Abstract: A system for ensuring correct orientation of a threaded insert being inserted into a threaded bore of an aluminum workpiece such as an engine block. The system comprises a threaded insert supply, a feeder for transporting inserts dispensed from the insert supply, and an orient subassembly for dispensing the insert supplied from the feeder into a workpiece bore. The orient subassembly dispenses the insert into the workpiece bore in a tang-down orientation if the insert is supplied to the orient subassembly in a tang-down position. The orient subassembly reorients the insert if the insert is supplied to the orient subassembly in a tang-up position before the insert is dispensed into the workpiece bore.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding chip components includes a component container for containing many chip components in bulk, a first component reservoir for storing the chip components in bulk. The component container is attached to the first component reservoir. The apparatus further includes a second component reservoir provided under the first component reservoir for two-dimensionally storing the chip components in a space so that the chip components are not overlapped in their thickness direction, and a component alignment path provided under the second component reservoir for one-dimensionally aligning the chip components. The apparatus further includes an alignment palate having first and second alignment portions. The first alignment portion is provided between the first component reservoir and the second component reservoir for two-dimensionally aligning the chip components and letting the chip components move down by their own weight.

Abstract: An ampule dispenser for dispensing ampules from an ampule container in which a plurality of ampules are stored in a disorderly manner. It has a stocker for stocking ampules discharged from the ampule container. The stocker has a bottom wall sloping downward both in a first direction in which ampules are discharged from the ampule container and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A cylindrical rotor is provided in the bottom wall at one side thereof for rotation in one direction. The rotor has axial grooves formed in the outer periphery thereof and extending axially to receive a single ampule discharged at a time.

Abstract: An improved machine and method for properly orienting two or more sets of parts having different lengths. An escapement mechanism and a length adjusting rod are employed in conjunction with a reciprocating shuttle block. The shuttle block houses a single orientor shaft and parts receiving nest. A sensing mechanism, preferably employing photoelectric fibre optic sensors, is used to control the flow of parts into and away from the orientor.

Abstract: A single, traveling actuator services multiple medication dispensing carousels to selectively dispense medication. The traveling actuator carries a tray that receives the dispensed medication. The tray flips to discharge the medication for patient use. The single actuator simplifies operation and reduces drop distance, thereby leading to a compact, low profile assembly.

Abstract: A chip component feeder is provided which includes a chip component storage box, a pick-up slider, a first feeding unit, and a second feeding unit. The pick-up slider slides to enter an outlet of the chip component storage box for picking up chip components and leads them to a feeding path formed in the first feeding unit communicating with the second feeding unit. The feeding path of the first feeding unit has a rectangular cross section suitable for the chip components of rectangular shape as well as square or circular shape.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and apparatus for transporting articles held within a liquid medium from one location to another. Apparatus according to the invention comprise a hopper having a top end, a bottom end, and at least one side wall extending therebetween. The bottom end includes an opening therein, and the hopper is adapted to receive the articles and the liquid medium. A means is provided for injecting an amount of the liquid medium into the hopper to fluidize the articles while held within the liquid medium. The apparatus further includes a container which may be aligned with the opening at the bottom end of the hopper. The container is sized to receive a known quantity of at least one of the articles.

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: The present invention pertains to the problem of decollating the lowest card 3 of a stack 2 of cards guided in a shaft 1 without giving rise to a considerable friction between the card surfaces. This problem, which arises especially in the case of plastic cards designed as printed data storage media, is solved by the present invention by the lowermost card 3 being located with its front 4 and rear 5 edges between two push-off members 6, 7, which are mounted rotatably around two mutually parallel axes 12, 13. The lowermost card 3 is first pushed off to the rear 8 by a small amount, and it is at the same time spaced from the card located above it, after which the front edge 4 of the card is released and is freely movable in the downward direction. The lowermost card 3 is then pushed off in the opposite direction 9, and it reaches a conveyer in an oblique free fall.

Abstract: System for metered feeding of cylindrical bodies from a stock to a processing machine. This involves, starting from the stock, first aligning the cylindrical bodies and then feeding them in a metered manner to a transfer device in order to move the cylindrical bodies to the processing machine. According to the invention, the device for aligning the cylindrical bodies coming from the stock consists of a rotatable drum-shaped member consisting of a number of bars disposed in the form of a ring. Between the bars the opening through which the cylindrical bodies can emerge is delimited.

Abstract: A vending machine is designed to dispense multiple copies of a publication one at a time. The machine includes a storage member adapted to temporarily store multiple copies of a publication in a face-to-face orientation, a suction assembly formed of at least one suction cup that is adapted to seize and transport the front most copy of the publication to a dispensing position, a valve assembly associated with the suction cup to cause the cup to vent when in a dispensing position to dispense such copy into a delivery chute, and a slidable backplate biased to continuously urge the remaining copies of the publication forward.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying anti-frictional compound such as stick lubricant to a surface to be lubricated, for example a selected area of a railroad car wheel, includes a magazine for retaining a plurality of sticks or rods of the compound; a mechanism for guiding an individual stick or rod and directing it into contact with the surface to be lubricated. The apparatus sequentially draws individual sticks or rods from the magazine and locates each one, in sequence, in the guideway until the magazine is empty. The apparatus applies a constant pressure on the lubricant to the area to be lubricated.

Abstract: A tagging machine acts to automatically insert label tags into selected compartments of a seed tray as the tray passes under the machine.A cartridge loaded with tags feeds the tags one by one to a breach channel. A pair of extractor fingers lift the tag in the breach channel, onto a deflector which deflects the emerging end of the tag between a pair of displacement fingers. Once the displacment fingers have received the tag they drive the tag back along the channel in the opposite direction to discharge the tag into the seed tray.As the tag is moved in a direction to be discharged from the channel it displaces the extractor fingers out of the channel. The fingers are only brought back into the channel to lift the next tag, when the displacement fingers return to their tag receiving position.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing one or more stacks of paper slips and for sequentially dispensing single slips from a stack as needed. The apparatus may include a protective housing having one or more compartments in which is disposed a flat plate on which a stack of paper slips may be placed. The plate is free to move upwardly or downwardly in the compartment and is biased upwardly. A roller assembly carried at one end of the housing for frictional engagement with the uppermost paper slip in a stack is selectively rotatable by a persons hand to dispense the uppermost slip through an opening in the end of the housing.

Abstract: Process for the automatic dispensing and automatic dispenser (1) of products (63), in particular of packaged food products, arranged on trays (20) of a storage device (2) comprising means (3) for transportation in a closed circuit, from which means the trays are suspended in a continuous chain and which have gear members (5) with horizontal and parallel axes, with the aid of an extracting device (56) comprising at least one pusher (62) and suitable for extracting the products from the storage device when the trays are, respectively, at a discharging station. When one of the trays is at the discharging station (55) and the pusher (62) is arranged laterally to the product (63) to be extracted which is carried by this tray (20), means displace the pusher (62) parallel to the axes of the gear members (4, 5) of the transportation means (3) so as to push and slide this product on this tray parallel to these axes in order to extract this product at one of the transverse ends of this tray.

Abstract: A chip packaging casing for packing chips and also serving as a chip supply source comprises a substantially plate-like body having a spiral passageway formed in its interior, and a plurality of chips received in a row in the spiral passageway of the body. The plate-like body further has a chip-outlet formed therein as a continuation of the spiral passageway to communicate with the exterior of the body and at least one air-intake formed therein to communicate between the passageway and the exterior of the body. The air-intake is adapted to be connected to an air supply source and serves to facilitate the forwarding of the chips along the passageway toward the outlet to discharge the chips form the outlet. A chip supply mechanism is provided for supplying chips to a mounting head of an automatic chip mounting apparatus by using the chip packaging casing.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a deck washer from a storage magazine containing a stack of deck washers to a deck for installation. The transfer is accomplished by a reciprocating trolley which retrieves a washer from the stack and whose reciprocation urges the washer down a ramp on the trolley in to a holding chamber for installation.

Abstract: A parts feeding apparatus is disclosed for use in feeding a supply of garment appliance parts such as buttons, hooks, slide fastener component parts and the like from parts reservoirs or parts feeders through a plurality of feed chutes onto a parts applying holder. The feed chutes each carrying thereon an array of parts of different types and colors are pivotally movable in the same plane into and out of an operative position relative to the parts applying holder, in which position the parts are selectively transferred onto the holder.

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 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 and method for destacking and dispensing cup-like containers, such as for use in association with an automated product packaging machine, are disclosed. The apparatus includes pairs of upper and lower jaws associated with each stack of containers received by the apparatus. Both the upper and lower jaws are mounted for movement inwardly and outwardly relative to each stack, with the lower jaws further mounted for vertical movement relative to the upper jaws. By this arrangement, the lower jaws can be operated to destack and separate the lowermost container of each stack, so that the separated container is received on a product conveyor of the packaging machine.

Abstract: A shuttle-actuated singulation apparatus (10) for use in handling integrated circuit devices (16). A shuttle (39), acting to isolate or singulate an individual integrated circuit device (16) for transfer to a test apparatus, is included. A shuttle assembly (30) is carried by a splined shaft (34) for rotational movement of shuttle (39) carried thereby. The assembly (30), additionally, is moved laterally by means of a drive cable (36). Rotation of a shuttle barrel (32) and associated upward pivoting of shuttle projectiles (42) carried by barrel (32) effects engagement of a bell crank (70) which, in turn, engages a belt drive mount (82) carrying a drive belt (80). The drive belt (80), thereafter, is engaged with an integrated circuit device (16) to impel the device (16) out of a track (12) in which it is received.

Abstract: A machine which supports a stack of bins adapted to store small objects prior to shipment. The machine includes an elevator which acts in conjunction with the bin retainers and a programmable controller to remove one bin from the stack and lower it into a filling position. After the filling is completed the elevator lowers the filled bin onto a transport conveyor which removes the bin to a remote storage area.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing and conveying capsules to a printer for receiving indicia comprises a sloping ramp and a complementary guide which define a conveying passageway having an inlet and an outlet. A vertically movable slide member is associated with the outlet and is movable between a first position wherein the slide member receives a capsule from the outlet of the conveying passageway and a second position wherein a portion of the slide member seals the outlet of the conveying passageway. The slide member when in its second position further defines with the complementary guide a horizontally extending passageway for conveying the capsule to the printer.

Abstract: A device for dispensing conical objects to form a stream of generally horizontal side-by-side conical objects with alternate conical objects having one orientation and intervening conical objects having the reversed orientation. The stacks having a first orientation have release cams driven from a common cam shaft while the intervening stacks have release cams driven from a common cam shaft, the timing of the two cam shafts being such that the conical objects are released successively starting from stack and ending at stack.

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 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: An apparatus and a method for simultaneously dispensing a plurality of golf balls are disclosed. A housing member having a plurality of guide members therein is provided for guiding the plurality of balls therethrough into a holding member suitable for being operably connected to a conventional coin dispenser. The manually operated, coin activated, dispenser is operated to allow the plurality of balls to be dispensed into a basket-like member for easy access to a user or player.

Abstract: A dispensing arrangement for dispensing planar lottery tickets and like articles comprises a chute which in cross-section corresponds to the surface configuration of a lottery ticket, and at one end of which there is arranged a dispensing mechanism intended for separating a lottery ticket lying nearest the mechanism through a slot-like opening. According to the invention, the dispensing mechanism includes a friction member (12) which can move in the dispening direction and which in a first position is located beneath or in the plane in which a lottery ticket located nearest the mechanism (12) is intended to lie, and which in the second position is located above this plane. In the second position of the friction member, the friction member (12) lifts the end of a lottery ticket opposite the slot-like opening, wherewith the lottery ticket is supported at three locations, namely against the friction member (12) and against two mutually spaced and mutually parallel support bars (9) or like members.

Abstract: An apparatus for discharging slide fasteners comprises a guide unit disposed on a horizontal longitudinal path downstream of a pair of feed rollers for receiving the slide fasteners therefrom one after another, and a gripping unit disposed in the path downstream of the guide unit for releasably gripping a leading end of the individual slide fastener received in the guide unit. The guide unit includes a stationary upper guide member and a lower guide member pivotally movable to open the bottom side of the guide unit to thereby allow the individual slide fasteners therein to fall and hence become suspended from the gripping unit.

Abstract: Stick delivery mechanism especially for but not limited to use in a candy floss machine for delivering a stick from a storage facility to a feed position from which the stick can enter a device which rotates the stick about its own axis.

Abstract: Friction members, working together as an integral unit, rise up into engagement with the lowermost article in a stack to slightly raise it along the engaged portions thereof above the rest of the device as a forward stroke is commenced, thereby warping the article along its leading edge as such leading edge is at the same time tucked beneath a forwardly located element positioned to permit passage of only the lowermost article during each feed stroke. This combination of actions has the effect of advancing the articles seriatim from the stack into a pair of highspeed nip rollers which grab only the lowermost article and immediately complete its withdrawal. At the instant the nip rollers begin pulling on the article, the raised friction members respond by dropping down to their initial position below the upper surface of the feed device, which thereupon makes its return stroke in preparation for feeding the next article of the stack.

Abstract: Applicant has provided a hopper feed mechanism used to feed articles into other process equipment. The operator feeds the articles into the hopper. Upon actuation, a shuttle blade conveys an article out of the hopper and under a feedwheel. The shuttle blade is movably supported to the fixed frame of the mechanism, and is powered by an air cylinder. The feedwheel is lifted as the article is propeled under the feedwheel and is lowered to feed the article into other process equipment.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying wire joints, of the type having a crimpable metallic ferrule, to the ends of wires. The apparatus includes a feeder for holding a supply of the joints, a tool for applying the joints to be crimped, and a conveyor interconnecting the feeder and the tool for conveying the joints in series. The tool has a crimping station and first and second crimping members which are movable between an open position and a crimping position for applying a joint held at the crimping station. The tool also includes a wire joint advance mechanism responsive to the crimping members moving toward their open position to advance the next upstream wire joint to the crimping station thereby ejecting the wire joint applied to the wires.As a method, the present invention includes the steps of moving a wire joint from a loading station to the crimping station as the crimping members move to their open position.

Abstract: A handler (10) for feeding integrated circuit chip carriers (42) into a test site (14) of the handler (10) is the subject matter of this patent application. Inventive features include apparatus whereby carriers (42) are pushed laterally from a bottom end (62) of a magazine track (26) into a conveyor station (58). A pusher bar (64) can include a ramp surface (128) to raise carriers (42) above the particular carrier (42) being moved into the conveyor station (58). Further, the inventive features include structure for remotely sensing the presence of a carrier (42) at the bottom end (62) of a track (26). A rotary shuttle (148) can be incorporated for transporting carriers (42), after they have been tested, to the output section (158) of the handler (10).

Abstract: A manually-operable tool for holding a magazine containing a plurality of stacked, individual electrical components and selectively dispensing the components from the tool in predetermined orientation for loading on a printed circuit board, or the like. The magazine is inserted into an appropriately configured opening in the tool which is held by the operator with the magazine substantially vertical so that components are gravity fed to the lower end. Depression of a spring loaded rod by the operator's thumb moves a plunger to push a component out of engagement between a pair of gripper members. On the return stroke of the rod, a component transport member is moved thereby to carry the lowermost component fed by gravity from the magazine to engagement between the gripper members for ejection on the next depression of the rod and plunger.

Abstract: An automatic cup dispenser for dispensing cups at high speeds and at predetermined intervals from a stack of cups wherein each cup includes a bottom wall, a side wall and a peripheral lip comprising a plurality of opposed pairs of rotors mounted for rotation about vertical axes. The rotors are supported in position such that the upper end of each rotor engages the lip of the lowermost cup in a stack. Each rotor has a helical groove in the periphery thereof for engaging the lip of the lowermost cup and guiding the cup downwardly, the helical groove of adjacent rotors extending oppositely, and adjacent rotors being driven in alternate directions. The length of each groove is such that on rotation of the rotors, the lip of the lowermost cup is engaged and moved downwardly out of the stack while the remainder of the cups in the stack are held in position by a shoulder on the rotor.

Abstract: Single sheets are separated from a stack of sheets arranged in a housing having one open end in which at least one pair of separating rollers is disposed with the lower end of the stack resting in the nip thereof. One roller of each pair has a surface with a greater coefficient of friction relative to the sheet surface than that of the other roller and is rotated in a direction relative to the stack opposite to the other roller so that an outermost sheet is caused to slide from the remainder of the stack by frictional engagement of the one roller while the stack remainder is held from the oppositely rotating roller. Separation is greatly facilitated by the provision of hooks which support the lower edge of the remainder of the stack during separation and positively assist withdrawal of the stack remainder.

Abstract: A machine for extruding dough, typically of the bagel variety, about a food, such as a frankfurter, is disclosed. Typically, the frankfurters are loaded into a magazine. The magazine feeds a star wheel at the bottom. The star wheel singulates, rotates and discharges the frankfurters into a chute. Once the frankfurters are deposited in the chute, an endless chain with propelling pawls propels each sequential frankfurter through the chute concentrically to an extruder. The extruder continuously dispenses bagel dough concentrically around the frankfurters and is supplied with bagel dough under pressure by an auger flight extruder or other propelling mechanism. Extrusion occurs from an extrusion head having a frankfurter passageway centrally thereof. Dough is extruded into first and second extrusion chambers and out first and second immediately concentric extrusion annuluses about the frankfurter passageway.

Abstract: An indexable rotary cylindrical magazine has part pockets around the periphery parallel to the magazine axis. A guide supplies parts end-to-end to an entrance end of a pocket in a loading position. A reciprocable feed finger engages the downstream end of any part in a pocket at the loading position to index the magazine to the next pocket only if the part is substantially completely received in that pocket at the loading position. Stripper prongs remove the parts from the filled pockets and supply them side-by-side into a part chute. A utilization machine such as a planetary thread rolling machine has a feed mechanism to receive parts from the chute exit and feed them into the threading area. The feed mechanism has feed-in, retract and a dwell range and the parts have approximately twice the length of time to be received in a pocket at the loading position as the time duration of said dwell range.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing articles, particularly, but not necessarily, packaged food articles which are warmed within the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a storage zone, a dispensing zone and a conveyor for conveying articles between the storage zone and the dispensing zone. Articles are loaded into vacant holders in a loading zone and such loading is controlled by a detector which detects for the presence of articles in holders which are at any one time approaching the loading zone. A further detector detects for a vacancy in the dispensing zone and, if such vacancy exists, an article is transferred from an associated holder to the dispensing zone.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for performing certain manufacturing operations on a container such as forming a beaded rim around the upper open end of the container. The apparatus includes mechanism for dispensing rimless containers into container-receiving receptacles which are mounted on a rotatable turret which moves the containers from one station to another station of the apparatus. Gripping means is provided to retain the containers within the receptacles and bead-forming means is also provided and is operable to form a bead on the upper disposed edge of the container. Ejection means is also provided for ejecting a finished container from a receptacle.

Abstract: A dispenser for antibiotic sensitivity discs which automatically and simultaneously dispenses a plurality of discs onto a flat surface, for example a layer of agar gel in a petri dish. The dispenser comprises a removable magazine unit which carries the required number of standard cartridges, each filled with discs to be dispensed. The discs are in turn removed mechanically from the cartridges from where they are transferred to the surface of the gel by a plurality of pick-up tubes to which a vacuum is applied. The vacuum causes the discs to become attached to the ends of respective tubes so that the discs move with the tubes onto the gel surface, and are pressed onto the gel surface by a pressure equal to the weight of the tubes.

Abstract: A spike driving machine is disclosed in which a hole sensing device and spike holder are driven in toward a rail under the action of a fixed stroke piston and cylinder until a stop engages the rail. The stop has been previously adjusted to line up the hole sensing device and spike holder the correct lateral distance for engagement with the tie plate holes. Excess travel of the piston and cylinder is taken up by providing a flexible connection between an X-frame carrying the hole sensing device, the spike holder and a drive head and a Y-frame which is fixed in the lateral direction. The stroke is chosen to align the spike holder under the drive head. Thus, the arrangement can be used for rails of differing thickness simply by adjusting the stop appropriately.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus is disclosed having a horizontally disposed conveyor mounted on a support for vertical movement so that the conveyor may receive articles from each of a plurality of superimposed storage shelves. A picking head for causing articles to be transferred from a shelf to the conveyor is mounted for vertical movement with the conveyor and is also supported for movement along the conveyor.

Abstract: Packing spacer sheets are automatically fed one at a time to a pick-up station from a stack, with selected sheets arranged to arrive in inverted condition so that all packing sheets are properly oriented into packing position. Sheets can be pulled from stack by a transfer carrier having gripping jaws with teeth that dig into rib structures on sheet and jaws can open to engage other portions of sheet and thus hold the sheet to assure all teeth are pulled out of sheet. Stack can be a horizontal nesting of generally vertically disposed sheets carried by narrow spaced belts stepped along on a low friction surface with fixed retainer to stop forward face of stack and permit front sheet to be pulled off.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for automatically dispensing cups to a continuously moving flight conveyor having openings for receiving the cups and carrying the same continuously forward through a cup-filling station, a cup capping station and a cup discharge station. A cup filling means travels forwardly while filling the cups and a heat sealer means heat seals cups to the cup rims while traveling forwardly with the cups. At the discharge station, the cups are automatically lifted and transferred from openings in the flight conveyor to a take-off means as the cups continuously travel forwardly. The apparatus is also capable of being modified to operate on an intermittent feed basis with the cups stopping at each of the respective stations.

Abstract: Paper money such as bank notes of various denominations are dispensed by an apparatus having bank note storing cases including spaces which are adapted to store in a packed state sheets of the bank notes classified in accordance with the denominations, a note removal device provided at the note delivering end of each space in the note storing cases for taking the notes out of the note storing cases, and a note lifting device adapted to be selectively positioned in alignment with the note removal device for receiving the notes taken out by the note removal device. Preferably, each note removal device has a suction head and note removal rollers, and the note lifting device is a note kick-up roller, a stop member for dressing the leading edges of the notes, and a cam for regulating the position of the stop member in accordance with the width of the notes of the pertinent denomination.

Abstract: The planting machine comprises a hopper having a bottom formed by a belt conveyor which extends outside the hopper. A tuber supply device supplies the tubers one by one from the conveyor to the furrow to be sown and comprises a collector cup mounted at the end of the conveyor which receives each tuber from the conveyor. A device responsive to the presence of a tuber in the cup stops the conveyor when the tuber is in the cup. Movable cups for taking up the tuber received in the collector cup drive the tuber into the furrow.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for separating bundled bars, which comprises a magazine for containing the bars in bundles cooperating with means which reduce its width and thus cause the overflow of a certain number of bars from one of its longitudinal sides. The apparatus is also provided with a device for rolling the bars back and forth so to arrange them side by side through a passage where bars are intercepted and withheld by a hooking device which separates the bars singly and release it for transfer to a subsequent operation.