Sorting magazine for the supply of loose small parts

• US 6,276,564 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stocko Fasteners GmbH
• Original Assignee: Stocko Fasteners GmbH
• Inventors: Reich, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDLEY, RICHARD W L
• Application Number:
  US09/481,788
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 221/217, 221/219, 221/281, 406/62, 406/52, 198/443
• US Class Current: 221/217
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/38 Collecting or arranging articles in groups
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1407 the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1478 by means of pick-up devices, the container remaining immobile

Abstract

The sorting magazine serves for the supply of loose small parts (1) such as rivets, eyes, press fasteners and so forth. It includes a trough-shaped storage container (2) which has a front wall (3) and a magazine base plate (4), with a filling opening (5) for the small parts (1) and, in the base plate (4), an aperture (8) which adjoins an inclined bottom wall (9). The small parts can be guided by way of the aperture int ark adjoining rotary magazine comprising a drum-like rotary member (6) which is mounted rotatably about a substantially horizontal axis (7) and which serves for separating and orienting the small parts (1) for further processing thereof by machine. In order conveniently to provide for complete emptying, the magazine base plate (4) has a plate section (12) which is formed with the walls (3, 9) delimiting the storage container (2) to form a unit. That unit is movable from a closed operative position into an open position permitting the removal of all small parts, and vice-versa. It is preferably pivotable.

Claims

1. A sorting magazine for the supply of loose small parts, comprising a trough-shaped storage container which has a front wall and a magazine base plate and which has a filling opening for the small parts and in the base plate an aperture which adjoins an inclined bottom wall and by way of which the small parts can be guided into an adjoining rotary magazine comprising a drum-like rotary member which is mounted rotatably about a substantially horizontal axis and which serves for separating and orienting the small parts for further processing thereof by machine, wherein the magazine base plate has a plate section which is formed with the walls defining the storage container to form a unit, and wherein said unit is movable from a closed operative position into an open position permitting the removal of all small parts, and vice-versa, and wherein the aperture adjoins the inclined bottom wall delimiting the storage container at its underside, and with a passage which is associated with the rotary magazine and which passes the small parts in an oriented position for further processing thereof by machine, wherein the lower boundary of the aperture of the plate section extends at a spacing from the lower boundary edge of the plate section of the magazine base plate, which in the closed operative position of the plate section covers over a small part-orientation region disposed upstream of the passage, and in the open position guarantees free removal even of the small parts disposed in said orientation region, wherein cut out of the plate section of the magazine base plate is a plate region which extends to over the central region of the container unit and which is formed as a mounting for the shaft carrying the rotary member of the rotary magazine.

2. A sorting magazine according to claim 1, wherein the unit is pivotable from the operative position into the open position and vice-versa by way of a pivot axis provided in the edge region of the magazine base plate.

3. A sorting magazine according to claim 1, wherein the movable plate section includes the aperture.

4. A sorting magazine according to claim 3, wherein the lower boundary edge of the plate section extends at a spacing from the axis of the rotary member of the rotary magazine, which approximately corresponds to the diameter of the rotary member.

5. A sorting magazine according to claim 2, wherein the unit is pivotable in the edge region of the magazine base plate by way of a hinge about a lateral, approximately vertical pivot axis.