# US 5,702,028 A · Parts feeder

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- Number: US 5,702,028 A
- Document ID: US5702028A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/736,081
- Filed: 1996-10-24
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1996-10-24
- Assignees: YKK Corporation
- Inventors: Tatsumi Shirodera
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702028A

## CPC

- B65G 47/256: removing incorrectly orientated articles
- A44B 19/42: Making by processes not fully provided for in one other class, e.g. B21D53/50, B21F45/18, B22D17/16, B29D5/00 {(attaching closure devices, e.g. slide fasteners, to bags B31B70/813; making package opening by applying or incorporating profile strips, e.g. for reclosable bags B65B61/188)}
- B65G 47/1428: {rotating movement}
- Y10S 209/92: Vibratory feed conveyor
- 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)
- A44B: BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE (fastenings specially adapted for footwear A43C)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A parts feeder for conveying a succession of parts in a common posture, includes: a rotary drum rotatable about its substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having on its inner circumferential wall surface a plurality of radial plates circumferentially spaced at predetermined distances; a chute in the form of an elongated plate substantially horizontally extending from an inside to an outside of the rotary drum through an outlet and having a guide portion along its upper edge; a vibrator supporting the chute for vibrating the chute longitudinally; a remover disposed adjacent to the guide portion for removing any of the parts if it is abnormal in posture while being conveyed on the guide portion of the chute; and the guide portion having a parts-supporting cross-sectional shape gradually varying from an inner end of the chute outwardly toward the outlet of the rotary drum.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A parts feeder for conveying a succession of parts in a common posture, comprising:
(a) a rotary drum rotatable about its substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having on its inner circumferential wall surface a plurality of radial plates circumferentially spaced at predetermined distances;
(b) a feed chute in the form of an elongated plate substantially horizontally extending from an inside to an outside of said rotary drum through an outlet and having a guide portion along its upper edge;
(c) a vibrator supporting said chute for-vibrating the chute longitudinally;
(d) a remover disposed adjacent to said guide portion for removing any of the parts if it is abnormal in posture while being conveyed on said guide portion of said chute; and
(e) said guide portion having a parts-supporting cross-sectional shape gradually varying from an inner end of said chute outwardly toward said outlet of said rotary drum.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein said rotary drum has at one end a bottom and is inclined slightly with respect to the horizontal with said bottom on the down side, said chute slightly sloping down from the inner end toward the outside of the drum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein said remover is composed of an abnormal-posture parts removing mechanism for removing parts being conveyed in an abnormal posture on said guide portion and a stagnant parts removing mechanism for removing parts stagnated in said guide portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A parts feeder according to claim 3, further including a detector disposed adjacent to said guide portion for successively detecting the parts being conveyed on said guide portion, and a controller for measuring a time interval of detection of adjacent parts by said detector and for activating said stagnant parts removing mechanism when said time interval exceeds a preset value.