US3682292A

US3682292A - Powered lid orientor

Info

Publication number: US3682292A
Application number: US119166A
Authority: US
Inventors: William G Drew
Original assignee: Automation Systems Inc
Current assignee: Automation Systems Inc
Priority date: 1971-02-26
Filing date: 1971-02-26
Publication date: 1972-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-08

Abstract

A machine for orienting skirted lids has a pair of counterrotating brush elements arranged to draw a lid into the nip between them and to expel the lid to a discharge location. One brush element engages the lid along a generally central diametrical portion thereof and the other brush element engages the lid at two side portions, i.e. along chords parallel to the diameter, spaced on either side of the central portion. The different engagements of the brush elements with a lid oriented with the skirt facing upward, and with a lid in a skirt-down orientation, enable the brush elements to discharge the differently-oriented lids with different rotational velocities such that all the lids end up with the same orientation on the discharge location.

Description

United States Patent Drew [ 51 Aug. 8, 1972 POWERED LID ORIENTOR Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter [72] Inventor: William G. Drew, c/o Automation Awmey KenwayJenney& H'ldreth Systems, Inc., 360 Amherst Street, Nashau, NH. 03060 [571 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 26, 1971 A machine for orienting skirted lids has a pair of counter-rotating brush elements arranged to draw a lid PP 119,166 into the nip between them and to expel the lid to a discharge location. One brush element engages the lid 52 I along a generally central diametrical Portion thereof g and the other brush element engages the lid attwo Side po Le. along chords parallel to the diame [58] Field of hM'l98/33 33 93/43 R ter, spaced on either side of the central portion. The different engagements of the brush elements with a lid [56] References cued oriented with the skirt facing upward, and with a lid in UNITED STATES PATENTS a skirt-down orientation, enable the brush elements to 3 526 311 9/1970 Robinson 198/33 AD discharge the difierently-oriented lids with different rotational velocities such that all the lids end up with the same orientation on the discharge location.

12 Clainm, 6 Drawing Figures PA'TE'NTEDAus' 8 I972 sum 1 or 3 V |NVENTOR WILLAM G. DREW ATTORNEYS P'A'TENTEDAuc 8m: 3,682,292

smznaura FIG. 4

. INVENTOR WILLIAM G. DREW BY 7} c ATTORNEYS P'A'nmmm 8:922 3.682.292

SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR 5 WILLIAM G. DREW ATTORNEYS POWERED LlD ORIENTOR BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to a machine for inverting lids having skirts, and like skirted disk-shaped articles, hav

'ing one orientation, and for passing the articles of opposite orientation without inversion, so that all the articles end up with the same orientation.

Plastic snap-on lids and other articles of like shape often need to be placed in a uniform orientation, as in the manufacturers process of packaging them. For example, apparatus which molds plastic snap-on lids often discharges newly-formed lids onto a platform with some lidsoriented face up, with their skirts extending downward, and others oriented face down so their skirts extend upward. However, the lids need to be placed in a uniform orientation for stacking them or for other further processing.

Automatic orientors have heretofore been provided for cookies and crackers, such as ginger snaps, and also for container covers. For example, US. Pat. No. 3,311,218 discloses a gravity-aided machine for converting an incoming stream of face-up and face-down lids into an outgoing stream with all the lids having the same orientation. These prior machines, however, have limited reliability in that they sometimes fail to invert all the improperly-oriented articles. This often occurs with increasing frequency when the machines are operated at increasing speeds, i.e., the articles are fed to the orientors at rapid rates.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an automatic lid orientor that provides reliable operation, even when-processing lids at comparatively rapid rates.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lid and like article-orienting mechanism that positively engages the articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lid and like article-orienting mechanism that operates with no requisite dependence on gravity. Such an orientor can receive lids from a vertical direction as well as horizontally, and likewise can discharge them to an output chute having either a vertical or a horizontal orientation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an orientor of the above character which can be constructed at relatively low cost and, further, which can be adjusted readily for operation with different articles.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION An orientor embodying the invention processes skirted snap-on lids, and like disk-like articles having a circular periphery and a protrusion from one face along a path adjacent the periphery. The orientor-z feeds the lids one at a time into the nip between a pair of counter-rotating brush elements so that the two brush elements engage opposite faces of the lid. One brush element engages the lid along a central portion, and the other brush element engages it at two side portions, i.e., along chords parallel to the diameter, spaced on either side of the central portion. This latter brush element does not engage the lid at its central portion. The brush elements, which rotate in opposite directions, draw a lid from an upstream direction into the nip between them and expel it in the downstream direction. Downstream from the brush elements at a discharge location is apparatus such as a slide or conveyor which receives the discharged lids and carries them to further processing or handling equipment.

With this arrangement, the brush elements expel each lid to the discharge location with one of two rotational velocities, depending on the face-up or facedown orientation with which each lid enters the brush elements, such that all the lids assume the same orientation at the discharge location. This differential operation results from the different engagements of the two brush elements with the trailing edge of a lid, i.e., with the edge of the lid last to leave the brush elements as they discharge the lid. I

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others effected by such apparatus, all as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention is indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

F IG.- 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a lid orientor embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top, horizontal, plan view of a fragmentary portion of the orientor of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views, partly broken away, of the orientor of FIG. 1 showing operation with differently-oriented lids;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of an alternate construction for an orientor in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side view, partly broken away, of the orientor of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIG. 1, a lid orientor 10 according to the invention has a feed conveyer l2 fitted with

side guides

14 and 16 and which delivers to a pair of brush elements 18 and 20 a single-file stream of

lids

22, 22 lying flat with either a face-up or a face-down orientation. The illustrated lids are snap-on plastic lids and hence each has a disk-shaped panel with a clamping skirt protruding from one face of the panel along the disk periphery. This configuration of the skirt gives the lid a protrusion on one side only and along a path adjacent the lid periphery. The other side of the lid is flat, at least along the outer annular portion adjacent the periphery. A face-up lid 22a has the skirt directed upward and a face-down lid 22b has the skirt protruding downward. At its output end 12a, the feed conveyor 12 discharges the lids, with the same orientation as on the conveyor, to a downwardly inclined ramp or slide 24. The slide feeds the lids 22, one at a time, to the nip 26 between the

brush elements

18 and 20. The lower brush element 18 has a single wheel-like rotary brush 28 mounted on a shaft 30 for rotation therewith; the

of

side plates

38 and 40 that are speced apart similar to the feed

conveyor side guides

14 and 16 to ensure that the lids remain in line as they pass from the feed conveyor to an output chute, indicated generally at 42. The illustrated shafts extend outside beyond the side plate 40 for engagement in a conventional manner with a drive unit indicated generally at 44. The drive unit, which illustratively includes a motor and a transmission unit, drives the shaft 30 of thelower brush element clockwise and drivesthe shaft 36 of the upper brush element in the counter-clockwise direction. Further,

the'drive unit rotates the shaft of the single-brush element 18 more rapidly than it does the shaft of the other element 20, the speed ratio is typically in the order of one and a half to one and preferably can be adjusted, illustratively by operation of a lever 440 on the drive unit. 'The speed of the drive unit motor preferably is also adjustable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2', the brush 28 of the brush element 18 is secured to the shaft 30 centered between the

side plates

38 and 40 to engage the center line of each lid, i.e., to engage the lid along the lid diameter which is aligned with the direction of lid advance. The

brushes

32 and 34 of the brush element 20, on the otherhand,- are secured to the shaft 36 offset to either side from the brush 28. Thus each

brush

32 and 34 of the element engages each lid along a chord parallel to the lid diameteralong which it is engaged by brush 28.,ln particular, it is considered preferable to position the

brushes

32 and 34 of the element 20 to engage each lid approximately one-third of the-distance in from the edges of the lids which are adjacent the

side plates

38 and 40. Thus, as seen in the plane of FIG. 2, each

brush

32 and 34 is spaced to the side from the brush 28 by approximately one-sixth of the diameter of the lid.

With further reference to FIG. 1 and as also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the illustrated output chute 42 includes a slide platform 46 and a deflector plate 48. The platform and plate form a funnel-like guide chute that can receive lids expelled from between the brush elements and direct them onto an output station 50; the illustrated output station is at the load end of a belt conveyor 54. The platform 46 and plate 46 are thus in line with the feed conveyer l2 and with the

brush elements

18 and 20, and are oriented relative to each other in a funnel-like configuration having the narrow end at the orientor output station. The slide platform 46 is below the straight-line path 52 extending from the feed slide 24 and between the brush elements, and the deflector plate 48 is above this path.

With regard to the operation of theorientor 10, consider first the passage of a face-up lid 22a through it as shown in FIG. 3. As a lid-22a slides into the nip 26, the

brush elements

18 and 20 draw it into engagement.

between them. Each brush element tends to rotate the lid'in the same direction-as the brush rotates, but the other brush element resists this motion. Hence, the brush elements expel the lid to the discharge chute 42 with essentially only a lineal velocity, which carries the lid along a trajectory substantially coincident with the path 52. Accordingly, the lid traverses the span to the output conveyor 54 without restriction other than whatever contact it has with the discharge chute, and arrives at the output conveyor 54 with the same face-up orientation it had on the feed conveyor 12.

The lid typically lands on the slide platform 46 of the I output chute and slides from there onto the output conveyer. However, if the lid is expelled with enough energy to strike the barrier plate 48, it drops from there without inversion to the plate 46 or directly onto the conveyer 54. v

The two

brush elements

18 and 20 are understood to provide this non-inverting transfer of a face-up lid to the output station with the following action. While the lid is fully between the two brush elements,each counteracts the action of the other to change the lid path or orientation. Further, as the trailing edge of the lid passes between the brush elements, the lid skirt becomes embedded in the

dual brushes

32 and 34 of the upper brush element 20. This engagement causes the brush element 20 ,to tend to impart a counterclockwise rotational velocity to the lid, i.e., in the same rotational direction as the brush element 20. However, the engagement of the brush 28 of the lower singlebrush element 18 with the lid, which continues for an instant after the lid leaves thev brush element 20 because the element .18 engages the center of the lid, resists and cancels this rotational kickf? However, this final engagement of the single brush 28 with the lid, for

an instant after it passes beyond the dual brushes of elethe upper-brush element. Accordingly, the lower-brush element imparts a clockwise rotation to the lid as it is expelled from the brush elements. This rotational velocity summersaults the lid to'a face-up orientation as it passes within the output chute to the output conveyer, so that it arrives at the output station 50 with the desired face-up orientation, as illustrated.

Thus, the brush element 20 appears to function principally to accelerate lids forward along the desired path; and the brush element 18 functions principally to impart, only to a lid oriented to project its skirt toward this element, a net rotational velocity that inverts the lid as it freely falls after ejection from the brush elements. The output chute 42, and conveyor 54, are arranged to catch the freely-moving lids and maintain them in a uniform orientation. The brush element 20 provides the basically lineal accelerating operation by virtue of its engagement with each lid along portions thereof symmetrically spaced to the side from the central diametrical portion, where it does not engage the lid, coupled with the simultaneousengagement of the other brush element with the lid. Similarly, the brush element 18 provides the inverting acceleration to lids of one orientation by virtue of its engagement with each lid only along the aforementioned central portion.

As indicated above, the drive unit 44 preferably rotates the single-brush element 18 at a rate faster than the rotation of the brush element 20. This faster rotation of the brush element 18 has been found to increase the rotationaly velocity which the brush elements impart to a face-down lid and hence to enhance the lidflipping action illustrated in FIG. 4. The difference in brush element speeds preferably is in the order of one and a half to one. For example, one orientor constructed in accordance with the invention rotates the dual-brush element 20 at around 200 revolutions per minute and rotates the other, single-brush element 18 at a speed of about 300 revolutions per minute.

Further, by way of example, this orientor processes lids, each having a diameter of between 3 inches and 6 inches and a skirt height of around three-eighths inch, with each

brush

28, 32 and 34 having an outer diameter of 3 inches and a width (along its shaft) of between one-fourth and three-eighths inch. Further the two

brush elements

18 and 20 are spaced apart, i.e., along a line between their shafts, by a distance just slightly greater than the radius of the brush element 18 plus the radius of the brush element 20; thus, where the brushes of both brush elements have a three inch diameter, their shafts are spaced apart by 3 inches plus a clearance of 0.005 inch, which is less than the thickness of the lid panel.

It has further been found preferable where the brush elements are disposed one above the other as illustrated for receiving lids advancing along a horizontallyextending path, that the lower-brush element be the one having a single brush, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. With this preferred relative orientation of the brush elements, it has been observed that the transit time of a lid between leaving the brush elements and arrival at the output station is essentially the same for both faceup and face-down lids, i.e.,along the two lid trajectories shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, the orientor operates satisfactorily where the location of the brush elements is reversed from the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 so that the dual-brush element 20 is below the single-brush element 18. However, with this alternative arrangement, lids that are inverted during passage from the brush elements to the output station have been observed to traverse this distance with a slightly longer time than lids that traverse the distance without inversion. Although the time differential is small and usually of no concern; as stated, the illustrated arrangement is considered preferable.

It should also be noted that the

shafts

30 and 36 of the brush elements are spaced apart along a line transverse to the desired path 52 of lid advance into and out of the brush elements. Also, this line between the shafts is inclined from the vertical such that the path 52 is inclined downward as it extends from the brush elements to the chute 42.

Although the illustrated lids 22 have flat panels from which the lid skirt protrudes, the invention can also be used with many lids in which the panels are recessed in one direction or the other at the central portion, provided the outer annular portion of the lid panel, i.e., adjacent the skirted periphery, is essentially flat.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another construction for a lid orientor in accordance with the invention. In brief, the orientor, indicated generally at 60, differs from the orientor of FIGS. 1-4 in that instead of the two

brush elements

18 and 20, two

wheel elements

62 and 64 are provided. Further, instead of one wheel element having a single wheel corresponding to the single brush 28 of brush element 18, the wheel element 62 has two wheels 62a and 62b.

Also, the orientor is illustrated as having a pair of

guide rollers

66 and 68 at the discharge location 70 and guiding the oriented lids to a lid stacker 72.

Thus, the orientor 60 receives lids 74 one at a time from an input belt conveyer, and the lids slide off the conveyor onto a ramp and thence into the nip between the

wheel elements

62 and 64. The wheel elements are driven to rotate in opposite directions in the same manner as discussed above with reference to the orientor l0, and hence draw each lid to pass between them and then discharge the lid to the discharge location 70. Guide plates 69, shown in FIG. 6 with dashed lines, can be provided to form a chute-like guide extending between the wheel elements and location 70. However, the guide plates are optional, particularly because in most instances few lids are so misdirected that they do not arrive at the discharge location automatically.

The

wheel elements

62 and 64 discharge on initially face-up lid 74a to the location 70 without inversion, as indicated in FIG. 6 with the dashed line showing. A face-down lid 74b, however, is expelled from the wheel elements with a rotational velocity so that it turns over end-for-end by in traversing to the discharge location, as shown in FIG. 6 with full lines.

The

wheels

62a, 62b, 64a and 64b can be brushes such as the FIG. 1 brushes 28, 32 and 34. However, as illustrated, they can alternatively be wheels having resiliently soft rims made, for example, of soft elastomeric or sponge-like material.

The wheel element 62 functions essentially in the same manner as the single-brush element 18 of the orientor 10. The wheels 62a and 62b of this element are mounted for driven rotation together about a common axis and are located to engage each lid along chords which are parallel to each other and equally spaced about the lid diameter 740 (FIG. 5) which is aligned along the path of lid travel in the orientor. Thus the wheels 62a and 62b are considered to engage each lid about a generally-central, diametrically-extending portion, in the same general manner as the brush 28 of FIG. 1. The orientor 60 can, of course, have only a single wheel instead of the two wheels shown and which extends for a width as much as the width of the two wheels 62a and 62b and the space between them.

The other wheel element 64, which is similar to the brush element 20 of FIG. 1 and functions in the same manner, has the two

wheels

64a and 64b thereof driven for rotation together about a common axis and located to engage each lid along chords which are parallel to each other and to the chords along which the wheels 62a and 62b engage the lid. Further, the

wheels

64a and 64b are symmetrically spaced from the lid diameter 740 by a distance greater than the spacing of the wheels 62a and 62b. Thus, the wheels of element 62 engage each lid inboard relative to engagement of the wheels of element 64. It will thus be apparent that the wheel element 64 does not engage the lids along the central portion of engagement by the wheel element 62, but engages each lid only outboard from, and on each side of, this central portion.

The spacing of each wheel of element 64 outboard from, or beyond, the wheel element 62 is typically less than one-third of the radius of the lids being processed. By way of illustrative example, an orientor for lids with a diameter of around four to five inches has a spacing or gap between wheels 62a and 64a, and likewise between wheels 62b and64b, of around one-quarter to one-half inch, which is equivalent to a spacing of between one-fourth and one-tenth of the lid radius.

With further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the

guide rollers

66 and 68, which extend horizontally and parallelto each other and transverse to the path of lid travel through the orientor'60, are counter-rotatably driven to draw lids which arrive at the discharge location 70 downward between them; and to deposit the lids onedge on the lid stacker 72. The lid stacker has three parallel and horizontally-extending

roller bars

72a, 72b and 72c driven in a conventional manner to rotate in the same direction. The bars arein a trough-like equilateral triangle arrangement (when viewed from the ends of the bars) withthe bar 720 below the

bars

72b and 72c. The side bars 72b and 720 thus maintain the lids in a stack resting on the bar 72a. Further, each bar has a short threaded portion 76 along the length thereof when the lids arrive from the guide rollers. These threaded portions function in a lead-screw manner to advance each newly-arrived lid to the right in the drawings. This advancing movement removes each lid from-the point of arrival on the stacker and urges it into the stack of lids already assembled. In this manner the illustrated stacker functions in part as a conveyor to remove each lidfrorn the point where it arrives from the orientor, prior to arrival of the next lid. It will thus be seen that the objects as set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes maybe made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also 'tobe understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific fea- 45 tures' of the invention'herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. In particular, the term wheel element is used in the claims to cover bristled wheel elements as described in the orientor of FIGS. 1-4, soft-rimmed wheel elements as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, and equivalents thereto.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A'machine for receiving a succession of skirted disk-shaped articles moving forward along a path and disposed in either a first initial face-up orientation or a second initial face-down orientation, and for placing all said articles in the same orientation, said machine comprising:

.A. first and second brush elements 1. having outer surface of circular cross-section and mounted for rotation'about parallel axes extending transverse to said path, 2. each of which is disposed on a different side of said path to engage with said outer surface one face of each said article during the engagement by said other element with the opposed face of the same article,

3. said first brush element engaging each article 5 along only a central portion thereof aligned with said path, and

4. said second brush element engaging each article simultaneously along two side'portions thereof aligned along said path and located on different sides of said central portion, and being devoid of engagement with each article between said 'two side portions thereof, and s B. drive means for rotating said brush elements in opl posite directions to move the portion of each brush element disposed in said path forwardtherealong, so that theengagement of said brush elements with each article advances it forward along said path.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 in which said drive means rotates saidfirst brush element at a faster rate than said second brush element.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1 further compris- A. conveyer means disposed downstream 'along said path from said brush elements for moving articles forward along a direction longitudinal to said path, and

B. guide means disposed along said path for receiving articles advanced out of engagement with said brush elements and for delivering them to said conveyer means, said guide means having at least one orientation-guiding surface for engagement at least with articles having one of said initial orientations.

4. A machine as defined in claiml in which;

A. said brush' elements rotate about axes spaced apart along a direction transverse to said path at the passage of said pathinto engagement with said brush elements, and r B. said brush elements accelerate each article forward along said path and expelit with one of two different angular velocities depending on said initial orientation thereof. g

5. A machine as defined in claim 4 in which said path extends forward in a horizontal and vertically downward direction at said passage thereof into engagement with said brush elements.

6. Apparatus for placing in uniform orientation disklike articles, each of which has a panel with at least a substantially flat outer annular portion, and has a peripheral skirt extending from said panel on one side thereof, said apparatus receiving said articles disposed in either a' first initial orientation or a second initial orientation and discharging said articles with said uniform orientation forward along a path, said apparatus comprising:

A. guide means for receiving guiding them along said path,

B. rotation-producing drive means,

C. a first tubular wheel element l. of circular circumferential periphery and rotatable about a first axis transverse to said path,

2. disposed on a first side of said path for engagement at said periphery thereof with said article panel simultaneously along two side portions thereof aligned along said path symmetrically on airborne articles and different sides of a central portion of said article panel,

3. devoid of engagement with said article panel between said side portions thereof,

4. rotated by said drive means in a direction to move the surface thereof which engages said articles forward along said path,

D. a second tubular wheel element 1. of circular circumferential periphery and rotatable about a second axis parallel to said first axis,

2. disposed on a second side of said path opposite said first side for engagement at said periphery thereof with said article panel only along said central portion thereof aligned along said path and 3. rotated by said drive means in the direction opposite from said first wheel element and co-acting with said first wheel element to accelerate each article and expel it toward said guide means, said second element further imparting a first rotational velocity only to expelled lids having a first initial orientation that disposes said skirt thereof toward said second side of said path, so that articles having said first initial orientation arrive at said guide means inverted to said second orientation, and said articles having said second initial orientations arrive at said guide means with said second orientation.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said drive means rotates said second wheel element more rapidly than said first wheel element.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

A. input conveyer means delivering said articles single-file to said first and second wheel elements along said path upstream from said wheel elements, and

B. output means for receiving articles from said guide means and advancing them longitudinal to said path downstream from said wheel elements.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said second wheel element engages said article panel simultaneously along two symmetrically spaced-apart subportions within said central portion thereof.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said first wheel element is free of engagement with said article I them a lid to be oriented and to engage with said wheel surfaces opposite sides of a lid as it'passes between them; one wheel element engaging said lid along a central diametrical portion thereof to engage the skirt of a first lid which is oriented to project the skirt toward said one element abruptly as said lid moves beyond and out of engagement with said wheelelements; and the other wheel element engaging said lid at two side portions thereon lying along chords shorter than the diameter and substantially symmetrically spaced about said central portion, to terminate engagement with said skirt of a second lid which is oriented to project the skirt toward said other element prior to the termination of engagement of said first element with said second 12. Apparatus for placing in uniform orientation disk-like articles each of which has a panel and a peripheral skirt extending on one side thereof beyond said panel, said apparatus receiving said articles disposed in either a first initial orientation or an inverted second initial orientation and discharging said articles with said uniform orientation forward along a path, said apparatus comprising a pair of counter-rotating article-accelerating wheel elements spaced to receive between the wheel surfaces thereof an article having one of said initial orientations and to engage opposite sides thereof thereby to accelerate said article along said path as it passes between said elements; one wheel element engaging said article at two side portions thereon which extend along chords shorter than the article diameter and are substantially symmetrically spaced about the article diameter, and for accelerating said article substantially unifonnly along said path independent of said article orientatiomand the other said wheel element engaging said article at a central portion intermediate said side portions thereof and imparting a first rotational velocity to only an article passing between said wheel elements with an initial orientation which projects said skirt thereof toward that other wheel element.

Claims

1. A machine for receiving a succession of skirted disk-shaped articles moving forward along a path and disposed in either a first initial face-up orientation or a second initial face-down orientation, and for placing all said articles in the same orientation, said machine comprising: A. first and second brush elements 1. having outer surface of circular cross-section and mounted for rotation about parallel axes extending transverse to said path, 2. each of which is disposed on a different side of said path to engage with said outer surface one face of each said article during the engagement by said other element with the opposed face of the same article, 3. said first brush element engaging each article along only a central portion thereof aligned with said path, and 4. said second brush element engaging each article simultaneously along two side portions thereof aligned along said path and located on different sides of said central portion, and being devoid of engagement with each article between said two side portions thereof, and B. drive means for rotating said brush elements in opposite directions to move the portion of each brush element disposed in said path forward therealong, so that the engagement of said brush elements with each article advances it forward along said path.

2. each of which is disposed on a different side of said path to engage with said outer surface one face of each said article during the engagement by said other element with the opposed face of the same article,

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 in which said drive means rotates said first brush element at a faster rate than said second brush element.

2. disposed on a second side of said path opposite said first side for engagement at said periphery thereof with said article panel only along said central portion thereof aligned along said path and

2. disposed on a first side of said path for engagement at said periphery thereof with said article panel simultaneously along two side portionS thereof aligned along said path symmetrically on different sides of a central portion of said article panel,

3. rotated by said drive means in the direction opposite from said first wheel element and co-acting with said first wheel element to accelerate each article and expel it toward said guide means, said second element further imparting a first rotational velocity only to expelled lids having a first initial orientation that disposes said skirt thereof toward said second side of said path, so that articles having said first initial orientation arrive at said guide means inverted to said second orientation, and said articles having said second initial orientations arrive at said guide means with said second orientation.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising: A. conveyer means disposed downstream along said path from said brush elements for moving articles forward along a direction longitudinal to said path, and B. guide means disposed along said path for receiving articles advanced out of engagement with said brush elements and for delivering them to said conveyer means, said guide means having at least one orientation-guiding surface for engagement at least with articles having one of said initial orientations.

3. said first brush element engaging each article along only a central portion thereof aligned with said path, and

4. said second brush element engaging each article simultaneously along two side portions thereof aligned along said path and located on different sides of said central portion, and being devoid of engagement with each article between said two side portions thereof, and B. drive means for rotating said brush elements in opposite directions to move the portion of each brush element disposed in said path forward therealong, so that the engagement of said brush elements with each article advances it forward along said path.

4. A machine as defined in claim 1 in which: A. said brush elements rotate about axes spaced apart along a direction transverse to said path at the passage of said path into engagement with said brush elements, and B. said brush elements accelerate each article forward along said path and expel it with one of two different angular velocities depending on said initial orientation thereof.

4. rotated by said drive means in a direction to move the surface thereof which engages said articles forward along said path, D. a second tubular wheel element

6. Apparatus for placing in uniform orientation disk-like articles, each of which has a panel with at least a substantially flat outer annular portion, and has a peripheral skirt extending from said panel on one side thereof, said apparatus receiving said articles disposed in either a first initial orientation or a second initial orientation and discharging said articles with said uniform orientation forward along a path, said apparatus comprising: A. guide means for receiving airborne articles and guiding them along said path, B. rotation-producing drive means, C. a first tubular wheel element

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 further comprising: A. input conveyer means delivering said articles single-file to said first and second wheel elements along said path upstream from said wheel elements, and B. output means for receiving articles from said guide means and advancing them longitudinal to said path downstream from said wheel elements.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said first wheel element is free of engagement with said article panel along said central portion thereof.

11. A powered lid orientor for orienting skirted lids and lid-like articles comprising a pair of counter-rotating wheel elements having wheel surfaces of circular cross-section and being spaced to receive between them a lid to be oriented and to engage with said wheel surfaces opposite sides of a lid as it passes between them; one wheel element engaging said lid along a central diametrical portion thereof to engage the skirt of a first lid which is oriented to project the skirt toward said one element abruptly as said lid moves beyond and out of engagement with said wheel elements; and the other wheel element engaging said lid at two side portions thereon lying along chords shorter than the diameter and substantially symmetrically spaced about said central portion, to terminate engagement with said skirt of a second lid which is oriented to project the skirt toward said other element prior to the termination of engagement of said first element with said second lid.

12. Apparatus for placing in uniform orientation disk-like articles each of which has a panel and a peripheral skirt extending on one side thereof beyond said panel, said apparatus receiving said articles disposed in either a first initial orientation or an inverted second initial orientation and discharging said articles with said uniform orientation forward along a path, said apparatus comprising a pair of counter-rotating article-accelerating wheel elements spaced to receive between the wheel surfaces thereof an article having one of said initial orientations and to engage opposite sides thereof thereby to accelerate said article along said path as it passes between said elements; one wheel element engaging said article at two side portions thereon which extend along chords shorter than the article diameter and are substantially symmetrically spaced about the article diAmeter, and for accelerating said article substantially uniformly along said path independent of said article orientation; and the other said wheel element engaging said article at a central portion intermediate said side portions thereof and imparting a first rotational velocity to only an article passing between said wheel elements with an initial orientation which projects said skirt thereof toward that other wheel element.