Object orienting and sorting apparatus

An object sorting and orienting apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for receiving and dispensing a plurality of randomly oriented objects, said plurality of objects defining an object-fill level within said hopper;
• an endless conveyor rotating through a loading area, a discharge area and an intermediate area therebetween, said endless conveyor receiving said objects at said loading area and transporting said objects to said discharge area, each said object being loaded onto said endless conveyor in one of a correct orientation and an incorrect orientation;
• at least one regulator for regulating the effects of variations in said object fill-level within said hopper during a sorting run;
• orienting means for arranging said objects in said correct orientation;
• sorting means for sorting said incorrectly oriented objects from said correctly oriented objects;
• and
• discharge means for discharging said correctly oriented objects from said discharge area,
• wherein said at least one regulator includes a hopper discharge forming an opening in said hopper structured to controllably dispense said randomly oriented objects from said hopper into said loading area.

An object sorting and orienting apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for receiving and dispensing a plurality of randomly oriented objects, said plurality of objects defining an object-fill level within said hopper;
• an endless conveyor rotating through a loading area, a discharge area and an intermediate area therebetween, said endless conveyor receiving said objects at said loading area and transporting said objects to said discharge area, each said object being loaded onto said endless conveyor in one of a correct orientation and an incorrect orientation;
• at least one regulator for regulating the effects of variations in said object fill-level within said hopper during sorting run;
• orienting means for arranging said objects in said correct orientation;
• sorting means for sorting said incorrectly oriented objects from said correctly oriented objects;
• and
• discharge means for discharging said correctly oriented objects from said discharge area,
• wherein said endless conveyor has a belt path, wherein said belt path is substantially vertical between at least said intermediate and said discharge areas, wherein said sorting means includes a belt path disruptor structured to displace said belt path proximate said intermediate area, wherein said belt path disruptor and gravity, induced by said substantially vertical belt path, facilitate removal of said incorrectly oriented objects from said endless conveyor, wherein said belt path disruptor includes an adjustment device comprising an eccentric shaft having a first end, a second end and a plurality of non-rotating guides disposed therebetween, and wherein said eccentric shaft displaces said non-rotating guides when said eccentric shaft is adjusted, thereby displacing said belt path of said endless conveyor.

An object sorting and orienting apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for receiving and dispensing a plurality of randomly oriented objects, said plurality of objects defining an object-fill level within said hopper;
• an endless conveyor rotating through a loading area, a discharge area and an intermediate area therebetween, said endless conveyor receiving said objects at said loading area and transporting said objects to said discharge area, each said object being loaded onto said endless conveyor in one of a correct orientation and an incorrect orientation;
• at least one regulator for regulating the effects of variations in said object fill-level within said hopper during sorting run;
• orienting means for arranging said objects in said correct orientation;
• sorting means for sorting said incorrectly oriented objects from said correctly oriented objects;
• and
• discharge means for discharging said correctly oriented objects from said discharge area,
• wherein said discharge means includes at least one discharge chute proximate said discharge area and a removal device for removing said correctly oriented objects from said endless conveyor for discharge from said sorting and orienting apparatus via at least one of said at least one discharge chute.

An object sorting and orienting apparatus comprising:

• a hopper for receiving and dispensing a plurality of randomly oriented objects, said plurality of objects defining an object-fill level within said hopper;
• an endless conveyor rotating through a loading area, a discharge area and an intermediate area therebetween, said endless conveyor receiving said objects at said loading area and transporting said objects to said discharge area, each said object being loaded onto said endless conveyor in one of a correct orientation and an incorrect orientation;
• at least one regulator for regulating the effects of variations in said object fill-level within said hopper during a sorting run;
• orienting means for arranging said objects in said correct orientation;
• sorting means for sorting said incorrectly oriented objects from said correctly oriented objects;
• and
• discharge means for discharging said correctly oriented objects from said discharge area,
• wherein said sorting means further includes a deflecting mechanism proximate said loading area, said deflecting mechanism having a plurality of deflectors in order to prevent objects falling from said endless conveyor from hitting and knocking off objects on a different portion of said endless conveyor therebelow, thereby maximizing the number of objects dispensed and distributed onto said endless conveyor for transport from said loading area to said discharge area.

A closure sorter and orienter comprising:

• a hopper for receiving and dispensing a plurality of randomly oriented closures, said plurality of closures defining an object fill-level within said hopper;
• an endless conveyor rotating through a loading area, a discharge area and an intermediate area therebetween, said endless conveyor receiving said closures in said loading area and transporting said closures to said discharge area, each said closure being loaded onto said endless conveyor in one of a correct orientation and an incorrect orientation;
• at least one regulator for regulating the effects of variations in said object fill-level within said hopper during a sorting run, said at least one regulator including a hopper discharge forming an opening in said hopper for controllably dispensing said closures from said hopper, and, an adjustable spill-plate for further regulating dispensing and distribution of said closures onto said endless conveyor within said loading area;
• orienting means for arranging said closures in said correct orientation, said orienting means including a plurality of flights disposed on said endless conveyor for receiving a plurality of said correctly oriented closures, and, an extension for said adjustable spill-plate, said extension communicating with said hopper discharge and said flights of said endless conveyor in order to facilitate uniform distribution of said closures from said adjustable spill-plate onto said endless conveyor for transport from said loading area to said discharge area;
• sorting means for sorting said correctly oriented closures from said incorrectly oriented closures, said sorting means including a belt path disruptor proximate said intermediate area, in order to displace said endless conveyor thereby removing said incorrectly oriented closures therefrom, gravity further facilitating such removal;
• and
• discharge means for discharging said correctly oriented closures from said discharge area of said sorting and orienting apparatus, said discharge means including a removal device adjacent said endless conveyor and at least one discharge chute for receiving and discharging said correctly oriented closures single-file, said removal device removing said correctly oriented closures from said endless conveyor and guiding said closures into at least one of said at least one discharge chute for discharge therethrough.