Method and apparatus for conveyance of goods by vibrating plates

Claim 1

An automatic alignment and feeding apparatus comprising, in combination, a vibrating plate having a supply portion and a receiving portion, the receiving portion being arranged to contain a plurality of goods; a conveyor having a goods inlet adjacent and in communication with said supply portion; a plurality of transportation mats on the surface of said vibrating plate, each transportation mat having a plurality of closely adjacent elastic projections slanting in a predetermined direction to the perpendicular to the surface of said vibrating plate; said transportation mats being arranged on said surface in a manner to define a passage along whch the goods proceed from said receiving portion to said supply portion; the width of said passage varying step-wise from a plurality of lanes adjacent said receiving portion to two lanes, and from two lanes to one lane at said supply portion, said transportation mats including guide mats, having elastic projections slanting laterally toward said passage extending along both sides of said passage; said transportation mats further defining control portions descharging an excessive quantity of goods moving along the two-lane portion of said path toward said one-lane portion laterally outside the passage, and forcing goods into said one-lane portion of said passage from the side when there is an interruption in the sequence of goods moving into said one-lane portion of said passage; said transportation mats additionally defining a by-pass portion through which goods, discharged in a lateral direction by said control portion, are returned toward said receiving portion of said vibrating plate.