US2528196A - Cap counting device for packaging machines - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 L. A. VON TILL ET AL CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS [mm H. Van 7211 HTTOR/VEYS Oct. 31, 1950 L. A. VON TILL ET AL 2,523,196

CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTORNE YS &

47'70/7/VEY5 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mad/( L A VON TILL ETAL CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1948 Oct 31, 1950 Oct. 31, 1950 L. A. VON TILL ET AL 2,523,195

CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 umfumulrrm n ill! llllllll 7 9 INVENTO 57 If V 01115 A. Van Ali 5 y fivd Sr/xai/enlmmmar 0a. 31, 1950 L. A. VON TILL mL 2,528,196

CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES- Filed Jan. 6, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ]NVENTORS [was 19. Van]? HTTURNL YS i atenteci Oct. 31, i5

CAP COUNTING DEVICE FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Louis A. Von Till and Fred Schallcnkammer} Brooklyn, N Y., assignors to Mundet Cork'Gorporation, North Bergen, N. J a corporation of N ew York Application January 6, 1948, Serial No. 716

.13 Claimsi This inventionrelates to machines for receiving large volumes of articles such as bottle and container caps, orelements thereof, and for delivering said articles'at high speed, to an assembling machine or to containers in which the devices are to be transported.

For example, the machine may be used as a hopper to receive indiscriminately deposited metallic crown caps, and to discharge said caps into the machine which afiixes to the inner 'wall of said caps, the cork or composition liners with which crown caps are provided. Presently known hoppers are relatively complex, and deliver no more than 400 crowns per minute. By aflixing a conventional helicoid separating chute to the discharge end of a machine constructed according to the presentinvention, an average of 1500 crowns per minute may bedischarged; and the crowns may be delivered uniformly mouth up or mouth down, as preferred. It is to be understood that the helicoid separator is an accessory to, but is not apart of, the present invention.

A machine according to our invention may be used to count crown caps and the like at high speed and with maximum accuracy, and deliver a .predetermined quantity of caps to a carton orother container, and then divert succeeding caps to a second container which is to :be fille with a quantity of caps.

It is well known that the useof various weights of material used in making even the same types of caps, and the'h'ygroscopic qualities of the cork, cardboard, and other inserts comprising an element thereof, make it impossible accurately to count such articles 'on the' basis of weight. It has therefore beenproposed to count such articles by causing them individually to actuate mechanical counting means or to interrupt a source of energy, such asa light beam, whereby through electronic means a counter or appropriate device is operated. Presently'known mechanical counters are deficient forthe reason,

among others, that the sweepers, belts orother '2 provide means for receiving a number of container caps or the like and to discharge said articles at high speed and for example in single file to a chute or container.

It is another object of the invention to provide means in which indiscriminately deposited articles such as crown caps or parts thereof are positively; and at a controlled rate, discharged from the machine.

It is a further objectof the invention to provide means which prevent the clogging or jammin of the articles at the discharge portion of the machine, notwithstanding the high speed at which the articles are being discharged.

It is also an'ob ject of the invention to provide a cap handling machine which is capable of high speed operation without damage to the articles being handled thereby.

It isanother object of the invention to provide a cap counting machine having improved means for positive propulsion of a cap through 2.1116011311103115 actuated counter mechanism.

"Ibis another object of the-invention to provide a cap counting machine in which it is immaterial whether or not the caps pass through the machine with their skirt portions extending downwardly or upwardly.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a cap counting machine having improved means for engaging the cap for propulsion through 'a counter mechanism, said engagement means affording a high rate of operation without damage to thecap body or the surface finish thereof.

It is a "still furtherobject of the invention to provide amachine havingimproved means for counting caps or tlielike and for successively filling jcartons with a predetermined number of units.

It is a still further object of the invention to providea'cap counting and handling machine which is simple and rugged in construction, capable of 'op'erati'onover long periods of time without mechanical failure, and which may be adiustedand serviced by workmen possessing ordinary mechanical skill.

Other features'and a'dvantageswill be apparent from-the followingdetailed description and reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in'section, of one form of machine embodying the present invention; 7

Fig. .2 is a top plan view, a portion of the, top

structure fbeing broken away to reveal under-1 lying construction;

Fig. 3 is a View taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on lines 44 of Fig. 2 and showing details of the resilient cap engagement means;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine with its cover plate removed and particularly showing construction at the discharge portion of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a view taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. is a schematic wiring diagram for operation of the discharge gate means;

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a plan View and a partially sectional vertical elevation showing a second form of resilient cap engagement means;

Figs. 10 and 11 are vertical sectional elevations of other embodiments of the turntable construction;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section 'of another form of resilient cap engagement means;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. '14 is a view taken on lines l4--l4 of Fig. a

Fig. 15 is a view taken on lines |5-| 5 of Fig. 13.

Basic structure A framework or chassis I0 is preferably mounted on casters II or the like, for portability. The unit is preferably completely self-contained, and therefore includes a motor 12 of suitable power, which may drive a shaft l3 through speed reduction means encased at M. The framework supports the rotor or distributing means 15 receiving the crown caps, jar caps and the like to be counted, and for discharging them in succession for passage through the discharge control mechanism i6, whence they discharge into a twobranched chute H, or to a, helicoid separating chute (not shown). As illustrated, it is contemplated that beneath the respective branches of chute ll may be placed cartons to be filled with a pre-determined quantity of caps. The mechanism I6 includes an automatic switch l8 (see Fig. 7) which at the end of a pre-determined run of caps energizes one of a pair of solenoids I9, (see Fig. 5) coupled to the common armature linkage 2|, to which is pivotally'attached a swingable gate 22 controlling the passage of the counted caps into one or the other of the branches of the chute ll. An appropriate solenoid is energized after a carton placed beneath the one branch has received a pre-determined number of articles, whereupon the gate swings to close such branch and divert the caps into the other branch to deposit the articles in an empty carton placed therebeneath, all as later described.

There may also be associated with the device a totalizer 23 which totals either the number of caps passing through the counter during the operation thereof, or the number of cartons which have been filled during such operatiomas desired. It is to be understood that the switch [8 and totalizer 23 are per se not our invention; we employ commercially available devices such as the counter-operated switch manufactured and sold under patents owned or controlled by Adde and Company of Portland, Maine, the Veeder-Root Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and others.

The cap distribution means Referring now to Fig. 3, an'extension of shaft I3 is suitably journalled in framework l0, and affixed to this shaft for rotation therewith is a circular turntable or rotor 25. The shaft also mounts a distributing cone o the like, 20, the purpose of which is to cause caps or other devices to be counted to roll or slide toward the outer rim of the rotor. The rotor operates in a horizontal plane, and may comprise a flat or slightly crowned disk, or may havev a bevelled edge 25a, as shown in l5ig .j'10 An alternative rotor construction is to provide a rubber or cushion insert 251; about the periphery, as is Fig. 11. The surface of this insert is preferably below the surface of the rotor as indicated. Such construction is advantageous fo relatively frail articles, such as plastic caps.

The diameter and speed of rotation of the rotor 25 areselected according to the size and type of the objects being counted. When used with standard crown caps, which are approximately one and one-quarter inch in maximum diameter, a thirty inch diameter rotor, operating at forty-four R. P. M. gives excellent results. At such speed, the machine will satisfactorily handle and count more than 1,000 caps per minute; with a simple modification, later described, the speed of rotationamay be increased to fifty-six R. P. M. and will count and discharge about twice that quantity, with negligible error.

Disposed about rotor l5 and afiixed thereto are cylindrical posts or spacers 21 which fixedly support cover member 28. That cover therefore n turns with the rotor. The cover is formed with a downwardly extending rim 30 to the lower margin of which ,isaffixed a flexible flange 3|. The flange extends outwardly in parallelism with the rotor 25 and may be afiixed-to the side wall of the cover 28 by suitable means as, for example, a metal ring 32 clamping a thin web or extension of the flange against the wall 30 and securing it thereto by screws or equivalent means. Alternatively a clamp may be used. The lower surface of flange 3| is spaced above the surface of the rotor 25 a distance slightly greater than the maximum depth of the cap C or other item to be handled or counted. The flange is preferably of gum rubber or the like with a core or reenforcement comprising a single layer of cotton or synthetic fiber fabric. A flange so constructedwill have little or no stretch in a lateral direction and yet will be completely flexible under the influence of the pressure wheel later to be described.

Supported-by rigid outriggers35 aflixed to the framework is a circular inside guard structure 36 concentric with respect tqthe rotor 25. This support may include a spacer ring 32' or equivalent which secures a rigid annular web 3B- with adequate clearancefabove the sur face of the rotor 25 andbeneath the lower. surface of flan 3!. 'Afiixedto the web 38 to be supported rigidly'thereby is the circular wall 40 of the guard structure, said wall projecting downwardly toward the rotor 25 in a clearance relationship which will prevent the caps or other articles being counted from being thrown outwardly beneath the wall. Asthe caps C are dumped on the ro tatingturntable centrifugal force throws them outwardly, and means are provided to causesaid caps to be ejected in single file at a particularv a: entiai arc "of. wall 40. We prefer to iiia'kev the length of said wall slightly less. than one-half of said circumference. Any suitable. means such as spacer blocks 42 may be used to secure the wall 4! to the wall 40.. Said spacer blocks also support a flat arcuate member 43 which forms the" roof of the said passage 44. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the wall 4| terminatesabove the surface of the rotor suitably to afford a height of the passage 44 slightly more than the thickness or depth of the articles to be counted but substantially less than twice such thickness .soas to avoid an overlapping or piling up of the articles within the passage. The width of the pas.- sage is.slightly greater than the width of the caps. Under centrifugal force engendered by the rapidly rotating rotor 25, the caps will slide into the passage 44, and assume a single one-high series nearthe rim of the rotor, the wall retaining said caps on the rotor.

At a suitable location the lower edge of wall 40 is removed to provide a window or exit pas sage 45 having a height slightly greater than the height of the caps or the like being counted, and a length approximately twice the cap diameter. To complete the exit passage a portion of the web 38 is cut away. The resulting edges 46 and 41 0f said web respectively guide the ejecting caps toward the discharge control and the exit'chute.

As shown in Fig. 5, wall 3| curves gently inwardly O to join wall 40; the caps therefore being guided outwardly to the edge of the rotor 25, and beneath the flange 3|- A guard rail 48 prevents the caps from dropping off of the rotor.

Fig. 13 illustrates an alternative construction which provides for increasing the rate of 7 discharge of the caps without increasing the diameter of the rotor 25 and according additional means of protection against the crowding of the caps beneath the flange 3|. The speed of the rotor in the Fig. 13 embodiment is increased from fortyfour to fifty-six R. P. M. 1 It will be noted in this figure that the window 45a is increased in length to approximately four cap diameters and that the edge 46a of the web 38 is cut into the shape of a flat ogee curve .rather than the straight edge 46 shown in Fig. 5. It will not be noted that the end 40a of wall 40 is bent inwardly toward the center of the rotor. Preferably, the curvature of the exit passage defined by the edge 46a and the wall 40a is neither concentric with the circumference of the rotor25 nor a straighttangent line. If a cap D tends to crowd intoward the line of caps passing through the window 45a, it will be carried along until its wall hits the end of skirt 40a whereupon an immediately adjacent cap C will deflect cap D toward the centerof the rotor 25. Thus any cap which tends tocrowd theregularly discharging line of caps at the exit of the window 45a will be immediately dislodged. The mechanisms above described therefore comprise means for arranging an indiscriminate group or number of caps or the like in a single tier row and for ejecting them insingle file. at a fixed location.

The counting and discharge control One of the important uses of the present invention is to deposit a pre-determinednumber of articles in one carton, and then to divert the suc ceeding articles to another, the filled one being replaced by an attendant. The manufacturer may wish to know the total'number of cartons which have been filled with the desired number ofarticles, or'm'ay desire'to know thetotal run,

i. e. theztotal number ofarticles whi h are passed through the. counting machine during the oper ation.

The automatic.v switchv l 8 of the type previously described, is associated through the illustrated gearingwith the shaft of the totalizer 23. Switch [8 operates after a pre-determined number of rotations of a star wheel 50 mounted on the end of the switch shaft 5| and projecting into the space between the rubber flange 3| and the surface of the rotor 25 as appears in Fig. 4.; The teeth of the star wheel are spaced to accommodate a single cap and each cap which engages with the star wheel will effect a fractional rotation thereof according to the number of teeth. In the illustrated embodiment the star wheel has eight teeth and each cap will propel the wheel through /8-of a complete rotation. The eighttoothed wheel has been selected because a ,COm-Q mon package size for crown caps contains 50 gross, that is, 7,200 caps, and such package will be fllled after the star wheel has made 900.complete rotations. An adjustable brake, including a brake brand 53 extending about the hub of the star wheel and anchored to a fixed block 54 which also screw-threadedly carries the adjust:

ment screw 55, is used to prevent overrun of the star wheel as the cap is projected therethrough.

It has previously been noted that the articles to be counted are discharged in single file through the passage 45and are guided beneath the rubber flange 3|. The normal height of the saidring above the rotor 25 permits the caps to slide vfreely thereunder without engagement, although itmay be desirable to provide freely-spinning rotors 56, or equivalent spaced about the web 38 and hearing on the underside of ring cap C, to keep the flange '3! from dragging thereon. The cap is being carried by the rotor at this point, but it is too light to have sufficient momentum to over' come the inertia of the star wheel and hence would not of itself pass into engagement with the star wheel and drive the same. Means are therefore provided to cause the rubber flange 3| to bear resiliently against the caps so that the flange, which is rotating with the rotor, will frictionally engage the cap and insure the passage thereof through the star wheel. In the Fig/6 embodiment, we provide a freely rotatable pressure wheel 51 adustably mounted to bear reslliently against the upper surface of the flange to deflect same into engagement with the cap or' other article. Said wheel ma be carried by a bar 58 pivotally affixed to the block 54 as shown in Fig.1. A spring 6!] urges the bar '58 in the direction of the flange 3| within the limits *of movement established by the vertical adjustment post 6| which bears against the under side of said bar. "Post BI is adjusted to set the pressure wheelat the correct height to exert suflicient confinement of the article against the rotor 25 or the insert 25b thereof to cause he star wheel to rotate, but insuflicient to deform or bend fragile articles. It is preferable that the axis of rotation of wheel 51 be parallel to the edge of the rotor 25.

In the embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9 there is shown a modified form of pressure member in which fixed frame members 62, 63 rigidly sup port a beam 64'having vertical passages 65 to freely receive the guide pins 66 afiixed to a chassis plate 61. The said chassis plate secures the ends of the shafts 68, 10 on which are mount-' ed the freely rotatable pressure wheels '-H', 12. It will -b'enoted' thatsaid shafts are radial with 7 respect to the flange 3|. The-beam. fil thasa pocket 13 within which isseated a 'spring' J l bearing against the chassis 67 to urge it down-, wardly toward the flange. An adustment screw 15 passes freely through the beam and screwthreadedly engages the chassis 67. The head 16 of the said adjustment screw operates as a;stop to limit the downward movement of thechassis so as to establish the required amount of. pressure exerted by the flange 3! on the tops of the caps C being passed through the star wheel. It will be noted in both the Fig.--l andthe- Fig. 9 embodiment the initial area of deflection of the rubber flange Si is suitably in advance of the axis of the star wheel. This is to insure the engagement of the crown caps by the flange in advance of the star wheelso that the said caps will be under positive propulsion during and through their association with the star-wheel, and cannot climb one on the other after passagethrough the window 45.

Fig. 12 shows, in section, another embodiment of the pressure wheel. The wheel 89 is journalled in the beam 58 pivotally carried by post 54 and is resiliently urged in the direction of rotor 25 by a spring, not shown. Stop 81 may be included for establishing the extent of such movement, as formerly. Wheel 89 has a soft tire 8|, which is preferably of the pneumatic or semi-pneumatic type so as to have a relatively large surface engagement with the rotor 25 so as to contact two or more of the caps C after passage thereof through the window 45.

The' Fig. 12 embodiment does not utilize the pressure flange 31, and to accomplish the positive propulsion and control of the caps as they pass through the star wheel counter, wheel 89 is power driven at a speed synchronized with the peripheral speed of rotor 25. This may conveniently be accomplished by a suitable power take-01f on shaft 13 (shown in dot-dash line in Fig. 1) and suitable chain and sprocket connection to the drive shaft 82 of the wheel 80.

It may be desirable to limit the area of contact of the flange 3| with the surface of the cap C, to protect the surface or decoration thereof. This may be done as shown in Figs. 13 to 15 by providing fixed guard plates 84 and 85 which project inwardly between the flange 3| and the rotor 25. Said guard plates have suitable clearance (say beneath the flange 3i and above the upper surface of a cap C. As shown in Fig. 14 said plates are spaced (or a single plate ma be apertured) to provide an opening through which flange 3! will deflect for limited engagement with the surface of the cap as shown in Fig. 14. If the article being counted has a top or bottom surface of approximately 1 in diameter, for example, the aperture 85, which is located immediately beneath the pressure wheel 51, should have a width or diameter of from to A" and the engagement of the flange 3! with the cap surface will be limited accordingly. I

The gate actuator Reference is now made to Figs. 5 and 6 and the schematic circuit diagram of Fig. '7. Switch when the other is closed. Common contacts of switches 93, .94 are bridged, as shown.

Assumingthe apparatus to be in the course of a run of' caps through the machine and master switch 91 closed, switch I8 is in its normally open position; coil 91 is deenergized. Switch 95. is closed, switch 96 is open. A circuit is therefore completed through solenoid 20, as is apparent.

from the circuit, and the armature 2| has, by means of lever 98 and its engagement with shaft 99 of gate 22, swung said gate into the Fig. 5v

position.

Upon completion of a run through the star wheel 50say 5O grossthe switch l8 closes momentarily to energize relay coil 9|, causing rotation of shaft 92. Cams 93 and 94 are arranged so that switch 95 breaks ahead of the closure of switch 95. Coil 20 is deenergized ahead of the energization of coil 19, which occurswhen switch 96 closes, and the movement of armature 2| into coil l9 swings the gate upward of Fig. 5 to divert the caps from the then-filled carton to the empty carton placed beneath the lower branch (as seen in Fig. 5) of the discharge chute The action of gate 22 is so rapid, as shown in actual production runs, that diversion of the caps to the new chute is accomplished before more than one extra cap is passed into the filled container.

It will be understood that the representation of relay 9D is purely schematic, but is typical of a relay such as the Struthers-Dunn AxA which we are presently using.

A switch 98, operated in tandem with switch [8, as schematically shown in Fig. 7, maybe utilized to close a circuit to any suitable visual or audible signal S to indicate the completionof a run of caps through the machine.

The portability of the machine provides for positioning it suitably beneath the discharge chute or conveyer of conventional cap manufacturing apparatus (not shown) so that the caps or closures will fall directly on to the rotor 25. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the several types of pressure wheels may have tires or rims having cross sectional shapesflat, concave, or the like-for adaptability to the shape of the articles being handled thereby.

- Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention as afore noted are achieved. Obviously numerous changes in construction and rearrangement of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

We claim:

1. In a counting machine for Crown caps and the like, a counter mechanism having actuating means operable by contact with said articles therewith; a disc for conveying said articles into contact with said counter actuating means; means for rotating said disc; a flexible flange disposed above said disc in spaced relationship suificient to permit the free passage of said articles beneath said flange; and means for deflecting said flange into contact with said articles to hold the same against displacement on said disc before and during engagement with said counter actuator, said flange rotating coaxially with said disc and at the speed thereof.

2. In a counting mechanism for Crown caps and the like articles, a disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc at a fixed speed to throwsaid articles centrifugally outwardly; a flexible,

*9 flange memberdisposed above said disc concentrically thereof and overlying the peripheralsurface of. said disc sufficient topermit said articles to pass freely beneath said --flange means for guiding said articles in single file relationship beneath said flange; a counter including astar wheel for actuating th same, said star wheel projecting into the space between said; disc and flange in the path of the articles carried thereon; and a pressure wheel disposed above said flange to deflect the same into firm contact with said articles to hold them against displacement on said disc during engagement of said articles with said star wheel.

3. In a counting mechanism for Crown caps and the like articles, a disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc at a fixed speed to throw said articles centrifugally outwardly; a flexible flange member disposed above said disc concentrically thereof and overlying the peripheral surface of said disc sufficiently to permit said articles to pass freely beneath said flange; means for guiding said articles in single file relationship beneath said flange; a counter including a star wheel for actuating the same, said star wheel projecting into the space between said disc and said flange in the path of articles carried thereon; and a freely rotating pressure wheel disposed above said flange in engagement therewith to deflect said flange into firm contact with said articles to hold them against displacement on said disc during engagement of said articles with said star wheel.

4. In a counting mechanism for Crown caps and the like articles, a disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc at a fixed speed to throw said articles centrifugally outwardly; a flexible annular flange member disposed above said disc concentrically thereof and overlying the peripheral surface of said disc sufficiently to permit said articles to pass freely beneath said flange; means for guiding said articles in single file relationship beneath said flange; a counter including a star wheel for actuating the same, said star wheel projecting into the space between said disc and said flange in the path of articles carried thereon; and a freely rotating pressure wheel disposed above said flange in engagement therewith to deflect said flange into firm contact with said articles to hold them against displacement on said disc during engagement of said articles with said star wheel; the axis of rotation of said pressure wheel being radial with respect to said disc and angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said star wheel.

5. In a counting mechanism for Crown caps and like articles, a disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc at a fixed speed to throw said articles centrifugally outwardly; a flexible annular flange member disposed above said disc concentrically thereof and overlying the peripheral surface of said disc sufiiciently to permit said articles to pass freely beneath said flange; means for guiding said articles in single tier, single file arrangement beneath said flange; a counter including a star wheel for actuating the same, said star wheel projecting into the space between said disc and said flange in the path of articles carried thereon; and a pair of freely rotatable pressure wheels disposed above said flange to deflect the same into firm contact with said articles to hold them against displacement 10 on said 'disc during engagement of said articles with said star wheel, the axes of rotation 'of said pressure wheels being radial with respect "to said disc and at least one'of said pressure wheels being 'angularly disposed with respect to the axis of said star wheel.

6. A counting machine according to claim 1 in which the upper surface of said disc slopes uniformly to a point of minimum thicknessadjacent the rim thereof.

7. A counting mechanism according to claim 1 in which the upper surface of said disc adjacent the periphery thereof is bevelled.

8. A counting machine according to claim 1 in which the upper surface of said disc adjacent the rim thereof is surfaced with a cushioning material.

9. A counting machine according to claim 1 in which the upper surface of said disc adjacent the rim thereof has a layer of cushioning material, the surface of said layer being slightly below the surface of the central portion of the disc.

10. A machine for delivering relatively small flat articles in single file and at high speed, comprising a rotatable disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc to move said articles outwardly on said disc by centrifugal force; means for guiding said articles in single file, single tier relationship to the outer edge of said disc; an annular flexible flange disposed above the outer edge of said disc in concentric spaced relationship sufficient to permit said articles to pass freely beneath said flange; means for rotating said flange at the speed and direction of rotation of said disc; a discharge chute communicating with said rotating disc; and a pressure wheel engaging with the surface of said flexible flange to distort the same into frictional engagement with each of said articles in succession to positively propel said articles toward said discharge chute.

11. A machine according to claim 10, having guard plate means disposed between said flexible flange and the top of said articles passing thereunder, said guard plate means being apertured beneath the area of engagement of said pressure wheel with said flange to limit the area of engagement of said flange with said articles.

12. A machine for delivering relatively small flat articles in single file and at high speed, com- 7 prising a rotatable disc upon which said articles may be indiscriminately deposited; means for rotating said disc to move said articles toward the periphery of said disc by centrifugal force; fixed wall means defining an elongate curved exit passage to direct said articles to the periphery of said disc, said passage having a width slightly greater than the maximum width of said articles, and one of said wall means providing an abutment to arrest any article attempting to crowd into said passage at the side thereof, whereby an article of the line of discharging articles will strike said crowding article and propel it toward the center of the disc; an annular flexible flange disposed above the outer edge of said disc in concentric spaced relationship sufficient to permit the articles discharging from said passage to pass freely beneath said flange; means for rotating said flange at the speed and direction of rotation of said disc; a discharge chute communicating with said rotating disc; and means for causing said flange to frictionally engage each of said articles in succession to positively propel said articles toward said discharge chute.

11 3. A machine according to claim 12, in which said exit passage is in the form of a flat ogee curve.

LOUIS A. VON TILL. FRED SCI-IALLENKAMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 12 UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Name Date I Molins July 11, 1922 Edwards et a1 Aug. 21, 1923 Rem Jan..24, 1939 Liacos Feb. '7, 1939 Wilkens Dec. 15, 1942 Green Mar. 11, 1947

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