Method and apparatus for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles into single file
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
- conveying means, including first and second vertically spaced surfaces, for causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction through a single filing area between said spaced surfaces;
mounting means; and
article diverting means at said single filing area, said article diverting means including at least one elongated arm having an article engaging portion and a mounting portion, said article engaging portion having a width slightly less than the spacing between said first and second spaced surfaces with said mounting portion being mounted on said mounting means so that at least said article engaging portion is movable with respect to said mounting means in said one predetermined direction whereby said article diverting means yieldably urges articles engaged by said article engaging means toward a single file moving in said predetermined direction.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles, such as thin walled cans, into single file. The apparatus includes a plurality of diverting arms within a single filing area formed between two plate members having apertures formed therein so that air expelled through the apertures causes movement of conveyed articles not then in single file toward a peripheral guide member and movement of articles then in single file adjacent to the guide member in a direction through the single lining area substantially parallel to the guide member. The spaced diverting arms are pivotably mounted on a mounting plate and biased so that the article engaging portions of the arms are successively engagable with articles not then in single file adjacent to the guide member to thereby yieldably urge such articles into single file with the mounting plate also having apertures therein through which air is expelled to additionally urge the articles toward single file, and with those articles, not in single file when passing the arm positioned to last engage articles not then in single file, being ejected.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means, including first and second vertically spaced surfaces, for causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction through a single filing area between said spaced surfaces; mounting means; and article diverting means at said single filing area, said article diverting means including at least one elongated arm having an article engaging portion and a mounting portion, said article engaging portion having a width slightly less than the spacing between said first and second spaced surfaces with said mounting portion being mounted on said mounting means so that at least said article engaging portion is movable with respect to said mounting means in said one predetermined direction whereby said article diverting means yieldably urges articles engaged by said article engaging means toward a single file moving in said predetermined direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means, including first and second vertically spaced surfaces, for causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction through a single filing area between said spaced surfaces; mounting means; and article diverting means at said single filing area, said article diverting means including at least one elongated arm having an article engaging portion and a mounting portion, said article engaging portion having a width that extends a substantial distance of at least one-fourth of the distance between said spaced surfaces with said arm having a notch formed on said article engaging portion, and with said mounting portion being mounted on said mounting means so that at least said article engaging portion is movable with respect to said mounting means in said one predetermined direction whereby said article diverting means yieldably urges articles engaged by said article engaging means toward a single file moving in said predetermined direction.
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11. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means, including first and second vertically spaced surfaces, for causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction through a single filing area between said spaced surfaces; mounting means; and article diverting means at said single filing area, said article diverting means including at least one elongated arm having an article engaging portion and a mounting portion, said article engaging portion having a width that extends a substantial distance of at least one-fourth of the distance between said spaced surfaces, said arm having an aperture in said article engaging portion thereof, and said arm also having closure means normally covering said aperture, with said closure means being movable to release pressure through said aperture, and with said mounting portion being mounted on said mounting means so that at least said article engaging portion is movable with respect to said mounting means in said one predetermined direction whereby said article diverting means yieldably urges articles engaged by said article engaging means toward a single file moving in said predetermined direction.
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12. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means for causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction through a single filing area; mounting means; article diverting means at said single filing area, said article diverting means having an article engaging portion and a mounting portion, said mounting portion being mounted on said mounting means so that at least said article engaging portion is movable with respect to said mounting means in said one predetermined direction whereby said article diverting means yieldably urges articles engaged by said article engaging means toward a single file moving in said predetermined direction; and ejecting means allowing ejection of articles not brought into single file while moving through said single lining area, said ejecting means including yieldable means engagable by articles not in single file after engagement with said article diverting means to thereby divert said articles not then in single file.
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13. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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fluid conveying means including a pair of vertically spaced plates establishing a single filing area therebetween with at least one of said plates having apertures therein through which fluid is introduced into said single filing area for urging movement of a plurality of cylindrical articles in directions having at least a component of movement in one predetermined direction through said single filing area one portion of which has said articles moving therethrough substantially in a single line in said one predetermined direction; mounting means; arm means including a plurality of elongated arms having an article engagable portion at said single filing area, each of said arms having a width greater than one-half of the distance between said plates but less than the distance between said plates, and each of said arms also having a mounting portion for pivotably mounting said arms on said mounting means with said arms extending from said mounting means at an acute angle with respect to said one predetermined direction of movement of said articles and with said arms extending substantially parallel to one another in said single filing area so that said article engaging portion can be pivoted by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means and so that the article engaging portions of said arms successively engage articles moving through said single filing area that are not then in single file at said single filing area; said mounting means having apertures therein between at least two adjacent ones of said mounting portions of said arms for directing fluid therethrough into said single filing area; and biasing means for biasing said arms against pivoted movement imposed by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means whereby articles engaged by said article engaging portion of said arms are yieldably urged toward said single file portion of said single filing area. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means for urging movement of a plurality of cylindrical articles in directions having at least a component of movement in one predetermined direction through a single filing area one portion of which has said articles moving therethrough substantially in a single line in said one predetermined direction; moutnign means; arm means including a plurality of elongated arms having an article engagable portion at said single filing area, each of said arms having a mounting portion for pivotably mounting said arms on said mounting means so that said article engaging portions can be pivoted by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means, and each of said arms extending substantially parallel to one another in said single filing area so that the article engaging portions of said arms successively engage articles moving through said single filing area that are not then in single file at said single filing area, with at least one of said arms having an aperture in said article engaging portion thereof, and with said arm having said aperture therein having closure means covering said aperture, said closure means being movable to allow pressure to be released through said aperture; and biasing means for biasing said arm means against pivoted movement imposed by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means whereby articles engaged by said article engaging portion of said arm means yieldably urged toward said single file portion of said single filing area.
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16. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving cylindrical articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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conveying means for urging movement of a plurality of cylindrical articles in directions having at least a component of movement in one predetermined direction through a single filing area one portion of which has said article moving therethrough substantially in a single line in said one predetermined direction; mounting means; arm means including a plurality of elongated arms having an article engagable portion at said single filing area, each of said arms having a mounting portion for pivotably mounting said arms on said mounting means so that said articles engaging portions can be pivoted by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means, and each of said arms extending substantially parallel to one another in said single filing area so that the article engaging portions of said arms successively engage articles moving through said single filing area that are not then in single file at said single filing area; biasing means for biasing said arm means against pivoted movement imposed by said articles urged to movement by said conveying means whereby articles engaged by said article engaging portion of said arm means are yieldably urged toward said single file portion of said single filing area; and receiving means for receiving articles in single file from said single filing area with said receiving means including yieldable means engagable with articles not in single file during engagement with the last of said arms engagable with articles not then in single file to thereby facilitate ejection of said articles.
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17. An apparatus for facilitating formation of moving articles into single file, said apparatus comprising:
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fluid conveying means including a pair of spaced plates establishing a single filing area therebetween with at least one of said plates having apertures therein, fluid supply means for causing fluid to be expelled through said apertures to cause movement of said articles through said single filing area in directions having at least a component causing movement in one predetermined direction, and guide means adjacent to at least one edge of said plates with said guide means establishing an article single lined section in said single filing area through which said articles move through said single filing area in said one predetermined direction; mounting means; a plurality of arms mounted on said mounting means with said arms being spaced from one another and having a width less than that of the distance between said plates, said arms extending outwardly from said mounting means into said single filing area at an acute angle with respect to the direction of movement of said articles in said one predetermined direction and terminating short of said single lined section; and biasing means for causing biasing of each of said arms in a direction having a component opposite of that of said one predetermined direction of movement of said articles whereby said arms are engagable with said articles not then in said single lined section to yieldably urge said articles toward said single line section. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for facilitating formation of moving articles into a single file, said method comprising:
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causing movement of a plurality of articles in at least one predetermined direction within a single filing area determined by vertically spaced surfaces; and providing a plurality of yieldable arms within said single filing area with said yieldable arms having an article engaging portion with a width slightly less than the spacing between said spaced surfaces, and with said yieldable arms being positioned so that said article engaging portions of said arms successively engage articles not then in single file to urge said articles into single file. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification