Overcap stacking apparatus

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND STACKING CAP-LIKE ARTICLES HAVING TOP PORTIONS AND PERIPHERAL SKIRTS DEFINING THEREWITHIN A HOLLOW, A STACKER COLUMN, A CHUTE ON WHICH TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLES FROM A DELIVERY SOURCE AND DELIVER THEM ONE AFTER ANOTHER TO A RECEIVING END OF THE COLUMN, RECIPROCATING PLUNGER MEANS OPERABLE TO ENGAGE EACH ARTICLE PRESENTED AT SAID RECEIVING END OF THE COLUMN AND PLACE IT IN STACKED RELATIONSHIP IN THE STACKER COLUMN, SAID CHUTE INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED FLOOR ALONG WHICH THE ARTICLES ROOL TOWARD A LOWER ENTRANCE END PORTION OF THE STACKER COLUMN FROM WHICH THE COLUMN PROJECTS UPWARDLY AND A LATERALLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED WALL DIRECTED INTO SAID ENTRANCE END, THE RECIPROCAL PLUNGER BEING DISPOSED TO PROVIDE A FLOOR IN SAID COLUMN WHEN THE PLUNGER IS RETRACTED, THE COLUMN INCLUDING A STACK RETAINING SHOULDER, SAID PLUNGER SERVING WHEN PROJECTED TO LIFT EACH ARTICLE RECEIVED THEREON IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION INTO A POSITION ABOVE SAID SHOULDER TO BE RETAINED THEREBY TOGETHER WITH THE SUPERPOSED STACK OF ARTICLES WITHIN THE COLUMN, THE LATERALLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED CHUTE WALL IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ARTICLE REJECTION CLEARANCE PLACED AT SUCH A HEIGHT ABOVE THE CHUTE FLOOR THAT UPPER PORTIONS OF ARTICLES ROLLING ALONG OVER SAID FLOOR PROJECT ABOVE SAID CLEARANCE, AND THERE IS INCLUDED AN AIR JET NOZZLE DISPOSED OPPOSITE SAID CLEARANCE AND IN SUCH POSITION THAT THE AIR