Closure handling apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for handling closures open at one end comprising, in combination, means for supporting closures, guide means for guiding the supported closures in a line and in an upright position with their open ends up or down, and means for sorting the closures constructed and arrangeD to continue advance of those closures presented to the sorting means with their open ends up and to overbalance and reject those closures presented to the sorting means with their open ends down, said sorting means being disposed at a gap in said guide means, said sorting means including a freely rotatable toothed wheel disposed in said gap and adapted to support a closure with its open end up and permitting overbalancing of a closure with its open end down, the outside diameter of said toothed wheel extending only a slight distance above the bottom of said guide means, and an air jet arranged to direct a stream of air on top of successive closures to assist in rejecting overbalanced closures.

Claim 3

Apparatus for handling closures open at one end and which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a rotary disk, a circular retaining wall and a top wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space for forming and advancing closures in a circular path and in an upright position with their open ends up or down, the space between the disk and the underside of the top wall being such as to block admission to said annular space of a closure lying on its side, said circular wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged, and means disposed adjacent said opening in the circular wall for sorting the closures adapted to continue advance of those closures having their open ends up and to reject those closures having their open ends down.

Claim 4

Apparatus for handling closures open at one end and which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a rotary disk, a circular retaining wall and a top wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space for forming and advancing closures in a circular path and in an upright position with their open ends up or down, the space between the disk and the underside of the top wall being such as to block admission to said annular space of a closure lying on its side, said circular wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged, and means disposed adjacent said opening in the circular wall for sorting the closures adapted to continue advance of those closures having their open ends up and to reject those closures having their open ends down.

Claim 5

Apparatus for handling closures open at one end and which are greater in diameter than in height and which are also greater in diameter at one end than at the other, comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier disk, a circular retaining wall cooperating with said disk for aligning closures in a circular path and in an upright position with their open ends up or down, said wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged, supporting rails for supporting said closures as they are advanced in a line, and sorting means including a gap defined by discontinuance of a supporting rail for a short distance, and an air jet directing air against the tops of successive closures, said sorting means constructed and arranged so that a closure with its closed end down is capable of bridging said gap to continue its advance, and a closure with its open end down will be overbalanced and rejected when it reaches said gap, said guide rails including a holding rail spaced from an inner rail, the lower edge of said holding rail spaced upwardly from said disk to provide a slight clearance for the height of the closure and under which the larger diameter edge of an open end up closure engages to prevent overbalancing thereof when subjected to a stream of air on top thereof, said holding rail being disposed to permit rocking and overbalancing of an open end down closure to reject the same.

Claim 6

Apparatus for handling closures open at one end and which are greater in diameter than in height and which are also greater in diameter at one end than at the other, comprising, in combination, a rotary carrier disk, a circular retaining wall cooperating with said disk for aligning closures in a circular path and in an upright position with their open ends up or down, said wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged, supporting rails for supporting said closures as they are advanced in a line, and sorting means including a gap defined by discontinuance of a supporting rail for a short distance, and an air jet directing air against the tops of successive closures, said sorting means constructed and arranged so that a closure with its closed end down is capable of bridging said gap to continue its advance, and a closure with its open end down will be overbalanced and rejected when it reaches said gap, said guide rails including a holding rail spaced from an inner rail, the lower edge of said holding rail spaced upwardly from said disk to provide a slight clearance for the height of the closure and under which the larger diameter edge of an open end up closure engages to prevent overbalancing thereof when subjected to a stream of air on top thereof, said holding rail being disposed to permit rocking and overbalancing of an open end down closure to reject the same.

Claim 7

Apparatus for handling closures which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a carrier disk for supporting closures mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane and onto which randomly arranged closures are deposited, a circular retaining wall and a top wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space for forming and advancing closures in a circular path and arranged to accept those closures assuming an upright position with their open ends either up or down, the space between the disk and the underside of the top wall being such as to block admission to said annular space of a closure lying on its side, said retaining wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are discharged, a feed chute, and sorting means disposed intermediate the retaining wall opening and feed chute to permit passage into the chute of those closures assuming an oriented open end up position, and to cause rejection of those closures in other than an oriented position.

Claim 8

Apparatus for handling closures which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a carrier disk for supporting closures mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane and onto which randomly arranged closures are deposited, a circular retaining wall and a top wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space for forming and advancing closures in a circular path and arranged to accept those closures assuming an upright position with their open ends either up or down, the space between the disk and the underside of the top wall being such as to block admission to said annular space of a closure lying on its side, said retaining wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are discharged, a feed chute, and sorting means disposed intermediate the retaining wall opening and feed chute to permit passage into the chute of those closures assuming an oriented open end up position, and to cause rejection of those closures in other than an oriented position.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the sorting mEans is disposed intermediate said wall opening and the mouth of said chute.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the sorting means includes an air jet for directing air downwardly against the tops of successive closures to assist in effecting rejection of an unoriented closure.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 which includes means for depositing randomly arranged closures onto said disk from a bulk supply thereof, and means for returning the rejected closures to said bulk supply.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the closures are moved into said annular space by centrifugal force to form a circular row thereof.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein flexible means arranged in the path of the closures being moved by said carrier disk is provided for diverting the movement of randomly arranged closures on the disk, and means for directing streams of air against such closures to cause them to change their position.

Claim 14

Apparatus for handling closures which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a carrier disk mounted to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane, means for depositing randomly arranged closures onto said disk, a stationary circular retaining wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space arranged to bar entrance of closures lying on their sides, and to receive by centrifugal force those closures assuming an upright position with their open ends either up or down to form a circular line thereof, said wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged in a line, a feed chute for receiving oriented closures and from which closures are withdrawn, guide rails including side rails and upper and lower rails for retaining the closures in said line, means disposed intermediate said wall opening and the mouth of the chute for sorting the closures, said sorting means adapted to permit oriented closures with their open ends up to continue their advance and to reject those closures with their open ends down, said sorting means including an air jet directing air against the top of successive closures to assist in rejecting the same, said sorting means being disposed at a gap in said guide means, said sorting means including a freely rotatable toothed wheel disposed in said gap and adapted to support a closure with its open end up, and permitting overbalancing of a closure with its open end down.

Claim 15

Apparatus for handling closures which are greater in diameter than in height comprising, in combination, a carrier disk mounted to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane, means for depositing randomly arranged closures onto said disk, a stationary circular retaining wall cooperating with said disk and providing an annular space arranged to bar entrance of closures lying on their sides, and to receive by centrifugal force those closures assuming an upright position with their open ends either up or down to form a circular line thereof, said wall having an opening therein through which successive closures are guided and discharged in a line, a feed chute for receiving oriented closures and from which closures are withdrawn, guide rails including side rails and upper and lower rails for retaining the closures in said line, means disposed intermediate said wall opening and the mouth of the chute for sorting the closures, said sorting means adapted to permit oriented closures with their open ends up to continue their advance and to reject those closures with their open ends down, said sorting means including an air jet directing air against the top of successive closures to assist in rejecting the same, said sorting means being disposed at a gap in said guide means, said sorting means including a freely rotatable toothed wheel disposed in said gap and adapted to support a closure with its open end up, and permitting overbalancing of a closure with its open end down.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the sorting means includes a short bottom rail rounded at one end, an open end up closure passing over said rail and into said chute, and an open end down closure being rocked downwardly as it passes over said rounded end to be rejected.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 10 which includes means for controlling the operation of the apparatus, said control means comprising means for detecting a surplus of closures in said chute, and means responsive thereto for discontinuing the discharge of closures through said opening, and for simultaneously discontinuing depositing of closures onto said disk.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the detecting means comprises a photoelectric unit, the means for discontinuing discharge of closures through said opening comprising a gate movable into said annular space.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the control means includes an electrical circuit having a time delay relay arranged to discontinue rotation of said carrier disk after a predetermined time in the event that withdrawal of closures from the chute is discontinued.