Hopper feed apparatus

Claim 1

HOPPER FEED APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED FOR THE AUTOMATIC FEEDING OF ARTICLES HAVING ONE END PORTION OF LESSER THICKNESS THAN THE OTHER END PORTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOPPER BOTTOM DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, SAID BOTTOM INCLUDING A ROTATABLE PERIPHERAL RING HAVING RADIALLY EXTENDING ARTICLE HOLDING GROOVES FORMED IN ITS UPPER SURFACE, SAID GROOVES EACH OPENING INTO THE INNER EDGE OF SAID RING, A CHUTE ARRANGED TO RECEIVE AN ARTICLE GRAVITATIONALLY DISCHARGED FROM A GROOVE DISPOSED IN THE UPPERMOST POSITION WITHIN SAID HOPPER IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CHUTE, MEANS ON THE RING ASCENDING SIDE OF SAID HOPPER FOR BLOCKING THE INNER ENDS OF SAID GROOVES UP TO THE POINT OF ARTICLES DISCHARGE POSITION OF A GROOVE, EACH SAID GROOVE BEING OF A DEPTH LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE THICKER END PORTION OF AN ARTICLE, WHEREBY THE THICKER PORTION OF AN ARTICLE SEATED IN A GROOVE PROJECTS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID RING, AND A LEAF SPRING RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED AT ONE END IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID RING AND TRANSVERSELY OF A GROOVE DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CHUTE, SAID LEAF SPRING BEING SPACED FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID RING A DISTANCE LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE THICKER END PORTION OF AN ARTICLE, IN THE INNER EDGE OF SAID SPRING BEING DISPOSED AT A DISTANCE FROM THE INNER EDGE OF SAID RING GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE THICKER PORTION OF AN ARTICLE BUT LESS THAN ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, SAID LEAF SPRING THEREBY RESILIENTLY ENGAGING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL PERIPHERY OF THE THICKER END PORTION OF AN ARTICLE DISPOSED AT THE INNERMOST END OF A GROOVE WITH ITS THIN END PORTION FACING THE INNER EDGE OF SAID RING, WHEREBY THE GRAVITATIONAL DISCHARGE OF AN ARTICLE SO POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVE IS PREVENTED WHEN SAID GROOVE IS IN THE DISCHARGE POSITION ABOVE SAID CHUTE.