US3086639A

US3086639A - Method and machine for similarly arranging open-topped containers or the like

Info

Publication number: US3086639A
Application number: US26067A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfonso M Donofrio
Original assignee: SILVER CREEK PRECISION CORP
Current assignee: SILVER CREEK PRECISION CORP
Priority date: 1960-05-02
Filing date: 1960-05-02
Publication date: 1963-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-23

Description

To' Vl BRATOR,

APH] 23, 1963 A. M. DoNoFRvlo 3,086,639

`METHOD AND `MACH-HMS FOR SIMILARLLY ARRANGING OPEN-TOPPED .CONTAINERS `OR THE LIKE Filed May 2, 3.960 '6 Sheets-'Sheet 1 fINVENTOR. -ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO April 23, 15963 A. M. DoNoFRlo 3,086,639

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR ASIMILARLY ARRANGING OPEN-TOPPED CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE Filed nMay '2, '1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO April 23, 1963 A. M. DoNoFRIo 3,086,639

METHOD AND MACHNE FOR SIMILARLY ARRNGING OPEN-TOPPED CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE Filed May 2. 1960 6 SheetsFSheet 5 ALFONSO M. DO NQFR IO BYQQM@ Apnl 23, 1963 A. M. DoNoFRlo 3,086,639

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR SIMILARLY RRNGING QPEN-TOPPED CONTAINERS 0R THE LIKE Filed May 2. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 im L - INVENTOR.

ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO BY @m #62W .CTI

April 23, 1963 A. M. DoNoFRxo METHOD AND MACHINE FOR SIMILARLY ARRANGING OPEN-TOPPED CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 2, 1960 INVENTOR.

ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO April 23, 1963 A. M. DoNoFRlo 3,086,539

METHOD AND MACHINE; FOR SIMILARLY ARRANGING 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO QM (62% A United States arent 3 686,639 METHOD AND MACIHNE FOR SIMILARLY AR- lLAKNI'GING OPEN-TGPPED CONTAINERS OR THE Alfonso M. Donofrio, Toledo, Ghio, assignor, by rnesne assignments, to Silver Creek Precision Corporation, Silver Creek, NX., a corporation of New York Filed May 2, 1950, Ser. No. 26,067 19 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This method relates to a method and a machine for similarly arranging relatively small articles such as containers, and, more particularly, relates to a method and mechanism for erecting indiscriminately arrayed articles such as open-topped containers so that all of such containers wind up on a filling table or the like with the same ends turned upwardly. The method and apparatus `according to the invention is designed .to arrange articles, each of which has la body portion of -generally uniform cross section, and an outwardly extending peripheral lip or other protrusion at or near one end, the minimum horizontal dimension of the lip or protrusion across the article and the height dimension of the article being different and the article body extending between substantially parallel planes of its bottom and its top, with `a major axis, or generally central line of the body, extending normal to at least the plane of one of its ends, i.e., its top or bottom. As used herein, the term minimum horizontal dimension of the lip across the article (or container) means the minimum length of a horizontal projection of the outer edge or edges of the outwardly extending lip, protrusion or series of protrusions and this distance is equal to the spacing between ya pair of parallel plates 4brought into contact with the article and parallel to its major axis.

Various mechanisms for sorting and arranging containers or the like have been proposed in the past in tan effort to effect automation in the filling of such containers. Although many of these mechanisms have proved successful in accomplishing this purpose, the cost of such mechanisms, due to their relative complexity, is often prohibitive of their use. Further, many of thev prior art devices intermittently fail to successfully complete the intended operation of disposing the container open end up in order to receive the filling material whereby the substantially continuous surveillance of a skilled operator is normally required.

lt is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved container arranging or erecting mechanism.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide an extremely eflcient, yet relatively inexpensive erecting mechanism, which mechanism is capable of uninterrupted operation for substantially indefinite periods of time withont disposing a container wrong side up on a filling table or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for similarly orientating or arranging containers ofthe class described which is dependable and lcontinuous in operation, and which involves a minimum of moving mechanical parts which are likely to require frequent repair or replacement.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a container erecting mechanism which is so constructed that containers may be randomly dumped into a hopper at one portion of the mechanism and the containers will exit from another portion of the mechanism with their open ends all facing in the same direction.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for arranging randomly disposed articles into position with the same end of all of them turned in the same direction.

More particularly, a further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of the character described having novel, continuous traveling conveyor means including a grooved edge adapted to receive containers from a trough operatively associated with a supply hopper, the conveying means being effective to thereafter selectively deliver such containers to `discharge means for nal orientation thereof.

Other objects and advantages will in part be apparent and will in part appear hereinafter.

F or a better understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. l and shown on an enlarged scale;

FIG. '4 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, detailed view in perspective showing a portion of the `apparatus illustrated in FIGS. l, 2 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. l and shown on an enlarged scale;

FiG 7 is a fragmentary, detailed view in perspective of parts of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1, Zand 6';

FIG. 8 is a further enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken from the position indicated by the line 8 8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, detailed View in perspective of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in fFIG. 1 and constituting a continuation of the right side of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 also showing a portion of a turntable as illustrative of mechanism onto which containers are delivered by apparatus embodying the invention.

In general, the apparatus embodying the invention as shown and ldescribed herein comprises a supply hopper for the reception of indiscriminately arrayed containers and from which the containers tumble downwardly onfto a plurality of horizontally extending spaced rods which are vibrated in such a manner as to move the containers forwardly along the rods and across the machine. These rods deliver the containers lto a substantially vertically disposed trough comprising a pair of parallel plates which are spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the lesser of (l) the minimum horizontal dimension of the lip across the container and (2) the height dimension of the container; but the plates are spaced a distance which is less than the greater of such two dimensions. The Itrough includes means which cooperate with the plates to dispose containers received therebetween with their midpoints lying in a plane equidistant between the two plates and, in the specific embodiment of fthe drawings, with major axes parallel to each other, but with their tops or bottoms randomly directed oppositely to each other. The term midpoint as used herein means a point on the major axis of the article or container which is midway between the two ends of the body.

A continuous, traveling conveying means is positioned so that at least one edge thereof passes adjacent the outlet of the trough at a iirst pontion of its path of move.- ment, with the plane of the edge being disposed perpendicularly to the major axes of the containers during such portion of its path of movement. The edge of the conveying means comprises two elements which in (turn have a series of substantially identical, similarly spaced notches, the elements being arranged in close side-by- Vside, in-phase relationship during the said rst portion of the path of movement whereby a groove is formed in the edge of the conveying means by each pair of aligned notches. The Width of the notches and resulting grooves, in the direction along the first portion of the path of movement thereof, is greater than the minimum horizontal dimension of the container body adjacent its lip but less than the minimum horizontal dimension of thelip across the body, whereby the containers are guided into the notches with their bodiesreceived in the notches, their tops and bottoms randomly directed oppositely to each other and their lips randomly disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of the conveyor edge elements. 'Ihe mechanism additionally includes means for separating the edge elements fromeach other in a direction parallel to the major axes of the containers during a second portion of the path of movement of the conveying means wherebyv each container is pulled out of the notch in one of the elements and carried with the other of the elements, depending upon which side of the edge of the conveying means its lip is disposed. Finally, means are provided near the second portion of the path of movement of the conveying means for removing containers ,from each of the elements separatively from the containers of the other of the elements and for turning the separatively removed containers relative to each other into similar arrangement.

As previously mentioned, the machine according to the invention is adapted to similarly arrange or erect lippedarticles in which the minimum horizontal dimen- 'sion Yof the lip 'of each article across the article and the height of the article are different. This difference in dimensions is, in effect, the only restriction or limitation on the size or shape of articles which can be successfully orientated by the instant mechanism, as will subsequentlyj become apparent. In this respect, although the invention will be specically described in connection with the erecting of cylindrical containers, it should be understood that such description is for purposes of illustration only and is not to be considered as limitative. Further, as was previously mentioned, the machine accord- Y ing to the present invention is adapted for use in combination with othermachinery or apparatus such as, for example, mechanisms for delivering up ended containers to a filling machine. No illustration, however, is made of'the particular machine or apparatus which will be associated with the mechanism constituting the present inventionsince such associated apparatus does not form a part of the present invention.

K Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 11 indicates generally the supporting structure or frame for the apparatus and includes a leg or post 12, one of which is not shown, at each corner` thereof. VA supply hopper, indicatedV generally at 13, is supported at the top of the frame 11 for receiving a plurality of small containers 14 in random disorientation. The hopper 13 has a rearwardly sloping bottom 15 (FIGS. 2 and 3), the rearmostv edge of which terminates short of a vertical rear wall 16 and then extends vertically downwardly a short distance to provide a laterally extending Vchute 117 across the rear of the apparatus.

= Each of the containers 14 is of the type previously described, i.e., each comprises a body portion and a lip adjacent its open top, the minimum horizontal dimension of the lip across the container and the height of the container being different. The specific apparatus embodying the invention as shown in the drawings is designed for handling containers 14 each of which is cylindrical and includes a body portion .14a (FIGS. 4 and 5) and an out- Wardly extending peripheral lip 14b adjacent its open top, the outside diameter of lip 14b of each of the containers 14 being greater than the height of the container. In this specific container 14, the lip 14b is made in two pieces, each lessY than semi-annular Vin extent and functions as a thread for a screw-on cap. It is to be noted, that the lip, or outward protrusion, can be continuous or can be made up of a series of protrusions, such as tips or knobs.

A fringed gate 18 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) is mounted at the rear edge of the hopper bottom 15, forming a front side for the chute 17 and comprises a plurality of resilient fingers 19 for resisting the passage of more than one layer of the containers 14 forwardly out of the chute 17 and onto a plurality of laterally spaced, forwardly extending, parallel rods 20. The rod-s 20 are spaced from each other a distance slightly smaller than the height of the containers 14 so as to prevent the containers 14 'from falling down' between the rods 20 and are mounted upon a vibrator plate 21. The vibrator plate 21 is driven by a conventional vibrating mechanism indicated generally at 22, which mechanism is mounted on suitable support posts 23l comprising a portion of the main Iframe 11. The mechanism 22 vibrates the rods 20 so as to move the containers 14 forwardly along the rods toward the lfront of the apparatus whereupon they fall into a trough indicated generally at 24 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

The front ends of the spaced parallelrods 20 are welded or similarly mounted on tips 25 (see FIG. 5) between adjacent semicir-cular grooves 26 that are cut in an upturned ange of an angle bar 27. The bar 27 extends -across the machine adjacent the rear side of the Vtrough 24 and supports a horizontal shelf 28 which lies in a plane lower than the bottom of the grooves 26 and which overlies the rear side of the trough 24. When the containers 14 engage the curved edges of the grooves 26 the great majority of them are turned to fall onto the shelf 28 with their open ends either up or down. Vibration of the shelf 28 with the rods 20 causes the containers to slide oi of the front edge of the shelf 28 and to fall onto ya curved apron 29 which forms the rear of the trough 24. Almost all of the containers land on their top or bottom surfaces rather than on their cylindrical sides and slide forwardly along the apron 29 into the chute 24, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5 by the containers labeled AJ Y Y The apron 29 curves forwardly and downwardly until it reaches parallelism in a vertical plane and the lower portion of a curved plate 30 defining the front portion of the trough 24. The parallel bottom parts of the apron 29 and plate 30 are spaced horizontally a distance only slightly greater than the lesser of the minimum horizontal dimension of the lip 14b across the container 14 and the height dimension of the container. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the lesser dimension is the height of the container 14. The horizontal distance between the apron 29 and plate 30 is smaller than the greater of such dimensions, such greater dimension in this case being the outside diameter of the lip 14b.

Due to this narrow restriction, the containers 14 can only pass through the lower `extension of the trough 24 lying on their sides as shown by the container indicated in the drawings at B.

An agitator indicated generally at 31 runs constantly throughout the sorting operation in order to agitate the containers 14 falling into the trough 24 to prevent them from becoming cocked Vand jammed between thek apron 29 and plate 30 and to assure that they pass through the trough 24 in the desired arrayed position. The agitator comprises an endless chain 32 having a plurality of spaced fingers 33 xed thereto, and is driven by means of a motor 34 suitably mounted on the frame 11 to move the fingers 33 vhorizontally through the mass of containers at the top of the trough 24.

The trough 24 empties downwardly into a compartment 35, defined by a pair of

parallel plates

36 and 37 which are spaced from each other substantially the same distance as are the

plates

29 and 30 i.e., a suicient distance to allow the containers 14 to fall therebetween lying on their cylindrical sides, but an insucient distance to permit the containers to fall therethrough lying either on their tops or bottoms.

annesse 'Ille rear plate 36 substantially closes the front of the apparatus between the bottom Of the trough 24 and a lower, horizontal frame member 38. The front plate 37 of the compartment 3S extends downwardly parallel to the plate 36, but covers only about half of the area of the plate 36. In the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the front plate 37 is formed of a rigid, substantially transparent material so as to enable the viewing of the orientating operation in this area.

A downwardly sloping rod 39 extends across the machine from the upper right end of the trough 24 (FIG. l) between the

plates

36 and 37 and has a return end 40 at a point about -two-thirds or three-quarters of the distance across the machine. A curved rod 41, also extending between the

plates

36 and 37, forms the left side and a part of the bottom of the remaining portion of compartment 35. The

rods

39 and 41 close the bottom of the space between the

plates

36 and 37 except for an opening, generally indicated at 42, which overlies a portion of the path of movement of a continuous conveying means such as a multi-part wheel, indicated generally at 43.

The wheel 43 is mounted between the

plates

36 and 37 by a shaft 44 (FIG. 6) suitably journaled by hearing 4S carried by the plate 36 and extending through a notch 46 (FIG. 7) in the right edge of the plate 37. The wheel 43 comprises two

circular discs

47 and 48 of the same shape and size and mounted side-by-side. The rear disc 47 is fabricated from any suitable stiff material, such as steel, while the front disc 48 is fabricated from a exible and resilient material such as rubber or plastic. The

discs

47 and 48 have a series of substantially semicircular notches 49 and 5l? in their edges and the discs are mounted inphase on the shaft 44 so that a single groove is formed by each pair of aligned

notches

49 and 50. The diameter of the notches, i.e., the width thereof along the path of movement of the wheel 43 is slightly larger than the minimum horizontal dimension of the container body 14a adjacent its lip 14b, which, as previously mentioned, is merely the body diameter; but the notch width :is slightly smaller than the minimum horizontal dimension of the lip 14h across the container, i.e., the particular outside diameter of the lip 14b.

The containers 14 which are arrayed -between the

plates

36 and 37 move through the opening between the return rod end 4t) and the rod 4l and drop into the grooves formed by the aligned pairs of notches 49 and 5d with their open ends at either the front or back of the compartment 35, in other words, with their lips 4b randomly disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of the two

discs

47 and 48.

A hand knob l (FIG. 6) is secured on the front of the shaft 44 and -a pulley 52 is keyed on the shaft 44 `and Vdriven by a belt 53 which is also engaged with a pulley 54 mounted on jack shaft 55. The shaft S5 is geared through a suitable reducer indicated generally at 56 toa drive shaft S7 of a motor S3. The motor 53 and reducer 56 are mounted on a horizontal tilting table 59, connected by a rod 6i) to a bell crank 61 anda handle 62 at the front of the machine for clutching the drive of the wheel 43.

A downwardly and forwardly inclined separator 63 (FIGS. l, 6 `and 7) is mounted on the front of the front wall 36 by a bracket 64. The separator 63 extends upwardly between the discs 47 yand 48 in the upper right quadrant of rotation or travel thereof at the right of the front plate 37. The separator 63 has a curved upper end 65 to approximately parallel the curvature of the

discs

47 and 48 but does not extend above the bottoms of the

notches

49 and 59 therein so that no contact is made by the separator 63 with the containers 14 carried in the

notches

49 and 56. The separator 63 .is canted outwardly and downwardly away from the plane of the stiff disc 47 at an angle of approximately l() to 30 degrees. As the wheel 43 rotates, the resilient disc 48 is flexed away from the stilf disc 47 lbeing thus separated axially therefrom in this portion of its path `of movement. The separator 63 is angled forwardly enough to separate the discs 47 and 48 a distance slightly greater than the vertical height of the containers 14 at the point of furthest separation of the discs 47 and 4S (see FIGS. 6 and 8). As soon as the

discs

47 and 48 rotate beyond the lower edge of the plate 63, the exible or resilient disc 48 returns to its side-byside adjacent relationship with the stiff disc 47.

A pair of arcuate, axially diverging guides 66 (FIG. 7) overlie the peripheries of the discs 47 and 4S during that portion of their travel when they are being separated from each other in order `to prevent the containers 14 being jarred upwardly out of the notches 49 and Sil. Similarly, an arcuate guide 67 extends along adjacent the notches 50 of the flexible disc 43 to prevent the containers i4 carried thereby from slipping axially out of the notches 50 toward the front and containers 14 retained by their lips 14h in the notches 49 of the stiif disc 47 are prevented from rearward displacement by the plate 36. The

guides

66 and 67 are secured to posts 68 which are mounted on the plate 36.

A pair of inclined, open `guideways, generally indicated at 69 and 7G, extend away from the ends of the

arcuate guides

66 and 67 at the point at which the

discs

48 and 49 are separated from each other to the greatest extent. Each of the guideways 69 md 76 consists of four

rails

71, 72, 73 and 74, or 75, 76, 77 and 7S, respectively. The two `guideways 69 and 7G are `generally parallel to each other with their upper inner rails 71 and 75 (FIG. 7) 'connected at their upper ends and extending between the discs 47 fand 48 to form a ydiverter 79. As the containers 14 are moved by the

discs

47 and 48 with their open tops turned outwardly, their bottoms engage the diverter 79 and each container 14 is guided into the upper open end of the respective one of the

guideways

69 and 70. The

lowermost rail

74 or 73 of the

guideways

69 or 70 extends into the space between the separated discs 47 or 4S `adjacent the inner surface of the disc and to a depth approximately the same as the depth of the notches 49 and Sti. As each of the containers 14 is moved in its disc 47 -and 4S, it engages the respective rail 74 or 78 and is guided out of the

notches

49 or 56 whereupon it runs by gravity down the guideway. The

guideways

69 and 70 are mounted on lthe plate 36 by a bracket 89 which spaces the four rails of each guideway and which has openings 31 therethrough generally corresponding in shape to the outline of the containers 14 as they are oriented by the rails at the bracket location.

Each of the openings 31 has a notch S2 :at its outer bottom side through which the lips 14h of the containers i4 pass. The other two

rails

72 and 73 0r 76 and 77 provide the other two margins of the guideways. The rails of the

guideways

69 and 70 are held in proper spacing by spacers S3, S4, and 86 (FIGS. 7 and 9) which are located along the guideways. The

guideways

69 and 70 are twisted inwardly toward each other down their lengths so as to rotate or turn the containers i4 in opposite directions. The containers 14 received in the guideway 69 originally have their open tops turned backwardly against the plate 36 and, yas they roll down the guideway 69, are rotated upwardly 'toward the front to turn their tops up. Conversely, the containers 14 received inthe guideway 7? originally have their open tops :turned to the front of the apparatus and, as they roll down the guideway 7d, are rotated in a reverse direction. Comf parison of the relative orientation of the containers 14 indicated at (2, D, 5, and F in FIGS. 7 and 9 shows the opposite twist of the

guideways

69 and 70 and how the containers :14 are erected as they roll down their lengths. The two

guideways

69 and 70 are held in spaced relationship `at their lower ends 'by a spacing plate 87 and an end gate 88 both of which rest on' the surface of the element onto which Ithe containers f4 are discharged, in this case a turntable 39. At the spacing plate 87, the containers 14 in both of the

guideways

69 and 76 are erected with their open tops turned up. If the contairrers 14 were to be discharged onto a linearly moving conveyor, the rails of fthe guideways wouldV extend only a short distance beyond the plate S7. In the embodiment of the drawings, however, the

guideways

69 and 76 turn through 'approximatelyV a 90 turn and :the containers 14 are moved out of the gate 88 by the turntable 89. The rails 71 and 75, which :at their upper ends are brought together to form the diverter '79 (FIG. 7), are cut off short just above the turntable 89 at their lower ends (FIG. 9).

The turntable 89 is rotatably mounted on a vertical post 90 and is driven by a capstan 91 (FIG. 1) mounted on a shaft 92 of a motor 93 which is shown as mounted on la swinging plate 94. The plate 94 pivots on a ver- Itical axis and is connected by a link 95 to a hand lever V96 at the left front of the machine so that the capstan 91 may be moved into and out of engagement with the turntable 89. In order to fully disclose all theV novel features of the invention, a complete operating cycle of the particular embodiment shown will now be described. A plurality of containers 14 is poured in the hopper 13' and fed downwardly therein under the action of gravity to the laterally extending `chute 17 at the rear of the apparatus (FIGS. 2 and 3). The fringed gate 18 operates to resist the passage of more than one layer of containers 14 ourt of the chute 17 and onto lthe vibrating rods 20. VThe rods 20 carry the containers 14 forwardly across the machine (FIGS. 4 and 5 through the grooves 26 in the bar 27, onto the shelf 28 whence they fall onto -the arcuate surface of the apron 29 and slide into the trough 24. While almost all of the containers slide over the apron 29 on either their xtops or bottoms, a few may hang up. The n'gers 33 (FIG. 1) move continuously through the upper, wider part of the trough 24 to lift and reorient any cocked containers 14. Because of the spacing between the plates 36 and 37 (FIG. 6), the containers 14 fall through 'the trough 24 on their sides and become piled or stacked up in this :arrangement in the compartment 35 with their major axes parallel to each other.

The lowermost layer of containers 14 in the compartment 35, i.e., those containers lying on the

rods

39 and 41, falls by gravity and .the force imposed thereupon by the weight of the containers resting above, into the grooves in the edge of the wheel 43 which l.are formed by the'circumferentially aligned

notches

49 and 50 in the dises 47 and 4S'. A switch 97 having a feeler 98 extends into the compartment 35 in order to sense the presence of containers 14 therein and to control the vibrator 22 to prevent the compartment 35 from becoming overstocked with containers 14.

All of the containers 14 falling into the grooves in the edge of the wheel 43 are arranged with their open ends turned forwardly, i.e., with their lips 14b located adjacent the outer surface of the disc 48 (see containers designated G in FIGS. 7 and 8), or their open ends turned back.- wardly, i.e., with their lips 14b adjacent the outer surface of the disc 47 (see containers designated H in FIGS. 7 and 8). The containers 1'4 remain in this arrangement as the flexible disc 48 engages the canted surface of separator 63, which bends the exible disc 48 away from the rigid disc 47 (FIGS. 6, 7 and 8). If the container 14 is positioned in the groove with its lip 14b adjacent the outer surface of the rigid disc 47, it remains with the rigid disc 47 due to its lip preventing forward movement thereof with the resilient disc 48 (container H, FIGS. 7 and 8). If, on the other hand, the container is positioned in the groove with its lip 14b adjacent the outer surface of the exible disc 48, such container is pulled forwardly by the separating disc 48, out of the notch l49 in the stiff disc 47 and will be carried by such resilient disc (container G, FIGS. 7 and 8). l

The containers 14 which are retained by the stiff disc 47 are discharged therefrom into the upper end of the f guideway 69 (FIG. 7) upon being lifted out of their notches by contact with the lowermost rail 74 of the guideway. In a similar manner, the containers 14 which are carried by the resilient disc 48 are discharged into the upper end of the guideway 70. y

At the point where the discs 47 and 4S discharge the containers 14 into the open upper ends of the

guideways

69 and 70, the containers 14 are all arranged in parallelism, with their open tops opposed and lying on their sides. It is, therefore, only necessary to then erect the containers by twisting them in opposite directions through an angle of `approximately This is accomplished by the twisting of the rails forming the

guideways

69 and 70, the containers 14 being turned thereby as they roll down the guideways and being discharged therefrom with their open ends turned upwardly. The containers 14 are then ready for delivery to a filling apparatus or the like.

The particular embodiment of the invention which has been described is designed for handling open topped cylindrical containers having radially extending lips adjacent their open tops and height less than the diameter of their lips.

Containers or other configurations, such as rectangular or square in plan, or having heights greater than the minimum horizontal dimensions of their lips, can also be arranged and oriented by mechanisms embodying the invention, it being necessary only that the containers have lips or other outward protrusions at or near one end, or at least nearer to one end than the other, and that the two critical dimensions be dilerent. zontal dimension of the lip or protrusion across thereontainer must be either larger or smaller than the height of the container. Of course, when containers of cross section other than circular or square are being handled, Ithe grooves in the edge of the conveying means must be appropriately shaped.

While conveying means consisting of a wheel formed from two discs is shown inthe drawings, various other conveyors, such as belts, links, etc., may be employed; the inventive concept comprising the two relatively movable notched elements which receive the articles, move axially relative to each other, Vand separately discharge the containers as determined by the side on which their lips are located. Furthermore, such conveying means may be disposed or arranged at any desired angle to the outlet portion of the trough or compartment, it only being necessary that the edge portion thereof containing the notches or grooves for receiving the containers from such trough or compartment be located in and move along a plane which is substantiallly perpendicular to the major axes of the containers at that portion of its travel where the containers are inserted in the notches. Although constructing one of the edge elements from a resilient material is a preferred manner of providing for the sep-aration thereof from the other of thevedge elements, due to the simplicity thereof, any other separation system such as diverging guides or springs canV be employed if desired.

Throughout this specification and in the appended claims the invention is described as relating to the arrangement and/ or orientation of containers, described as open topped and, for the most part, the lips have been stated to be located at or adjacent the open tops. Of course,vthe lip or ridge could also be located at or near the bottom-of such a container and the upper part of the container body could have a smooth or substantially uniform -upper portion. In handling such a container, a machine embodying the invention would function as described, the change being merely to twist the container The minimum hori-Y Machines embodying the invention may also be ernployed for orienting objects other than containers; such as, for example, flanged bushings or bearings, circular items with smaller diameter hub portions and other objects meeting the primary definition:

(l) A body having width, height, and depth.

(2) An outwardly extending peripheral lip, or other protrusion or peripheral series of protrusions located at or nearer one end of the body, i.e., top or bottom in the finally arranged and oriented position.

(3) A difference between- (a) Minimum horizontal dimension of the lip or protrusion across the body, and

(b) Height of the body when in the arranged and oriented position.

It is the difference between dimensions (a) and (b) which enables the arrangement of the objects with their major axes parallel and their tops and bottoms (or ends) extending in opposite directions. It is Point 2 above which enables the randomly and oppositely directed objects to be axially moved by the separable elements of the conveying means and their discharge into the twisted guideways by which they are all arranged with same end up or pointing inthe same direction.

All of the foregoing modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and the method of the invention comprises operative steps carried out by various mechanisms designed according to such modifications and variations.

-I claim:

l. A method of `orienting identical articles, each having top and bottom -ends lying in at least generally parallel planes, a `body of generally uniform cross section with peripheral surfaces extending at least generally parallel to its major axis, from a random disposition to a position wherein all of said top ends extend in the same direction, said articles also having portions protruding outwardly from said peripheral surfaces and all -spaced axially away vfrom the midpoints of said articles in the same direction axially, said method comprising arranging said articles in a first position with their top and bottom ends randomly extending in opposite directions and located in spaced parallel planes and their midpoints located in a common plane whereby each of a first group of said articles has its said protruding portion offset from its said midpoint in a first direction and each of a second group has its said protruding portion offset in the opposite direction, grasping each of said first group of articles adjacent the inner side of said protruding portions and moving each of said articles in said first group of articles relative to said second group of articles along its said axis and turning each of said articles in said first group and each of said articles in said second group until the said fiat ends thereof all extend in the same direction.

2. A method according to claim l and `the step of grasping each of said articles in said second group of articles adjacent the inner side of said protruding portions and holding said articles against yaxial movement while moving said articles in said first group of articles.

3. A method of orienting identical containers each having top and bottom ends lying in at least generally parallel planes, and a body of uniform cross section with peripheral surfaces extending parallel to its major axis, from a random disposition to a position wherein all of said tops extend upwardly, said containers also having lips protruding outwardly from said peripheral surfaces adjacent said tops, said method comprising arranging said containers in a first position with their tops randomly extending in opposite directions and located in spaced parallel planes and their midpoints located in a common plane whereby each of a first group of said containers has its said lip offset from its said midpoint in a first direction and each of a second group has its said lip offset in the opposite direction, grasping each of said first group of containers adjacent the under side of said lips and moving each of said containers in said first group of containers relative to said second group of containers along its said axis and turning each of said containers in said first group and each of said containers in said second group until the `said top-s thereof all extend upwardly.

4. A method for similarly arranging identical articles each having a body of substantially uniform cross section normal to its major axis, top and bottom ends lying in at least generally parallel planes, a lip at least near one of its ends, and a difference between the height of said body and the minimum width of said lip across said body, said method comprising, arranging said articles with their top and bottom ends randomly directed in opposite directions and lying in spaced parallel planes, placing each of said articles in a pair of notched elements the notches of which are aligned and spaced from each other axially of said article, with the lips of said articles randomly disposed adjacent the outer sides of said notched elements, moving said elements in a path generally normal to the axes of said articles `and concomitantly separating said elements axially of said articles for withdrawing each of -said articles from the notch in that one of said elements against the outer surface of which the lip of such article is not disposed, separately removing articles from each of said separated elements and oppositely turning such separately removed articles until the top ends thereof are directed in the same direction.

5. A method according to claim 4 including moving the notched elements through circular neighboring paths, axially displacing one of said elements through a portion of said path and removing the articles from each of said elements while in said axially separated portions of said paths.

6. A method according to claim 4 including arranging the articles with their major axes parallel at the time of arranging said articles with their top and bottom ends in parallel spaced planes.

7. A machine for similarly arranging containers, each of said containers having a body portion, two spaced generally parallel ends, one of which is a top, and an outw-ardly extending peripheral lip -adjacent one of its ends, the minimum horizontal dimension of said lip across said body and the height dimension yof said container being different, said machine comprising, in combination, a hopper for the reception of indiscriminately arranged containers, a trough comprising a pair of par-allel plates spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the lesser of Such dimensions but smaller than the greater of such dimensions, means cooperating with said plates for disposing said containers therebetween with their tops and bottoms randomly directed oppositely, said trough having an Iinlet operatively associated with `said hopper for receiving containers therefrom and an outlet, continuous traveling conveying means, one edge of said conveying means being operatively associated with said ioutlet at at least a first portion of its path of movement, the plane of said edge being disposed perpendicularly to the major axes .of the containers during at least said first portion of its path of movement, said edge of said conveying means comprising two elements, the edges of said elements having a plurality of substantially identical, similarly spaced notches, said elements being arranged in side-by-side, -in-phase relationship during said first portion of said path of movement whereby a groove is formed by each pair of laligned notches, the width of said notches in a direction yalong said first portion of said path of movement being greater than the minimum horizontal dimension of said container body adjacent said llip and less than the minimum horizontal dimension of said lip, said outlet including means for guiding said containers into said notches with their bodies received in said notches and their lips lrandomly disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said elements, means for separating said edges of said elements from each other during a second portion ofthe path of movement thereof, and means at such second portion of said path of movement for removing con- Itainers from each `of said elements separately from the containers removed from the other of said elements and for turningsaid separatively removed containers relative toV each other into similar arrangement.

8. A machine in accordance with claim 7 in which one of said elements is composed of a flexible material.

9. A machine in accordance with claim 8 in which said means for separating the edges of said elements comprises a canted plate which extends between the edges of said elements during said second portion of the path of movement thereof.

l0. A machine in accordance with claim 7 in which said means for removing containers from each of the elements includes a pair of oppositely 'twisted guideways.

11. A machine in accordance with claim 10 in which each guideway consists Iof a plurality of spaced rails, said rails being respectively adjacent the top end, bottom end and both sides of the container movable along said rails, and said rails being twisted spirally around a median line along the length of the guidew-ay.

12. A machine in accordance with claim 7 in which said continuous traveling conveying means comprises a rotatably mounted Wheel. Y

13. A machine in accordance with claim l2 in which said wheel comprises a pair of circular discs of the same size and shape mounted axially side-by-side, one of said 'discs being composed of a stili material and the other of said discs being composed of a ilexible material, both of said discs having a plurality of circumferentially aligned notches in their'peripheries whereby a groove is formed by each pair of aligned notches.

' 14. A machine for similarly` arranging open-topped 'containers earch of said containers having a cylindrical body portion and an outwardly extending peripheral lip adjacent its open top, the diameter of said lip across said container being greater than the height of said container, said machine comprising, in combination, a hopper for the reception of indiscriminately arranged con-.1 Ytainers, a trough comprising a pair of parallel plates spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the height of the containers but smaller than the diameter of the lips of such containers, means cooperating withsaid plates for disposing said containers with their major axes parallel to each other, said trough having an inletoperatively associated with said hopper for receiving containers therefrom and an outlet, a wheel, means for rotatably mounting said wheel so that the periphery thereof passes directly adjacent said outlet with the plane of such periphery being disposed perpendicularly tothe major axes of the containers, means for rotating said wheel, saidwheel comprising two discs of the same shape v'and size mounted axially side-by-side, at least the periphery'of one of said discs being composed of a resilient material and the other of said discs being composed of a 'riphery of said one disc from the periphery of said stiif vdisc during a portion of the path of travel of the wheel whereby'containers with their lips adjacent the outer sur- `face of the disc having the resilient periphery are carried therewith and containers with their lips adjacent the 'outer surface of the stii disc remain with said stiff disc,

'and means effective to separately receive containers disposed in the notches of said separated discs and to turn said containers relative -to each other with their open tops similarly arranged.

15. In a machine of the class described having a supply hopper for identical articles to be similarly arranged and mechanism for feeding articles from said hopper and orienting said articles into iirst position with their major axes parallel and their tops and bottoms randomly directed in opposite directions, each of said larticles having body of substantially uniform cross section normal to such major axis and an outwardlyextending peripheral lip at least nearan end of said body, the improvement comprising a pair of parallel spaced elements movable through paths at least a Ifirst portion of which passes near said mechanism in planes normal to such major axes of said articles in such iirst position, the edges of said elements toward said mechanism having a series of spaced notches therein with the'notches in said pair of elements being aligned and in phase, meansY for guiding articles from said mechanism in said rst position into said notches with their lips randomly disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said elements, means for moving said elements, means for relatively separating the notched edges of said elements axially from each other a distance suicient to remove each article from that one of said elements adjacent the outer surface of which its lip is not disposed, means adjacent a second portion of the path of movement of said conveyor Where the edges of said elements are so separated for separately removing said articles from said elements and means for oppositely turning said separately removed articles for arranging al1 of said articles with their tops directed in the same direction.

16. Apparatus for orienting identical articles each of which has at least one substantiallyrilat end, a major axis at least generally normal to said end and a body of generally uniform cross section with peripheral surfaces extending at least generally parallel to said major axis, from a random disposition to a position wherein all of said ends extend in the same direction, said articles also having portions protruding outwardly from said peripheral surfaces and all spaced axially away from the midpoints of said articles in the same direction axially, said apparatus comprising means for arranging said articles in a rst position with their ilat ends randomly extending in opposite planes and their midpoints lying in a common plane, whereby each of a first group of said articles has its said protruding portion oifset from `its said midpoint in a -iirst direction and each of a second group has its said protruding portion offset in the opposite direction, means for engaging each of said first group of articles adjacent the inner side of saidrprotruding portion, means for moving said engaging means in the direction of said protruding portion of each of said articles in said rst group of articles into contact with said protruding portion of each of said articles in said rst group to move each of said articles in said last named group along its axis relative to said second group of articles, means for turning each of said articles in both of said groups until the flat ends thereof all extend in the same direction.

17. Apparatus for orienting articles of the class described comprising, in combination, a pair of parallel, horizontally spaced, vertical plates, saidV plates being spaced horizontally .a distance equal to the height of said articles, means for feeding articles randomly toward the space between said plates, means for arranging said articles between said plates with their corresponding ends randomly directed in opposite directions, means for serially releasing articles from between said plates, means for shifting said articles relative to each other in the directions of their corresponding ends and means for turning said axially shifted articles relative to each other for directing their corresponding ends in the same direction.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 in which the 13 means for shifting the articles relative to each other comprises an element for grasping the -bodies of all articles having their corresponding ends directed in one direction and moving said articles axially relative to the remainder of said articles.

19. A machine for similarly arranging containers, comprising a hopper, a pair of parallel plates operatively associated with said hopper for receiving containers therefrom, means cooperating with said plates for disposing said containers therebetween with their tops and bottoms randomly directly oppositely, a continuous traveling conveying means, one edge of said conveying means being operatively associated with said plates at at least a rst portion of its path of movement, the plane of said edge being disposed perpendicularly to the major axes of the containers during a-t least said first portion of its path of movement, said edge of said conveying means comprising two elements, the edges of said elements having a plurality of substantially identical, similarly spaced notches, said elements being arranged in side-by-side, inphase relationship during said iirst portion of said path of movement whereby a groove is formed by each pair of aligned notches, means for guiding said containers into said notches with their bodies received in said notches and their ends randomly disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said elements, means for separating said edges of said elements from each other during a second portion of the path of movement thereof to move one of said elements into engagement with a portion of each container in a group having the same ends facing in the same direction to shift each container in said group along its major axis, and means at such second portion of said path of movement for removing containers from each of said elements separately from the containers removed from the other of said elements and for -turning said separatively removed containers relative to each other into similar arrangement.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,382,863 Decker et al Aug. 14, 1945 2,714,439 Prickett et al. Aug. 2, 1955 2,924,356 Pollmann et al Feb. 9, 1960 2,937,738 Albertoli et al May 24, 1960

Claims

1. A METHOD OF ORIENTING IDENTICAL ARTICLES, EACH HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS LYING IN AT LEAST GENERALLY PARALLEL PLANES, A BODY OF GENERALLY UNIFORM CROSS SECTION WITH PERIPHERAL SURFACES EXTENDING AT LEAST GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ITS MAJOR AXIS, FROM A RANDOM DISPOSITION TO A POSITION WHEREIN ALL OF SAID TOP ENDS EXTEND IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SAID ARTICLES ALSO HAVING PORTIONS PROTRUDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACES AND ALL SPACED AXIALLY AWAY FROM THE MIDPOINTS OF SAID ARTICLES IN THE SAME DIRECTION AXIALLY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING ARRANGING SAID ARTICLES IN A FIRST POSITION WITH THEIR TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS RANDOMLY EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND LOCATED IN SPACED PARALLEL PLANES AND THEIR MIDPOINTS LOCATED IN A