Variable strength magnetic nut feeder

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING NUTS OR THE LIKE TO A WORK AREA INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A MAGNETIC WHEEL HAVING OPPOSITE MAGNETIC POLES EACH EXTENDING AROUND THE RIM THEREOF, POWER MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING NUTS IN A SERIAL SEQUENCE, A CHUTE LEADING FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID WORK AREA VIA SAID MAGNETIC WHEEL FOR GUIDING NUTS IN SERIAL SEQUENCE TO SAID WORK AREA, SAID WHEEL HAVING SAID RIM THEREOF CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CHUTE TO CONTACT NUTS CARRIED BY SAID CHUTE AND RETAIN SAID NUTS ON SAID RIM BY MAGNETIC ATTRACTION, SAID CHUTE LEADING FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO A FEED POINT AT THE RIM OF SAID WHEEL AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID RIM A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID FEED POINT TO A DISCHARGE POINT WHERE NUTS MAY BE SUPPLIED FROM SAID WHEEL TOWARD SAID WORK AREA, THE ARCUATE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FEED POINT AND SAID DISCHARGE POINT MEASURED ALONG SAID RIM DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF NUTS OF A GIVEN SIZE WHCIH CAN BE RETAINED SIDE-BY-SIDE ON SAID WHEEL AN THEREBY DETERMINING THE FORCE AVAILABLE TO PUSH NUTS ALONG SAID CHUTE FROM SAID WHEEL TOWARD SAID WORK AREA, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE ARCUATE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FEED POINT AND SAID DISCHARGE POINT TO THEREBY VARY SAID FORCE BY VARYING THE NUMBER OF NUTS RETAINED ON SAID WHEEL, SAID VARYING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ADJUSTABLE TO HOLD A VARIABLE NUMBER OF NUTS AWAY FROM SAID RIM TO THEREBY VARY THE LOCATION OF ONE SAID POINTS.