Vibratory parts feeding device

Claim 1

A PLURAL SECTION HOPPER BOWL ADAPTED TO BE RECIPROCALLY DRIVEN ALONG A CENTRAL AXIS OF VIBRATION ON A COMPLIANT SUPPORT BY A VIBRATORY MOTOR TO AUTOMATICALLY DELIVER ARTICLES IN POSITION ORIENTED SEQUENCE, SAID HOPPER HAVING AN UPRIGHT ANNULAR WALL AND A BOTTOM FLOOR, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID WALL DEFINING AN ARTICLE DELIVERY HELIX SHELF-TRACK ORIGINATING AT SAID BOTTOM FLOOR AND TERMINATING AT AN ARTICLE DISCHARGE STATION NEAR THE UPPER PERIPHERY OF SAID HOPPER WALL, THE COMPONENT SECTIONS OF SAID HOPPER COMPRISING AN ARTICLE RECEIVING BASE BOWL SECTION INCLUDING SAID BOTTOM FLOOR AND A LOWER MAJOR SEGMENT OF SAID HOPPER WALL DEFINING THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID SHELF-TRACK; AND A PLURALITY OF INTERCHANGEABLE ARTICLE ORIENTING SECTIONS EACH HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME TOTAL WEIGHT AND WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND EACH BEING ADAPTED TO POSITION-ORIENT A DIFFERENTLY SHAPED ARTICLE, EACH OF SAID ORIENTING SECTIONS COMPRISING A SEPARABLE UPPER MINOR ARCUATE SEGMENT OF SAID HOPPER WALL, THE INNER SURFACE OF WHICH DEFINES THE TERMINAL MINOR SEGMENT OF SAID SHELF-TRACK, WITH MEANS MOUNTED ON THE SAID MINOR WALL SEGMENT FOR UNIFORMLY POSITION-ORIENTING A GIVEN ARTICLE DELIVERED ON THE SHELF-TRACK TO THE ARTICLE DISCHARGE STATION, AND MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING ANY ONE OF SAID PLURAL ARTICLE ORIENTING SECTIONS TO THE SAID BASE BOWL SECTION, WHEREBY THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF SAID PLURAL SECTION HOPPER BOWL AND THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION THEREOF ABOUT SAID CENTRAL AXIS OF VIBRATION IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT WITH INTERCHANGE OF ARTICLE ORIENTING SECTIONS.