Apparatus for orienting and stacking hollow, frusto-conical containers
First Claim
1. Apparatus for orienting frusto-conical articles having opposite ends of different width, comprising:
- downwardly inclined ramp means for receiving said articles in random orientations and allowing said articles to fall along said downwardly inclined ramp means;
means extending transversely of the ramp means and spaced by a gap from the lower end of said ramp means and constituting an abutment for said articles;
said gap being greater than the width of the widest end of said articles and less than the length of said articles;
conveyor means beneath said gap for receiving and conveying said articles;
said conveyor means comprising a pair of conveyor belts extending parallel to said gap and spaced apart by a distance which is greater than the width of the narrowest end of said articles and less than the length of said articles and means for driving said conveyor belts;
said downwardly inclined ramp means having means for displacing upwardly of said ramp means an adjacent portion of any of said articles which bridges said gap, whereby said articles are caused to fall between said conveyor belts with said widest ends thereof uppermost.
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Abstract
Apparatus for orienting and stacking hollow, frusto-conical containers or other articles has a downwardly inclined ramp for receiving the articles in random orientations. A deflector wall spaced by a gap from the bottom end of the ramp serves to deflect the articles to the gap, which is greater than the width of the widest end of the articles and less than the length of the articles, so that the articles can drop into the gap only with the widest end uppermost. Endless conveyor belts are provided below the gap for receiving the articles therebetween and conveying the articles. The ramp is formed by the upperwardly driven upper run of an endless belt arrangement, or has an upwardly rotating roller at the bottom thereof, for displacing upwardly of the ramp an adjacent portion of any of the articles which bridges the gap so that the containers are caused to fall properly into the gap.
18 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Apparatus for orienting frusto-conical articles having opposite ends of different width, comprising:
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downwardly inclined ramp means for receiving said articles in random orientations and allowing said articles to fall along said downwardly inclined ramp means; means extending transversely of the ramp means and spaced by a gap from the lower end of said ramp means and constituting an abutment for said articles; said gap being greater than the width of the widest end of said articles and less than the length of said articles; conveyor means beneath said gap for receiving and conveying said articles; said conveyor means comprising a pair of conveyor belts extending parallel to said gap and spaced apart by a distance which is greater than the width of the narrowest end of said articles and less than the length of said articles and means for driving said conveyor belts; said downwardly inclined ramp means having means for displacing upwardly of said ramp means an adjacent portion of any of said articles which bridges said gap, whereby said articles are caused to fall between said conveyor belts with said widest ends thereof uppermost. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for orienting frusto-conical articles having a length greater than the greatest diameter thereof, comprising:
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endless belt means for receiving said articles in random orientation; said endless belt means having an inclined upper rim forming a downwardly inclined ramp for guiding said articles in a downwardly inclined direction; means for driving said belt means so that said upper rim travels in a direction opposite to said downwardly inclined direction; deflector means spaced by a gap from the bottom of said downwardly inclined rim for deflecting said articles downwardly through said gap; said gap having a width less than the length of said articles and greater than the largest diameter of said articles; a pair of endless conveyor belts spaced apart beneath said gap by a distance less than the greatest diameter of said articles for receiving and conveying said articles with said greatest diameter uppermost; and means for driving said conveyor belts. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification