METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING SOLID ARTICLES
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles includes a housing and a drive system. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles, a dispensing outlet, and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet. The drive system includes a belt and a belt actuator operable to drive the belt. The dispensing apparatus is configured such that articles disposed in the hopper chamber are directed onto the belt and the belt, when driven by the belt actuator, conveys the articles received from the hopper chamber in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed.
5 Citations
50 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles, the dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing defining; a hopper chamber to hold the articles; a dispensing outlet; and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet; a drive system operable to convey the articles in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed; and a singulating gate system defining a singulating opening to singulate the articles as the articles are conveyed along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed; wherein the singulating gate system is selectively adjustable to interdependently change and set a width dimension and a height dimension of the singulating opening; and wherein the dispensing apparatus includes; a first gate member movable to adjust the width dimension; and a second gate member movable to adjust the height dimension; wherein the first and second gate members are linked such that adjustment to one of the first and second gate members automatically adjusts the other of the first and second gate members a corresponding amount. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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28-32. -32. (canceled)
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33. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing articles, the dispensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing defining; a hopper chamber to hold the articles; a dispensing outlet; and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet; a drive system operable to convey the articles in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed; and a singulating gate system defining a singulating opening to singulate the articles as the articles are conveyed along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed, wherein the singulating gate system is selectively adjustable to change and set at least one dimension of the singulating opening, the singulating gate system including; a gate actuator operable to change the at least one dimension of the singulating opening; a sensor operative to detect a presence or absence of the articles downstream of the singulating opening; and a controller configured to control the gate member and to programmatically execute a self-calibration mode wherein the gate actuator is operated by the controller to progressively increase the at least one dimension of the singulating opening until an article or articles that pass through the singulating opening and are detected by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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34. A method for dispensing articles, the method comprising:
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providing a dispensing apparatus including; a housing defining; a hopper chamber to hold the articles; a dispensing outlet; and a dispensing path between the hopper chamber and the dispensing outlet; a drive system operable to convey the articles in a dispensing direction along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed; and a singulating gate system defining a singulating opening to singulate the articles as the articles are conveyed along the dispensing path toward the dispensing outlet to be dispensed, wherein the singulating gate system is selectively adjustable to change and set at least one dimension of the singulating opening; using the drive system, conveying the articles in the dispensing direction along the dispensing path and toward the singulating opening; and calibrating the singulating gate system, including progressively increasing the at least one dimension of the singulating opening until an article or articles pass through the singulating opening. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification