are selectively energized to separate underlying products from stacked overlying or overlapping products. The foregoing process is repeated until all products in a stack have been separated into individual units.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a plurality of lids or other predominately flat articles having two discrete sides, such as a top and bottom, delivering them in a common orientation, which includes a conveyor system for carrying the articles along the apparatus from an inlet end to a final discharge end and an air jet nozzle which directs compressed air to engage at least some of the articles to change their orientation. The conveyor system may include a number of orienting surfaces with at least a single disjoined area to provide conditions for article orientation, or re-orientation in specialized cases. The appropriate arrangement of any two of these surfaces provides varying degrees of automated flipping. Various forces, such as, but not limited to, air, vacuum and gravity, either separately or in combination, may assist in the flipping process. Such forces are selectively enabled by the detection of an improperly oriented article.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to decrease the cost required for constructing the system and the tact time in production line. For achieving the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, among a plurality of stations where adjustment or the like of the subject is carried out, the recognizing station, through which a pallet mounted with the subject is firstly passes, recognizes the positional deviations of the subject and stored them in a memory provided on said pallet. Next, an adjusting station reads out the above-mentioned positional deviations from the memory and added them to the predetermined standard positional information, thereby correcting the positional deviations of the subject.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for conveying The products, for example confectionery products such as bars of chocolate, etc., possibly already contained in individual wrappers, are advanced with one of their principal axes substantially perpendicular to the direction in which they are transported. The apparatus comprises a pair of conveyor formations, such as endless belts, which can be made to travel at different speeds so as to achieve a condition in which the principal axes of the products are exactly perpendicular to the direction of advance at the output of the device.

Abstract: A tray, on which IC elements to be tested are arranged at a pitch P1, is disposed at a first position, a performance board, which has a plurality of testing stations at a pitch P2, is disposed at a second position, and an IC chuck carrier is guided between the first and second positions by X-axis and Y-axis rails. The IC chuck carrier has a plurality of chuck heads arranged in a line and the pitch of arrangement of the chuck heads is selectively set, by a pitch switching device, to the pitch P1 or P2. The chuck heads are set to the pitch P1 on the tray and simultaneously chuck up therefrom a plurality of IC elements. Then, the chuck heads are brought to the second position, where the pitch of the chuck heads is switched to P2 and the IC chucked by the chuck heads are simultaneously attached to the plurality of testing stations.

Abstract: A reversed can end ejector system for detecting and ejecting a can end in reverse orientation with respect to a moving stack of otherwise similarly aligned and nested can ends is disclosed. The system utilizes a reversed end extractor bar having a hook formed at a lower end thereof. The bar is supported above the stack with a support frame so that the hook is free to ride on a cylindrical exterior ridged surface of the stack. When a reversely oriented end is encountered, the hook is sized to drop by gravity into the peripheral gap formed between the reversed end and adjacent non-reversed end. The extractor bar is pivotally connected to a mounting bar which is in turn pivotally connected to the support frame whereupon further advancement of a reversed end with the stack during hooked engagement causes the reversed end to be lifted and removed from the stack via controlled rotation of the extractor bar relative to the mounting bar and then both as a unit relative to the suppport frame.

Abstract: A conveyor continuously advances bundles issuing from a manufacturing line while manipulating them into a pattern for shipment. Comprised of three zones, the conveyor sequentially centers, rotates and organizes bundles for inclusion in a pattern in preparation for shipment without manual intervention. The conveyor is insensitive to bundle size within the parameters of the particular embodiment, and performs desired manipulation regardless of initial bundle placement or orientation. As no interruption in the flow of bundles is needed to manipulate bundles into patterns, no jamming of bundles occurs upstream from such patterns as they form. The conveyor increases the overall speed of handling bundles, and makes possible the automation of shipping procedures in manufacturing facilities.

Abstract: A high speed orientation apparatus for disk-shaped objects includes upper and lower turntables operated to provide constant angular orientation of the disk-shaped objects. An automatic supply delivers disk-shaped objects to one of a plurality of disk receiving stations located on the upper turntable. The upper turntable and the lower turntable, which also includes disk receiving stations, are attached to a rotating drive with the disk receiving stations of the lower table directly underneath the disk receiving stations of the upper table. Both the upper and lower turntables are rotated at the same speed. The plurality of disk receiving stations include operable disk retainers for holding and releasing a disk-shaped object.

Abstract: A device for the insertion of electrical elements into the recesses of a belt is disclosed. The device includes a feeding station which has a conveying path adapted such that elements are in a specified orientation and an insertion station which inserts the elements in a specific orientation into the recesses of the belt moving past the insertion station. The insertion station has a stripping device which inserts the element into the recess and which holds the element in the recess as the belt moves away from the recess.

Abstract: The inventive apparatus automatically processes symmetrical supply tubes used in the storage and handling of semiconductor integrated circuit packages, IC. Unlike prior art methods which rely on the asymmetrical quality of the A-tube, the invention processes symmetrical, rectangular tubes to a point where the contents are discharged to a desired orientation. The invention operates to manipulate the symmetrical supply tubes from a gravity bin to a standing position wherein each tube is at rest on one of its two narrow sides. The tubes are then singulated, moved, and tilted to a position where the leading ICs are discharged to a short distance outside the tube. The IC are held on side in either a lead left or lead right position and are sensed to determine their orientation. Upon determination of the lead left or lead right orientation, the sort block is appropriately placed and the IC are released.

Abstract: A conveyer line straightener having a pair of laterally spaced bumpers contractable by conveyer items wherein the bumper first contacted by the item retains it until the second bumper is contacted after which both bumpers release the item.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for selectively inverting flexible and limp planar workpieces such as fabric. The apparatus includes a primary workpiece propeller having a cylindrical means for contacting the workpiece about a central rotating axis. A slot of sufficient size to receive the workpiece is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation beneath the primary propeller. The slot preferably has a flared upper end positioned directly beneath and in contact or near contact with the propeller. The fabric is drawn into the slot by the rotation of the propeller and follows the contour of the flared open end of the slot. The fabric enters into the slot until the trailing edge of the fabric is in contact with the primary propeller. The trailing edge of the fabric is drawn by the propeller to the opposite side of the flared opening of the slot and is subsequently pulled out of the slot. Collisions are prevented between workpieces by a control circuit that instructs the workpieces when to leave the apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to an orienting apparatus for orienting round or approximately round articles, for instance fruit, comprising two parallel rollers extending obliquely upwardly and rotating in the same direction, and a chain with conveying elements, arranged above the rollers and extending obliquely upwardly, each conveying element having a holder formed with an annular cup in which a ball is mounted. The ball is freely rotatably mounted on a horizontal bearing pin in the holder so that a quick orientation of the articles can be accomplished.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for angularly orientating the beverage cans of multipacks 12 having sheet plastics couplers. The preformed multipacks, with their cans unorientated, are fed between a pair of opposed scrolls 36 of a can orientation station 34. While held by the scrolls against lateral movement they are clamped longitudinally and then individually rotated to desired orientated positions against the frictional resistance presented by the coupler. Orientation is achieved in two stages, in the first stage of which the cans are orientated to datum positions as determined by sensor recognition features on the can. In the second stage of the orientation process the cans are individually rotated from their datum positions to their desired final orientation in accordance with preset programmes.

Abstract: An automatic machine for positioning and feeding containers or bottles having an irregular or oval shape and flat sides and a neck portion to continuously feed a work station, including a hopper, a bottom wall member in the hopper extending in a plane at an angle to the horizontal, a rotatable disc above and parallel to the bottom wall member, detachable container holding elements removably mounted at the periphery of the disc assembly and defining peripheral recesses for receiving individual containers or bottles from the hopper and moving the containers to a higher level for discharging them through a discharge opening in the bottom wall member, a chute for receiving the discharged containers or bottles and guiding and positioning them so that they are deposited on a belt conveyor assembly on their edge or narrower side, devices on the conveyor assembly for tilting the containers or bottles, a detector device on the conveyor assembly for detecting the position of the containers or bottles and emitting a sig

Abstract: A device for orientating random bottles onto a conveyor is provided and consists of a mechanism which will turn random horizontal bottles into an upright position before filling and capping the bottles. Sensors in combination with a motor driven bottle orientation wheel will turn each captured bottle from a horizontal position to a vertical upright position and a pusher member that will move the bottles one after another to go onto the conveyor.

Abstract: A container transport method for turning a container to a specified direction and transporting the container to a position for specified processing, includes a first step of transporting one of supplied containers to a first position, the one being a container leading rest of the containers; a second step of turning the container at the first position to a specified direction; and a third step of transporting the container turned to the specified direction to a second position so that the container be directed in a certain relationship with the specified direction at the second position.

Abstract: The method and apparatus is used for tilting substantially rotationally symmetrical bodies, such as frustoconical bobbin bodies, from a shell surface thereof onto an end surface thereof. The body is moved in a given transport direction defining leading and trailing end surface of the body with the shell surface lying on a conveyor path. The movement continues until the body crosses a dividing palne. The dividing plane extends transversely between and defines edges of two path segments of the conveyor path. The body is stopped when the leading and trailing end surfaces are supported on different path segments. The edge of one of the path segments is subsequently selectively raised relative to the other of the path segments. The body is tilted about the riased edge onto the other of the path segments until the end surface located above the other of the path segments comes to rest on the other of the path segments. The tilted body is removed in the given transport direction.