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. 11, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2002
Detlev Gertitschke, Laupheim, DE;
Ralf Heim, Schnürpflingen, DE;
Hans-Martin Pöhler, Laichingen, DE;
Jürgen Matzenmüller, Bellamont, DE;
Bernd Zoller, Laupheim, DE;
Erich Jans, Burgrieden-Roth, DE;
Harald Litke, Achstetten, DE;
Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG, Laupheim, DE;
Abstract
An apparatus for sorting and feeding identically shaped small objects has a funnel adapted to hold the objects and having a downwardly open outlet and a housing and a wheel together forming an arcuate passage generally centered on an axis and having an upper inlet end at the outlet and a lower outlet end so that the objects can enter the upper inlet end of the passage and move downward through the passage. The wheel has an outer periphery exposed in the passage and formed with a row of outwardly open pockets of a shape corresponding generally to a shape of the objects. The wheel is rotated such that its periphery moves upward in the passage so that the objects are separated from one another and aligned behind one another in the passage.