Depositor apparatus

A depositor apparatus,

• wherein the depositor apparatus is configured to be located at a position above a container having a plurality of storage cavities formed to contain items and having an upper surface contiguous with the plurality of storage cavities, the storage cavities being arranged in a matrix-like pattern, the depositor apparatus being configured to discharge the items into the plurality of storage cavities of the container,
• the depositor apparatus comprising:
• a collating mechanism;
• a holding mechanism;
• and
• a discharging/guiding mechanism,
• the collating mechanism comprising a plurality of cylindrical collating chutes each having an upper end opening and a lower end outlet, the plurality of collating chutes each being configured to receive the items supplied from above, guide the items downward, and discharge the items from the lower end outlet by swinging forward and backward in any one of a column direction and a row direction of the matrix-like pattern,
• the holding mechanism comprising a holding array having a plurality of vertically extending holding cells arranged in correspondence to the matrix-like pattern and a plurality of discharge gates each configured to open and close a lower port of a respective one of the plurality of holding cells of the holding array, the holding mechanism being configured to hold the items supplied from the lower end outlet of the collating chute in the plurality of holding cells of the holding array in which the plurality of discharge gates are closed,
• the discharging/guiding mechanism comprising a diving funnel array and a fixed position transfer funnel,
• the diving funnel array being configured to reciprocate downward and upward between an upper position at which the diving funnel array is spaced apart from an upper surface of the container and a lower position at which the diving funnel array contacts the entire upper surface of the container, the diving funnel array including a plurality of first through holes that are vertically formed, each of the plurality of first through holes being a passage individually guiding the items discharged from the lower port of each of the plurality of holding cells into each of the plurality of storage cavities of the container,
• the fixed position transfer funnel including a plurality of second through holes that are vertically formed at a position below, and corresponding to, the lower port of each of the plurality of holding cells of the holding mechanism, the fixed position transfer funnel comprising a plurality of cylinders each extending downwardly in correspondence to each of the plurality of first through holes,
• the plurality of cylinders each being configured to be inserted in a relatively large depth into each of the plurality of first through holes of the diving funnel array when the diving funnel array is moved upward to an upper position and in a relatively small depth into each of the plurality of first through holes of the diving funnel array when the diving funnel array is moved downward to a lower position,
• the storage mechanism being configured to open the plurality of discharge gates of the holding array, discharge the items stored in each of the plurality of holding cells from the lower port of each of the plurality of holding cells, and drop the items into each of the plurality of second through holes of the fixed position transfer funnel when the items are stored in each of the plurality of holding cells at each swing position of the plurality of collating chutes,
• the diving funnel array being configured to contact and thereby cover the upper surface of the container, including upper surfaces of peripheral edges of the plurality of storage cavities, and guide the items from the plurality of the first through holes of the diving funnel array into the plurality of storage cavities of the container, when the diving funnel array is at the lower position.