Apparatus for orienting articles particularly ampoules

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR UNIFORMLY ORIENTING AND ARRANGING ARTICLES IN CONSECUTIVE ORDER, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE TURNTABLE MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING AN ARTICLE RECEIVING UPPER FACE CONICALLY SLOPING FROM THE CENTER THEREOF TOWARDS THE PERIPHERY, AN ARTICLE SUPPLY HOPPER ABOVE SAID SURFACE TO DELIVER ARTICLES TO BE ORIENTED UPON SAID TURNTABLE, A CIRCULARLY CURVED OUTER GUIDE WALL EXTENDING OVER AND IN PROXIMITY OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TURNTABLE AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID UPPER FACE THEREOF, A CIRCULARLY CURVED INNER GUIDE WALL EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID OUTER GUIDE WALL OVER A PORTION OF THE LENGTH THEREOF IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP, SAID TWO GUIDE WALLS FORMING A PATHWAY BETWEEN THEMSELVES FOR THE ARTICLES TO BE ORIENTED AND MOVED ALONG SAID PATHWAY BY THE ROTATING TURNTABLE, AND BAFFLE MEMBERS ARRANGED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TWO GUIDE WALLS AND ACTING TO EXPULSE INCORRECTLY ORIENTED ARTICLES FROM SAID PATHWAY AND RETURNING THEM ON SAID TURNTABLE.