Apparatus for testing and sorting polarized articles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TESTING AND SORTING POLARIZED ARTICLES OF LIKE CONTOURS AND SORTING THEM ACCORDING TO THE POSITIONS OF THEIR POLES COMPRISING: A FEED STATION, A TEST STATION, A RECEIVING STATION, MEANS TO FEED THE ARTICLES UNORIENTED AS TO THEIR POLES SUCCESSIVELY TO THE FEED STATION, MEANS OPERABLE TO TRANSFER THE ARTICLES SINGLY FROM THE FEED STATION TO THE TEST STATION AND FROM THE TEST STATION TO THE RECEIVING STATION, A CARRIAGE MOVABLY MOUNTED AT THE RECEIVING STATION RECEPTACLES SUPPORTED AT SPACED POSITIONS BY THE CARRIAGE TO SELECTIVELY RECEIVE IN ONE RECEPTACLE ARTICLES WITH THEIR NEGATIVE POLES UPPERMOST AND TO SELECTIVELY RECEIVE IN ANOTHER RECEPTACLE ARTICLES WITH THEIR POSITIVE POLES UPPERMOST, MEANS OPERABLE TO MOVE THE CARRIAGE TO LOCATE THE RECEPTACLES AT THE RECEIVING STATION, A TEST UNIT DISPOSED AT THE TEST STATION AND RESPONSIVE TO THE POLARITY OF EACH ARTICLE AT THE TEST STATION TO CAUSE OPERATION OF THE MOVING MEANS FOR THE CARRIAGE TO LOCATE THE RECEPTACLES SELECTIVELY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE ARTICLES, THE TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A TRANSFER HEAD AND TUBULAR MEMBERS CARRIED BY THE TRANSFER HEAD AND HAVING ENDS SPACED TO ENGAGE RESPECTIVELY AN ARTICLE AT THE FEED STATION AND AN ARTICLE AT THE TEST STATION, A SLIDE SUPPORTING THE TRANSFER HEAD FOR LATERAL AND VERTICAL MOVEMENTS, MEANS OPERABLE TO IMPART LATERAL MOVEMENTS TO THE SLIDE BETWEEN INTERVALS OF REST TO MOVE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FROM PICKUP POSITIONS ADJACENT THE FEED STATION AND THE TEST STATION TO DEPOSIT POSITIONS ADJACENT THE TEST STATION AND THE RECEIVING STATION, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TRANSFER HEAD TO NORMALLY URGE THE HEAD IN A DIRECTION TO HOLD THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FREE OF THE STATIONS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE LATERAL MOVING MEANS TO MOVE THE TRANSFER HEAD TO CAUSE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS TO MOVE TOWARD THE STATIONS ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THEIR LATERAL MOVEMENTS AND TO FREE THE TRANSFER HEAD TO MOVE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FREE OF THE STATIONS PRIOR TO THE LATERAL MOVEMENTS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR TESTING AND SORTING POLARIZED ARTICLES OF LIKE CONTOURS AND SORTING THEM ACCORDING TO THE POSITIONS OF THEIR POLES COMPRISING: A FEED STATION, A TEST STATION, A RECEIVING STATION, MEANS TO FEED THE ARTICLES UNORIENTED AS TO THEIR POLES SUCCESSIVELY TO THE FEED STATION, MEANS OPERABLE TO TRANSFER THE ARTICLES SINGLY FROM THE FEED STATION TO THE TEST STATION AND FROM THE TEST STATION TO THE RECEIVING STATION, A CARRIAGE MOVABLY MOUNTED AT THE RECEIVING STATION RECEPTACLES SUPPORTED AT SPACED POSITIONS BY THE CARRIAGE TO SELECTIVELY RECEIVE IN ONE RECEPTACLE ARTICLES WITH THEIR NEGATIVE POLES UPPERMOST AND TO SELECTIVELY RECEIVE IN ANOTHER RECEPTACLE ARTICLES WITH THEIR POSITIVE POLES UPPERMOST, MEANS OPERABLE TO MOVE THE CARRIAGE TO LOCATE THE RECEPTACLES AT THE RECEIVING STATION, A TEST UNIT DISPOSED AT THE TEST STATION AND RESPONSIVE TO THE POLARITY OF EACH ARTICLE AT THE TEST STATION TO CAUSE OPERATION OF THE MOVING MEANS FOR THE CARRIAGE TO LOCATE THE RECEPTACLES SELECTIVELY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE ARTICLES, THE TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A TRANSFER HEAD AND TUBULAR MEMBERS CARRIED BY THE TRANSFER HEAD AND HAVING ENDS SPACED TO ENGAGE RESPECTIVELY AN ARTICLE AT THE FEED STATION AND AN ARTICLE AT THE TEST STATION, A SLIDE SUPPORTING THE TRANSFER HEAD FOR LATERAL AND VERTICAL MOVEMENTS, MEANS OPERABLE TO IMPART LATERAL MOVEMENTS TO THE SLIDE BETWEEN INTERVALS OF REST TO MOVE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FROM PICKUP POSITIONS ADJACENT THE FEED STATION AND THE TEST STATION TO DEPOSIT POSITIONS ADJACENT THE TEST STATION AND THE RECEIVING STATION, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE TRANSFER HEAD TO NORMALLY URGE THE HEAD IN A DIRECTION TO HOLD THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FREE OF THE STATIONS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE LATERAL MOVING MEANS TO MOVE THE TRANSFER HEAD TO CAUSE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS TO MOVE TOWARD THE STATIONS ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THEIR LATERAL MOVEMENTS AND TO FREE THE TRANSFER HEAD TO MOVE THE TUBULAR MEMBERS FREE OF THE STATIONS PRIOR TO THE LATERAL MOVEMENTS OF THE TUBULAR MEMBERS.