Orientation detection and control system

A method for selectively orienting an article, said method including a selective indexing of a movable carriage between a first carriage position and at least a second carriage position, thereby providing a selected face-alignment of a datum surface of said article wherein:

• said first carriage position has been configured to provide for a first, twist displacement of the article;
• said second carriage position has been configured to provide for a second, twist displacement of the article that is directionally opposite to said first twist displacement;
• a first set of cooperating twist-belts have been mounted on said carriage, said first set of twist-belts having been configured to rotate said article in a first twist direction;
• and
• at least a second set of cooperating twist-belts have been mounted on said carriage, said second set of twist-belts having been configured to rotate said article in a second twist direction which differs from first twist direction.

An apparatus for selectively orienting an article, said apparatus having:

• a movable carriage which can index between a first carriage position and at least a second carriage position, to thereby provide a selected face-alignment of a datum surface of said article;
• a mechanism which identifies at least one article-set that contains a predetermined plurality of articles and has a pair of end-articles;
• and
• a sensor which detects a presence of an appointed datum surface with respect to each end-article;
• wherein:
• said first carriage position is configured to provide for a first, twist displacement of the article;
• said second carriage position is configured to provide for a second, twist displacement of the article that is directionally opposite to said first twist displacement;
• and
• the apparatus is configured to appropriately orient each end-article so that both end-articles of the article-set have their datum surfaces positioned toward an interior of their corresponding article set, or both of the end-articles have their datum surfaces positioned toward an exterior of their corresponding article set.

An apparatus for selectively orienting an article, said apparatus having:

• a movable carriage which can index between a first carriage position and at least a second carriage position, to thereby provide a selected face-alignment of a datum surface of said article;
• and
• an actuator which selectively indexes said carriage between the first carriage position and at least the second carriage position;
• wherein
• said first carriage position is configured to provide for a first, twist displacement of the article;
• said second carriage position is configured to provide for a second, twist displacement of the article that is directionally opposite to said first twist displacement;
• a first set of cooperating twist-belts are mounted on said carriage, said first set of twist-belts configured to rotate said article in a first rotational direction;
• and
• at least a second set of cooperating twist-belts are mounted on said carriage, said second set of twist-belts configured to rotate said article in a second rotational direction that is opposite said first rotational direction.