US3068626A

US3068626A - Apparatus for feeding parts at high speed

Info

Publication number: US3068626A
Application number: US50654A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph N Ianuzzi; Bryner Ernest James
Original assignee: SIGMA ENGINEERING SERVICE Inc
Current assignee: SIGMA ENGINEERING SERVICE Inc
Priority date: 1960-08-19
Filing date: 1960-08-19
Publication date: 1962-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1979-12-18

Description

Dec. 18, 1962 J. N. IANUZZl ETAL 3,068,626

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PARTS AT HIGH SPEED Filed Aug. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 II II I! FIGI FIGZ

INVENTORS JOSEPH. N. IANUZZI ER BY E JAMES BRYN ATTORNEYS J. N. lANUZZl ET AL 3,063,626 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PARTS AT HIGH SPEED Filed Aug. 19, 1960 Dec. 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTORS JOSEPH N. IANUZZI I BY E- JAMES BRYNER TTORNEYS Dec. 18, 1962 J. N. IANUZZI ET AL 3,068,626

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PARTS AT HIGH SPEED Filed Aug. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 31 "-55 w L 9 9 1s T; u,

m 5 I E) E2 u. 5 o u g m o I m 9 ]m H m N D o 2 W a N W h N I N 5 g E 06066 g a m u Q {52%;} E f m L s 2 w UUUW u N g 3 9', 3

3 3 N 5 z Q 5 E Q In R a H u Jag/ Q 53b 5 g INVENTORS mu? g JOSEPH N. IANUZZI E 8 N E- JAMES BRYNER Y A TTORNE United States Patent Qfiice 3,%8,%2fi Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,968,626 APPARATUS FUR FEEDING PARTS AT HIGH SPEED Joseph N. Ianuazi, Bradford, and Ernest James Rryner,

Custer City, Pa, assignors to Sigma Engineering Service, Inc., Custer Jity, Pin, a corporation of Pennsyl- Vania Filed Aug. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 50,654 17 Claims. (Cl. 53 246) This invention relates to apparatus for feeding small parts at high speed, and more particularly, to apparatus for arranging lead wires or the like in successive rows.

In the art of handling small parts, such as lead wires, it has been a basic problem to feed such parts positively at high speed without employing apparatus having components which operate at commensurate high speed. The present invention solves this problem by the employment of novel apparatus which operates upon a principle which differs significantly from the conventional one-by-one feeders known heretofore. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide such novel apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel apparatus of the foregoing type which greatly facilitates the arrangement of small parts in successive rows.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel apparatus of the foregoing type that is fully automatic and yet simpler than comparable apparatus known heretofore.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the invention (the proportions of certain parts being exaggerated for clarity of illustration), and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the overall apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view transverse to FIGURE 2, partly sectional and broken away;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a detail of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of another detail of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a further detail of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of still another detail of the invention; and

FIGURE 10 is a circuit diagram of the electrical components of the invention.

. Briefly stated, the apparatus of the invention comprises a reciprocating shuttle to the sides of which small articles, such as lead wires, are fed in succession from a pair of serial feeders, an escapement mechanism for holding the articles on the shuttle until the shuttle reaches a limit of its travel, a chute assembly for guiding articles released from the shuttle, a plurality of receptacle blocks arranged to pass by the chute assembly and to receive the released articles in rows, and a conveyor mechanism for moving the receptacle blocks.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1 thereof, the apparatus of the invention comprises a framework generally designated It) on which are mounted a pair of

serial feeders

12 and 14. In the form shown these feeders are of the vibratory bowl type, such as those sold under the name Syntron. Such feeders have the ability to receive a great many small parts in their

bowls

16 and 18 and to feed such parts in series and with a predetermined orientation to and along their

tracks

20 and 22. The tracks are preferably of the standard split rail type, the articles being suspended between the rails 21 as will be described.

In its illustrative form, the invention is employed for the feeding of lead wires 24 of the type shown enlarged in FIGURES 6 and 8. Each wire has the general shape of a nail, the shank 26 being approximately .030 inch in diameter and 1%; inches long, andthe head 28 being approximately .063 inch in diameter and .1 inch long. The rails 21 of

tracks

26 and 22 are spaced so that the shanks may move freely between the vertical webs 21a, but with the heads supported on the top flanges 21b of the rails. The rails are mounted on the frame by supports 3t}, which permit vibration of the rails to ensure proper feeding of the lead wires. Parts of different dimensions and shapes may also be fed by this means.

The articles are fed from the serial feeders to opposite sides of a reciprocating shuttle or slide 32. As shown in FIGURE 4, the slide or shuttle is generally in the shape of a plate 34 provided with a depending bar 36 received between a pair of

guide rails

38 and 40, which are mounted on a frame channel 41 and are spaced to form a track for the shuttle transverse to the general direction of the

tracks

20 and 22 of the serial feeders.

Rails

38 and 40 may be provided with rollers 42 which project from the top surfaces thereof so as to support the plate 34 for reciprocative movement along its track. The sides of the shuttle plate pass closely by the discharge ends of

tracks

20 and 22, as illustrated, and the shuttle is made long enough to block the ends of the serial feeder tracks at all times.

In the form shown, the drive for the shuttle comprises a gear rack 44 fixed to the bottom of the bar 36, and a meshing pinion 46 fixed to a shaft 48 journaled on the rails 38 and 4t} as shown in FIGURE 4. The ends of shaft 48 are provided with pulleys 5i and 52, driven by belts 54, in turn driven by

pulleys

56 and 58 on the shaft 69 of a gear reduction unit 62 mounted on the framework as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The gear reduction unit is driven from the shaft 64 of a shuttle drive motor 66 mounted on the frame as shown in FIGURE 3. It will be apparent that if the shaft 65 of motor 66 is rotaed in one direction, the shuttle will move in one direction along its track, and if the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, the shuttle will likewise move in the opposite direction along its track.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 7, and 9, each side of the shuttle is provided with notches 6% arranged in rows along the length of the shuttle, there being nineteen such notches on each side in the illustrative form. Each notch is intended to receive a single lead wire 24 from the associated

track

20 or 22 of one of the serial feeders as the shuttle passes the discharge end of the tracks. FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 illustrate a preferred construction of the discharge end of the

tracks

20 and 22. Supported on the respective rails at the discharge end are upper guides 210 which form a channel through which the heads 28 of the lead .wires pass. Supported below the rails are lower guides 21d which form a channel through which the shanks 26 of the lead wires pass. These channels may be tapered at their inlets so as to receive the lead wires without obstruction. The lower end of the tracks may be curved as shown in FIGURE 6. The lead wires are urged into the notches 68 of the shuttle 32 by the weight of succeeding Wires, by the vibration of the tracks and, if desired, by streams of air directed upon the heads 28 from tubes 211:, which g extend through the. upper guides as shown in FIGURES 7 and, 8.

As shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 9, the notches 68 have an upper portion 68a which receives the head of a lead wireand a smaller lower portion 63b which receives the shank of a lead Wire. The shoulder 680 between these portions, on which the head rests, slopes downwardly and outwardly at approximately 30 degrees, so that in they absence of a closure for thenotches, the heads will simply slide ofi the shoulders, and the lead. wires will drop from thenotches. At the discharge end of the tracks, the notches are effectively closed by the ends of the rail flanges 21b, which prevent the lead Wire heads from sliding off of the shoulders 680. As the shuttle moves past the discharge end of the tracks, the notches 68 on the sides of the shuttle are filled in succession, each lead wire dropping slightly in entering its notch.

As shown in FIGURE 2, on each side of each of the serial feeder tracks there is a plate 7%, 72, '74, or 76, which forms part of an escapement mechanism to be described. The escapement plates abut the open side of the notches and keep the lead wires from falling as the shuttle moves past the tracks. Each escapement plate is mounted on a pair of arms 78, shown best in FIGURES 3, 4, and 5, the arms beinggenerally L-shaped and pivotally supported intermediate their ends at 80 on brackets 82, which are mounted-on the frame. The foot portions of each pair of arms associated with an escapement plate are joined by a bar 84. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the bars 84 at one end of the shuttle track are embraced by a fork 86 mounted at the top of the armature 88 of a solenoid 90 supported on the frame. The bars 84 at the other end are embraced by a fork 86A, connected to a solenoid 90A bya linkage 87. When a solenoid is energized, its fork moves upwardly, causing the associated bars 84 to move toward each other, turning the arms 78 about their pivots 80, and moving the associated escapement plates away from the shuttle, as. shown in FIGURE 4. The escapement plates are normally biased toward the shuttle, as by springsrnot shown.

When the escapement plates move away from the sides of the shuttle, thelead wires on the shuttle are free to drop off of the notch shoulders 680. To guide the downward movement of the lead wires, chute assemblies 92 are provided, there being a chute assembly for each escapement plate. Each chute assembly is actually a multiple funnel having its wide end beneath the line of shuttle notches. The individual funnels of each assembly may be milled from a single block of aluminum and may have a transparent plastic closure plate so that a visual check may be made on the parts being fed. The chute assemblies are mounted on the frame channels 41 and- 41A in any convenient manner.

At the bottom of each chute assembly there are arranged r As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the blocks are arranged in two series on a conveyor belt 96, there being a series ofblocks at each end of the shuttle track. The conveyor belt is formed by a series of metal strips or slats 98 which are attached to the elements of a pair of continuous chains.

100 (see FIGURES 3 and S). The chains pass over spaced sprocket wheels 1022 (FIGURE 1), the sprocket wheels atone end of the apparatus being driven by a chain andsprocket drive me from a conveyor belt motor 106 mounted on the frame. A brake and clutch unit 168 is tlinterposed between the conveyor belt and its motor, the brake being applied to the belt drive shaft.

The conveyor belt is provided with reference projections 112 shown in FIGURE 5, which are received within corresponding depressions at the bottom of the blocks 94 so as to locate the blocks positively on the conveyor belt. When the blocks are placed in succession on the conveyor belt, they form two ribbons 9 inches wide and 2 inches high and provide a continuous pattern of holes, the spacing between successive rows of holes being uniform and uninterrupted from one end of a ribbon to the other.

Proper operation of the apparatus of the invention requires that the shuttle come to rest at the respective ends of its stroke with proper registration between the notches 6S and the funnels of the chute assemblies. Adjustable stops (such as set screws) are therefore preferably placed at the ends of the shuttle track, one of such stops being indicated at 110 in FIGURE 5. In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, operationof the shuttle. drive, escapement mechanism, and conveyor belt; is controlled by the shuttle itself, through the use of microswitches. In the form shown (see FIGURE 2) there are two microswitches associated with each end of the shuttle track, microswitches M81 and M83 at one end, and microsw-itches M82 and M54 at the other end. An additional microswitch M85 (FIGURES l and 4) is associated with.

the. shaker blocks to ensure registration of the block holes with the chutes, this. microswitch having a depending actuator arm M5511 which may drop into a hole of each row. Microswitchcs M53 and M84 may be actuated by projections MS3a and MSda on, top of the shuttle 32,

microswitches M31 and M82 being actuated by the ends of the shuttle.

In accordance with the preferred mode of operation of the invention, the shuttle fills a pair of rows of shaker block holes of one block ribbon at one of the limits of its travel and fills a pair of rows of shaker block holes of the other block ribbon at the other limit of its travel, the conveyor belt indexing by one row each time the shuttle moves from one of its limits toward the other limit. Thus, there is a cycle of filling holes of left ribbon, indexing conveyor, filling holes of right ribbon, indexing conveyor, filling holes of left ribbon, etc.

The spacing of the bottoms of the chute assemblies at each end of the shuttle track may be correlated with the spacing of the rows of shaker block holes so that there are tworows of. holes between the two rows of holes registered with the chute assemblies. Thus, rows 1 and 4 of the left ribbon are filled. Then the conveyor advances by one row, and rows 2 and 5 of the right ribbon are filled. Then the conveyor advances by one row, and rows 3 and 6 of the left ribbon are filled. With this filling schedule the second row of the left ribbon and the first and third rows of the right ribbon are never filled, butall of the remaining rows are completely filled.

In the operation of the apparatus of the invention, the parts to be fed are loaded into the bowls of the serial feeders I2 and 14, and when the serial feeders are energized, the parts are fed in succession down the respective tracks 2t) and 22 to the shuttle. The shuttle makes a pass inone direction, picking up parts in the successive notches at each side thereof. When the shuttle reaches the end of its travel, the escapement mechanisnt at that end is actuated to release the parts-held by the shuttle, so that they drop through the associated chutes into rows of the underlying shaker blocks. The conveyor then advances as the shuttle moves in the opposite direction, again receiving articles at each side thereof. When the shuttle reaches its other limit of travel, the escapement mechanism at that endof the shuttle track is actuated to release the articles held by the shuttle, permitting them to' pass through the associated chute assemblies to the underlying shaker blocks of the other ribbon. The conveyor belt then advances again to bring empty shaker block rows into alignment with the chute assemblies, the shuttle concurrently repeating its cycle of travel.

FIGURE illustrates the diagram of a typical circuit which may be employed in the operation of the ap paratus of the invention. As shown, the circuit extends from supply lines L to which may be applied 115 volts 60 cycle AC, and which have a main line switch ARl. The electromagnets for operating the vibratory serial feeders are shown at SBL and SBR and are connected across the supply lines through switches SBI and S82, respectively, and switch T1. Switch T1 may be a conventional toggle switch, and switches SE1 and S82 may be controlled by a bowl feed control indicated generally in FIGURE 10. The bowl feed control may be employed to de-energize the vibratory feeders when the feeder tracks are filled. Such controls may include a photocells associated with the respective tracks and on which are directed beams of light reflected from articles at the top of the respective tracks. Switches SE1 and SE2 may be controlled by relays in the plate circuits of electric discharge devices, which are biased by networks including the photocells, so that when an article remains at the top ofa track for a predetermined length of time, the refiected light beam received by a photocell changes the impedance of the photocell and varies the bias of a discharge device so as to operate its relay, the time constants of the circuit being adjusted so that the circuit ignores'the rapid passage of articles by the top of the tracks.

Coil CR1 controls the indexing of the conveyor by operating the brake-and-clutch unit 198 connected to the conveyor motor 196. The conveyor motor is illustrated as a compound DC. motor energized from a controller BDC, which includes a rectifier for converting the AC. supply voltage to DC. Relay CR1 is energized through a circuit including a switch CR3A (forming part of a relay to be described), the microswitches MS3, M84, and MSS, and a toggle switch T2.

The remainder of the circuit may be energized through a switch T3 and includes a solenoid valve AV for controlling the supply of air to the discharge end of the feeder tracks, and vibrators V1 and V2 for the feeder tracks.

Coils CR3 and CR3 form part of a latching relay ineluding switches CR3B and CR3C and the switch CR3A previously described. These coils are energized through the microswitches M81 and M82, respectively, and include thermistors RTl and RT2 in their respective energization circuits. The thermistors provide a short time delay, having a high resistance at normal temperature, so as'to pass only a small current insufficient for energization of coils CR3 and CR3 and having a low resistance when heated by the passage of the small current therethrough, so as to permit the passage of a current suflicient for energization of coils CR3 and CR3 after a short delay. Closure of microswitch M81 causes energization of coil CR3 after the aforementioned delay, moving switches CR3A, CRSB, and CR3C from the positions illustrated to their alternate positions and operating a mechanical latch (not shown) which holds the switches in such positions. Closure of microswitch MSZ energizes the latch-tripping coil CR3 after the aforementioned delay, which permits the switches CR3A, CR3B, and CRSC to revert to their former positions under the action of a return spring (not shown).

Switch CR3B controls the energization of coils S1 and S2, which are the operating coils of the escapement solenoids 90 and 93A, respectively, previously described. Switch CR3C controls the operation of the shuttle motor 66, which is illustrated as a shunt field DC. motor, the field and armature windings being supplied from a control unit SDC incorporating a rectifier for converting the AC. of the supply lines to DC, and a speed control. Switch CR3C is arranged to reverse the polarity of the armature winding of motor 66 with respect to the field winding and thereby to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor.

A typical cycle of operation will be described to illustrate the manner in which the circuit of FIGURE 10 functions. Main line switch AR1 is closed, as are the switches T1, T2, and T3. The vibratory bowl feeder electromagnets SBL and SBR will thus be energized and will operate the bowl feeders until de-energized by the bowl feeder control. It will be assumed that the microswitches M83, M84, and M are open, so coil CR1 will be de-energized. With coil CR1 rte-energized, it will be assumed that the condition of unit 18-8 is such as to engage the brake and disengage the clutch, the conveyor therefore being stationary even though motor 1% is energized. Air valve coil AV will be energized, permitting air to be supplied to the discharge end of the feeder tracks, and electromagnets V1 and V2 will be energized so as to vibrate the tracks. It will be assumed that microswitches M81 and M82 are open, so that coils CR3 and CR3 are de-energized. Escapement solenoid coil S2 is energized by switch CRSB, and coil S1 is de-energized. It will be assumed that switch CR3C is in a position to energize the shuttle motor 66 in such a direction as to cause the shuttle to approach microswitches M83 and M51 (both being adjacent the same limit of travel of the shuttle), the shuttle picking up parts from the feeder tracks 2.13 and 22 on the way.

When the projection M8362 of the shuttle reaches the actuator of microswitches M33, the microswitch will be closed but will have no efiect upon the coil CR1, because the switch CR3A is in its righthand position of FIGURE 10. When the shuttle reaches its limit of travel, it closes microswitch M51, energizing coil CR3 after a slight delay, causing switches CR3A, CR3B, and CRZC to move to their alternate positions. The movement of switch CRSA will have no efi ect, because microswitch M53 will have been opened after the passage of the projection M3351. The movement of switch CR3B will energize the solenoid coil S1, however, and will move the escapement plates 79 and 72, so that the parts are dropped from the shuttle. The movement of switch CR3C will cause the shuttle to move in the opposite direction, the shuttle picking up articles on the way, and when microswitch M83 is closed upon this return stroke of the shuttle, coil CR1 will be energized so as to release the brake of unit 198 and to engage the clutch. The conveyor will then begin to index, and the indexing switch MSS will close as its actuator MSSa moves out of a hole 95, completing a holding circuit for coil CR1. Thus, even though the microswitch MSS will remain closed only for the length of time that the projection MS3a engages the actuator of the microswitch, the coil CRl will remain energized until the actuator of microswitch M85 drops into a hole of the next row and thereby opens the microswitch. When this occurs, the coil CR1 is deenergized, the clutch of unit 108 is disengaged, and the brake is re-engaged, completing the indexing of the conveyor by one row.

As the shuttle approaches the other limit of its travel, microswitch M84 will be closed by projection MS4a, but will have no efiect because the switch CRSA is now in its lefthand position. When the shuttle reaches its limit of travel, the microswitch MSZ Will be closed, and after a slight delay the coil CR3 will be energized so as to release the latch of its relay and permit switches CR3A, CR3B, and CR3C to return to the positions illustrated. The return of switch CRSA will have no effect, because microswitch M84 will now be open, its projection MSia having passed by. However, the return of switch CR3B will energize the solenoid coil S2, de-energizing coil S1, and will cause the shuttle to release its articles. The return of switch CR3C will reverse the direction of the shuttle motor 66, causing the shuttle to commence movement in its former direction. The closure of switch M84 upon this stroke or" the shuttle will complete a circuit through switch CR3A for the coil CR1, which will again cause the conveyor belt to index. by one row, switch M35 completing and then breaking the holding circuit. for the coil CR1. The operation will then continue as previously described.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the invention provides unique apparatus for feeding articles at high speed. A practical embodiment of the invention is capable of feeding parts at the rate of 30,600 parts per hour; nevertheless the speed requirements of the apparatus are much less than prior apparatus. For example, the use of both sides of the shuttle halves the speed requirements, as does the feeding of parts on both forward and reverse strokes of the shuttle. The use of 19 notches on each side of the shuttle gives an efiective total speed reduction factor of ;i compared with oneby-one feeders. Moreover, the apparatus of the invention may be employed in multiples for further reduction.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive of the invention, and those modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for arranging lead wires or the like in successive rows, comprising a reciprocating elongated shuttle having a series of lead wire receiving openings along the length of its respective sides, a pair of serial feeders for advancing said lead-wires in succession to the opposite sides of said shuttle, means for moving said shuttle past the discharges of said feeders repetitively, whereby said lead Wires are fed to said openings in succession, escapement means located on opposite sides of said feeder discharges for holding said lead wires in said openings during movement of said shuttle, release means for rendering said escapement mean ineffective to hold said lead wires in said openings, means for actuating said release means as the shuttle reaches a limit of its travel to cause the lead wires in said openings to drop from said shuttle, and means for guiding the released lead wires to a row of lead wire receptacles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, there being lead wire receptacles and guide means located at each limit of travel of said shuttle, said receptacles being supported on conveyor means, said conveyor means having means for moving said receptacles past the associated guide means to provide successive empty rows for receiving said lead wires.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means associated with said shuttle for controlling the shuttle moving means and the conveyor moving means in accordance with a predetermined program.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, said conveyor moving means having control means associated with said blocks for ensuring registration of said holes with the guide means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said openings being in the form of notches, said escapement means comprising closures for said notches, said lead wires having shanks which fit said notches and heads which are too large to pass through said notches when said closures are against said notches.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, said receptacles being in the form of holes in blocks arranged successively in two ribbons on said conveyor, the spacing between rows of holes being constant along said conveyor, the openings at one side of said shuttle being arranged to fill even numbered rows of holes, and the openings at the other side of said shuttle being arranged to fill odd numbered rows of holes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means S associated with said shuttle. for. controlling the operation of said escapement means.

8. Apparatus for handling a headed lead wire article and the like, comprising an article carrier having an articleeceiving notch open at one side of said carrier, said notch having a wide upper portion and a narrow lower portion meeting at a head-supporting surface sloping ing downwardly toward the open side of the notch, means for moving said carrier between article-receiving and article-release positions along a substantially horizontal path, means for blocking the open side of said notch after said notch moves past said article-receiving position, and

means for unblocking the open side of said notch as said notch reaches said release position to permit an article to slide from said surface and leave said notch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said headed lead wire article having a rounded cross section at and below the head thereof, and said notch portions being curved to receive the corresponding parts of said article.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means at said article-receiving position for inserting an article into said notch from the open side thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, there being a series of the notches along at least one side of said carrier.

12. Apparatus for arranging small articles, comprising arr-article carrier having a series of article receiving openings along its length, a serial feeder for advancing said articles in succession to said carrier and having a single discharge for placing said articles in said openings one opening at a time, means for moving the openings of said carrier past said discharge in succession whereby said openings are loaded by said discharge. consecutively, means blocking said openings after they pass said discharge for holding said articles in said openings during movement of said carrier, and means moving said blocking means away from said openings simultaneously at a predetermined release point in the travel of said carrier for unblocking said openings and causing the articles held in said openings to be released from said carrier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, said carrier having means for moving said carrier repetitively back and forth past said discharge and including a rack fixed to said carrier, a pinion driving said rack, and belt drive means for said pinion.

14-. The apparatus of claim 12, said means for blocking said openings comprising an elongated member along which said carrier moves in juxtaposition, said elongated member being mounted for movement transversely away from said carrier to unblock said openings.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of rows of article receptacles alignable with said openings at said release point to receive said articles therefrom, and conveyor means for moving said rows of re ceptacles into alignment with said openings in succession, said conveyor means having drive means correlated with the means for moving said carrier openings past said feeder discharge.

16. Apparatus for arranging headed lead wires and the like, comprising a serial feeder having a track along which said lead wires are advanced in succession, suspended by their heads, to a discharge, a lead wire carrier movable past said discharge, said carrier having a series of lead Wire receivers movable past said discharge in succession, said receivers having means for suspending said lead wires by their heads, means for closing said receivers after they pass said discharge, and means for opening said receivers at a lead wire release point.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, said lead wire receivers comprising notches having downwardly sloping surfaces for suspending said lead wires by their heads, said receiver closing means comprising blocking means for preventing the lead wire heads from sliding off said surfaces, and said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Du Grenier Nov. 17, 1925 10 Peterson Mar. 6, 1951 Bacon et a1. Mar. 27, 1951 Zubal et a1. Mar. 13, 1959 Kjellsen et a1 Dec. 22, 1959 McCain et a1 June 28, 1960 Petro Dec. 6, 1960