Depression for feeding ball-shaped bodies and a device for the stacking and distribution of a defined number of ball-shaped bodies

A device comprising:

• a horizontal base plate having two or more transcurrent orifices of identical size and running vertically from an upper side to a lower side, the base plate on the upper side exhibiting a first depression around each of the orifices, and a base of the first depression being curved, wherein:
• the orifices are circular,
• a periphery of each first depression exhibits a form selected from an elliptical, oval and spindle-shaped at the upper surface of the base plate,
• the base of the first depression is inclined towards a center of the orifice along a longitudinal axis,
• a mid-point of each of the orifices in each case lies on a mid-point of the longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the periphery of the first depression arranged above it,
• two or more first depressions are arranged on a common longitudinal axis,
• opposing contours which, for each first depression, span between the orifice and the periphery along the transverse axis, and
• the peripheries of the two or more first depressions overlap one another;
• a supply container with balls of essentially identical size provided with the base plate;
• a parallelepipedic block having one or a plurality of first transcurrent orifices of circular cross section running vertically from an upper side to a lower side, in conjunction with which:
• quantity, diameter and position of the first transcurrent orifices of the block correspond to those of the orifices in the base plate,
• the base plate lies on the block, and the block is capable of being displaced in relation to the base plate, so that, in a first position, the orifices in the base plate are in alignment with the first transcurrent orifices in the block and, in a second position, the base plate and the block are displaced in relation to one another in such a way that no balls can pass through the orifices in the base plate into the first transcurrent orifices in the block, and
• the thickness of the block is selected in such a way that, in each first transcurrent orifice, a predetermined number of balls can be stacked on top of one another, and that the uppermost ball in each case ends up essentially flush at the level of the upper edge of the respective first transcurrent orifice, but without protruding beyond the edge;
• a closing plate that is capable of being displaced in relation to the parallelepipedic block beneath the block, having one or a plurality of second transcurrent orifices running vertically from the upper side to the lower side, in conjunction with which:
• quantity, diameter and position of the second transcurrent orifices correspond to those of the orifices in the base plate, and
• the closing plate is so arranged that, in a first position, it provides a base for the first transcurrent orifices in the parallelepipedic block and, in a second position, it exposes the orifices in the base plate in a downward direction;
• and
• one or a plurality of receiving tubes beneath the closing plate, in conjunction with which the quantity of the receiving tubes corresponds to the quantity of orifices, and every receiving tube is so arranged that balls dropping through the corresponding second transcurrent orifice in the closing plate can be received.