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:
Apr. 09, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 22, 2000
Glenn H. Kuenzler, Macedonia, OH (US);
Edward J. Balaschak, Avon, OH (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A generally cylindrically shaped feeder having a feeder housing defining a cavity bounded by an inner surface having a plurality of spiral grooves spaced apart from each other and extending from a front end to a back end of the inner surface of the feeder housing. A generally cone shaped end cap is dimensioned such that a cone base engages the back end of said cylindrically shaped feeder housing. The cap has an inner surface which faces the cavity and forms a plurality of grooves cut into the inner surface which extend radially from a cone top to the cone base and are spaced about a periphery of the end cap to align with corresponding spiral grooves in the feeder housing. A drive rotates the cylindrically shaped feeder about an axis of rotation to move parts along the pluralite of spiral grooves to the pluralite of radial grooves for delivery to a discharge zone at the top of said cone.