The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 13, 1996
Filed:
Feb. 06, 1995
Werner H Schmitt, Falls Church, VA (US);
Hoppmann Corporation, Chantilly, VA (US);
Abstract
An article handler for orienting and conveying flexible or thin articles. The article handler includes a centrifugal drum rotated about a central axis and a rotary disc disposed radially inward of a lower portion of the centrifugal drum. The centrifugal drum and rotary disc rotate simultaneously and a circumference of the rotary disc approaches a position adjacent to a ledge on an inner surface of the centrifugal drum at one location as the rotary disc rotates about a slanted axis. Articles which are introduced into the article handler become disposed on the ledge of the centrifugal drum in a singulated fashion. Improperly oriented articles are then removed from the ledge, and the properly oriented articles are removed from the ledge of the centrifugal drum by a beveled rotor in a similarly oriented fashion and conveyed to a packing station.