Closure handling apparatus

Claim 2

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end, comprising in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing closures at the lower end of said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive said closures, a chute having an entrance opening at the upper end of said carrier adapted to receive those closures assuming a desired position of orientation in said pockets, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets in other than said desired position, said last named means including a stationary cam engageable with all of the closures in the pockets and arranged to effect overbalancing and rejection of the non-oriented closures only, said stationary cam having a gradually increasing and decreasing surface arranged to move the closures part way out of their pockets to cause said overbalancing when the heavier end is up, those closures with their heavier ends down being permitted to return to their initial position.

Claim 3

Closure handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the pockets are angularly arranged with respect to the upper surface of the carrier, each pocket having an end wall against which the closures are seated, the overbalanced closures being rejected onto the upper surface of the carrier.

Claim 4

Closure handling apparatus as defined in claim 1 which includes means including air jets for maneuvering the closures to cause the same to assume a radial position with respect to the carrier so as to be received by a pocket.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which includes means disposed at a point preceding the entrance to said chute adapted to remove improperly positioned closures including those closures which assume a position bridged across a pocket.

Claim 6

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end, comprising in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing closures at the lower end of said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive said closures, a chute having an entrance opening at the upper end of said carrier adapted to receive those closures assuming a desired position of orientation in said pockets, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets in other than said desired position, said last named means including a stationary cam engageable with all of the closures in the pockets and arranged to effect overbalancing and rejection of the non-oriented closures only, each pocket having an open bottom portion, and a stationary cam disposed beneath the carrier arranged to elevate the lower end of each closure.

Claim 7

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end, comprising in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing closures at the lower end of said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive said closures, a chute having an entrance opening at the upper end of said carrier adapted to receive those closures assuming a desired position of orientation in said pockets, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets in other than said desired position, said last named means including a stationary cam engageable with all of the closures in the pockets and arranged to effect overbalancing and rejection of the non-oriented closures only, each pocket having an open bottom portion, and a stationary cam disposed beneath the carrier arranged to elevate the lower end of each closure.

Claim 8

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing closures at the lower end of said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive said closures, said pockets being angularly disposed with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the carrier, a chute having an entrance opening at the upper end of said carrier and arranged to receive those closures assuming a desired position of orientation in said pockets with the heavier end facing radially outwardly and downwardly, and stationary means engageable with the outer ends of the closures in their pockets during rotation of the carrier for moving the closures radially upwardly and inwardly partly out of their pockets whereby to effect overbalancing of a non-oriented closure from its pocket onto the upper surface of the carrier, those closures assuming an oriented position returning to their initial position in the pocket.

Claim 9

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing closures at the lower end of said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive said closures, said pockets being angularly disposed with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the carrier, a chute having an entrance opening at the upper end of said carrier and arranged to receive those closures assuming a desired position of orientation in said pockets with the heavier end facing radially outwardly and downwardly, and stationary means engageable with the outer ends of the closures in their pockets during rotation of the carrier for moving the closures radially upwardly and inwardly partly out of their pockets whereby to effect overbalancing of a non-oriented closure from its pocket onto the upper surface of the carrier, those closures assuming an oriented position returning to their initial position in the pocket.

Claim 10

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures greater in height than in diameter and heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing randomly arranged closure onto said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein adapted to support the closures at a downwardly and outwardly inclined angle with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the carrier, some of the closures assuming a desired position of orientation with their heavier ends down, and some of the closures assuming a position with their heavier ends up, and means for moving the closures a predetermined distance inwardly out of their pockets to effect overbalancing and rejection of those closures whose heavier ends are facing inwardly, those closures whose heavier ends are facing outwardly being permitted to return to their seated position.

Claim 11

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures greater in height than in diameter and heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, means for depositing randomly arranged closure onto said carrier, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein adapted to support the closures at a downwardly and outwardly inclined angle with respect to the plane of the upper surface of the carrier, some of the closures assuming a desired position of orientation with their heavier ends down, and some of the closures assuming a position with their heavier ends up, and means for moving the closures a predetermined distance inwardly out of their pockets to effect overbalancing and rejection of those closures whose heavier ends are facing inwardly, those closures whose heavier ends are facing outwardly being permitted to return to their seated position.

Claim 12

Closure handling apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the means for moving the closures part way out of their pockets comprises a stationary cam having a gradually increasing and decreasing surface.

Claim 13

Closure handling apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the means for moving the closures part way out of their pockets comprises a curved baffle engageable with successive closures to effect overbalancing of non-oriented closures, and an air jet immediately following the rejecting point for assisting return of the oriented closures to their seated position.

Claim 14

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive randomly arranged closures deposited on the carrier with their heavier ends either up or down, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets with their heavier ends up, said rejecting means comprising a stationary cam having a gradually increasing and decreasing surface whereby all of the closures are moved part way out of their pockets, those closures with their heavier ends down being permitted to return to their initial position.

Claim 15

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive randomly arranged closures deposited on the carrier with their heavier ends either up or down, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets with their heavier ends up, said rejecting means comprising a stationary cam having a gradually increasing and decreasing surface whereby all of the closures are moved part way out of their pockets, those closures with their heavier ends down being permitted to return to their initial position.

Claim 16

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive randomly arranged closures deposited on the carrier with their heavier ends either up or down, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets with their heavier ends up, said rejecting means comprising a curved baffle engageable with all of the closures to move them part way out of their pockets, and an air jet immediately following the rejecting point for assisting return of the oriented closures to their initial position.

Claim 17

Closure handling apparatus adapted to handle elongated cylindrical closures heavier at one end comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier mounted to rotate in an inclined plane, said carrier having radially arranged pockets formed therein to receive randomly arranged closures deposited on the carrier with their heavier ends either up or down, and means for rejecting those closures carried by the pockets with their heavier ends up, said rejecting means comprising a curved baffle engageable with all of the closures to move them part way out of their pockets, and an air jet immediately following the rejecting point for assisting return of the oriented closures to their initial position.