Hopper-type feeding and orienting device for bottles or the like

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING AND FEEDING BOTTLES OR LIKE ARTICLES HAVING A PORTION OF REDUCED CROSS-SECTION AT ONE END, COMPRISING A HOPPER INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL SECURED IN FIXED POSITION AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, A MEMBER ROTATABLE OVER SAID BOTTOM WALL IN PARALLEL RELATION AND IN PROXIMITY THERETO, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING A RING SECTION HAVING RADIALLY-DISPOSED SPACED SLOTS FORMED THEREIN, EACH SAID SLOT OF A LENGTH, IN A RADIAL DIRECTION, GREATER THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE THICK PORTION OF A BOTTLE BUT LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE THICK PORTION OF SAID BOTTLE, EACH SAID SLOT HAVING THE UPPER MARGINAL EDGE PORTION AT EACH RADIAL END THEREOF CUT AWAY TO FORM A RECESS FOR THE END OF THE NECK PORTION OF SAID BOTTLE, AN OPENING FORMED IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AT THE TOP THEREOF ARRANGED TO HAVE EACH SAID OPENING IN SAID RING SECTION REGISTER THEREWITH IN SUCCESSION AS SAID ROTARY MEMBER IS ROTATED, SAID OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING OF A WIDTH NOT LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF AN OPENING IN SAID RING SECTION, AND MEANS ON SAID HOPPER WITHIN SAID OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL ENGAGING THE THICK PORTION OF A BOTTLE IN AN OPENING OF SAID RING SECTION MOVING OVER SAID BOTTOM WALL OPENING AND APPLYING A DOWNWARD FORCE ON SAID BOTTLE TO EJECT SAID BOTTLE THROUGH SAID OPENING.