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:
Oct. 15, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1994
Werner H Schmitt, Falls Church, VA (US);
Hoppmann Corporation, Chantilly, VA (US);
Abstract
A rotary puck conveying mechanism and method will qualify articles and place them within a puck. This puck has a centrally disposed opening for receiving the articles. The mechanism includes a centrifugal feeder for supply a plurality of articles to an outer peripheral rim of the feeder. The rim is rotatable and has a plurality of openings. Pucks are provided beneath the openings in order-to receive the articles. Different devices are provided for agitating articles on the rim to cause them to fall through the openings into the pucks. If the articles eventually do not fall through the openings, a jet or other suitable device is provided for removing the articles from the rim. The pucks will be fed to the centrifugal feeder and aligned with the openings in the rim. The pucks will simultaneously move with these aligned openings beneath the rim. When the articles remaining on the rim are swept off of this rim, the pucks can then be detached and conveyed away from the centrifugal feeder. Teeth with nest are provided on the centrifugal feeder for engaging the pucks, aligning the pucks with the openings in the rim and for conveying the pucks around at least a portion of the feeder. A height qualifier, wiper blades, air blast device and a wall can be provided around the rim of the centrifugal feeder to agitate the articles and move them through the openings in the rim into the pucks.