US 4,723,661 AGranted

Rotary puck conveying, accumulating and qualifying mechanism

AssigneeHoppmann Corporation

InventorsKurt H. Hoppmann, James G. Lin, Werner H. Schmitt

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Abstract

A rotary puck conveying, accumulating and qualifying mechanism for accommodating articles of various sizes. A puck is provided having a predetermined outer peripheral surface and including an article retaining aperture disposed therein. The article retaining aperture being of a predetermined shape for accommodating an outer peripheral surface of an article being handled. A centrifugal feeder is provided for supplying a plurality of articles to an outer peripheral rim. A rotating table accumulates the pucks in both a full and an empty condition. The rotating table is operatively disposed beneath the centrifugal feeder wherein outer peripheral surfaces of the centrifugal feeder and the rotating table overlap. A plurality of pockets are rotatably disposed below the centrifugal feeder for engaging pucks positioned on the rotating table for retaining the pucks in a predetermined location relative to the centrifugal feeder for supplying articles into the aperture in the puck over an extended length of transfer. A qualifying doctor blade is operatively positioned relative to the rotating table for separating the pucks which contain an article from empty pucks. The full pucks are transported to a predetermined location while the empty pucks are returned to the rotating table for resupply to the pockets for receiving an article to be processed.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A rotary puck conveying, accumulating and qualifying mechanism for accommodating articles of various sizes comprising:

a plurality of pucks, each puck having a predetermined outer peripheral surface and including an article retaining aperture disposed therein, said article retaining aperture being of a predetermined shape for accommodating an outer peripheral surface of an article being handled;
a centrifugal feeder for supplying a plurality of singulated articles to an outer peripheral rim;
a rotating table for accumulating said pucks in both an article containing and an empty condition, said rotating table being operatively disposed beneath said centrifugal feeder wherein outer peripheral surfaces of said centrifugal feeder and said rotating table overlap at least in an article transfer region;
a plurality of pockets rotatably disposed below said centrifugal feeder for engaging individual pucks positioned on said rotating table for retaining said pucks in a predetermined location relative to said centrifugal feeder for supplying said singulated articles into said aperture in said individual puck over an extended length of said transfer region;
and
a qualifying doctor blade operatively positioned relative to said rotating table for separating said article containing pucks from empty pucks, said article containing pucks being transported to a predetermined location displaced relative to said rotating table while said empty pucks are retained at said rotating table for resupply to said pockets for receiving an article.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.