摘要 |
An automatic feeding hopper employs a reservoir for storing disk-like objects in a plurality of substantially horizontal rows in a substantially vertical plane. A conveyor adjoins the reservoir for engagement with a substantial portion of the lowermost row of disk-like objects in the reservoir to remove the disk-like objects from the reservoir, an exit chute is positioned adjacent the conveyor to receive the disk-like objects in a single row, and a deflecting member is positioned near the entrance to the exit chute to guide and maintain the flow of disk-like objects in a single row from the conveyor into the exit chute. The deflecting member has an upper concavely curved surface intersected by a lower curved surface which leads into a side of the exit chute, the curved surfaces meeting at an edge located a distance above the surface of the conveyor slightly more than the diameter of a disk-like object. A magnetic member is positioned with respect to the reservoir and related to the deflecting member and the conveyor to remove disk-like objects above the lowermost row of objects, and a mechanism is provided for rotating the magnetic member. |