Orienting asymmetrically shaped articles

摘要

At least one article such as a device (10) is reoriented to achieve uniform orientation of a plurality thereof. The devices (10) typically have a head (12) and a body portion (18) depending therefrom along a plane (26) dividing the head asymmetrically. A portion of head (12) has a fully developed shape typically seen along one side of a disc while another portion of head (12) has at least one segment omitted. A preferably air powered track (30) is utilized to guidably advance the devices (10) in a single file. The body portions (18) are disposed in track (30) with their respective dividing planes (26) lying substantially along a common plane passing through a longitudinal slot (50) in a feed section of track (30). A device (10) is assumed to have a desirable orientation when its flat (24) faces such as to the back of track (30) and an undesirable orientation when flat (24) faces oppositely such as to the front of track (30). A turning station (60) is disposed in track (30) and contains a special section (75), such station being adapted for: (1) guidably passing to a subsequent discharge section of track (30), devices (10) advanced into station (60) with the desirable orientation and blocking a device (10) advanced therein having the undesirable orientation; and (2) turning the station track (75) with the blocked device (10) sufficiently to engage the previously trailing end of station track (75) to the subsequent discharge track and discharging thereto the turned device (10) now having the desirable orientation.