Method and apparatus for orienting articles with tapered ends

Claim 1

An apparatus for orienting a stud having one end tapered, which comprises: a fixture having at least one vertical hole for receiving the stud; means within said hole for supporting the stud within the hole; means for moving said support means and said fixture relative to one another to pass the stud from the hole; and said support means having a stud engaging surface for stably supporting the stud engaged at the nontapered end and for unstably engaging the stud and the tapered end whereupon said unstably engaged stud pivots from the support means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for orienting a stud having one end tapered, which comprises: a fixture having at least one vertical hole for receiving the stud; means within said hole for supporting the stud within the hole; means for moving said support means and said fixture relative to one another to pass the stud from the hole; and said support means having a stud engaging surface for stably supporting the stud engaged at the nontapered end and for unstably engaging the stud and the tapered end whereupon said unstably engaged stud pivots from the support means.

Claim 3

An apparatus for orienting a stud having a planar end surface and a tapered end portion, which comprises: a horizontally disposed loading plate having at least one vertically disposed aligning bore therein for receiving and laterally supporting a stud; a pin disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bore, said pin having a horizontal flat end surface for stably supporting the stud when engaging the planar end surface thereof and a groove in the horizontal flat end portion for unstably supporting the the stud when engaging the tapered end portion thereof; and means for moving said pin and said plate relative to one another to disengage the stud from the support of said aligning bore to (1) pivot the stud from said pin when the tapered end engages said groove, and to (2) support the stud on said pin when the planar end of the stud engages said flat end portion of said pin.

Claim 4

An apparatus for orienting a stud having a planar end surface and a tapered end portion, which comprises: a horizontally disposed loading plate having at least one vertically disposed aligning bore therein for receiving and laterally supporting a stud; a pin disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bore, said pin having a horizontal flat end surface for stably supporting the stud when engaging the planar end surface thereof and a groove in the horizontal flat end portion for unstably supporting the the stud when engaging the tapered end portion thereof; and means for moving said pin and said plate relative to one another to disengage the stud from the support of said aligning bore to (1) pivot the stud from said pin when the tapered end engages said groove, and to (2) support the stud on said pin when the planar end of the stud engages said flat end portion of said pin.

Claim 6

An apparatus for orienting a plurality of studs having a planar end surfaces and tapered end portions, which comprises: a horizontally disposed loading fixture having a plurality of vertically disposed aligning bores therein for receiving and vertically supporting the studs; pins disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bores, said pins having horizontal flat end surfaces for stably supporting studs when engaging the planar end surfaces thereof and grooves in the horizontal flat end portions for unstably supporting studs when engaging the tapered end portions thereof; and reciprocating means for moving said pins and said fixture relative to one another to disengage studs from the support of said aligning bores to (1) pivot the studs from said pins when the tapered ends engage said grooves and to (2) support the studs on said pins when the planar ends of the studs engage said flat end portions of said pins, said reciprocating means retracting the supported studs back into said aligning bores to retain the orientation of the supported studs.

Claim 7

An apparatus for orienting a plurality of studs having a planar end surfaces and tapered end portions, which comprises: a horizontally disposed loading fixture having a plurality of vertically disposed aligning bores therein for receiving and vertically supporting the studs; pins disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bores, said pins having horizontal flat end surfaces for stably supporting studs when engaging the planar end surfaces thereof and grooves in the horizontal flat end portions for unstably supporting studs when engaging the tapered end portions thereof; and reciprocating means for moving said pins and said fixture relative to one another to disengage studs from the support of said aligning bores to (1) pivot the studs from said pins when the tapered ends engage said grooves and to (2) support the studs on said pins when the planar ends of the studs engage said flat end portions of said pins, said reciprocating means retracting the supported studs back into said aligning bores to retain the orientation of the supported studs.

Claim 11

An apparatus for orienting and storing a plurality of studs having planar end surfaces and tapered end portions, which comprises: a normally horizontally disposed loading plate having a plurality of normally vertically disposed aligning bores therein for receiving and vertically supporting the studs; pins disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bores, said pins having normally horizontal flat end surfaces for stably supporting the studs when engaging the planar end surfaces thereof and grooves in the horizontal flat end portions for unstably supporting the studs when engaging the tapered end portions thereof; reciprocating means for moving said pins and said aligning bores relative to one another to disengage the studs from the support of said aligning bore to (1) pivot the studs from said pins when the tapered ends engage said grooves and (2) to support the studs on said pins when the planar ends of the studs engage said flat end portions of said pins, said pin moving means retracting the supported studs back into said aligning bores to retain the orientation of the supported studs; a magazine with horizontally extending storage bores therein for receiving the studs from the aligning bores; and means mounting said loading plate for pivotal and sliding motion relative to said magazine to pivot said normally horizontal loading plate and align said aligning bores with said storage bores; whereupon subsequent operation of said moving means transfers said studs from said aligning bores to said storage bores upon reciprocation of said pins.

Claim 12

An apparatus for orienting and storing a plurality of studs having planar end surfaces and tapered end portions, which comprises: a normally horizontally disposed loading plate having a plurality of normally vertically disposed aligning bores therein for receiving and vertically supporting the studs; pins disposed for reciprocal motion in and relative to said aligning bores, said pins having normally horizontal flat end surfaces for stably supporting the studs when engaging the planar end surfaces thereof and grooves in the horizontal flat end portions for unstably supporting the studs when engaging the tapered end portions thereof; reciprocating means for moving said pins and said aligning bores relative to one another to disengage the studs from the support of said aligning bore to (1) pivot the studs from said pins when the tapered ends engage said grooves and (2) to support the studs on said pins when the planar ends of the studs engage said flat end portions of said pins, said pin moving means retracting the supported studs back into said aligning bores to retain the orientation of the supported studs; a magazine with horizontally extending storage bores therein for receiving the studs from the aligning bores; and means mounting said loading plate for pivotal and sliding motion relative to said magazine to pivot said normally horizontal loading plate and align said aligning bores with said storage bores; whereupon subsequent operation of said moving means transfers said studs from said aligning bores to said storage bores upon reciprocation of said pins.

Claim 13

A method of orienting studs each having one tapered end on a plurality of vertically extending pins each of which has a V-shaped notch formed in one end, which comprises: laterally supporting a random mass of studs individually on said pins with certain of the studs having their nontapered ends spanning the notches and the remainder of the studs having their tapered ends resting against the sides of the V-shaped notches; and imparting relative movement between the pins and the lateral support to remove the lateral support whereupon those studs having their tapered ends resting on the side of the V-shaped notches topple from the pins and those studs having their nontapered ends spanning then the notches are retained on the pins.

Claim 14

A method of orienting studs each having one tapered end on a plurality of vertically extending pins each of which has a V-shaped notch formed in one end, which comprises: laterally supporting a random mass of studs individually on said pins with certain of the studs having their nontapered ends spanning the notches and the remainder of the studs having their tapered ends resting against the sides of the V-shaped notches; and imparting relative movement between the pins and the lateral support to remove the lateral support whereupon those studs having their tapered ends resting on the side of the V-shaped notches topple from the pins and those studs having their nontapered ends spanning then the notches are retained on the pins.

Claim 15

A method of orienting studs having flat end surfaces and opposed tapered end section, which comprises: loading the studs into normally vertically extending bores formed in a plate; engaging and supporting within the bores the flat end surfaces of those studs with the tapered end sections is extending upwardly; engaging diametrically opposed line sections of the tapered end sections of those studs with the flat end surface extending upwardly to support these studs within the bores; and imparting relative movement between the supported studs and the plate to move the studs from the bores to pivot those studs engaged along diametrically opposed line sections and to maintain the position of those studs supported on their flat end surfaces.

Claim 16

A method of orienting studs having flat end surfaces and opposed tapered end section, which comprises: loading the studs into normally vertically extending bores formed in a plate; engaging and supporting within the bores the flat end surfaces of those studs with the tapered end sections is extending upwardly; engaging diametrically opposed line sections of the tapered end sections of those studs with the flat end surface extending upwardly to support these studs within the bores; and imparting relative movement between the supported studs and the plate to move the studs from the bores to pivot those studs engaged along diametrically opposed line sections and to maintain the position of those studs supported on their flat end surfaces.

Claim 17

A method for orienting studs, having one end tapered, using a fixture with multiple apertures therethrough having vertically extending pins with notcHes on one end of inserted therein, which comprises: randomly inserting the studs into the of the fixture; unstably engaging the tapered ends of the studs pointed in a first direction within the inner portions of the notches; stably engaging the nontapered ends of the studs pointed in a second direction with the nonnotched top of the pins; imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the pins above the apertures a distance sufficient to topple said unstably engaged studs; imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixtures to move the pins below the apertures to retain said stably engaged studs; and cyclically repeating the above steps until all the pins retain stably engaged studs.

Claim 18

A method for orienting studs, having one end tapered, using a fixture with multiple apertures therethrough having vertically extending pins with notcHes on one end of inserted therein, which comprises: randomly inserting the studs into the of the fixture; unstably engaging the tapered ends of the studs pointed in a first direction within the inner portions of the notches; stably engaging the nontapered ends of the studs pointed in a second direction with the nonnotched top of the pins; imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the pins above the apertures a distance sufficient to topple said unstably engaged studs; imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixtures to move the pins below the apertures to retain said stably engaged studs; and cyclically repeating the above steps until all the pins retain stably engaged studs.

Claim 21

A method for orienting studs, having one end tapered using a fixture with multiple vertical apertures therethrough having vertically extending pins inserted therein, which pins each have a notch at one end, which comprises: randomly inserting into the apertures the studs having the tapered ends pointed in a first direction with the studs having the tapered ends pointed in a second direction; cyclically imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the notched ends of the pins from the apertures to stably engage the nontapered ends of the studs which span the notches and to unstably engage within the notches the tapered ends of the studs, which topple upon movement of the pins from the apertures; cyclically imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the pins within the apertures to retain said stably engaged studs; and inserting the toppled studs into the empty apertures of the fixture, following each lowering of the pins, until all pins have stably engaged studs retained thereon.

Claim 22

A method for orienting studs, having one end tapered using a fixture with multiple vertical apertures therethrough having vertically extending pins inserted therein, which pins each have a notch at one end, which comprises: randomly inserting into the apertures the studs having the tapered ends pointed in a first direction with the studs having the tapered ends pointed in a second direction; cyclically imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the notched ends of the pins from the apertures to stably engage the nontapered ends of the studs which span the notches and to unstably engage within the notches the tapered ends of the studs, which topple upon movement of the pins from the apertures; cyclically imparting relative motion between the pins and the fixture to move the pins within the apertures to retain said stably engaged studs; and inserting the toppled studs into the empty apertures of the fixture, following each lowering of the pins, until all pins have stably engaged studs retained thereon.