Vibratory bowl for feeding buttons

Claim 1

In a device for feeding buttons to sewing machines and the like including a vibratory feeder bowl having a bottom, conveyor track means extending upwardly from said bottom to move the buttons upwardly along and to a discharge end, said track means including a discharge end portion sloping inwardly toward the center of the bowl, a fence extending along the inner edge of said discharge end portion of said track means, and said fence having an upper edge at a sufficient height to prevent any buttons from being displaced from said track; the combination therewith of button selecting means for returning improperly orientated buttons into said bowl and for permitting continued movement of properly orientated buttons to said discharge end, said button selecting means being particularly adapted for use with buttons of the type having one substantially flat side and having a concave central portion on the other side and comprising a selector gate extending along the inner portion of said inwardly sloping discharge end portion of said track means and adjacent said fence, said selector gate extending upwardly from said track means a distance less than the thickness of the buttons, and at least one button raising pin positioned inwardly from the inner edge of said selector gate a distance substantially equal to the radius of the button, said buttOn raising pin having an upper end extending upwardly above said tract means a distance slightly less than the amount of the concavity of the central portion on said other side of said button so that buttons orientated with their one flat side downwardly will be raised a sufficient distance by said pin so that the inner surface will be raised to pass over said selector gate and the button will fall back into said bowl while buttons orientated with their concave central portions downwardly will remain in engagement with said selector gate and be moved to said discharge end.