US3650369A — Closure feeding and orienting apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 300 words

In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination, a closure aligning means comprising a rotary disk in cooperation with a stationary rail adapted to align the closures edge to edge with their open ends facing in one or the other direction to provide a supply thereof, a guide chute for receiving said aligned closures, a pair of spaced rotary members between which successive closures are passed arranged to effect diversion of the closures in one or the other direction to present the closures with their open ends up, separate paths comprising opposed semicircular portions for receiving said diverted closures and arranged to invert the same, said paths having a common discharge area to which the closures are presented in an oriented position with their open ends facing down, means for controlling the feed to said rotary members to avoid interference of successive closures one with the other, an upwardly inclined guideway extending from said discharge area, air jets disposed to rapidly advance successive closures from said discharge area into said guideway, air jets arranged to advance the closures up the inclined guideway, a semicircular guideway connected at one end to the upper end of the inclined guideway, and a delivery conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal, and control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect conformance of the supply with the guideway, and a delivery conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal; and control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect conformance of the supply with the rate of withdrawal.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 300 words

In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination, a closure aligning means comprising a rotary disk in cooperation with a stationary rail adapted to align the closures edge to edge with their open ends facing in one or the other direction to provide a supply thereof, a guide chute for receiving said aligned closures, a pair of spaced rotary members between which successive closures are passed arranged to effect diversion of the closures in one or the other direction to present the closures with their open ends up, separate paths comprising opposed semicircular portions for receiving said diverted closures and arranged to invert the same, said paths having a common discharge area to which the closures are presented in an oriented position with their open ends facing down, means for controlling the feed to said rotary members to avoid interference of successive closures one with the other, an upwardly inclined guideway extending from said discharge area, air jets disposed to rapidly advance successive closures from said discharge area into said guideway, air jets arranged to advance the closures up the inclined guideway, a semicircular guideway connected at one end to the upper end of the inclined guideway, and a delivery conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal, and control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect conformance of the supply with the guideway, and a delivery conveyor connected to the other end of said semicircular guideway and from which successive closures are withdrawn, the rate of supply of closures being greater than the rate of withdrawal; and control means for periodically discontinuing the supply to effect conformance of the supply with the rate of withdrawal.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 239 words

In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination, closure feeding means including means for aligning and guiding hollow closures on edge and with their open ends facing either right or left, a star wheel having radial arms forming spaced pockets for controlling the advance of the closures, means for diverting said closures to the right or left as determined by said facing direction to present the closures with their open ends facing up, separate paths for said diverted closures shaped to invert the same, said paths having a common discharge area presenting the closures with their open ends facing down, a conveyor associated with said discharge area and along which successive oriented closures are advanced, and a delivery chute associated with said conveyor and from which successive closures are withdrawn, said conveyor and said delivery chute forming a line of closures comprising a reservoir and providing a clearance space between the trailing end of said line and said common discharge area, means for rapidly advancing successive closures from said discharge area to join the trailing end of said line, and control means including means for detecting a surplus of closures in said reservoir adjacent said discharge area as indicated by extension of the trailing end of the line into said clearance space, and means responsive to said detecting means and engageable with said wheel for stopping the same and discontinuing the feed of closures to said diverting means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 239 words

In a closure handling and orienting machine, in combination, closure feeding means including means for aligning and guiding hollow closures on edge and with their open ends facing either right or left, a star wheel having radial arms forming spaced pockets for controlling the advance of the closures, means for diverting said closures to the right or left as determined by said facing direction to present the closures with their open ends facing up, separate paths for said diverted closures shaped to invert the same, said paths having a common discharge area presenting the closures with their open ends facing down, a conveyor associated with said discharge area and along which successive oriented closures are advanced, and a delivery chute associated with said conveyor and from which successive closures are withdrawn, said conveyor and said delivery chute forming a line of closures comprising a reservoir and providing a clearance space between the trailing end of said line and said common discharge area, means for rapidly advancing successive closures from said discharge area to join the trailing end of said line, and control means including means for detecting a surplus of closures in said reservoir adjacent said discharge area as indicated by extension of the trailing end of the line into said clearance space, and means responsive to said detecting means and engageable with said wheel for stopping the same and discontinuing the feed of closures to said diverting means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the rapid advancing means comprises air jets.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 55 words

A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the rapid advancing means comprises air jets adjacent said discharge area, and wherein said conveyor comprises a guideway extended upwardly at an angle, said upwardly extended guideway having a plurality of air jets cooperating therewith for advancing the closures up the conveyor and into said delivery chute.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 65 words

A machine as defined in claim 2 which includes means for driving the machine, and wherein a surplus of closures in said reservoir is indicated by extension of the trailing end of the Line into said clearance space, said feed being again started upon withdrawal of closures from said delivery chute and advance of the trailing end of the line out of said clearance space.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

A machine as defined in claim 5 wherein the control means further includes means also responsive to said detecting means for discontinuing the driving means a predetermined time after detection of said surplus.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 76 words

A machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the detecting means comprises an electrical circuit having a photoelectric unit for detecting the presence of closures in said clearance space, a normally closed solenoid valve in said electric circuit adapted to be opened upon detection of said surplus, and an air circuit controlled by said solenoid, said air circuit having an air cylinder actuated upon opening of said valve and arranged to discontinue the feed of closures.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

A machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the driving means includes a normally disengaged clutch, and wherein the means for discontinuing the driving means includes a second air cylinder in said air circuit for cooperation with said clutch.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 74 words

A machine as defined in claim 8 wherein the air circuit includes a normally open pilot valve and a flow control unit between the pilot valve and said second air cylinder, said pilot valve being closed upon opening of said solenoid valve to permit bleeding of air from the second air cylinder through said flow control valve whereby to effect disengagement of said clutch at a predetermined time after said solenoid valve is opened.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-03-21	1975-09-20	1976-03-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-03-21	1979-09-20	1980-03-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-03-21	1983-09-20	1984-03-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Closure feeding and orienting apparatus

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