Method and mechanism for orientating cup bodies for a system for automatically connecting handles to the cup bodies

A mechanism for automatically orientating cup bodies for a system for automatically connecting handles to the cup bodies, which includes support means for supporting cup bodies and a transparent means for conveying the cup bodies from a cup-body loading position to a cup discharge position, said mechanism comprising

• (a) a cup-body rotating means,
• (b) means for measuring a peripheral configuration of a side wall of a cup body conveyed from the cup-body loading position by the transport means, while the cup body is rotated about a central vertical axis thereof by the cup-body rotating means,
• (c) a central control means for comparing the peripheral configuration of the side wall of the cup body and a peripheral configuration of a side wall of a sample cup body as determined in advance, for determining whether the two peripheral configuration coincide with each other, and for determining an angle by which the cup body is to be rotated to orientate it in a selected direction for the connection of a handle to the cup body at a predetermined position thereon if the two peripheral configurations do not coincide with each other, and
• (d) means for rotating the cup-body rotating means by said angle to orientate the cup body in the selected direction.