Orienting apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for orienting a member having a known structural discontinuity that will cause a change in a magnetic field when the discontinuity moves through the field comprising means for providing a magnetic field through which such a member being oriented is moved anD means for providing a signal when said magnetic field is changed by a structural discontinuity in the member to allow the member to be oriented in response to said signal.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means providing a magnetic field include a permanent magnet.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the magnetic field means includes a permanent magnet and two spaced horseshoe pole pieces positioned for the lines of flux between the pole pieces to extend transverse the discontinuity in the member being oriented as the discontinuity moves through the field.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 in which the signal providing means includes a magnetic detector in which a current is induced that is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field in which it is located and which is positioned between the pole pieces and adjacent the member being oriented to have a changing current induced therein by the change in the magnetic field between the pole pieces caused by the movement into the field of the discontinuity in the member being oriented.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 in which the magnetic detector is centrally located relative to the horseshoe pole pieces in an area of reduced flux resulting from the mutual opposition of the magnetic fields traveling on opposite sides of the detector.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 further provided with means to move such a member through the field and means, responsive to the signal producing means, to stop the movement a predetermined period of time after said signal is produced to position the member in the desired orientation.

Claim 8

Apparatus for orienting a cylindrical can of ferro-magnetic material having a longitudinal seam, comprising apparatus for rotating the can around its longitudinal axis, a magnet, means positioning the magnet adjacent the can for the magnetic field of the magnet to travel through a portion of the can in a circumferential direction transverse the seam, a magnetic detector head positioned adjacent the portion of the can through which the magnetic field travels, said head having a current induced therein when the seam is adjacent the coil by the flux fringing to the outside of the can around the seam, and means responsive to the induced current to stop the rotation of the can a predetermined period of time after the current is induced to orient the can in a predetermined position.

Claim 9

Apparatus for orienting a cylindrical can of ferro-magnetic material having a longitudinal seam, comprising apparatus for rotating the can around its longitudinal axis, a magnet, means positioning the magnet adjacent the can for the magnetic field of the magnet to travel through a portion of the can in a circumferential direction transverse the seam, a magnetic detector head positioned adjacent the portion of the can through which the magnetic field travels, said head having a current induced therein when the seam is adjacent the coil by the flux fringing to the outside of the can around the seam, and means responsive to the induced current to stop the rotation of the can a predetermined period of time after the current is induced to orient the can in a predetermined position.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the magnet includes two pole pieces located on opposite sides of the detector and positioned adjacent the can for the magnetic flux between the poles to travel through the can across the seam of the can.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the magnetic detector head includes two spaced members of ferro-magnetic material, each having one end adjacent the can and a conductor coiled therearound in which a current is induced when a portion of the flux fringing around the seam flows through the two spaced members.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 in which each pole piece of the magnet has two spaced arms with the arms positioned to cause two spaced magnetic fields to be established between the pole pieces to provide an area of low flux between the two magnetic fields due to their mutual opposition and in which the magnetic detector is positioned in said area of reduced flux to reduce the amount of flux traveling through the detector head to keep to a minimum unwanted signals generated by variations in spacing between the can and the magnetic detector.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 in which the magnetic detector head further includes a layer of material of high magnetic permeability positioned between the two members and the magnet to tend to shield the members from any portion of the magnetic field of the magnets that may travel directly toward the magnetic detector head and to further reduce the flux traveling through the detector head directly from the magnet.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 7 in which the can rotating apparatus includes a housing having an opening in one side, two cylindrIcal rollers mounted in the opening are spaced parallel relationship to engage the cylindrical side surface of a can, means for rotating the rollers to rotate the can, and means for reducing the pressure in the housing to cause the ambient external atmospheric pressure to hold a can in engagement with the rollers to be rotated thereby.

Claim 15

Apparatus for orienting a cylindrical can of ferro-magnetic material having a longitudinal seam comprising can rotating and stopping apparatus including a housing having an opening in one side, two cylindrical rollers mounted in the opening in spaced parallel relationship to engage the cylindrical outer surface of a can, means for rotating the rollers to rotate the can around its longitudinal axis, and means to reduce the atmospheric pressure in the housing to cause the external atmospheric pressure to urge the can against the rollers, a magnet mounted between the rollers adjacent the cylindrical outer surface of the can to cause the magnetic field of the magnet to pass through a portion of the can wall transverse the longitudinal seam of the can, a magnetic detection head positioned adjacent the portion of the can in which the magnetic field of the magnet is located, to have a current induced therein when the seam of the can passes through the magnetic field, and means responsive to the induced current to stop the rotation of the rollers a predetermined period of time after the current is induced to orient the can in a predetermined positin.

Claim 16

Apparatus for orienting a cylindrical can of ferro-magnetic material having a longitudinal seam comprising can rotating and stopping apparatus including a housing having an opening in one side, two cylindrical rollers mounted in the opening in spaced parallel relationship to engage the cylindrical outer surface of a can, means for rotating the rollers to rotate the can around its longitudinal axis, and means to reduce the atmospheric pressure in the housing to cause the external atmospheric pressure to urge the can against the rollers, a magnet mounted between the rollers adjacent the cylindrical outer surface of the can to cause the magnetic field of the magnet to pass through a portion of the can wall transverse the longitudinal seam of the can, a magnetic detection head positioned adjacent the portion of the can in which the magnetic field of the magnet is located, to have a current induced therein when the seam of the can passes through the magnetic field, and means responsive to the induced current to stop the rotation of the rollers a predetermined period of time after the current is induced to orient the can in a predetermined positin.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 in which the magnet includes two pole pieces located on opposite sides of the detector and positioned adjacent the can for the magnetic flux between the pole pieces to travel through the can transverse the longitudinal seam of the can.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 in which the magnetic detector head includes two spaced members of ferro-magnetic material, each having one end adJacent the can and a conductor coiled therearound in which a current is induced when a portion of the flux fringing around the seam flows through the two spaced members.