Automatic alignment and input feeding machinery for confectionary articles

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CONFECTIONARY ARTICLES, AUTOMATIC FEED MECHANISM FOR RECEIVING A LARGE MASS OF RANDOMLY POSITIONED FRESHLY MADE CONFECTIONS FROM A PREVIOUS MANUFACTURING STAGE AND FOR ARRANGING SAID CONFECTIONS INTO A LINE CONTINUOUSLY FED TO A SUBSEQUENT STAGE IN SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING A LARGE GROUP OF CONFECTIONS THEREON RANDOMLY ARRANGED, A VIBRATORY PLATFORM ADJACENT TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE CONFECTIONS FROM SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, DRIVE MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID PLATFORM WITH SHORT ROTARY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID PLATFORM HAVING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE ENCIRCLING SAID AXIS, SAID ROTARY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION SERVING TO ADVANCE THE CONFECTIONS ALONG SAID HORIZONTAL SURFACE IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID PLATFORM HAVING A RAISED INNER AREA WITH A DOWNWARDLY SLOPING SURFACE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RAISED INNER AREA TO SAID HORIZONTAL SURFACE, SAID SLOPING SURFACE CURVING OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID VIBRATORY AXIS FOR URGING THE CONFECTIONS OUTWARDLY AS THEY ADVANCE ABOUT SAID AXIS WHILE AVOIDING CONTACT WITH THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE CONFECTIONS, SAID VIBRATORY PLATFORM HAVING A GENERALLY TANGENTIAL DISCHARGE OUTLET, SAID OUTLET PROGRESSING IN SAID DIRECTION ON ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS, SAID DISCHARGE OUTLET HAVING A CONFIGURATION FOR RECEIVING SAID CONFECTIONS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN GUIDED OUTWARDLY BY SAID SLOPING SURFACE AND FOR PASSING SAID CONFECTIONS INDIVIDUALLY THERETHROUGH, A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SLIPPERY CONVEYOR BELT FOR RECEIVING THE LINE OF CONFECTIONS PASSED BY SAID OUTLET, AND CONTROLLABLE RELEASE MEANS FOR RESTRAINING THE LEADING CONFECTIONS ON SAID SLIPPERY BELT WHILE SAID SLIPPER BELT SLIDES BENEATH THE LEADING CONFECTIONS, THEREBY CLOSING UP ANY GAPS IN SAID LINE.