High-speed automatic orientation, alignment and supply machinery for confectionary articles

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CONFECTIONS FOR RECEIVING A LARGE MASS OF CONFECTIONS RIGHT SIDE UP AND RANDOMLY POSITIONED AND ORIENTED AND FOR GENTLY ORIENTING AND ALIGNING THE CONFECTIONS WHILE MAINTAINING THEM RIGHT SIDE UP TO PROTECT THE APPEARANCE OF THEIR UPPER SURFACES COMPRISING A WIDE SMOOTH BELT FOR RECEIVING THE LARGE MASS OF CONFECTIONS THEREON RIGHT SIDE UP, INTERMITTENT DRIVE MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID BELT WITH SHORT FORWARD STROKES, A VIBRATORY PLATFORM FOR RECEIVING THE CONFECTIONS FED BY SAID BELT AND ARRANGED FOR ROTARY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION ABOUT AN AXIS, AN ELONGATED ARCUATE RIDGE ON SAID PLATFORM EXTENDING GENERALLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID AXIS, SAID RIDGE HAVING A FIRST SLOPE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RIDGE AND A SECOND SLOPE EXTENDING INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RIDGE, ROTARY VIBRATORY DRIVE MEANS VIBRATING SAID PLATFORM WITH ROTORY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION ABOUT SAID AXIS FOR PROPAGATING THE CONFECTIONS ALONG SAID PLATFORM OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE, DEFLECTOR MEANS OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE AND NEAR TO SAID FIRST SLOPE FOR GUIDING THE CONFECTIONS UP SAID SLOPE ADJACENT TO SAID RIDGE, OUTLET MEANS FROM SAID PLATFORM BEYOND SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS FOR THE CONFECTIONS WHICH HAVE REMAINED ON SAID FIRST SLOPE AFTER PASSING SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID PLATFORM FOR RECIRCULATING THE CONFECTIONS WHICH HAVE PASSED OVER SAID RIDGE ONTO SAID SECOND SLOPE AROUND SAID AXIS AND BACK TO THE INTIAL POSITION OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE, A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING BELT FOR RECEIVING THE CONFECTIONS FROM SAID OUTLET MEANS, STOP MEANS FOR RESTRAINING THE LEAD CONFECTION ON SAID MOVING BELT FOR FORMING A SUPPLY LINE OF ADJACENT CONFECTIONS, AND TRANSFER MEANS FOR FEEDING THE CONFECTIONS OUT OF SAID SUPPLY LINE.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CONFECTIONS FOR RECEIVING A LARGE MASS OF CONFECTIONS RIGHT SIDE UP AND RANDOMLY POSITIONED AND ORIENTED AND FOR GENTLY ORIENTING AND ALIGNING THE CONFECTIONS WHILE MAINTAINING THEM RIGHT SIDE UP TO PROTECT THE APPEARANCE OF THEIR UPPER SURFACES COMPRISING A WIDE SMOOTH BELT FOR RECEIVING THE LARGE MASS OF CONFECTIONS THEREON RIGHT SIDE UP, INTERMITTENT DRIVE MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID BELT WITH SHORT FORWARD STROKES, A VIBRATORY PLATFORM FOR RECEIVING THE CONFECTIONS FED BY SAID BELT AND ARRANGED FOR ROTARY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION ABOUT AN AXIS, AN ELONGATED ARCUATE RIDGE ON SAID PLATFORM EXTENDING GENERALLY CONCENTRIC WITH SAID AXIS, SAID RIDGE HAVING A FIRST SLOPE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RIDGE AND A SECOND SLOPE EXTENDING INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID RIDGE, ROTARY VIBRATORY DRIVE MEANS VIBRATING SAID PLATFORM WITH ROTORY VIBRATORY RECIPROCATION ABOUT SAID AXIS FOR PROPAGATING THE CONFECTIONS ALONG SAID PLATFORM OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE, DEFLECTOR MEANS OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE AND NEAR TO SAID FIRST SLOPE FOR GUIDING THE CONFECTIONS UP SAID SLOPE ADJACENT TO SAID RIDGE, OUTLET MEANS FROM SAID PLATFORM BEYOND SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS FOR THE CONFECTIONS WHICH HAVE REMAINED ON SAID FIRST SLOPE AFTER PASSING SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID PLATFORM FOR RECIRCULATING THE CONFECTIONS WHICH HAVE PASSED OVER SAID RIDGE ONTO SAID SECOND SLOPE AROUND SAID AXIS AND BACK TO THE INTIAL POSITION OUTSIDE OF SAID RIDGE, A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING BELT FOR RECEIVING THE CONFECTIONS FROM SAID OUTLET MEANS, STOP MEANS FOR RESTRAINING THE LEAD CONFECTION ON SAID MOVING BELT FOR FORMING A SUPPLY LINE OF ADJACENT CONFECTIONS, AND TRANSFER MEANS FOR FEEDING THE CONFECTIONS OUT OF SAID SUPPLY LINE.