Apparatus to supply articles for printing

摘要

Carrier attachments on a roller chain receive a bottle cap for printing at a loading station formed at the discharge end of a downwardly-inclined chute. A top constrainment member is normally spaced from the top of the carrier attachments at the loading station by a distance less than the height of the bottle caps in the supply chute to prevent advancement of the caps until an underlying carrier attachment advances beyond the bottom support surface of the cap. The constraining member is resilient to urge the article into the space between the attachments according to one embodiment or according to a second embodiment, the article drops onto a carrier. The article is supported by surfaces on guide rails during movement to a printing station by the conveyor.