GB2113193A

GB2113193A - Orienting and feeding articles

Info

Publication number: GB2113193A
Application number: GB08300187A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jan Berglund
Original assignee: Wicanders AB
Current assignee: Wicanders AB
Priority date: 1982-01-18
Filing date: 1983-01-05
Publication date: 1983-08-03
Also published as: BE895611A; JPS58125519A; FI830164A0; SE8200226L; GB2113193B; ES519073A0; NL8300139A; ES8404658A1; FR2519947A1; DE3300162A1; SE435489B; DK17183A; IT8319157A0; ZA83162B; AU1050783A; IT1163034B; FR2519947B1; DK17183D0; GB8300187D0; CH659231A5

Abstract

Apparatus for orienting and feeding articles 1, in particular closure cap blanks of the type having a disc- like panel 1b, surrounded by a skirt terminating in a free edge from which a gripping tag or ring 1a extends, wherein the closure cap blanks 1 are randomly deposited on a carrying surface formed by the interior of a rotating drum, or the surface of an endless conveyor belt 18; and are held in contact with that carrying surface magnetically by means of magnetic strips 22 underlying the carrying surface The caps engaged with the carrying surface are conveyed by rotation of the drum or advancement of the conveyor and are subjected to a force tending to dislodge them, such as the force of gravity or the force of an air jet. Closure cap blanks retained with their top surfaces 1b, against said carrying surface are held more firmly than blanks disposed in other orientations and are thus retained on the carrying surface whilst other blanks are dislodged and returned for resorting. A guide member spaced from the carrying surface entrains the blanks by their gripping tags or rings 1a as the blanks are conveyed past the guide member, to arrange the blanks in a row with a common desired orientation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of and apparatus for orienting and feeding articles This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for orienting similar articles, for example closure blanks of the type having a disclike panel from the edge of which extends an encircling peripheral wall which terminates in a free edge with a gripping member extending from said free edge.

Caps such as tear-off caps are formed from blanks produced from sheet material, the blanks passing through various manufacturing steps, including, for instance, a step or steps in which a sealing layer is provided, until they are finally supplied one by one in a specific manner to a container capping and sealing machine.

Throughout these steps of manufacture the caps or cap blanks must be orientated and fed in a controlled manner and this creates problems to which numerous solutions have already been suggested.

Thus it is known to orient and sort cap blanks of this type having gripping members extending from their free edges, and various solutions are described in U.S. Patents No. 1,300,022, No.

3,330,403 and No. 4,093,002. In these known methods pre-sorting of the cap blanks is attempted by orienting them in a certain controlled manner, i.e. with the flat surface of the disc like panel which faces in the direction opposite to that in which the peripheral wall extends from this panel, and which surface is hereinafter termed, for ease of reference, the top surface, being in contact with a carrying surface.

At the same time or in conjunction herewith the gripping member extending from each cap blank is also positioned in a predetermined manner so that the blanks can thereafter be fed one by one in this predetermined orientation to subsequent work stations, such as to a container sealing machine. However, these known methods, mostly operating by a combination of centrifugal force or conical sliding surfaces and specially directed air jets, have proved to have many limitations. Only a relatively low sorting capacity is possible and the cap blanks are often damaged due to mechanical handling during the sorting process resulting in undesirable twisting of the gripping members etc.

Furthermore, the noise level of these known sorting means is disturbingly high.

The pre-sorting described above, i.e. the method of orienting objects in a special controlled manner in relation to each other with all objects being directed in the same way, e.g. with the same flat surface being in contact with a carrying surface, has previously been used for other types of objects, e.g. objects without gripping members extending therefrom such as crown caps for bottles or similar closures such as metal screw lids for jars, etc. employing the device described in DE-OS 2 306 329. This known device comprises two magnetic bands of different lengths facing each other and having the same feed direction, said bands being spaced from each other, a distance slightly exceeding the height of the objects to be sorted.However, this pre-sorting method if used for closure caps blanks of the kind referred to above would solve only one of the existing problems, namely that of orienting the cap blanks in a controlled manner with their flat top surfaces in contact with one of said bands, but would not further position the blanks so that the projecting gripping members are oriented in the same way. This controlled orientation of the gripping members is an absolute requirement for the subsequent feeding of the blanks to the following work operations. Furthermore, the presorting or orienting described in this German Offenlegungsschrift is difficult to perform since it requires accurate balance between the two magnetic bands and easily leads to operating disturbances due to blockages between the bands, particularly if this known technique is used for cap blanks with gripping members.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for orienting closure cap blanks of the type described above and analogous articles.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a method of orienting similar articles each having a first portion with a generally flat, extended surface via which the article can rest on a flat supporting surface and a second portion projecting from said first portion in the direction opposite to that in which said generally flat extended surface faces, which projecting second portion is disposed asymmetrically in relation to said first portion, the method comprising the steps of depositing said articles at a first location, on the carrying surface of a carrying member, applying to said articles a first force, acting to urge the articles into engagement with said carrying surface, which force is greater the larger the area of said article which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such article which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein said generally flat extended surface thereof lies against said carrying surface, is held against said carrying surface more firmly than articles which are disposed otherwise, advancing said carrying member along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface to convey such articles from said first location to a second location, applying to said articles, during at least part of the conveyance thereof from said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force, whereby articles which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst articles which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying surface by said second force, and wherein such articles in said preferred disposition are caused, during their conveyance from said first to said second location, to cooperate, via said second portions thereof, with positioning means acting to align and position the articles whilst the articles remain engaged with the carrying member via said generally flat, extended surfaces thereof.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for orienting similar articles each having a first portion with a generally flat extended surface via which the article can rest on a flat supporting surface and a second portion projecting away from said first portion in the direction opposite to that in which said generally flat extended surface faces, which projecting portion is disposed asymmetrically in relation to said first portion, said apparatus comprising a carrying member providing a carrying surface, and defining a first and a second location, means mounting the carrying member for movement along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface, through said first and second locations, means for applying to said articles on said carrying surface a first force, acting to urge the articles into engagement with said carrying surface, which is greater, the larger the area of said article which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such article which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein said generally flat extended surface thereof lies against said carrying surface is held against said carrying surface more firmly than articles which are disposed otherwise, means for advancing the carrying member along said feed path, means for applying to said articles, during at least part of the conveyance thereof from said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force, whereby articles which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst articles which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying member by said second force, and positioning means engageable with said second portions of articles which are in said preferred disposition and are thus engaged with said carrying surface via said generally flat extended surfaces of the articles, during conveyance of the latter articles, from said first to said second location, to align and position such articles whilst the latter remain engaged with the carrying member via said generally flat extended surfaces thereof.

The invention is of particular, but not exclusive utility in relation to cap blanks of the type referred to above, in which said generally flat surface is constituted by the top surface of the cap blank and said projecting portion by the gripping member extending from said skirt.

Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side view of a first apparatus embodying the invention, utilizing combined drum and conveyor belt handling of cap blanks, Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus of Figure 1, partly in section, Figure 3 is a view from above of the apparatus of Figure 1 and Figure 2, partly in section, Figure 4 shows, to an enlarged scale as compared with Figures 1 to 3, a detail of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 3, illustrating the transfer of the cap blanks between drum and conveyor belt, Figure 5 shows part of a belt for feeding cap blanks, illustrating operation of the apparatus, Figure 6 is a side view of a second form of apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 7 is a partial front view of the apparatus of Figure 6, Figure 8 shows to an enlarged scale, as compared with Figures 6 and 7, a detail of a conveyor part of the apparatus of Figures 6 and 7, and Figure 9 shows to an enlarged scale, as compared with Figures 6 and 7, a detail illustrating the relationship between a positioning rail and a conveyor belt in the apparatus of Figures 6 to 8.

The two embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 9 are intended for orienting and sorting closure cap blanks 1 of ferro-magnetic metal, each having as best shown in Figure 8, a flat disc-like panel or top, from which extends an encircling cylindrical peripheral wall or skirt from the free edge of which extends a gripping member 1 a, such as a ring.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, such cap blanks 1 are fed into a storage container or hopper 2, from whence they are fed into a rotating drum 4 via a vibrating chute 3. This drum is provided internally with magnetic strips 15 (Figure 2), covered by a thin, slip-sheet of non-magnetic material (see also Figures 2 to 4), affording, by its radially inner surface, a carrying surface.

The magnetic forces produced by the magnetic strips cause the cap blanks to adhere to the inner wall of the drum 4 and follow the rotation of the drum. The magnetic force acting on each blank constitutes a first force acting to urge the blank against the carrying surface. Cap blanks with their entire top surface 1 b in contact with the carrying surface, i.e. with the slip-sheet, will be retained more firmly and are drawn along a more efficiently thank blanks in contact with the carrying surface in some other way.

A stationary guide plate 5 within the drum forces the cap blanks axially along the inner periphery of the drum while the blanks slip peripherally on the slip-sheet. As each cap blank is moved axially by the plate 5, it is displaced in relation to the axially spaced magnetic strips 5 and consequently the magnetic force holding the blank to the carrying surface is varied repeatedly.

Since the distance between the various magnetic strips is such that blanks lying incorrectly are released from the carrying surface by this lateral (i.e. axial) displacement, such blanks will fall back to the bottom of the drum 4 and will undergo this operation again. More particularly blanks not fully in contact with the carrying surface with their top surface will be removed therefrom when the drum rotates due to the fact that the force of gravity will successively influence the cap blanks away from the carrying surface. This transverse feeding of the cap blanks along the inner periphery of the drum also considerably facilitates further transportation of thus oriented cap blanks, by transferring them to a stationary conveyor, for instance arranged in communication with the upper side of the drum. Examples of "rejected" cap blanks are those shown at 6 in Figure 1.

As each blanks adhering to the interior of the drum rises with the rotation of the drum, it is acted on, in a direction different to that in which the magnetic forces on the blank act, by a second force, namely that of gravity, tending to dislodge the blank from the carrying surface. When the cap blanks reach the uppermost part 7 of the inner periphery of the drum, they are maximally affected by the force of gravity, which now directly opposes the magnetic forces, so that only those cap blanks with the flat top surfaces thereof in contact with the carrying surface will be carried further towards the guide plate 8, which is arranged at such a distance from the inner wall of the drum that a blank shell (i.e. the top panel and skirt), easily passes between the plate 8 and the wall of the drum and the gripping member engages the inclined edge of plate 8 which turns the blank correctly so that it follows the guide plate out of the drum and on to the conveyor 9, on which the cap blanks are again retained magnetically, for example by means of stationary magnetic strips disposed adjacent the surface of the belt opposite that engaged by the cap blanks, the surface of the belt so engaged constituting, once again, a carrying surface. Such magnetic strips preferably extend parallel with the length of the belt, (see Figure 5). The cap blanks transferred from the drum to the conveyor 9 are in contact with the conveyor via their top surfaces and are thus even at this stage sufficiently oriented to be guided into a channel leading to a capping machine.However, as an extra safeguard against disoriented and unsorted blanks, the caps now on their way up are forced to the edge of the belt by the inclined edge of a guide plate 17, shown in Figure 2, but not in Figures 1 and 3. The plate 17 is spaced from the belt sufficiently to allow the blank shell to pass easily between the plate and the belt. Should there, contrary to expectations, be any incorrectly turned blanks on the conveyor at this stage, they will fall down into a container 11 (Figure 2), while the rest of the blanks will be transported further and finally aligned along the edge of the belt. Incorrectly turned cap blanks which are thus returned to the container 11 again become attached to the belt 9 which preferably has extra strong magnets along the edge section 13 (Figure 5) in order to lift both correctly and incorrectly turned blanks up to the horizontal part.

The conveyor 9, as shown in Figure 1, has a vertically upwardly extending conveying run extending from the drum 4 to a horizontal run extending from the upper end of the vertical run to a channel 12. The guide plate 17 may extend partiy over the horizontal run as well as over the vertical run. The powerful magnet at the left hand edge of the conveyor 9 (Figs. 2 and 5) is arranged to release or diminish its grip at the horizontal part of conveyor 9 and incorrectly turned blanks will fall over the edge of the conveyor into a return channel 10 and pass back to the container 2.

At the end of the horizontal part of the conveyor 9, all cap blanks are correctly oriented and can thus easily be turned through 900 if required before they are guided into the channel 12 (Figure 1) for further transport to a capping machine or the like.

Figure 2 shows how circumferentially extending magnetic strips 1 5 may be spaced axially inside the drum 4. Figure 3 shows a magnetic layer 1 5' which, instead of consisting of axially separated strips, consists of a layer with electro-magnetic coils which can be manipulated to create a strip-shaped magnetic field, possibly wandering in the lateral, (axial), direction. In the latter case, controlled lateral displacement of correctly oriented cap blanks can be obtained without the assistance of guide plates 5 or 8.

Figure 4 shows the blanks being fedout of the drum 4 to the conveyor belt 9 where they are oriented along the edge by guide plate 1 7.

At the end of the horizontal part of the conveyor 9 blanks, which for some reason have no pull-ring, can easily be blown off since the place 1 7 is designed to engage in the pulling means itself while the blanks are being fed along the conveyor 9.

Figure 5 shows schematically how the blanks are transferred laterally from a first handling means to a conveyor means 9, strong magnetic forces being utilized in the edge section 13 with the object of lifting even incorrectly oriented cap blanks from the bottom of a container 11 (Figure 2).

Figure 6 shows a second form of apparatus embodying to the invention, comprising basically an inclined conveyor 18 to the lower end of which randomly oriented cap blanks are delivered by a lower, substantially horizontal conveyor 1 7 and from the upper end of which approximately oriented cap blanks are received by an upper substantially horizontal conveyor 19, which may be a magnetic conveyor, for example constructed similarly to the inclined conveyor 1 8. Like the conveyor 9 in Figures 1 to 5, the conveyor 17 comprises an endless belt with associated magnetic strips. As indicated by dotted lines, a supply shaft 20 may be used instead of the supply conveyor 17.

As can be seen in Figures 8 and 9, the conveyor belt 18 runs over a number of equallyspaced magnetic strips 22, which may be spaced apart under the belt 18 in the direction of movement 21 and extend transversely of the direction 21. Alternatively these magnetic strips may be disposed transversely and extend longitudinally in the direction of movement 21.

As can be seen in Figures 7 and 9, a positioning means in the form of a rail 23 is arranged above the conveyor belt 18, at such a distance from the belt 1 8 that the shell, i.e. panel and skirt, of a blank engaging the belts by its top surface can pass freely between the belt 1 8 and the rail, whilst passage of the corresponding gripping member is blocked by the rail 23. The magnetic strips shown in Figure 7 are so arranged under the belt that they only run slightly under and across the rail. The position rail 23 preferably extends across the belt 18, i.e. at its lower end the rail starts adjacent the lower end 1 8a of one longitudinal edge 1 8b of the belt and approaches the opposite longitudinal edge 1 8c of the belt towards its upper end.The upper end of rail 23 adjoins the lower end of a rail 25a extending directly in the direction of movement of the belt 18 upwardly from the rail 23 to the conveyor 19.

The rail 23 is spaced from rail 25a to forming therewith a feedout gap 25 at which is located an air jet operating in the direction of the arrow 26 so that any incorrectly turned cap blanks 1 collecting at the gap are blown away and returned to the lower end 1 8a of the belt 18 to be resorted. The blanks thus arriving one after the other on the conveyor 19 correctly turned and with the gripping members in the same position, can, if necessary be turned as indicated in Figure 6.

The magnetic strips 22 preferably stop immediately prior to the opening 25, in order to faciliate removal of any incorrectly turned blanks by means of the air jet.

A further and special magnetic strip 27, also arranged below the belt 18, extends from the positioning rail 23 in the vicinity of the gap 25obliquely upwards and away from the rail 23, i.e.

towards the longitudinal side 1 8b of the belt 18.

This magnetic strip is intended to guide scrap away from the space below the rail 23, i.e. scrap in the form of loose gripping members, shell parts, etc. An extra guide plate 28 may be arranged adjacent the lower end 1 8a of the belt 1 8 to provide a certain constriction of the blanks initially intended for sorting, between this guide plate 28 and the opposite part of the rail 23. This effect can be further reinforced if one or more of the magnetic strips acting in this area is made somewhat thicker then the remainder to provide a stronger magnetic force. Such a thicker magnetic strip is indicated at 22a in Figure 6.

As in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, the magnetic strips 22 provide a first force, acting on the cap blanks to urge the latter into engagement with the carrying surface provided by the carrying member (in the form of the belt 18). A second, transversely acting force, constituted by the force of gravity, or the force provided by the air jet, tends to displace the cap blanks from the carrying surface.

The apparatus shown in Figures 6 to 9 functions in the following manner.

Cap blanks 1 to be sorted are delivered randomly to the lower zone 1 8a of the inclined belt 1 8-either by the supply conveyor 1 7 shown and/or by a supply shaft 20 co-operating with the lower zone 18a. The blanks 1 are then fed up along the belt 1 8 and over the magnetic strips 22 arranged below the belt 1 8 (and are thereby affected by the first magnetic force), to the positioning rail 23 arranged further along the belt 1 8. Upstream of the positioning rail a presorting of the blanks 1 takes place, these being preferably arranged with the aid of the magnetic forces with their flat, top surface 1 b against the belt 18, as can be clearly seen at A in Figure 8, for instance.The blank 1 is retained in position A since its flat, upper side 1 b cooperates with two magnetic strips 22, spaced from each other under the belt 18.

The same figure shows how an incorrectly oriented blank-see position B in Figure twill be returned by the force of gravity, to the lower zone 1 8a of the belt to be re-sorted. The sorted blanks, now with their flat surfaces 1 b in contact with the belt 1 8-as in position A in Figure 8-will be moved towards the positioning rail 23 as the belt gradually moves in the direction of the arrow 21, thus being positioned between the rail 23 and the belt 18, in the manner shown in Figure 9.Thus, blanks having their shells located under the rail 23 with the gripping members 1 a bearing against the edge 23a of the rail 23, will now be caused by the continued movement of the belt 1 8 to be continuously fed in this order to the feedout zone and thus also past the gap 25. Any remaining incorrectly oriented blanks will finally be removed by the air jet 26 at gap 25. To facilitate the transport of correctly oriented blanks to the feedout conveyor 19 via the substantially straight rail section 25a, there are no magnetic strips under the belt 1 8 in this region. The special magnetic strip 27 mentioned above is provided to enable easy removal of scrap in the form of loose gripping members and shell parts which may collect under the rail.

The described embodiments are this capable of reliably orienting closure cap blanks of the kind indicated and of feeding them, aligned and securely positioned in the same manner, carefully, so as to eliminate any risk of damage during the sorting process and permit the whole sorting process, despite this, to be performed at high capacity.

The embodiments of the invention described, by making use of a feed path on which the cap blanks are placed at random and then subjected to a first force, the action of which is dependent on how each cap lies in contact with the carrying surface, gives an excellent opportunity of gently sorting out "disoriented" cap blanks by the influence of a second force acting transversely of or in the direction away from, the carrying surface.

Instead of using gravity to provide said second force to remove incorrectly oriented caps from the carrying surface, this second force may be provided by mechanically magnetically applied forces operating at the carrying surface or by atmospheric differential pressure forces operating at the surface of the carrier. These additional forces can be variable and/or controllable.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings. It can be varied in many ways within the scope of the following claims. For instance, the conveyor belt may itself be magnetic, with suitably adjusted magnetic force. The magnetic fields may also be produced by both horizontal and vertical magnetic strips, in which case the spacing between adjacent strips should agree with the dimensions of the cap blanks. In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 to 9, the angle of the continuous conveyor belt 1 8 may vary between 0 and +90 .

Furthermore whilst, in the embodiments described, magnetism has been used to provide said first force holding the cap blanks onto the carrying surface, said first force may be produced in other ways. For example said force may be generated by suction, with vacuum channels, connected, for example, to a suction pump, extending to suction orifices formed in the carrying surface, e.g. formed in the endless belt or the interior of the drum providing such carrying surface. Similarly, the second force used to dislodge incorrectly oriented cap blanks from the carrying surface may be afforded partially or entirely by one or more air jets directed parallel with the carrying surface, either transversely to the conveying direction or in the conveying direction or opposite to the conveying direction.

In a variant of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, the drum 4 may be replaced by a rotating disc, which again may comprise magnetic strips covered by a non-magnetic slip-sheet.

Claims

1. A method of orienting similar articles each having a first portion with a generally flat, extended surface via which the article can rest on a flat supporting surface and a second portion projecting from said first portion in the direction opposite to that in which said generally flat extended surface faces, which projecting second portion is disposed asymmetrically in relation to said first portion, the method comprising the steps of depositing said articles at a first location, on the carrying surface of a carrying member, applying to said articles a first force, acting to urge the articles into engagement with said carrying surface, which force is greater the larger the area of said article which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such article which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein said generally flat extended surface thereof lies against said carrying surface, is held against said carrying surface more firmly than articles which are disposed otherwise, advancing said carrying member along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface to convey such articles from said first location to a second location, applying to said articles, during at least part of the conveyance thereof from said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force, whereby articles which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst articles which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying surface by said second force, and wherein such articles in said preferred disposition are caused, during their conveyance from said first to said second location, to cooperate, via said second portions thereof, with positioning means acting to align and position the articles, whilst the articles remain engaged with the carrying member via said generally flat, extended surfaces thereof.

2. A method of orienting closure cap blanks of the kind having a disc-like panel from the edge of which extends, in a direction opposite to that in which faces a top surface provided by said panel, an encircling peripheral wall terminating in a free edge with a gripping member extending from said free edge, the method comprising the steps of depositing said blanks at a first location, on the carrying surface of a carrying member, applying to said blanks a first force, acting to urge the blanks into engagement with said carrying surface, which force is greater the larger the area of said blank which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such blank which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein the top surface of the blank lies against said carrying surface, is held against said carrying surface, more firmly than blanks which are disposed otherwise, advancing said carrying member along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface to convey such cap blanks from said first location to a second location, applying to said blanks, during at least part of the conveyance thereof from said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force, whereby cap blanks which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst blanks which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying surface by said second force, and wherein such blanks in said preferred disposition are caused, during their conveyance from said first to said second location, to cooperate, via said gripping members thereof, with positioning means acting to align and position the blanks whilst the blanks remain engaged with the carrying member via said top surfaces thereof.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said cap blanks are of ferro-magnetic metal and wherein said first force is a magnetic force provided by magnetic field generating means associated with said carrying member.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which said first force is provided by magnetic strips arranged along said feed path and said carrying member comprises a sheet of non-magnetic material covering said magnetic strips and providing, by its surface remote from said magnetic strips, said carrying surface.

5. A method according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said carrying surface, over at least part of said feed path faces in a direction other than vertically upwardly and wherein said second force is provided by gravity.

6. A method according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said second force is provided by an air jet acting adjacent said carrying surface.

7. A method according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein said positioning means comprises a rigid member substantially parallel with said carrying surface and space therefrom by a distance greater than the maximum extension of said skirt from said top surface but less than the maximum extension of said gripping member from said top surface, said rigid member having an operative edge extending obliquely transversely across the feed path and facing in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, for engagement with said gripping members of cap blanks carried along by the carrying surface, whereby during conveying movement of the carrying member the blanks, retained on the carrying surface by said first force, are caused to slide along said edge, whilst slipping relative to carrying surface, to arrange the blanks in series, with identical orientations, along the rigid member.

8. A method according to any of claims 2 to 7 in which said second force is caused to operate substantially parallel to the said feed path.

9. A method according to any of claims 2 to 8, in which said carrying member comprises an inclined, continuous conveyor belt, according said carrying surface, said cap blanks being deposited at the lower end of said belt, affording said first location, said second location being afforded by the upper end of the belt, said positioning means acting to align said blanks in a row on said belt, whereby the blanks, so aligned and oriented, are supplied to a feed out station at the upper end of the belt.

10. A method according to any of claims 2 to 9, in which said first and second forces are variable.

11. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which said first force component is generated by means of suction established in vacuum channels having orifices arranged in said carrying surface.

12. Apparatus for orienting similar articles each having a first portion with a generally flat extended surface via which the article can rest on a flat supporting surface and a second portion projecting away from said first portion in the direction opposite to that in which said generally flat extended surface faces, which projecting portion is disposed asymmetrically in relation to said first portion, said apparatus comprising a carrying member providing a carrying surface, and defining a first and a second location, means mounting the carrying member for movement along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface, through said first and second locations, means for applying to said articles on said carrying surface a first force, acting to urge the articles into engagement with said carrying surface, which is greater, the larger the area of said article which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such article which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein said generally flat extended surface thereof lies against said carrying surface is held against said carrying surface more firmly than articles which are disposed otherwise, means for advancing the carrying member along said feed path, the arrangement being such that, during at least part of the conveyance from such articles said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force is applied to said articles, whereby articles which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst articles which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying member by said second force, and positioning means engageable with said second portions of articles which are in said preferred disposition and are thus engaged with said carrying surface via said generally flat extended surfaces of the articles, during conveyance of the latter articles, from said first to said second location, to align and position such articles whilst the latter remain engaged with the carrying member via said generally flat extended surfaces thereof.

13. Apparatus for orienting closure cap blanks of the kind having a disc-like panel from the edge of which extends, in a direction opposite to that in which faces a top surface provided by said panel, an encircling peripheral wall terminating in a free edge with a gripping member extending from said free edge, said apparatus comprising a carrying member providing a carrying surface, and defining a first and a second location, means mounting the carrying member for movement along a feed path extending parallel with said carrying surface, through said first and second locations, means for applying to said cap blanks on said carrying surface a first force, acting to urge the blanks into engagement with said carrying surface, which is greater, the larger the area of said blank which is in engagement with said carrying surface, whereby any such blank which is disposed in a preferred disposition wherein said top surface thereof lies against said carrying surface is held against said carrying surface more firmly than blanks which are disposed otherwise, means for advancing the carrying member along said feed path, the arrangement being such that, during at least part of the conveyance of said blanks from said first to said second location, a second force acting in a different direction from said first force is applied to said blanks, whereby blanks which are in said preferred disposition are retained on said carrying surface whilst blanks which are not in said preferred disposition are dislodged from the carrying member by said second force, and positioning means engageable with said gripping members of cap blanks which are in said preferred disposition and are thus engaged with said carrying surface via said top surfaces of the blanks, during conveyance of the latter blanks, from said first to said second location, to align and position such blanks whilst the latter remain engaged with the carrying member via said top surfaces thereof.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, for orienting ferro-magnetic cap blanks, wherein said means for applying said first force comprises magnetic field generating means associated with said carrying member.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, including a non-magnetic sheet providing said carrying surface, and wherein said magnetic field generating means comprises at least one permanent magnet disposed adjacent the surface of said non-magnetic sheet opposite said carrying surface.

16. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein said carrying surface, over at least part of said feed path, faces in a direction otherthan vertically upwardly, whereby said second force is provided by gravity.

17. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 16, wherein said means for applying said second force includes an air nozzle, means mounting said air nozzle adjacent to said carrying surface and adjacent said feed path and means for supplying air under pressure to said air nozzle to issue in an air jet therefrom.

1 8. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein said positioning means comprises a rigid guide member mounted substantially parallel with said carrying surface and spaced therefrom, said guide member having an operative edge extending obliquely transversely across said feed path and facing in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, for engagement with said gripping members of cap blanks carried along by said carrying surface.

19. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 18, in which the carrying member comprises a conveyor belt having a conveying run which is inclined in relation to the horizontal plane and in which a supply means for cap blanks has a delivery zone disposed at the lower end of said conveying run for delivery of cap blanks to said lower end while a receiving conveyor is disposed at the upper end of the conveying run to receive oriented blanks.

20. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 19, in which the carrying member comprises a non-magnetic sheet and the magnetic field generating means comprises a plurality of magnetic strips spaced at intervals from each other along and below said non-magnetic sheet.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, in which said magnetic strips are arranged substantially transversely to the direction of feed of the belt carrying member and the spacing between adjacent said strips is substantially equal to the diameter of the cap blanks.

22. Apparatus according to claim 20, in which said magnetic strips are arranged longitudinaily parallel with the conveying direction and are spaced equally apart transversely of the conveying direction by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of the cap blanks.

23. Apparatus according to claim 21, in which said non magnetic sheet comprises a conveyor belt having an inclined conveying run, with said first location being disposed at the lower end of said inclined conveying run and said second location being disposed at the upper end of said inclined conveying run and in which at least the first magnetic strip at the lower end of the inclined conveying run is stronger magnetically than magnetic strips relatively remote from said lever end in order to achieve an initially greater magnetic action at the lower end of the inclined conveying run.

24. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said positioning means comprises a rigid guide member, means mounting said guide member substantially parallel with said carrying surface and spaced therefrom, said guide member having an operative edge extending obliquely transversely across said feed path and facing in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, for engagement with said gripping members of cap blanks carried along by the carrying member, wherein said non magnetic sheet comprises a conveyor belt having an inclined conveying run, with said first location being disposed at the lower end of said inclined conveying run and said second location being disposed at the upper end of said inclined conveying run and in which said operative edge of said guide member extends from one longitudinal edge of said conveyor belt to adjacent the opposite longitudinal edge thereof, and wherein said magnetic strips extend only slightly into the region which is upstream of said operative edge and lies within the projection in the conveying direction of the said operative edge.

25. Apparatus according to claim 24, in which said guide member terminates at its upstream end short of said second location, and an air nozzle is disposed adjacent said upper end of the guide member, for producing a transversely directed air jet.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25, in which the region close to said gap is free from magnetic strips in order to facilitate the removal of wrongly oriented cap blanks by said air jet.

27. Apparatus according to claim 24, including a further magnetic strip arranged below the conveyor and extending upstream of the operative edge of said guide member for the removal of scrap passing below the guide member during the sorting process.

28. Apparatus according to claim 8, in which the carrying means comprises a hollow rotating drum the internal peripheral surface of which constitutes said carrying surface, the drum being arranged to co-operate with a continuous belt.

29. A method of orienting and feeding closure cap blanks, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

30. A method of orienting and feeding closure cap blanks, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

31. Apparatus for orienting and feeding closure cap blanks, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

32. Apparatus for orienting and feeding closure cap blanks, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

33. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.