# US 2014/0151393 A1 · Article dispenser apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0151393 A1
- Document ID: US20140151393A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/693,902
- Filed: 2012-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North
- Inventors: Bradley T. Simpson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151393A1

## CPC

- B65G 47/1485: {using suction or magnetic forces}
- B23P 19/001: {Article feeders for assembling machines (screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045)}
- B23P 19/004: {Feeding the articles from hoppers to machines or dispensers}
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)

## Abstract

An article dispenser accumulates and dispenses a required correct number of articles from a supply of loose articles to complete a work operation. The articles are picked one at a time from the supply of articles and deposited on a pivotal chute for collection in a ladle at an outlet of the chute. When the correct number of articles are deposited in the chute, the chute pivots from a first article accumulation position to a second position allowing removal of the articles from the ladle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An article dispenser comprising:
a housing with an opening for receiving a plurality of loose articles;
a rotary member disposed in communication with an interior of the housing;
a chute pivotally mounted at a pivot point and having an inlet and an outlet end; and
at least one magnet carried on the rotary member disposed in communication with an interior of the housing for magnetically attracting and carrying one article from a plurality of articles in the interior of the housing to the inlet of the chute.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
an article receiving ladle carried on the outlet of the chute; and
a counter weight mounted adjacent the inlet of the chute to provide a counter balance for the chute to enable the chute to pivot the outlet of the chute from a first position when the ladle is empty of articles and a second spaced position when a correct number of articles are deposited in the ladle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The article dispenser of claim 2 wherein:
removal of the articles from the ladle allows the counter weight to pivot the outlet of the chute to the first position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The article dispenser of claim 2 further comprising:
a sensor detecting movement of the chute to the second position, an output of the sensor deactivating rotation of the rotary member, the output of the sensor, when the outlet of the chute has been pivoted to the first position, reinstituting rotation of the rotary member.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The article dispenser of claim 4 further comprising:
an electric motor coupled to the rotary member of rotating the rotary member;
the output of the sensor coupled between a source of electric power and the electric motor for activating and deactivating the electric motor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
a slide mounted in the interior of the housing for directing the loose articles from the opening toward the rotary member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
an article limiter mounted in the housing, and positioned to disengage a second article carried by the magnet from the magnet to limit the number of articles carried by the magnet to the inlet of the chute to a single article.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
the pivot point of the chute disposed intermediate the inlet and outlet of the chute.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
an article receiving ladle carried on the outlet of the chute for accumulating articles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The article dispenser of claim 1 further comprising:
a housing with an opening for receiving a plurality of loose articles;
a rotary member disposed in communication with an interior of the housing;
a chute having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chute pivotally mounted at a pivot point intermediate the inlet end and the outlet end;
an article receiving ladle carried on the outlet of the chute;
at least one magnet carried on the rotary member disposed in communication with an interior of the housing for a magnetically attracting and carrying one article from a plurality of articles in the interior of the housing to the inlet of the chute;
a counter weight mounted adjacent the outlet end of the chute to provide a counter balance for the chute to enable the chute to pivot the outlet end of the chute from a first position when the ladle is empty of articles and a second spaced position when a correct number of articles are deposited in the ladle;
an electric motor coupled to the rotary member for rotating the rotary member; and
a sensor disposed to detect the chute in the second position, coupled to a source of electric power and the electric motor for activating the electric motor to rotate the rotary member in response to the chute in the first position and the second position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The article dispenser of claim 10 wherein:
the counter weight, after the articles have been removed from the ladle, pivots the outlet of the chute to the first position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The article dispenser of claim 10 further comprising:
a slide mounted in the interior of the housing for directing the loose articles from the opening toward the rotary member.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The article dispenser of claim 10 further comprising:
an article limiter mounted in the housing, and positioned to disengage a second article carried by the magnet from the magnet to limit the number of articles carried by the magnet to the inlet of the chute to a single article.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The article dispenser of claim 10 further comprising:
at least one rechargeable battery to power the electric motor.