Closure handling and orienting apparatus

Claim 2

Closure handling and orienting appratus adapted to handle oblong closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of a longitudinal center line of the closure, means through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line of closures, wherein some of the closures have a reflective spot on one side and others on the other side of said longitudinal center line, means for advancing the line of closure at a uniform rate, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot on successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having the reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for releasing the closures alternately from each path to provide a single line, means for rapidly advancing each closure to join the trailing end of said single line, means for detecting an extension of said trailing end toward said releasing means, and means for rendering said firSt means inoperative.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means for repositioning the closures in one of the paths prior to recombining the lines of closures to provide said single line such that the reflective spots all occur on the same side of the center line of the closures.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a rotor containing a plurality of peripherally spaced pockets arranged to receive and advance the successive closures.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a rotor containing a plurality of peripherally spaced pockets arranged to receive the closures and a shaft for rotating the rotor to advance said closures at a uniform rate.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for releasing closures comprises a pair of movable stops one in each line and means for actuating said stops alternately.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5, comprising an air jet associated with each stop and cam operated air valves associated with said stops and air jets, said air jets being adapted to rapidly advance successive closures as they are released.

Claim 8

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, means through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line of closures, each closure having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of a longitudinal center line, means for detecting the position of said reflective spot on successive closures, said detecting means including a retroreflective photoelectric device, a switch arm responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path and means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one line of closures with the reflective spots all occurring on the same side of the center line of the closures.

Claim 9

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, means through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line of closures, each closure having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of a longitudinal center line, means for detecting the position of said reflective spot on successive closures, said detecting means including a retroreflective photoelectric device, a switch arm responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path and means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one line of closures with the reflective spots all occurring on the same side of the center line of the closures.

Claim 10

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing the closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot on successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures from one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line of closures with their reflective spots all occurring on the same side of the closures, means for detecting the absence of closures in said chute at a point preceding said first named means and means responsive to said detecting means for rendering said first means inoperative when closures are absent at said point.

Claim 11

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing the closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot on successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures from one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line of closures with their reflective spots all occurring on the same side of the closures, means for detecting the absence of closures in said chute at a point preceding said first named means and means responsive to said detecting means for rendering said first means inoperative when closures are absent at said point.

Claim 12

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closure, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot of successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with reflective spots all occurring on the same side, means for driving said first named means, means for rapIdly advancing successive closures along said oriented line to join the trailing end thereof, detecting means spaced from the trailing end of said line and means responsive thereto for discontinuing operation of said second means when the trailing end extends into the path of said detecting means.

Claim 13

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closure, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot of successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with reflective spots all occurring on the same side, means for driving said first named means, means for rapIdly advancing successive closures along said oriented line to join the trailing end thereof, detecting means spaced from the trailing end of said line and means responsive thereto for discontinuing operation of said second means when the trailing end extends into the path of said detecting means.

Claim 14

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, means through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of a longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot of successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with reflective spots all occurring on the same side, means for driving said first named means, means for rapidly advancing successive closures along said oriented line to join the trailing end of said line and means responsive thereto for discontinuing operation of said driving means when the trailing end extends back to said detecting means.

Claim 15

Closure handling and orienting apparatus adapted to handle oblong closures, means through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of a longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot of successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with reflective spots all occurring on the same side, means for driving said first named means, means for rapidly advancing successive closures along said oriented line to join the trailing end of said line and means responsive thereto for discontinuing operation of said driving means when the trailing end extends back to said detecting means.

Claim 16

Closure handling and orienting appratus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot on successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, and means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with the reflective spot, said distributing means including a switch arm, pneumatically operated means adapted to rock said switch arm, and a solenoid operated valve operatively connected to said detecting means to effect rocking of the arm when a reflective spot is detected.

Claim 17

Closure handling and orienting appratus adapted to handle oblong closures, a chute through which the closures are advanced to form a continuous line thereof, said closures having a reflective spot disposed on one side or the other of the longitudinal center line of the closures, means for receiving and advancing closures at a uniform rate along said line, means for detecting the position of the reflective spot on successive closures, means responsive to said detecting means for distributing the closures having reflective spots on different sides of the center line into two different paths, means for redirecting the closures in one path to conform to the closures in the other path, and means for bringing together and realigning the closures from both paths into one oriented line thereof with the reflective spot, said distributing means including a switch arm, pneumatically operated means adapted to rock said switch arm, and a solenoid operated valve operatively connected to said detecting means to effect rocking of the arm when a reflective spot is detected.

Claim 18

Closure handling and orienting apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the solenoid valve is normally closed and opened momentarily by said detecting means, and cam operated means operatively connected to said solenoid valve adapted to increase the time the valve is opened.