Capsule inspection method and sorting machine

Claim 1

A MECHANISM FOR LOADING ARTICLES INTO THE UPPER RUN OF AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR BELT WHICH TRAVELS IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND WHICH HAS A ROW OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPENINGS THEREIN SHAPED TO INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE THE ARTICLES, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A DELIVERY CHUTE INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF THE UPPER RUN OF SAID BELT AND HAVING THE LOWER END THEREOF POSITIONED CLOSELY ABOVE BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE UPPER RUN OF SAID BELT, SAID INCLINED CHUTE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVE THEREIN TO RECEIVE AND GUIDE THE ARTICLES WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES ALIGNED IN THE DIRECTION OF DESCENT THEREOF IN THE GROOVE, SAID GROOVE IN TURN BEING ALIGNED WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID OPENINGS IN SAID BELT SO THAT ARTICLES DESCENDING IN SAID GROOVE ARE PROPERLY ORIENTED FOR ACCEPTANCE IN SAID OPENINGS OF SAID BELT, A VACUUM CHAMBER POSITIONED BENEATH SAID UPPER RUN OF SAID BELT FOR MAINTAINING AN AIR STREAM DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID BELT OPENINGS, AND A HOUSING OVERLYING THE LOWER END OF SAID CHUTE AND THE UPPER RUN OF SAID BELT FOR A GIVEN DISTANCE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT THEREOF AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM END OF SAID CHUTE FOR CONFINING ARTICLES DESCENDING