Abstract: A paint ball gun includes an agitator mounted on the end of a rotary motor shaft. The agitator has a main shaft that extends transverse to the motor shaft, and two arch wires extending from the main shaft. Each arch wire begins at an end of the agitator shaft and extends vertically therefrom. The arch wires then wrap downward in a partial helix. The end of the arch wires opposite the vertical ends attach to the agitator shaft in a horizontal plane more centrally along the agitator shaft. Rotation of the motor shaft is controlled by an electronic circuit having a duration control which delays turning off the motor for a predetermined interval. The motor will remain activated continuously during a rapid firing sequence. In addition, a magnetic sensor is disclosed to trigger the electronic circuit into energizing the motor.

Abstract: Refrigerated storage apparatus is primarily intended for storing product which can be removed without significant loss of cold air and is suitable for vertical, upright cabinets. The apparatus has a main access door extending vertically and moveable about a vertical axis. Access openings are provided, usually in the door to gain access to products within the storage compartment, the openings being of relatively small size. The compartment houses storage means for product and there may be storage means for each kind of product. Closure means seal off each access opening.

Abstract: A container which is filled with an array of parallel hollow cylinders of cigarette paper is opened at the top and is overlapped by a retractible temporary cover prior to being partially inverted onto a downwardly sloping top wall of a magazine. The cover is thereupon retracted and the top wall is pivoted to permit entry of cylinders from the interior of the container into a chamber of te magazine. Such cylinders are thereupon caused or permitted to enter the flutes of an indexible drum-shaped conveyor which transports the cylinders seriatim to a station where successive cylinders receive rod-like fillers of particulate material, such as comminuted smokable material.

Abstract: A feeding system for feeding blank contacts to a crimping device for crimping the contacts onto ends of lead wires. The contact feed system includes a bowl, and a scoop for removing contacts from the bowl. The scoop is preferably mounted on the end of a rotating arm so that the scoop describes the locus of a circumference of a vertical circle when the arm rotates. Contacts fall, under gravity, from the scoop, when it is near the apogee of travel, onto an angled chute that guides the contacts into a space between two parallel contact orienting rails. The contacts are stacked between the supporting contact orienting rails and a shuttle gate controlledly carries a single contact at a time into a drop tube that feeds the contact to a crimping device for crimping onto an end of a wire lead.

Abstract: A compact and lightweight ball bearing feeding device for use in connection with a production process. The device is easily adapted to be mounted at any point along such production process and includes a canister for maintaining a supply of ball bearings, a loading tube for transferring ball bearings from the canister to a two-position loading device, the loading device which places an individual ball bearing in an ejecting position and a delivery tube through which a ball bearing may be delivered to a desired production point. The device does not require any electrical power, employs pneumatic actuation for its operation, automatically senses when a supply of ball bearings is running low and minimizes the introduction of contaminants and magnetism into the ball bearings.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for orienting and loading solid compact medicaments, such as solid compact medicaments (A), into a carrier device (C) comprises a feeder (12) having a plurality of elongated first channels (20) through which the solid compact medicaments travel with an acute angle relative to a predetermined orientation of the carrier device (C). An orienting member (32) cooperating with the feeder (12) reorients the solid compact medicaments to the predetermined orientation as they exit the feeder (12). In an alternative embodiment, a pitch changing means (42) in fluid communications with the orienting means (32) provides for final orientation of the solid compact medicaments prior to loading in the carrier device (C).

Abstract: A sorting and feeding apparatus causes components to be deposited into the central portion of a rotatable tube. As the tube rotates, the components are caused to move out of a first end or a second end of the tube, depending on the physical orientation of the components when they are deposited into the tube's central portion. When the components have a first end that has a larger diameter than a second end, rotation of the tube causes the components to move in a direction away from the larger diameter end and toward the smaller diameter end. This principle is used to urge the components to exit from the rotatable tube at an end of the tube that is determined by the physical orientation of the component. Components that are oriented in a desirable direction are fed into an associated apparatus or machine while the components that are oriented in an undesirable direction are returned to a feeding mechanism that recycles them back to the central portion of the tube.

Abstract: The present invention includes a jar ticket dispensing apparatus and method for dispensing jar tickets in response to an operator input. The invention includes an enclosed drum for containing the tickets. A support means supports the drum for rotation thereof. The drum is adapted to be rotated by an electric motor or other conventional device. A control means controls the dispensing of tickets in response to an input of money to the apparatus. The tickets are dispensed by rotating the drum causing the tickets contained therein to come into magnetic contact with a plurality of magnets residing on the drum and to be releasably secured thereto. Dispensing occurs when the magnetically attached ticket encounters a stripper which strips the ticket from the magnet. The dispensed ticket falls into a dispensing chute which dispenses the ticket to the operator.

Abstract: A bolt having an opening formed therethrough is slidably located in the bore of the gun. The bolt is held in a rear position by a sear with the bolt opening closed by a valve which extends into the bolt opening and engages a rear facing bolt seat. A passageway extends into the bolt opening by way of a valve for allowing pressurized gas to flow into the bolt opening. A trigger mechanism releases the bolt for allowing the bolt to be moved forward for allowing the valve and seat to separate for allowing the gas to flow through the bolt opening for forcing a ball from the rear end of the barrel out of the gun. Forward movement of the bolt is stopped by a lock member located in an aperture formed through the wall of the bolt which is forced outward into a slot of the gun body when the lock member reaches the slot. A cock valve located in a cock valve chamber releases gas from the cock valve chamber to force the lock member back into the bolt aperture and to force the bolt back to the rearward position.

Abstract: An inertial parts feeding apparatus and method for dispensing parts, such as microchips, onto a moving belt. The feeding apparatus has a housing supporting an elongated tube accommodating the microchips. A guide mounted on the housing aligns the tube with an arm having an impact shoulder and a microchip stop finger. A roller, engageable with the tube, driven by a stepping motor, moves the tube longitudinally into engagement with the shoulder causing a microchip to move out of the end of the tube and into engagement with the stop finger. The arm is released from the microchip during the time that the tube moves back to its initial position to allow the microchip to move with the belt.

Abstract: A portable tabletop or counter top cookie dispenser has a transparent container. A pair of laterally spaced partitions extends lengthwise of the container along the bottom of the latter, and the partitions define a trough which opens to a discharge chute at the front of the container. Inclined guide walls are mounted in the container above the trough and serve to funnel cookies placed in the container to the rear of the trough. A screw conveyor is located in and extends longitudinally of the trough. The screw conveyor is driven by a handwheel disposed at the front of the container externally thereof. When the handwheel is rotated, the screw conveyor urges cookies in the trough towards the discharge chute.

Abstract: An object sorter/counter for controlling the feed rate of a sorter/counter includes a feed bowl which is oscillated by an adjustable amplitude vibrator and an exit assembly having a chute with a sensor array for registering the passage of objects through the exit assembly. The feed bowl is provided with a shutter which interposes a photodetector and a light source so that light from the light source is blocked from detection by the photodetector intermittently as the feed bowl oscillates. A circuit coupled to the photodetector generates a series of pulses having widths inversely proportional the amplitude of bowl oscillation. A controller adjusts the vibrator to oscillate the feed bowl at a predetermined amplitude until the sensor array senses a first object. The controller then adjusts the vibrator to oscillate the feed bowl at a lower amplitude and monitors the sensing of other objects.

Abstract: For the transportation and storage of cigarettes (10), containers (11), which are open on a large-area front side and which, furthermore, have a downwardly directed emptying orifice (17), are used. This emptying orifice (17) is directed upwards before the emptying operation. In order to guarantee a regular fault-free emptying of the container (11), with the emptying orifice (17) directed downwards, there can be introduced into the container (11) pressure member (25) which extends over the entire length of a cigarette level (24) and which exerts slight pressure on the cigarettes (10). An exact horizontal cigarette level (24) is thereby established. The pressure member (25) rests on the cigarettes (10) over the entire length of the latter. To introduce the pressure member (25) into the container (11) in an upper position, the pressure member (25) s displaceable by a transversely movable actuating member, especially by a crosshead (60).

Abstract: Spherical and quasi-spherical objects are fed from a vibratory feeder through at least one outfeed chute to an oscillable plate positioned beneath the chutes. The oscillable plate has pocket passages positioned therethrough so that upon oscillation of the plate in a first direction, a pocket passage aligns with each chute opening to receive an object.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a plurality of pharmaceutical product simultaneously onto a matrix of formed blister webbing is provided. The dedicated feeder structure is held within a housing which incorporates a plurality of hanger plates for easy manual exchange and replacement of the feeder component subsystems called "change parts". These components include a reciprocating bin carried on a platform for simultaneously delivering a plurality of product in a desired matrix format. A plurality of entrance chutes, assembled into the matrix formation simultaneously feeds the product downward from the bin. A horizontally operated shuttle gate having a plurality of product orifices operates to simultaneously open and close each chute and to transfer the respective matrix of product to a release guide structure which may be implemented as a template or a plurality of release chutes. The release guide structure feeds the matrix of formed blister webbing.

Abstract: A supporting member feeding device utilized for manufacturing a construction panel of three dimensional structure, has gears whose teeth partially extend into an interior of an inclined wall of a hopper containing supporting members and rotating in an opposite direction from the direction of the ascending supporting members to smoothly discharge the supporting members toward a chute, and the supporting members discharged from the outlet of the hopper are kept at a predetermined distance by a spiral conveyor whose teeth extend into the chute through a hole of the chute forming member so as to forcibly and exactly feed the supporting members toward an inclined discharging outlet of the chute.

Abstract: An apparatus for agitating filters in a feed hopper from which the filters are fed pneumatically to a filter attaching machine. The hopper drive apparatus includes an independent drive and speed reducer mechanism that drives the filter agitators as long as the filter attaching machine receives filters. The agitation system uses a stand alone independent drive system that uses a timing belt to drive the agitators. This agitation system provides a means for operating with fragile, segmented charcoal filters in that the filters are permitted to move up and down more freely than with conventional agitation devices, allowing more room for incoming filters from the receiver and reducing damage to the filters and jamming of the filters in the transfer system.

Abstract: An essentially jam-free bulk loader for a semi-automatic paintball gun includes a storage housing positionable above the gun infeed opening and adapted to hold a quantity of paintballs to be gravity fed to and fired by the gun. Extending downwardly from a bottom outlet opening in the housing is a feed tube having a bottom end portion connectable to outer end of the gun infeed elbow. During normal operation of the loader, a series of paintballs fall into the tube and infeed elbow and are vertically stacked therein for sequential downward delivery to the gu through the inner end of the infeed elbow. If a paintball jam occurs within the storage housing above its outlet opening during firing of the gun, a void is created in a top end portion of the feed tube above the downwardly moving paintball stack. An optical sensor detects the void and responsively actuates a motor driven agitator member within the storage housing adjacent its bottom outlet opening.

Abstract: A vibratory bowl feeder is provided with an automatic cleanout feature which comprises an opening formed in the bottom surface of a vibratory bowl proximate a ramp formed on that bottom surface. The ramp extends a predetermined angular distance around the bottom surface of the bowl and locally raises the surface that parts pass along as they move in response to the vibrations of the bowl. The raised surface of the ramp creates a step between the upper most surface of the ramp and the bottom surface of the bowl proximate the opening formed in the bottom surface of the bowl. A door is provided to selectively cover and uncover the opening. During normal operation, the door is closed and parts pass over the ramp, along the upper surface of the door and back to the bottom surface in response to the vibration of the bowl.

Abstract: A device for continuously feeding kick springs. It has a bowl adapted to be vibrated in a circumferential direction and provided in its inner peripheral surface with a spiral track. An arcuate guide is connected to the top end of the track. A vibration feeder is provided to bring one of two bent pieces at both ends of each kick spring into engagement with an inner edge of the arcuate guide and to feed the kick springs continuously while keeping their attitude substantially horizontal. A chute has one side thereof connected continuously to the inner edge of the guide for feeding the kick springs in one direction keeping one of the two bent pieces of each kick spring facing one side of the chute. The chute is provided on the top surface thereof with a guide surface for guiding one of kick legs of each kick spring and a guide groove for receiving a coiled portion and the other kick leg.

Abstract: A blind rivet feeding attachment for an automatic riveting machine having a riveting head and a drill mounted on a reciprocating shuttle comprises a rotating transfer arm for picking up a rivet from a supply tube and inserting it in the riveting head of the automatic riveting machine. While the riveting head is drilling a hole in the workpiece at a "work" position, a rivet clamp extracts a new rivet from the supply tube and retains it at the "pickup" position. After the drill has formed the hole, the shuttle moves the riveting head to the work position and installs a rivet in the hole. Rack and pinion gearing rotates the transfer arm towards the rivet clamp in response to the shuttle motion and engages the new rivet tangentially. After the riveting head has installed the rivet, the shuttle moves the riveting head to a "delivery" position, where the transfer arm inserts the new rivet into the riveting head.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a warehouse system in which containers are stored on a gravity chute system inclined at an angle with the horizontal sufficient to overcome the kinetic coefficient of friction between the chute and a container placed thereon and may overcome the static coefficient of friction between the chute and a container placed thereon. The warehouse system includes a receiving system, a storage system, a shipping system, and an inventory system.

Abstract: A high capacity coin hopper is disclosed comprising a cylinder mounted for rotation above a coin dispensing disc assembly. The central axis of the cylinder is offset above the central axis of the coin dispensing disc, creating a wall in the cylinder. Coins pile up against the wall, alleviating pressure and jamming in the region of the disc. Coins spill over the wall where they are picked up by the disc. In addition, lift fingers inside the cylinder pick up coins from the base of the wall and lift them above the wall so they can fall into the region of the disc.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pin feeder for supplying contact pins in a high density interstitial pattern in a printed circuit carrier. The feeder apparatus eliminates the use of tubes, and features instead vertical vibration in combination with a honeycomb feeder plate configuration, thereby providing a process and apparatus for pin feeding with greatly improved reliability, reduced jamming and greater flexibility in its applications.

Abstract: An improvement in a coin operated vending machine for vending bulk articles comprises means for deflecting loose articles away from the entrance to the dispensing aperture. The means comprises a resilient rolling member, extending across an entry notch to a housing shielding the aperture, and rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of revolution of an advancing dispensing wheel, thus gripping and ejecting loose articles in the vicinity of the entry notch.

Abstract: A horizontal oscillatory feeder apparatus is disclosed for feeding a plurality of different types of electrical components of varying mass along respective tracks to component pick-up stations. The components and the tracks are supported on a base plate, which is excited in an oscillatory movement. The movement of the base plate is constrained so that movement is permitted only along an axis parallel to the feeder tracks. An excitation apparatus excites the base plate so that the acceleration forces applied to the components in a desired direction of movement exceeds the frictional force tending to prevent slippage of the components on the tracks; the acceleration forces applied to the components in the opposite direction are limited so that the components do not slip on the track in the opposite direction to the desired movement.

Abstract: A vibratory tube-to-tube transfer system for transferring the contents of an input tube to an output tube is disclosed. The system includes an alignment fixture having an input section for receiving an input tube loaded with ICs and an output section for receiving an empty output tube. A support plate supports the alignment fixture and a directional vibrator is affixed to the support plate for vibrating the alignment fixture and effecting the transfer of the contents of the input tube to the output tube. An equal number of input tubes and output tubes, such as eight of each, are accommodated by the transfer system.

Abstract: A device for sorting rod-like articles, for example cigarettes, according to their weight. The device feeds a single article from a hopper into a channel with the aid of two ribbed drums. The article then drops into a groove in a delivery shaft where it is tipped onto a series of "V"-shaped members located on the top of a balance. The weight of the article is determined and the article is then ejected by lifting arms onto the top wall of a ramp. The article is allowed to roll freely down the ramp. A microprocessor causes one of a number of doors in the top wall of the ramp to open according to the weight of the aritcle and the article then drops into a compartment below the ramp.

Abstract: An .alpha.-shaped torsion springs having a cylindrical coiled portion and first and second leg portions projecting from opposite ends of the coiled portion is conveyed along a conveyor rail. The conveyor rail has a base wall, first and second side wall which project upward on opposite sides of the base wall and extend in parallel to each other, a coil support surface which projects horizontally above the base wall from the second side wall toward the first side wall and terminates at a free edge spaced from the first side wall, and a partition wall which projects horizontally above the base wall from the first side wall toward the second side wall and terminates near the free edge of the coil support surface above the same. The .alpha.

Abstract: A coin storage and dispensing apparatus comprising a coin hopper assembly and a coin track assembly is disclosed for orienting coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the coin track assembly, and for dispensing coins from the coin track assembly at an elevation higher than that of the coin hopper. An impact drive assembly for preventing damage to the drive or gear box when a coin jam occurs or there is a malfunction in the coin hopper or coin track assembly is also disclosed. The coin storage and dispensing apparatus also incorporates an improved coin counter device, an anti-theft device, and a coin ejector for propelling coins from the exit slot.

Abstract: A machine that vends a predetermined number of golf balls when activated by a coin or token-operated slide mechanism. A large plurality of golf balls are placed in a hopper and the balls are fed from the hopper, one at a time, into an elongate pipe that discharges into a bucket positioned in a chamber near the bottom of the machine. A motor rotates a turntable having golf ball receiving apertures formed in its outer periphery so that the balls fill each aperture as the turntable rotates. The upper end of the pipe is in the path of travel of and is in open communication with apertures formed in the turntable so that rotation of the turntable continuously fills the pipe as the apertures pass over its open end. Numerous structural features, including vibrating members, insure that the balls will not jam in the hopper and additional design features insure a jostling of the balls in the vicinity of the pipe's upper end to insure against jamming at that critical location.

Abstract: An apparatus which provides for deposition quasi-spherical objects onto food products includes a horizontal table for feeding the food products beneath a dispensing device which includes a trough, for receiving and containing a supply of the objects to be dispensed, having at least one discharge opening, each discharge opening being connected to a chute which leads downwards towards the table for providing an object from the trough to a flexible strip above the table having an aperture having a border for supporting the object upon the strip aperture. Positioned over the strip aperture is a pusher for forcing the articles through the aperture to be embedded onto the surface of the food product positioned on the table below.

Abstract: A dispenser for fungible articles such as pharmaceutical tablets in which an elongated trough is vibrated at a downwardly oriented horizontal angle to dispense articles is single file alignment. An optical detector is mounted adjacent to the trough discharge end and is coupled to a counter for indicating the number of articles dispensed from the trough. The counter may be preset by an operator to dispense a preselected number of articles. The trough is releasably held to the dispenser cabinet by electromagnets which are energized simultaneously with the vibration motor. A container into which articles are to be dispensed is releasably captured beneath the discharge end of the trough adjacent to the detector.

Abstract: An ice dispenser comprising a housing for receipt of a plurality of pieces of ice, an outlet from the dispenser and a dispensing structure movable between a first location wherein the structure communicates with the housing and a second location wherein the structure communicates with the outlet, wherein movement of the dispensing structure from the first location to the second location causes a piece of ice received in the housing to be dispensed from the outlet.

Abstract: An improved ice measuring and dispensing machine is of the type which includes an ice supply hopper, a housing having three measuring and dispensing chambers which continuously rotate about a vertical axis, and a discharge chute. Each of the chambers rotates beneath the supply hopper to receive ice by gravity flow therefrom. Each of the chambers filled with ice from the ice supply hopper rotates over the discharge chute to discharge the ice therein by gravity flow down the discharge chute into an ice bag. The improvement includes the rotating housing having a cylindrical wall which partially defines each of the chambers. A hammer device is reciprocated toward and away from the cylindrical wall to cause the head thereof to make repeated, jarring contact with the cylindrical wall to vibrate the chambers and thus prevent the collection or bridging of ice therein.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for accepting an initially presented population of randomly oriented articles formed from a soft elastomeric material, and providing a high-speed output stream, wherein all said articles are commonly oriented for further mechanical manipulation. The apparatus includes an input bowl for accepting the articles, which bowl includes a rotatable central disk for feeding objects incident thereupon to the periphery of the disk. A continuous wall member extends upwardly from the disk periphery about a major arced zone. An output section defined adjacent the periphery of the disk at the portion opposed to the arced zone receives and delivers the articles from the disk, and an arrangement is provided for causing the disk to undergo vibratory motions while it is rotated.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing solid objects such as, for example, pills or tablets, from a bulk supply into a receptacle containing individual doses of such medication. More particularly, the apparatus includes a series of plates, one of which is movable with respect to the other two, causing solid objects of predetermined shape and configuration to be efficiently and automatically transferred from a bulk supply source to individually accessible unit dose packages.

Abstract: A machine for filling a container with cigarettes comprises a supply hopper for holding the cigarettes, a discharge section arranged in the lower portion of the supply hopper and through which the cigarettes are discharged into the container. The discharge section includes a plurality of partition walls vertically arranged in at intervals, thereby defining discharge passages, a plurality of freely rotatable stop rollers each arranged directly under its corresponding partition wall and oblate in shape. When the stop rollers are at a first rotational position, their paired flat surface extending from both sides of their corresponding partition walls. When the stop rollers are at a second rotational position, the paired arc surface portions into their corresponding discharge passages.

Abstract: A chip separation and alignment apparatus capable of accurately and readily accomplishing separation and alignment of chips with a simple construction. The apparatus includes a chip separation and alignment section and a chip separation section. The chip separation and alignment section includes a chip cassette formed into a flat rectangular box-like shape, in which are formed a chip storage chamber, a chip alignment hole provided with an upper end opening through which the chip alignment hole is communicated with a lower portion of the chip storage chamber and a lower end opening, and at least one air ejection port arranged near the upper end opening to intermittenly eject air therethrough. The chip separation section is arranged at the lower end opening of the chip alignment hole to separate chips one by one and to successively supply the separated chips to a subsequent step.

Abstract: A continuous processing machine for bending long metal rods includes a rod bundle handling machine for separating a bundle of rods and advancing the rods one after the other, a rod cutting station and a rod bending station provided downstream of the handling machine for cutting and subsequently bending the rods. Transfer means are provided for transferring the rods from station to station.

Abstract: A continuous process for bending long metal rods comprises separating and feeding a bundle of rods and advancing the rods one by one to a rod cutting station downstream, cutting the rods and feeding them to a rod bending station downstream of the cutting station, and subsequently bending the rods and removing them from the machine.

Abstract: A filter rod feed comprises a fluted drum (10), a hopper (14) from which filter rods are arranged to be fed into the flutes of the drum, means (16, 18) for delivering pneumatically-fed filter rods into the hopper, an agitator (20, 22) comprising a substantially horizontal row of laterally spaced bars (20) in the hopper, the bars being parallel to the filter rods and being at or above the level at which pneumatically-fed filter rods are delivered into the hopper, and the arrangement being such that movement of the bars promotes a substantially even flow of filter rods between the bars in both upward and downward directions.

Abstract: A hopper assembly for use in a product transporting apparatus having a rotary drum having at least one circumferential row of equally spaced, radially inwardly recessed pockets for receiving therein products to be transported while they are sucked therein by the effect of negative pressure developed in the respective pockets as the rotary drum rotates in one direction. The hopper assembly has a container having a bottom plate inclined at a particular angle downwardly towards the periphery of the drum and terminating at a particular position, and a nozzle assembly for supplying jets of compressed air into the container for permitting the products to be upwardly moved thereby to facilitate the supply of the products successively into the respective pockets.

Abstract: A supply device with a vibrating cylindrical container for the supply of products, via a multiple channel device, to machines for blister packaging, in which the container has a vertical axis which is eccentric with respect to the vertical axis of the vibrator device and has an annular base which develops in an ascending manner over a first portion starting from the multiple channel device, followed by a second portion which develops conventionally. Guide and flow stop means are provided along the base sections with ascending and conventional development as well as supply means for supplying the products into the peripheral zone of the container and suction means to suction the dust and/or fragments of products below the base of the container at the opposite sides of the multiple channel device.

Abstract: A package for connectors and an apparatus for dispensing them. The package comprises an elongated tape or pair of tapes and a plurality of an elongated connector containing tubes secured to and extending across the tape or tapes. The apparatus comprises a stand having upper and lower support members, a slide extending downwardly from the lower support member to a perch, and a stepping device for advancing successive tubes along the support members to the slide. Connectors are removed from the tubes descend the slide and are picked up from the perch by a robot and installed in a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A dispenser for golf balls comprises an upper bin (1) containing the balls to be dispensed retained by means of an inclined plate (2) partially sealing the bin (1) so as to arrange in its lower portion an opening (3) for the passage of the balls. In order to avoid a significant bulk at the level of the opening (3) a second inclined plate (4) is arranged in an inverse sense to the perpendicular of the opening (3). A lower inclined ramp (5) is provided with perpendicular elements (7) defining channels (8) disposed opposite compartments (9) arranged on a rotating cylinder (10) in loading position at the extremity of the lower ramp (5). In an upper portion of the vertical elements (7) a closing plate (11) is connected in order to avoid the superposition of several layers of balls. Rotation of the cylinder (10) outputs the balls into a drain (18) responsive to the action of a crank (17) coupled to a coin receiver and to the cylinder (10).

Abstract: A gear train is assembled by vibratory feeding each of its gears into a nest in overlapping meshed aligned spaced relation. A fastening nut is vibratory fed in alignment with the journal for the gear which is distal the bracket to which the gear train is to be secured. The bracket includes a plurality of journals each mating with the journal bearing of a corresponding gear located in the nest. A robotic arm carries the bracket and inserts the journals into the gears in an axial direction, passing the journal for the distal gear through that gear bearing and into the nut for capturing the overlapped nested gears between the nut and the bracket.

Abstract: A seed planter is provided with a stationary, funnel-shaped bin whose lower-end extension is constructed as a pair of electromagnetically, pneumatically, or mechanically pivoted brackets, defining a duct smaller than the grain when the brackets are closed. Other seeds are blown out of the funnel while one is retained until deposited upon briefly opening the brackets.

Abstract: A funnel-shaped device is provided with one or two segments serving as brackets to enlarge the bottom opening of the funnel which, when closed, is smaller than the smallest piece of grain to be deposited; a centrally disposed air tube blows air axially toward the bottom opening to cause a single piece of grain to be aerodynamically held on the opening while the remainder of the grains hover at a higher level. A slide element such as a fork or the like can be removably disposed at an intermediate level, possibly to serve for opening a single-bracket element. This permits a lower hovering level and a correspondingly increasing cycle time and depositing rate.

Abstract: A stirrer-feeder for pneumatic seed distributors includes a rotating body which is placed on the inside of a seed-holding tank and which is provided with flexible extensions that gliding next to holes provided on a distributor disk which is also in the tank. The extensions have the function of detaching from the holes knots of seeds that may have formed, in such a manner as to make only one seed engage in each hole.