End closure feeding apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONTAINER END CLOSURES AT HIGH SPEED FROM A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED STACKS THEREOF TO A PREDETERMINED POINT, COMPRISIING A ROTATABLE SEPARATOR SCREW HAVING A HELICAL THREAD ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF ON WHICH THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE OF EACH STACK IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED, SAID THREAD BEING SO CONSTRUCTED THAT THE LOWERMOST END CLOSURE DROPS FROM EACH STACK DURING EACH REVOLUTION OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID END CLOSURES AFTER THE DROPPING THEREOF FROM THE STACKS, AND FEEDING MEANS ROTATING IN A PREDETERMINED TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SEPARATOR SCREW FOR ENGAGING THE DROPPED END CLOSURES ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AT A FIRST SPEED AND FOR A ACCELERATING SAID DROPPED END CLOSURES TO A SECOND AND HIGHER SPEED AS THEY ARE ADVANCED SO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO SAID PREDETERMINED POINT, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING FOUR PLANETARY GEARS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AND EQUALLY SPACED AROUND A STATIONARY SUN GEAR, EACH OF SAID PLANETARY GEARS HAVING END CLOSURE ENGAGING MEANS THEREON AND MAKING ONE REVOLUTION AROUND SAID SUN GEAR FOR EACH TWO REVOLUTIONS OF SAID SEPARATOR SCREW.