Separator device for elongate objects advancing along a conveying path

Claim 1

A separator device arranged to be disposed in a conveying path for elongate objects each having a desired length, said device comprising means defining an inclined input path presenting at least one channel presenting an object support surface along which a succession of such objects slide downwardly in the direction of their longitudinal dimension; a fixed abutment member disposed downstream of, and in line with, said input path for limiting the movement of an object exiting from said channel; means defining a discharge path for discharging objects in succession from said device, said discharge path presenting an object support surface spaced below the lower extremity of said abutment member by a distance at least equal to the vertical dimension of each object; a pivotally movable plate located between the outlet end of said channel and said abutment member and movable between a raised position in which it is aligned with the support surface of said channel and a lowered position in which it is aligned with the support surface of said discharge path, movement of said movable plate from its raised to its lowered position acting to cause an object located between the outlet end of said channel and said abutment member to move downwardly while sliding along said abutment member into alignment with said discharge path; a pusher member movable for pushing an object which is thus aligned with said discharge path beneath said abutment member and onto said discharge path; a clamping strip movable between a retracted position in which it permits downward sliding movement of objects along said channel and a clamping position in which it blocks such movement, said strip being located relative to the outlet end of said channel such that, when an object having the desired length is positioned against said abutment member, and when said strip is in its clamping position, said strip will clamp the next following object if it has the desired length but not if it has less than the desired length; clamping control means connected to said strip to move it from its retracted position to its clamping position at the start of movement of said movable plate from its raised position to its lowered position in order to permit a next following object having less than the desired length to exit from said channel; and a movable member disposed for separating from the conveying path an object which has exited from said channel after the start of movement of said movable plate from its raised position to its lowered position.