GB797331A - Article orienting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

797,331. Orientating articles. TRIGGS, W. W. (Mitchell Co., A. J.). Oct. 5, 1956, No. 30399/56. Class 78 (1). An apparatus for orientating buttons comprises a shoot 2 feeding disoriented buttons to rotor 20, sensing means 30 for sensing the orientation of the leading button, and driving means 80 controlled by the sensing means 30 for moving the rotor 20 in accordance with the sensed orientation so as to deliver the leading button oriented to shoot 12. As shown, buttons are fed disorientedly from rotary hopper 4 and slide along shoot 2 towards rotor 20. The two leading buttons are engaged by three devices, viz. pin 40, mounted upon plate 26, tip 56 mounted upon plate 50 and finger 66 mounted on detent 60. Thus, each of these devices is caused to pivot towards the leading buttons by the advancing movement of slide 70 to the left, the latter carrying cam surfaces 106, 116 and 110 which engage the parts 108, 120 and 114 of the respective devices to effect the respective movements. Additionally, the slide 70, by its advancing movement causes rotation of rotor 20, this rotation being effected in one of two ways, viz. either anti-clockwise by shoulder 80 engaging pin 82 on rotor 20, or clockwise by shoulder 96 engaging pin 98, the rotor being restored by spring 24. This choice of rotation is made by stud 36 carried together with pin 40 by bar 30 (Figs. 3, 4) pivoted at 32 to plate 26. If the first leading button is positioned as in Fig. 4, stud 36 is raised and, by engagement with pawl 92, causes shoulder 80 to rise, and to miss pin 82, thus permitting shoulder 96 to engage pin 98 and the slide advances, and to effect clockwise rotation of rotor 20. Thus, the said advancement of slide 70 causes finger 66 to position the leading button against cover 8 of shoot 2, and the pin 40 descends to contact said positioned button and in doing so positions stud 36, this positioning of stud 36 effecting the choice of the subsequent rotation of rotor 20. All buttons are therefore delivered one - by - one down shoot 12, tip 56 serving to retain the second leading button in shoot 2. The floor of each shoot 2, 12 is formed with grooves 16 (not shown) in order to minimize friction and to reduce any charge of static electricity induced on a button.