Apparatus for simultaneously reorienting and transporting articles

Claim 1

The combination of apparatus for simultaneously inverting and transporting from a first location to a second location syringe sub-assemblies including syringe vials having hypodermic needles secured to one end thereof, the vial of each of said syringe sub-assemblies having an external annular flange at the end thereof opposite the needle, said flange being downwardly oriented at said first location, and apparatus for washing said sub-assemblies while said sub-assemblies are retained substantially vertically with said flanges oriented downwardly, said washing apparatus including a turret rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane and having substantially vertical notches in the periphery thereof each for retaining a respective said sub-assembly substantially vertically with said flange thereof oriented downwardly, said inverting and transporting apparatus comprising a wheel in a substantially vertical plane, said first and second locations being adjacent the periphery of the wheel and being substantially diametrically opposed relative to said wheel, a plurality of recesses formed in the periphery of the wheel for receiving said sub-assemblies, each said recess being of such size and shape relative to said sub-assemblies as to retain each said sub-assembly in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said recess in which said sub-assembly is received as said sub-assembly is transported from said first location to said second location and to permit said sub-assembly to discharge by gravity from the recess into the receiving means at said second location, means for consecutively rotationally indexing the wheel thereby to bring consecutive said recesses into substantial registry with said first location, said indexing means comprising a ratchet wheel secured to said recess-containing wheel and a driven ratchet pawl operatively associated with the ratchet wheel, means for striking each said syringe sub-assembly with force sufficient to carry the sub-assembly from the first location into a respective said recess in substantial registry with the first location but insufficient to cause damage to said sub-assembly or to cause said sub-assembly to rebound out of said recess receiving said sub-assembly, the path of movement of each of said notches of said washing apparatus turret bringing said sub-assemblies consecutively into juxtaposition with said striking means at said second location for striking by said striking means and propelling thereby into a respective said recess of said wheel, and means for receiving said articles from said recesses at said second location, said receiving means comprising a pair of parallel rails having a spacing therebetween greater than the largest diameter of the vials except for said flange thereof and less than the diameter of said flange whereby the flanges of the vials rest on the rails thereby to support the sub-assemblies and retain the sub-assemblies in an orientation inverted relative to the orientation of the sub-assemblies at the first location, said rails being inclined downwardly in a direction away from said wheel sufficiently to assist gravity transport of said sub-assemblies away from said wheel.