Apparatus for dispensing elongated small mechanical parts

A buffer assembly for handling small elongated components, comprising:

• means for receiving individual components in a generally random time sequence and storing a quantity thereof;
• means for dispensing the components one-at-a-time from said receiving means upon demand for utilization;
• said receiving means comprising a housing rotatably mounted on a generally vertical central axis and having a plurality of generally vertical chambers therethrough radially disposed about the axis in a circular arrangement, a component being receivable in each chamber when said chamber is aligned in a specific indexed component receiving position;
• said dispensing means further comprising a member rotatably mounted ons aid central axis and having a planar upper surface forming bottom covers for said chambers, and having a generally vertical passageway therethrough which can be aligned with each said chamber;
• means for rotatably indexing each of said chamber of said receiving housing to a specific position for receiving a component;
• and
• means for rotatably indexing said passageway of said dispensing member to desired positions corresponding to the indexed positions of said chambers.

A buffer assembly for handling small elongated components, comprising:

• a receiving housing rotatably mounted on a generally vertical central axis and having a plurality of vertical chambers therethrough radially disposed about the axis in a circular arrangement and adapted to receive a component into said chambers;
• a dispensing member rotatably mounted on the axis and closely aligned with said receiving housing;
• said dispensing member having a generally planar upper surface forming bottom covers for said chambers of said receiving housing, and having a generally vertical passageway therethrough which can be aligned with each said chamber;
• first means for rotatably indexing said receiving housing and said dispensing member in a desired relative position for receiving a component;
• and
• second means for rotatably indexing said dispensing member in a desired position for the dispensing of a component upon demand for utilization.

A system for dispensing small elongated properly oriented components one-at-a-time upon demand, comprising:

• means for separating and orienting the components from a bulk quantity thereof and discharging the components one-at-a-time on a generally random time sequence;
• a receiving housing rotatably mounted on a generally vertical central axis and having a plurality of vertical chambers therethrough radially disposed about the axis in a circular arrangement;
• said receiving housing adapted to successively receive a component, discharged from said separating means, in one of said chambers for storage thereof;
• a dispensing member rotatably mounted on the central axis and closely aligned with said receiving housing, having a generally planar upper surface forming bottom covers for said chambers of said receiving housing, and having a generally vertical passageway therethrough which can be aligned with each one of said chambers upon demand for dispensing a component;
• first means for synchronously indexing said receiving housing and said dispensing member in a specific chamber receiving position for receiving a component in one of said chambers;
• second means for rotatably indexing said dispensing member for dispensing a component from one of said chambers;
• means for sensing whether there is a component occupied in the chamber receiving position of said receiving means;
• means for sensing whether said passageway of said dispensing member is indexed in a position one position adjacent to the chamber receiving position of said receiving housing;
• a controller which intersects with the demand for a component, said separating means, said first indexing means, said second indexing means, said component in chamber sensing means and said passageway position sensing means, to control the successive receiving and storing of components in said receiving housing and the dispensing of component from said dispensing member upon demand for utilization, and to control the deactivation of the separating means when the available chambers of the receiving housing are occupied, and to control the deactivation of the corresponding first and second pusher means to prevent said passageway from being indexable into the chamber receiving position of said receiving housing.