US2621843A

US2621843A - Crown cap feeding machine

Info

Publication number: US2621843A
Application number: US679295A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred L Kronquest
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1946-06-25
Filing date: 1946-06-25
Publication date: 1952-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-16

Description

Dec. 16, 1952 A. KRONQUEST 2,621,843

CROWN CAP FEEDING MACHINE Filed June 25. 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 O 97 FIG. 6. 96 s 79{ 0 70 GO I I 54 7a 0 69 68 72 93 65 ALFRED LKRQNQUEsT 68 Dec. 16,1952 A. 1.. KRQSQUEST 2,621,843

' CROWN CAP FEEDING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1946 -4 Sheets-Sheet 2 O O FIG. 67 96 3:65 80 l o 70 64 8 as O 62 a1 90 72 7 6o 'r '3 9! 97 6 1 H I02 r I I 1 1 =11. O -1 I I I 1 l l 98 "-11- i 4 49 1,. 26 29 0 6| 2 27 I9 2 l 2 75 5 l g 74 2 I l 5 hii r Fl 6. 3. 48

96 68 4e 52 54 a0[ 44 45 57 58 a 68 rH \I .4 1 72 M 9i 59 76 M |NVENTOR, ALFRED L..KRONQUEST j k i 1 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 16, 1952 A. L. KRONQUEST 2,621,843

CROWN CAP FEEDING MACHINE Fileql June 25, 1946 4 SheetsSheet 3 INVENTOR. ALFRED L KRoNQuesT ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 16, 1952' A. L. KRONQUEST CROWN CAP FEEDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 25, 1946 w U Q N N 0 V.R K 0 I 2 L D E 9 m. L A

Patented Dec. 16, 1952 CROWN CAP FEEDING MACHINE Alfred L. Kronquest, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 25, 1946, Serial No. 679,295

8 Claims.

The invention relates generally to apparatus for counting small articles and primarily seeks to provide certain new and useful improvements designed to increase the efficiency and facilitate operation of crown cap countin machines of the type disclosed by John Nurnberg in the presently pending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial Number 632,749, filed December 4, 1945, now Patent No. 2,515,965.

In machines of the type mentioned the crown caps to be counted are deposited into a hopper and onto a rapidly rotating disk which feeds them into a space between two superposed belt flights which in turn move them one at a time past a counter wheel. The indexing movement imparted to the wheel by the passing caps serves to actuate a counting mechanism which is effective to shift a diverter gate in one direction or the other to direct the counted caps into one or the other of two feed out chutes each time a predetermined lot of caps has been counted. Inertia problems incidental to the handling and counting of the crown caps vary as the weight and nature of the caps vary, and the smoothness of the disk and the caps also constitutes a factor in providing high efficiency in the operation of machines of the type referred to.. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a machine capable of counting crown caps accurately and with great rapidity regardless of whether said caps do or do not have the customary pad inserts therein, and also to feed the caps through the machine and count the same without danger of damaging them or marring protective coatings thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide improved crown cap counting means of the character stated including a disk onto which the caps are fed, said disk being smooth so as to avoid marring decorative coatings on the caps and provided with radial projections elevated slightly above the top surface of the disk and relatively flat button-like projections grouped in a novel manner for cooperating with the radial projections in assuring rapid and proper feeding of the crown caps through the machine regardless of whether they be equipped with pad inserts or devoid of said inserts.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a counting machine of the character stated, novel guiding means for directing the crown caps into the receiving space between the opposin belt flights.

Another object of the invention is to provide in va counting machine of the character stated,

crown cap guiding means including a uide member overlying the disk and havin a straight body portion paralleling the effective belt flights and a curved receiving end portion bearing substantially concentric relation to the disk center, certain of the button-like projections on the disk being disposed to pass to one side of the guide member lead end and others of said projections being disposed to pass to the other side of said guide member lead end, thereby to assure against jamming of crown caps at the receiving end of the guide member.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a counting machine of the character stated a novel hopper structure including a swingably mounted section normally disposed to overlie the disk and which is readily swingable away from its position over the disk to make the interior of the machine and the Whole of the upper surface of the disk accessible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine structure of the character stated in which the guide member is attached to the swingably mounted hopper section so as to be movable into and out of effective position therewith.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crown cap ing machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation looking toward countthe right hand side of the machine as it appears in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation looking toward the left hand side of the machine as it appears in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 44 on Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary vertical cross section taken one the line 66 on Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a detail fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 11 of Figure 2.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is included a frame base 5 on which a horizontal driver shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in bearings I provided therefor in the removably mounted bearing hubs 8. A driver pulley 9 is afiixed to one end of the shaft 6 and is driven by a belt l0 which passes over said pulley and over a driver pulley II on the shaft of the electric motor |2 which is supported on the bracket |3 affixed to the frame base 5. See Figures 3 and 4.

A housing base i4 is secured as at IE on the top of the frame base 5 in the manner best illustrated in Figure 4. The housing base I4 is provided with an upstanding edge flange I5 which serves to define a disk chamber I1, and it will be apparent by reference to Figures 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings that the housing base includes a tangential extension l8 which forms a runway for the top flight of an endless belt l9 which passes at one end about a pulley 25. The pulley is mounted on a cross shaft supported on a carrier 2| which is slide guided as at 22 in a guide 23 depending from the housing base extension IS. The slide is engaged by a screw 24 which is adjustable through the bearing 25 depending from the extension l8, and it will be apparent that by adjusting the screw, longitudinal belt tightening movement can be imparted to the pulley carrier 2|. It will be apparent by reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings that the bearing 25 is bifurcated as at 26 at its lower end, and said bifurcated end has a cross pin 21 mounted therein and serving as a support for the lower flight of the conveyor belt l9.

At its other end, the belt l9 passes over a pulley 28 on a cross shaft mounted in a bracket 29 secured to the extension I8. The previously mentioned pulley 20 is an idler pulley, and rotation is imparted to the pulley 28 to drive the belt in a manner to be described hereinafter.

It will be apparent by reference to Figure 4 that the housing base M is provided with a centrally disposed depending hub 30, and a shaft 3| is uprightly disposed in said hub and rotatable in bearings 32 provided therein. The shaft has a mounting flange 33 secured to the upper end thereof, and a bevel gear 34 is secured to the lower end of said shaft. Rotation is imparted to the shaft 3| by a bevel pinion 35 which is secured upon the driver shaft 6 and meshes with the bevel gear 34.

iii

A disk 33 is secured to the mounting flange 33 V- in position for being rotatable in the lower portion of the disk chamber I! in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. It will be noted that the disk is of such diameter that its periphery closely approximates the upstanding housing base flange I6, and the disk is relatively thick at its central portion and has its upper surface sloped from the center to the periphery so as to be relatively thin at the peripheral edge. It is to be understood that the upper surface of the disk is made very smooth, as by polishing the same so as to offer a minimum of frictional contact with the crown caps being counted which might objectionably mar surface coatings thereon.

It will also be observed by reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings that the upper surface of the disk is provided with three radially projecting fingers 39 which are riveted as at 4|] or otherwise secured to the top surface of the disk in position for projecting thereabove in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. The upper surface of the disk is also provided with groups of button-like projections which also project slightly above the top surface of the disk in the manner illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In the form of the invention disclosed herein, the button-like projections are arranged in three groups of three projections each, each said group including one outer projection 4| and two inner projections 42. The projections 4| and 42 are riveted to the disk 35 as at 43 or they may be secured to the top surface of the disk in any approved manner. The purpose in arranging the projections 4| and 42 in two concentric circles will be described hereinafter.

A hopper base 44 is secured as at 45 on the upstanding flange lb of the housing base l4, and it will be apparent by reference to Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings that said hopper base extends less than half-way about the diameter of the flange |6 at the side of the housing base opposite the tangential extension IS. The edge portion of the hopper base 44 disposed toward the extension l8 parallels said extension and the belt l9 which operates over said extension. The hopper base 44 has three upwardly and outwardly flared

hopper walls

45, 41 and 48 formed thereon, and it will be apparent by reference to Figure 4 that the bottom surface of the hopper base 44 is spaced above the top surface of the disk 35 a distance only slightly greater than the depth of the crown caps to be counted in the machine. It is to be understood however that the spacing between the upper surface of the button-like projections 4| and 42 and the overlying under surface of the hopper base 44 also is greater than the depth of the crown caps.

The housing base |4 also is provided with a horizontally disposed bearing ear 49. A pivot pin 58 is mounted in the ear 49 and extends from the thereof to provide a pivotal mounting for the mounting ears 5| which project from a swingably mounted housing cover section generally designated 52. The cover section forms a part of the hopper structure and is shaped to include a center body or sealing portion 53 which overlies the central portion of the disk in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. The flat body portion 54 of the cover section 52 which surrounds the central portion 53 has its under surface spaced above the top surface of the disk 35 in the same manner as the under surface of the hopper base 44, and it will be apparent by reference to. Figures 4 and 7 of the drawings that said flat body portion 54 has the edge portion thereof adjacent the housin base extension i8 disposed above and in parallel relation to the inner edge of the upper flight of the belt i9 which passes under the peripheral edge of the disk 35 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 4. The flat body portion 54 of the cover section is provided at said edge portion with an upstanding lug 55, the purpose of which will become apparent as the description progresses. The cover section 52 also is provided with an upwardly extending hopper wall 56 which cooperates with the previously described walls 45, 4'! and 43 projecting from the hopper base 44 in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 in forming a four-walled hopper throat into which the crown caps are deposited in a manner for falling upon and being swung about by the disk 35 beneath the ceiling portion 53 and the

flat base portions

44 and 54.

The swingably mounted cover or

hopper section

52, 54 is provided with a slotted ear 5'! for receiving a securing bolt 58 which is pivoted as at 59 on the housing base 4. See Figures 1 and 3. It will be apparent that by loosening the nut on the bolt 58 and swinging the bolt out of the ear 5?, the cover section 52 can be swung upwardly about its pivotal mounting to make substantially the whole of the upper surface of the disk 36 accessible. It will be apparent by reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings that aside support piece 60 is secured as at (5| along the outer edge of the tangential extension i8 of the housing base 4, and said piece is equipped with a bearing 62 in which a stud shaft '63 is secured. See Figure 4. A pulley 64 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 63, and it will be observed that the lug 55 on the swingably mounted cover or hopper section 52 is so disposed as to form a retainer preventin inadvertent removal of the pulley 64 from the shaft about which it is freely rotatable.

The pulley 64 supports one end of a belt 65, and the other end of said belt passes over a pulley 66 which is keyed on a shaft 61 rotat'ably mounted in bearings 68 in the bifurcated end of a support bracket 69. It will be apparent by reference to Figures 2 and '7 of the drawings that the bracket 69 is longitudinally adjustably secured as at 10 on a bracket extension The bracket extension (I is carried by the removably mounted side piece 60 and overlies the bottom flight of the belt 65 at the counting station in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 so as to be effective to prevent undesirable upward deflection of said belt flight while crown caps are passing through said station.

A pulley 12 is secured upon the projected end of the shaft 61, and a similar pulley 13 is secured on the shaft on which the previously mentioned pulley 28 is mounted. See Figures 2 and 7. A driver pulley I4 is secured on the projecting end of the driver shaft 6, and a tightener pulley is provided and is adjustably mounted on the frame base 5 as at 16. A driver belt 11 passes over the pulleys l4, 15, I3 and I2 and serves to impart the desired rotation to the

belt driving pulleys

12 and 13. It will be apparent by reference to Figure 2 that the driver pulleys I2 and 13 are driven in a direction for causing the opposing upper and lower flights of the belts l9 and. '65 respectively to travel in the same direction past the counting station. It will also be apparent by reference to said Figure 2 that at its receiving end the lower flight of the belt 65 is spaced above the upper flight of the belt I9 9. distance slightly greater than the depth of a crown cap, and that the supporting pulleys B4 and 66 are so placed that the lower flight of the belt 65 extends downwardly at a slight angle in the direction of travel thereof, thereby assuring that the crown caps fed between the opposing belt flights by the peripheral portion of the disk 36 extending between them in the manner illustrated in Figure 4 will be firmly gripped between the opposing belt flights as they pass the counting station.

A guard 86 is provided for the upper belt 65, and said guard is secured as at 8| upon the swingably mounted cover or hopper section 52 so as to be swingable with said section.

A guide member generally designated 82 is secured as at 83 to the under surface of the swingably mounted hopper or cover section 52 in the position clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. It will be obvious that said guide member is movable with the cover or hopper section as it is swunginto or out of the operative position illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. The guide member includes a straight portion 84 which parallels the belt edges and cooperates with the upright wall 85 of the extension H] in providing a guideway between the opposing flights of the belts 65and l9 through which the crown caps pass to the counting station. The guide member includes a curved receiving portion 86, the center line of which bears substantially concentric relation to the center of the rotating disk 36. The bottom surface of the

guide member

82, 83 is disposed slightly above the top surfaces of the disk 36 so as to permit the button-like projections 4| to pass thereunder, and it will be apparent by reference to Figure 5 that the projections 4| and 42 are arranged in two concentric circles so related to the receiving end 81 of the guide member that the button-like projections 4| will pass to the outside of said receiving end, and the projections 42 will pass inwardly of said receiving end. In this manner, the button-like projections 4| and 42 will function to impart impetus to crown caps engaging the leading end 81 of the guide member so as to divert them to one side or the other of the lead end and assure against jamming at this point.

In the operation of the machine, the crown caps deposited in the hopper throat defined by the four

walls

46, 41, 48 and 56 fall upon the polished top surface of the rapidly rotating disk 36 and are swung about thereby within the chamber IT. The polished surface of the disk assures against marring of decorative coatings on the caps. The arm projections 39 and the button-like projections 4| and 42 provide the desired agitation of the caps sufficient to throw them toward the periphery of the disk and direct them into the receiving channel defined by the guide extension 86 regardless of the smoothness of the caps and whether or not they are provided with sealing pads or devoid of such pad inserts. However the

projections

39, 4| and 42 are so slight as to assure that no marring or jamming of the caps can occur. As the caps C are moved by the disk, any tendency on the part of the caps to nest will be prevented by the

base wall restrictions

44 and 54 functioning in cooperation with the

projections

39, 4| and 42, and any caps which tend to move uprightly will be thrown against the upright abutment wall 88 which is secured as at 89 as a chord across the sealing portion 53 of the swingably mounted hopper section and be thrown back in horizontal position upon the disk in the manner indicated in Figure 4. The lower edge extremity of the abutment wall 88 does not extend below the bottom surfaces of the

hopper base portions

44 and 54. Beside keeping the crown caps agitated and breaking up the tendency to nest, the smoothly rounded button-like projections 4| and 42 serve to give forward impetus to the caps when they have a tendency to slip or slide on the smooth disk surface, and it will be apparent that said projections effectively contact the caps at the outer edge of the skirt, at the inner edge of the skirt, or at the juncture of the cap skirts with the main body or top portion of the crown.

A window 96 is provided in the swingably mounted hopper or cover section 52 in position for permitting a viewing of the action of the crown caps at the position of the receiving end extremity 81 of the guide member. A counter star wheel 9| mounted on an uprightly disposed shaft 92 has its peripheral portion extended between the opposing flights of the lower and upper belts l9 and 65 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, and the periphery of the star wheel is opposed by a yieldably mounted wall piece 93 which engages the end of the guide member 84 at its free end and is effective to prevent jamming of crown caps at the counting station. It will be apparent that each time a crown cap is moved past the star wheel by the gripping belt flights, it will impart an indexing movement to said Wheel. The wheel is yieldably held in position after each indexing movement is imparted thereto by a spring pressed detent as engageable with a noncircular head 95 fixed on the wheel shaft 92.

The counter wheel shaft 92 extends upwardly into a housing Qii supported on a bracket portion 91, and it is to be understood that any suitable star wheel actuated counting mechanism may be mounted in said housing. An example of an acceptable mechanism of this character is disclosed in the application for patent filed by John Nurnberg on December 4, 1945 and identified by Serial Number 632,749. As described in said application disclosure, the counting mechanism is effective each time a predetermined lot of crown caps has been counted to shift the deflector vane 98 to direct caps into one or the other of the discharge chutes 59, said shift being effected by energizing one or the other of the solenoids I06.

An adjustable stop screw iili mounted on a bracket member I82 secured to the housing base 14 serves as a limiting stop for determining the position of the swingably mounted hopper or cover section when it is moved from the operative position illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings to the out-of-the-way position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. In order to smoothly guide the crown caps into the space between the upper and lower belts $5 and lil there is provided a filler piece lth'i having a guide surface HM forming a continuation of the inner surface of the hopper base flange it in the man ner clearly illustrated in Figure 5 and said filler piece is secured as at N35 to the under surface of the swingably mounted hopper or cover section 52 along with the previously described

guide member

84, 88 so as to make the upper surface of the disk and also the belt channel in the extension IS readily accessible.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed upper and lower travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights and overlying the full width of the lower belt flight intermediately of the length thereof so as to be effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, chamber defining wall means closely surrounding the major portion of the disk, a tangential wall portion closely paralleling the belts at the side thereof outwardly disposed with respect to the disk axis, and a guide member overlying the disk and having a straight portion paralleling said tangential wall and cooperating therewith in forming a guideway and a curved portion cooperating with a portion of said chamber defining wall means in extending said guideway concentrically with respect to the disk axis.

2. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed upper and lower travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights and overlying the full width of the lower belt flight intermediately of the length thereof so as to be effective to carry caps deposited. on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, chamber defining wall means closely surrounding the major portion of the disk, a tangential wall portion closely paralleling the belts at the side thereof outwardly disposed with respect to the disk axis, and a guide member overlying the disk and having a straight portion paralleling said tangential wall and cooperating therewith in forming a guideway and a curved portion cooperating with a portion of said chamber defining wall means in extendin said guideway concentrically with respect to the disk axis, said disk top surface being flat except for having slightly raised projections on said top surface effective to give impeuus to the caps as the disk moves them toward and into said guideways, some of said projections beingbutton-like and disposed to pass under said guide member and at least part way through said guideway.

3. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed upper and lower travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights and overlying the full width of the lower belt flight intcrmediately of the length thereof so as to be effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, chamber defining wall means closely surrounding the major portion of the disk, a tangential wall portion closely paralleling the belts at the side thereof outwardly disposed with respect to the disk axis, a guide member overlying the disk and having a straight portion paralleling said tangential wall and cooperating therewith in forming a guideway and a curved portion cooperating with a portion of said chamber defining wall means in extending said guideway concentrically with respect to the disk axis, and hopper means overlying the disk and providing a receiving throat through which caps can be deposited indiscriminately onto said disk, said hopper means including a swingably mounted section swingable from its normal operative position to an out-of-theway position to make the top surface of the disk and said guideway readily accessible, said guide member being secured to and movable with said swingable section. I

4.1n a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed upper and lower travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between the-m, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights and overlying the full width of the lower belt flight intermediately of the length thereof so as to be effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, chamber defining wall means closely surrounding the major portion of the disk, a tangential wall portion closely paralleling the belts at the side thereof outwardly disposed with respect to the disk axis, a guide member overlying the disk and having a straight portion paralleling said tangential wall and cooperating therewith in forming a guideway and a curved portion cooperating with a portion of said chamber defining wall means in extending said guideway concentrically with respect to the disk axis, and hopper means overlying the disk and providing a receiving throat through which caps can be deposited indiscriminately onto said disk, said hopper means including a swingably mounted section swingable from its normal operative position to an out-of-the-way position to make the top surface of the disk, said guideway and the lower belt flight readily accessible, said chamber defining wall means in part comprising a filler piece overlying the lower belt flight and secured to and movable with said swingable section, and said guide member also being secured to and mor able with said swingable section.

5. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights and effective to deliver caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, and hopper means overlying the disk and providing a receiving throat through which caps can be deposited indiscriminately onto said disk, said hopper means including a swingably mounted section swingable from its normal operative position to an out-of-theway position to make the top surface of the disk readily accessible, the lower belt of which one of said flights is a part being mounted on pulleys disposed to make both ends of the belt extend beyond the disk with said lower belt extending full width chordally within the peripheral limits of the disk, and the upper belt of which the other of said flights is a part being mounted on pulleys disposed to make said other flight start opposite the center of the disk and approximately centrally of the length of the lower belt, and there also being included a guard extending over the upper belt and secured to the swingably mounted hopper section so as to be movable therewith.

6. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed upper and lower travelling belt flights effective to grip caps between them, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said flights and overlying the full width of the lower belt flight intermediately of the length thereof so as to be effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, the lower belt of which one of said flights is a part being mounted on pulleys disposed to make both ends of the belt extend beyond the disk, and the upper belt of which the other of said flights is a part being mounted on pulleys disposed to make said other flight start opposite the center of the disk, and there also being included means for confining caps while being carried about by the disk and while being conveyed between belt flights.

7. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them, and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights over the full width of said belt flights and intermediately of the ends of one thereof and effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, and hopper means overlying the disk and providing a receiving throat through which caps can be deposited indiscriminately onto said disk, said hopper means including a swingably mounted section swingable from its normal operative position to an out-of-the-way position to make the top surface of the disk readily accessible, and there also being included an uprightly disposed flat abutment wall having a depth at least as great as the diameter of a cap so as to be capable of receiving a cap flatwise thereagainst and depending from the swingably mounted hopper section in position for overlying the disk and being effective to knock down any crown caps tending to move uprightly therepast.

8. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding caps in processional order including opposed travelling belt flights effective to grip the caps between them and a rotary disk having a peripheral portion extended between said belt flights over the full width of said belt flights and intermediately of the ends of one thereof and effective to carry caps deposited on the top surface thereof into the space between said belt flights, and hopper :means overlying the disk and providing a receiving throat through which caps can be deposited indiscriminately onto said disk, said hopper means including a swingably mounted section swingable from its normal operative position to an out-of-the-way position to make the top surface of the disk readily accessible, and there being included on said swingably mounted hopper section a depending wall portion concentric to the disk axis and an uprightly disposed flat abutment wall having a depth at least as great as the diameter of a cap so as to be capable of receiving a cap flatwise thereagainst and extending chordally across said concentric depending wall portion in position for overlying the disk to be effective to knock down any crown caps tending to move uprightly therepast.

ALFRED L. KRONQUEST.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 834,993 Paul Nov. 6, 1906 1,042,922 Johnson Oct. 29, 1912 1,236,519 White Aug. 14, 1917 1,277,721 Havener Sept. 3, 1918 2,073,472 Gantzer Mar. 9, 1937 2,304,982 Wilckens Dec. 15, 1942 2,385,004 Kittess Sept. 18, 1945 2,417,074 Green Mar. 11, 1947 2,532,760 Davies Dec. 5, 1950