Apparatus for aligning and orienting elongate cylindrical objects

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING AND ORIENTING ELONGATE CARTRIDGE-SHAPED CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS, ONE END OF WHICH IS BEVELED AND THE OTHER END OF WHICH IS BLUNT, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (1) A FIRST ROTATABLE DISC, (2) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FIRST ROTATABLE DISC IN AN INCLINED PLANE, (3) A PERIPHERAL SHOULDER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM AN UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DISC IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF ROTATION THEREOF, (4) SAID SHOULDER TERMINATING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING LOWER LEDGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, (5) GUIDE SURFACE MEANS MOUNTED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID EXTENDING LEDGE OF SAID DISC AND EXTENDING AROUND SAID DISC AT LEAST FROM THE LOWER REGION TO THE UPPER REGION THEREOF TO DEFINE IN COOPERATION WITH SAID SHOULDER AND SAID LOWER LEDGE A GROOVE HAVING CROSSSECTIONAL DIMENSIONS ADAPTING IT TO RECEIVE AND MAINTAIN CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT AND SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIALLY OF SAID SHOULDER, (6) A CONDUIT COMMUNICATING AT ITS UPPER RECEIVING END WITH SAID GROOVE IN THE UPPER REGION OF SAID DISC AND HAVING INTERIOR CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS ADAPTING IT FOR RECEIVING THE ALIGNED OBJECTS FROM THE GROOVE AND CONDUCTING THEM IN SUCH DISPOSITION TO THE LOWER DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONDUIT, (7) A SECOND ROTATABLE DISC, (8) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID SECOND ROTATABLE DISC IN AN INCLINED PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE INCLINED PLANE OF SAID FIRST ROTATABLE DISC, (9) SAID SECOND ROTATABLE DISC HAVING A PERIPHERAL SLOT THEREIN, (10) A PULLEY DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID SECOND DISC HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN, (11) AN ENDLESS BELT LOOPED ABOUT SAID SECOND DISC AND SAID PULLEY IN THE SLOT AND IN THE GROOVE THEREOF RESPECTIVELY, (12) SAID LOWER DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE SLOT OF SAID SECOND DISC, (13) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND DISCS, (14) STOP MEANS MOUNTED IN THE PATH OF SAID CONDUIT AT SAID LOWER DISCHARGE END THEREOF, (15) SAID STOP MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN APERTURE ALIGNED AXIALLY OF SAID LOWER DISCHARGE END IF SAID CONDUIT AND DIMENSIONED TO PERMIT PARTIALY ENTRY OF THE BEVELLED ENDS OF THE CARTRIDGE-SHAPED OBJECTS AND TO PREVENT ENTRY OF THE BLUNT ENDS OF THE CARTRIDGESHAPED OBJECT, (16) A RECIPROCABLE PUSH-ROD MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID LOWER DISCHARGE END AND SAID APERTURED STOP MEANS, (17) MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PUSH-ROD TRANSVERSE LY OF SAID LOWER DISCHARGE END AND INTO THE SLOT IN SAID SECOND DISC AND TOWARD SAID ENDLESS BELT, AND (18) MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE INCLINATION OF SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND DISCS SIMULTANEOUSLY.