Automatic orientation, alignment and input feeding machinery for confectionary articles

Claim 1

AUTOMATIC INPUT FEEDING APPARATUS FOR CONFECTIONARY ARTICLES COMPRISING A ROTARY VIBRATORY PLATFORM CONVEYOR HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION AND INCLUDING A GENERALLY TANGENTIAL DISCHARGE OUTLET FROM THE PERIMETER OF THE PLATFORM, SAID VIBRATORY PLATFORM CONVEYOR HAVING A SMOOTH SURFACE AND HOLDING THE CONFECTIONARY ARTICLES THEREON, ROTARY VIBRATORY DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID PLATFORM FOR CIRCULATING THE ARTICLES THEREIN IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID OUTLET, ORIENTING MECHANISM FOR THE CONFECTIONARY ARTICLES APPROACHING SAID OUTLET INCLUDING GUIDE WALLS MEANS EXTENDING TOWARD SAID OUTLET AND DEFINING ONE SIDE OF SAID OUTLET, SAID RESILIENT REJECTOR MEANS REVOLVING IN A DIRECTION COUNTER TO THE APPROACHING CONFECTIONS AND DEFINING THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID OPENING FOR SAID ARTICLES TO PASS THROUGH SAID OUTLET SINGLE FILE AND FOR REJECTING MISALIGNED CONFECTIONS INCLUDING A PULLEY WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID OPENING, A BELT TRAVELLING AROUND SAID PULLEY WHEEL, GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID BELT SPACED FROM SAID PULLEY WHEEL AND GUIDING THE BELT ALONG THE PATH AT A LARGE ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE CONFECTIONS APPROACHING ALONG SAID WALL FOR URGING THE MIS-ALIGNED CONFECTIONS AWAY FROM SAID OUTLET, WHEREBY THE CONFECTIONARY ARTICLES ARE REARRANGED FROM A RANDOM GROUP INTO A SINGLE FILE LINE PASSING THROUGH SAID OUTLET FOR FURTHER PROCESSING OF THE CONFECTIONS.