Apparatus for arraying and feeding bottle caps and the like

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING CAPS FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE, PARTICULARLY FOR ARRAYING AND FEEDING CAPS OF THE TYPE HAVING LIFTING FLAPS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE OPEN SIDES THEREOF, IN COMBINATION, A CHUTE DEFINING A FIRST CHANNEL BEING SO NARROW AS TO PERMIT ONLY PASSAGE OF CAPS THE LIFTING FLAPS OF WHICH EXTEND IN DIRECTION OF SAID CHANNEL, SAID CHUTE ARRANGED TO CONVEY A SINGLE FILE OF CAPS BY GRAVITY FEED AND HAVING AN UPPER END; A SOURCE OF RANDOMLY DISTRIBUTED CAPS INCLUDING AN OPEN-ENDED RECEPTACLE; AN AGITATING MEMBER ADJACENT TO THE OPEN END OF AND DEFINING WITH SAID RECEPTACLE A PASSAGE WIDE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE AND TO PERMIT GRAVITATIONAL DESCENT OF CAPS WHOSE OPEN SIDES FACE IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION; WALL MEANS ARRANGED IN A ZONE LOCATED BENEATH SAID PASSAGE AND DEFINING WITH SAID RECEPTACLE A SECOND CHANNEL HAVING AN INTAKE END COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGE AND A DISCHARGE END COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST CHANNEL SO THAT THE OPEN SIDE OF EACH CAP ENTERING SAID SECOND CHANNEL AND ADVANCING INTO SAID FIRST CHANNEL FACES IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION; AND TURNING MEANS ARRANGED ADJACENT TO ONE OF SAID CHANNELS FOR TURNING ALL THOSE CAPS WHOSE FLAP IS NOT LOCATED AT THE TRAILING END OF THE CAP INTO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID FLAPS ARE LOCATED AT THE TRAILING END OF EACH CAP.