Automatic can end transfer device

In an automatic can end transfer device having a main can end conveyor for transporting can ends to a stacking means and a manually fed second conveyor, wherein said stacking means and said second conveyor terminate adjacent to each other, the combination comprising:

• (a) a gate adjacent the terminal ends of said stacking means and said second conveyor, said gate having an opening therein;
• said gate being movable from a first position wherein said opening is aligned with stacking means to a second position wherein said opening is aligned with said second conveyor;
• and
• (b) means for moving said gate from said first to said second position in response to the number of can ends in said stacking means.

Gating means for directing the flow of can ends to a common outlet conveyor from multiple input channels comprising:

• (a) a junction block with an inlet side and an outlet side and wherein a first input channel and a second input channel enter said block through said inlet side and terminate as a first port and a second port in said outlet side and wherein said channels direction is abruptly altered proximate said termination whereby can ends passing through said channels in stacked array are fanned apart so that first segments of their rims are widely separated, while second segments, diametrically opposite said first segments, are in close contact as said ends exit through said port;
• (b) a gate, slidably mounted on said outlet side, said gate having an abutting face in contact with said outlet side, and a free face remote therefrom, said gate having an opening therein through which said can ends may pass, said opening being aligned with said ports, said opening defining a knife in said abutting face with a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• (c) means for moving said gate from a first position wherein said gate is aligned with said first port to a second position wherein said gate is aligned with said second port or from said second port to said first port and wherein said leading edge of said knife enters the path of said ends between said first rim segments where said rims are widely separated and said trailing edge of said knife subsequently enters the path of said ends where said rims are more closely spaced and whereby said flow of can ends may be interrupted from one channel and initiated from a second channel quickly and without entrapping or jamming an end between said gate and said junction block;
• and
• (d) chute means for conveying said ends from said gate to said outlet conveyor.

A method of interrupting the axial advance of disc-like work pieces in stacked array under conveyance within a conduit having curved sections and straight sections, said conduit having an internal diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of said workpieces to provide sliding clearance, comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a curved section of said conduit in which by virtue of said curved section a first peripheral segment of each work piece is spaced from a corresponding peripheral segment of the next adjacent work piece to define a gap therebetween while corresponding second peripheral segments of said work pieces are close together, said work pieces being fanned;
• (b) forming an opening in said conduit in the region of said fanning;
• and
• (c) interrupting the advance of said work pieces by interposing a knife between adjacent work pieces at said gap and subsequently moving said knife across the path traversed by said work pieces within said conduit to stop the advance of work pieces without entrapping or jamming a workpiece between said knife and said conduit.