Rotary transfer apparatus

Abstract

A rotary transfer device includes a rotating transfer disc and a valve plate overlying and concentric with the disc. A series of fluid conduits extend radially inward from the disc perimeter, or from a face of a disc near the perimeter, and are open at their inward ends to the disc top surface beneath the valve plate. An arcuate vacuum groove, and a spaced apart air pressure groove, are formed in the bottom surface of the valve plate and open to a vacuum source and pressurized air source, respectively. Rotation of the disc brings the inner end of each conduit into intermittent fluid communication with the vacuum groove at an object acquiring position where the outer end of the conduit is near the feed station. Further rotation of the disc brings the inner conduit end into fluid communcation with the pressure groove, with the outer conduit end near an object discharge position. The angular position of the valve plate can be fixed at different positions, enabling a fine adjustment of the vacuum pick-up and pressure discharge points. In one modification of the transfer device, two or more sets of vacuum grooves and pressure grooves can be formed in the same valve plate, an arrangement particularly useful in merging and sorting operations.