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:
Nov. 19, 1996
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1995
Larry J Bohnert, Monroe, WI (US);
Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A sorting and feeding apparatus causes components to be deposited into the central portion of a rotatable tube. As the tube rotates, the components are caused to move out of a first end or a second end of the tube, depending on the physical orientation of the components when they are deposited into the tube's central portion. When the components have a first end that has a larger diameter than a second end, rotation of the tube causes the components to move in a direction away from the larger diameter end and toward the smaller diameter end. This principle is used to urge the components to exit from the rotatable tube at an end of the tube that is determined by the physical orientation of the component. Components that are oriented in a desirable direction are fed into an associated apparatus or machine while the components that are oriented in an undesirable direction are returned to a feeding mechanism that recycles them back to the central portion of the tube.