Image Number 2 for United States Patent #4832175.
Sorting and orienting structure and method. The structure includes a frame, a hopper supported by the frame, conveyor structure extending vertically through the hopper for feeding work pieces from the hopper onto the sorting and orienting table with random orientation, a drive shaft extending through the hopper mounting the table for rotation, a drive motor connected to the drive shaft for directly driving the drive shaft to rotate the table, and sorting and orienting structure surrounding the table for sorting and orienting the work pieces on rotation of the table by returning work pieces having an undersirable orientation back to the hopper and feeding work pieces having a desired orientation away from the sorting and orienting structure. The method comprises feeding work pieces onto a sorting and orienting table with random orientation, directly rotating the sorting and orienting table, returning work pieces having an undesired orientation on the table back to the hopper and feeding work pieces having a desired orientation away from the hopper.
|
