US2627345A - Can orienting device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1953 A. A. YATEs CAN ORIENTING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed March 7, 1950 ,2f im ALBERT A. YATES,

INVENTOR.

A 7' TORNEV.

Feb. 3, 1953 A. A. YTES 2,627,345

CAN ORIENTING DEVICE Filed March 7, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ALBERT A. YATE'S, INVENTOR.

ylM/W A TTOR/VEV.

Patented Feb. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN ORIENTING DEVCE Albert A. Yates, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Application March 7, 1950, Serial No. 148,146

Claims.

This invention relates to can handling devices, and more particularly to such device for receiving cans of the type having a sealing bead extending around the one edge thereof in a random attitude and delivering the cans to a discharge station in the same or a preselected constant attitude.

In the canning of food stuffs, it is the common practice to handle the cans during the operation in which the food is cooked in large metal containers holding a large number of the cans.

After the desired period of cooking, the containers are transported by some suitable conveying device to a rough sorting machine from which the cans are fed in an end-to-end relationship. The cans, although they are fed from this device in an end-to-end relationship, are not in a constant attitude or relative position, and some cans are consequently upside down relative to others.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which will receive the cans arranged in end-to-end relationship, but in different relative positions, and deliver the same to a labeling machine in a preselected attitude and to so deliver the cans without hand labor of any kind.

The machine of the present invention is particularly adapted to handle cans of the type having a sealing bead extending around the one edge thereof formed at the time the closure member was sealed in position across the opening or mouth of the can body. These cans are oftentimes oval in shape and are generally many times longer than they are high. These cans today are used generally to pack meat and fish products and the labels are usually applied by branding the cans with a narrow strip of paper on which is printed the label. The machines for labeling these cans are formed with means for rotating the can during the actual label applying step and the means used to turn or rotate the cans generally comprises a flat plate of the same shape as the closure member, and which is received within the depression defined by the sealing bead. This plate forms a driving means for, as the plate is rotated, the peripheral edge thereof in engagement with the inwardly facing surface of the sealing bead turns or rotates the can engaged.

It will thus be seen that the cans must enter the labeling machine with the can supported by the sealing bead thereon. That is, the sealing bead must be facing downwardly as the cans are fed into the labeling machine. Although cans as they are delivered to the device of the present invention have been sorted to the extent that they enter the device in an end-to-end relationship. they are hanhazardlv arranged in so far as the position of the sealing beads are concerned.

The device of the present invention includes track means for receiving the cans in the haphazard or random attitude, which track means are inclined laterally as well as longitudinally, so that the cans move downwardly of the track means by gravity in a tilted reationship. Arranged beneath this track means is a second track means which leads to the labeling machine. The second track means may also be inclined so that the cans received thereby will move by gravity along the same, although in the now preferred embodiment of the invention, positive driving means are associated with the second track and drive the cans thereon toward the labeling machine.

The upper track means includes a device for detecting cans moving therealong in a bead-up attitude and this means, when engaged by a bead in that attitude, render operative mechanism for removing the cans having its bead facing upwardly, and delivering the same to the lower track means in a bead-down attitude. The means for detecting cans moving along the upper track means in a bead-up attitude may consist of a finger so mounted that an upwardly facing sealing bead will engage the end thereof as the can moves downwardly along the track means. The finger, when engaged by the bead, makes operative a mechanism which downwardly displaces a gate-like element forming a part of the upper track means to form an opening at the lower side of the latter. At the time the gatelike element is moved downwardly, the can is partially supported thereby and the can, as it continues to move downwardly toward the upper track means, is moved through the opening in a pitching or tilting motion.

At the same time a can is moving through the opening, an upwardly directed force is applied to the underneath surface of the can which augments the tilting or pitching motion of the can as it moves through the opening. An arcuately arranged chute is so mounted that the can moves into the upper end thereof as it leaves the upper track means and is moved downwardly by gravity through the chute and onto the lower track means. As the chute arcuately extends between the upper and lower track means, the can is turned degrees in its passage downwardly in the chute and delivered by the same to the lower track means in an inverted or bead-down if attitude. Once the can is delivered onto the lower track means, the driving means associated therewith carries the can onwardly for delivery to the labeling machine.

Cans delivered onto the upper track means in the desired attitude, that is, with the sealing beads facing downwardly, do not engage the detecting means and their passage along this track means does not result in the displacement of the gate-like `element which, after its downward displacement, is immediately moved upwardly to its normal position in which it forms a part of the upper track means. The can, with its sealing bead facing downwardly, therefore moves over the gate-like element and continues its passage. downwardly of the upper track means to a transfer terminal spaced just above the upper track means and from whence it drops by gravity onto the lower track means for movement therealong to the labeling machine.

The cans delivered to the upper track means in the end-to-end relationship are, if not actually engaging each other, very closely spaced and means must be provided for arresting movement 'of the can following the can which is being moved off the upper track means until the latter has been removed and the gate-like element returned toits normal position. This arresting means in the now preferred embodiment of the present invention, although normally inoperative, is made operative at the same time the gatelike element is displaced downwardly by the engagement of the upwardly facing bead and the detecting or feeler means carried by the upper track. Thus, as the gate-like element moves downwardly to form the opening at the one side of the upper track through which the can to be inverted moves, the arresting means becomes operative to hold the next following can against movement until the gate-like element is again returned to its normal position in which it forms a part of the upper track means.

As the can to be inverted moves off the upper track and thev gate-like element is returned to its normal position, the arresting means is again made inoperative and the next following can is free to move downwardly along the upper track. If this next following can is also inverted on the track, that is, the sealing bead thereon is upwardly facing, this can will also be removed from the upper track for inversion inits passage downwardly through the chute for delivery in a beaddown attitude on the lower track. On the other hand, if. this can is moving along the upper track with its bead facing downwardly, it will move over the gate-like element and will be delivered lfrom the upper track means onto the lower track means as previously explained.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device of the present invention with a portion of the chute broken away to more fully illustrate elements votherwise hidden thereby;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the device of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale showing the detecting or feeler means engaged by the sealing bead of the can;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational View on an enlarged scale partly in section and showing in broken lines the gate-like element in its can removing position;

Figure 6 is a section taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5; Y

Figure 7 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the detecting or feeler means and showing in broken lines a can moving along the upper track in a bead-down attitude; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the gate-like element in its normal position.

The can handling or arranging device of the lpresent invention, referring now to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly to Figure l therefore, comprises a downwardly and laterally inclined track it including, in the illustrated embodiment of the device, a pair of L-shaped rail elements Il and l2 rigidly held apart in substantially parallel relationship by relatively short brace members i3. The rail element l2 is vformed by two aligned segments spaced apart to form a gap therein while the rail element H is continuous and unbroken throughout its length. The rail elements forming the track ,It are rigidly supported in the desired attitude, with the rail element l l substantially higher than the rail element l2, by suitable support members f4 which may comprise legs t5 and the spaced -stanchions it.

Arranged beneath the track I0 and substantially aligned therewith is a second track Il which,

Y like the track l t, includes a pair of L-shaped rail elements lil and i9 spaced apart in substantially parallel relationship through a plurality of relatively short brace members 2 I, the opposite ends of which are rigidly connected to the elements I8 and EQ. The track Il is, as clearly shown, substantially horizontally disposed and this track at the right end, as viewed in Figure l, terminates in a discharge station for delivering cans to the chute or conveyor platform 22 of the labeling machine.

Mounted between the rail elements i8 and i9 of the lower track Il is an endless belt 23, one stretch of which extends between the rail elements E8 and l. The upper surface of the stretch of the belt 23 arranged between the elements it is somewhat above the upper faces of the elements i8 and i9 to insure that the belt will drivingly engage the undersurface of a can supported upon the track Il. The belt 23, as clearly shown in Figure 2, is passed around suitable sprockets 2t, at least one of `which is driven through the shaft '25 by a source of power not shown herein. This power source may consist of an electric motor, the shaft of which is connected to the shaft 25 through a suitable gear reduction train which drives the belt in the direction of the arrows 2@ shown in Figures 2 and 5.

It should be noted here that the rightward end of track lil is spaced just slightly above the track il so that a can moving downwardly over the track ll will be transferred by gravity from the upper track l onto the lower track Il as the same moves off the rightward end of the track it.

As previously explained, the device of the present invention is particularly adapted to be used with labeling machines for applying a label in a strip form to a relatively flat oval can having a sealing bead extending around the upper edge thereof for sealingly holding a fiat closure member in closing position at the open end of the can. rlhese cans must be delivered to the label- .ing machine in a bead-down attitude,A for the l labeling machine includes a plate which is receivecl in the depression formed in the one face of the can by the sealing bead and which rotatably drives the can during the label applying operation.

In the use of the device of the present invention, the same is positioned between the inlet end of the labeling machine and the discharge station of the device used to arrange the cans in an endto-end relationship after the steam cooking oper ation. Such a device, not shown, is used in most canneries today to so arrange the cans as they tumble in a haphazard relationship from a hopper or other storage member in which they are usually stored after the cooking operation. Cans in an end-to-end relationship are moved onto the leftward end of the upper track I0 of the device of the present invention, and move downwardly therealong by gravity. If a can moved onto the leftward end of the track |0 of the device of the present invention is in a bead-down attitude, this can will move downward along the track Ill and will be transferred therefrom by gravity onto the lower track I'I to be carried by the belt 23 onward and into the labeling machine.

If a can is fed into the track I0 in a bead-up attitude, this can must ybe inverted before it is end fixed to the housing of a microswitch 29, normally biased to a circuit open position, and carried by a bracket 30 mounted to the upstanding flange of the L-shaped rail element i2. The free end of the arm 28 carries a roller 3| mounted for rotational movement about a substantially vertical axis. The arm 28 projects the roller 3| above the track ||l but in such a relative position that the roller `will be engaged by only the sealing bead of a can moving along the track I3 in a bead-up attitude. This arrangement will be clearly understood from a comparison study of the showings of Figures 6 and '1.

As the upwardly facing bead of the can moving along the track ID moves into engagement with the roller 3|, the arm Z8 is flexed toward the switch and will be moved into engagement with the switch actuator 32 as the medial portion of the can moves past the roller 3| to close the circuit controlled by the switch. The circuit controlled by the switch 29 includes a pair of electro- responsive devices 33 and 34 which, when energized, operate respectively a gate-like means 35 to open a portion of the track IU to permit rev moval of the inverted can from the track |0 and the arresting means 36 for halting movement of the can immediately following the inverted can.

The gate-like means 35 comprises, referring now to Figure 6, an L-shaped rail element 31 interconnecting the ends of a pair of spaced angle bars 33 extending transversely of the track |0 and each pivotally mounted to spaced brackets 39 fixed to the undersurface of the track Ill. r)The angle bars S8, in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, are mounted by a pivot rod 4 I, the opposite ends of which are passed through aligned apertures formed in the brackets 39. An arm 42, fixed to the ange of each of the bars 38, extends outwardly of the track lll and the free end of each arm is held against movement by a brace rod 43 interconnecting the free ends of the arms. A coiled spring 44 having one end fixed to each arm 42 and the other connected to the upstanding ange of the rail element I| normally urges the arm 42 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6. The springs thus tend to hold the angle bars 38 in engagement with the under surface of the rail element in which position the L-shaped rail element 31 bridges the gap in the rail element |2 formed by the spaced apart segments thereof and, in such position, as clearly shown in Figure 1, is in substantial alignment with the two segments of the rail element |2.

To move the gate-like member downwardly to move the rail element 31 thereof out of its position bridging the gap in the rail element I2, the electro-responsive device 33 may take the form of an electro-magnet 46 mounted below the track le by a suitable bracket 41 supported in part by the adjacent stanchion I6. The electro-magnet includes the usual lcoil element surrounding a pole piece and a pivotally mounted arm 41 of magnetic material. Fixed to the free end of the arm 41 is a compression link 48, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to one of the arms 42. It will be seen when the coil of the magnet is energized and the arm 41 is pulled thereto, the compression link 48 will be forced upwardly, as viewed in Figure 2, to rock the arms 42 about their pivotal mounting and thus force the gate-like mem- 'ber from the solid line position, as shown in Figure 6, to the broken line position there shown. As the coil of the electro-magnet is energized by the closing of the microswitch 29, brought about by the engagement between the `sealing bead of a can moving along the track ll in a bead-up attitude and the roller 3| carried by the exible finger 28, the gate-like means will be moved downwardly just as the can in the bead-up attitude moves onto the rail element 31. As the track Ill is inclined laterally as well as longitudinally, the cans will be held by gravity against the upstanding flange member of the rail element |2 and consequently the upstanding flange of the rail element 31. Thus as the gate-like member drops downwardly upon energization of the electro-magnet, the can held by gravity against the flange of the rail element 31 will move sidewisely or laterally from the track I6 with a pitching or tilting movement.

To augment the action of gravity on the can, means are preferably provided for applying an upwardly directed force against the under surface of the can as it beginsits movement off the track Il). In the now preferred embodiment of the present invention, this means comprises a pair of roller elements 49 mounted just below the track la and disposed between the spaced angle bars 38. These rollers are mounted in position by a suitable mounting bracket 5! fixed to the underneath surface of the rail member I As the rollers are mounted between the angle bars 38 and just beneath the same in the normal position of the bars, movement of the gate member downwardly will result in relative movement of the rollers upwardly between the angle bars 33 to thus apply an upwardly directed force against the can moving laterally downward off the track Hl.

The can, as it moves off the track IU is received by a lchute 52 comprising, in the illustrated form of the invention, a metallic sheet having one edge xed to the upstanding flange of the rail element Il and extending upwardly and across the track I!) and then arcuately downward with 1ts lower edge fixed to the upper surface of the rail element I9 of the lower track l1. It should be lclearly seen that movementof the. can dis-y charged laterally from the track ill downwardly in the chute 52 will result in an inversion of that can as it reaches the lower end of the chute. As the lower end of the chute leads onto thelower track, it will be understood that the can discharged from the upper track is delivered onto-the Vlower track in a position inverted from its position on the upper track id.

To facilitate movement of the can onto the lower track, the chute 52 may be formed with a wall member which vforces the can traveling down the chute into the lower track in the direction of movement of the stretch of the endless belt 23 moving lbetween the rail elements of the lower rack. To simplify construction oi the chute 52,

lthe mea-nused to guide the can onto the lower track may consist of a separate guide element 53 -in the form-oi an arcuately extending strap having at least one end fixed relative to the lower track.

t should be understood that once the can is inverted by its passage downwardly in the chute g 52 and delivered ont-o the track, it will be carried. forwardly toward the labeling machine in the following may move over the gate member before the same is returned to its upper position. lt will be appreciated that because of hysteresis there will be some delay in the gate member returning to its upper position under the urging of the springs i? and, to guard against any inadvertent discharge of a can moving along the track I il in a bead-down position, means are provided herein for arresting movement or" the nekt following can as long as the coil of the electro-magnet is energized.

This means, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, comprises a pair of arms 54 laterally extending from a rod 55 mounted for rotation beneath the track It. Any means desired may be used to mount the rod 55 although, in the illustrated form of the invention, the rod is mounted by journaling the opposite ends thereof in small bearing members carried by the under surfaces of the rail elements H and l2. A link 5l, having one end rigidly connected to the rod 55, is pivotally connected at its opposite end to the core member of an electro-responsive device -34 which, as herein shown, comprises a solenoid. It will be remembered that the solenoid is connected into the circuit controlled by the switch 29 and consequently the coil thereof is energized simultaneously with energization of the coil of the electro-magnet. Energization of the solenoid, referring now to Figure 5, results in movement of the core inwardly thereof to swing the link 51 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 5, to thus urge the rod 55 and consequently the arms .54 in the same direction. Each arm 5A carries at the free end thereof a laterally extending ringer 59 which, although normally carried below the track lll, is moved by the counterclockwise movement of each arm 54 into a position projecting above the rail elements il and l2 of track Il). The rod 55 is so arranged von the track l0 that the fingers 59 are spaced v.from the vroller 3l a distance substantially equal to half the length of the can handled by the device. As the arm 28 is not iiexed or moved into engagement with the switch actuator 33 to close the switch 29 until the widest or medial portion of the can inthe bead-up attitude is engaging the roller 3l, it will be seen that the lingers 59 are not projected above the track I0 until the trailing edge of the can has just cleared theopening in the rail elements Il and I2. Even if the switch should be energized before the trailing edge of the energizing can has cleared the opening, upward movement of the lingers merely applies an upwardly directed force against the un- Y der surface of the trailing edge portion of the vcan and will assist .in removing the can' from the track lll.

As the'fingers 59 are spaced apart transversely of the track it a distance less than the width of the can, they ywill arrest further movement of the next following can during the ejecting cycle of the device during which the can in the beadup attitude is transferred from the upper track to the lower track. Once, however, the can energizing the switch has moved downwardly and into the chute 52 and the switch actuator 32 returned to its normal open circuit position, resulting in de-energization of the coil of the solenoid, the link 51 is swung in a clockwise direction by a spring 6| having one end anchored to the rail element il of track Il) and its opposite end fixed to the lower end of the link 5l. This movement of the link 5l will, as should now be clear, result in downward movement of the iingers 59 to their normal position below the track Ill to permit the can held thereby to resume its movement downwardly of the track IB. Should this can be in a bead-up attitude, the cycle of operation of the device just described will, of course, again repeat and this can ejected from the track I0 and inverted in its passage downwardly in the chute 52. On the other hand should this can be moving downwardly of the track in a bead-down attitude, the can will' pass over the gate member and downwardly of the track l0 to the terminal portion spaced just above the lower track for transfer thereto by gravity.

Although the device of the present invention has been described herein as particularly adapted to handle oval cans, it should be understood that, by slight modification, cans of other shapes can be sorted by the device of the present invention. For instance, if the bracket 3@ mounting the micro switch 29 was fixed to the upst-anding flange of the rail element l2 for vertical movement and means were provided for holding the bracket in a desired position of adjustment, cans of varying thicknesses could be readily accommodated. This should be obvious for actually the bracket is mounted in such a position relative to the rail element that the roller 3l of the linger 28 is spaced above the rail element l2 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the can. If relatively thick cans were to be handled by the device, the bracket 35 could be moved vertically into a higher position on the iange of the rail element to accommodate thicker cans. Other possible modifications of the present invention necessary to accommodate cans of sizes and shapes other than the cans herein illustrated should be obvious to anyone skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

It should be seen now that the device of the present invention is adapted to receive cans of 9 the type having a sealing bead extending around the upper edge thereof after the cans have been partially sorted and arranged in an end-to-end relationship and deliver the cans in a preselected constant relative position or attitude to a labeling machine without the necessity of any hand labor.

Although the now preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described herein, it is -to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, for it is susceptible to changes in form and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A device for arranging cans of the type having a sealing bead extending around the one edge thereof for delivery to a discharge station thereon in a preselected constant attitude; a track adapted to Ireceive said cans in a random attitude in an end-to-end relationship for movement therealong; a second track arranged below said first track and leading to said discharge station; said upper track being formed with an opening at the one side thereof intermediate the ends thereof; a gate; means for pivotally mounting said gate for movement into and out of a position closing said opening; means normally urging said gate upwardly into a position closing said opening; normally inoperative means for moving said gate downwardly of said upper track; means carried by said upper track adjacent the opening therein adapted to be engaged and actuated by the bead of each can moving along said upper track in an attitude other than said preselected attitude for rendering operative said gate moving means, whereby the can moving along said track in said inverted attitude moves onto said gate means as the same isrmoved downwardly to clear said opening; means xed relative to said upper track for applying an upwardly directed force to the undersurface of said can as said gate moves downwardly to discharge said can laterally Ifrom said upper track; an arcuately extending chute for receiving cans discharged through said opening, said chute inverting said cans as they pass downwardly therein; and guide means carried at the lower end of said chute for delivering the cans passed downwardly in said chute onto said lower track for movement therealong in the preselected attitude.

2. A device for arranging cans of the type having a sealing bead extending around the one edge thereoi` for delivery to a discharge station thereon in a preselected constant attitude; a track adapted to receive said cans in a random attitude in an end-to-end relationship for movement therealong; a second track arranged below said rst track and leading to said discharge station; said upper track being formed with an opening intermediate the ends thereof; a gate; means for pivotally mounting said gate for movement into and out of a position closing said opening; means normally holding said gate in a position closing said opening; normally inoperative means for moving said gate out of said position to clear said opening; means carried by said upper track adjacent the opening therein adapted to be engaged and actuated vby the bead of each can moving along said upper track in an attitude other than said preselected attitude for rendering operative said gate moving means, whereby the can moving along said track in said inverted attitude moves onto said gate means as the same is moved to clear said opening downwardly; means for applying an upwardly directed force to the under-surface of said can as said gate is moved to clear said opening to discharge -said can through said opening laterally from said upper track; an arcuately extending chute for receiving cans discharged through said opening, said chute i11- verting said cans as they pass downwardly therein; guide means carried at the lower end oi said chute for delivering the cans passed downwardly in said chute onto said lower track `for movement therealong in the preselected attitude; and means, normally inoperative, and rendered operative by actuation of said bead engaging means for arresting movement of the can immediately following the can movingalong said upper track in the inverted attitude as long as said gate moving means is operative.

3. A device for arranging cans of the type having ya sealing -bead extending around the `one edge thereof for delivery to a discharge station thereon in a preselected constant attitude; a track adapted to receive said cans in a random attitude in an end-t-o-end relationship for` movement therealong; a second track arranged below said first track and leading to said discharge station; said upper track being formed with an opening at the one side thereof intermediate tne ends thereof; a gate; means for pivotally mounting said gate ior movement into and out of a position closing said opening;

attitude other than said preselected attitude l for rendering operative said gate moving means, whereby the can moving along said track in said inverted attitude moves onto said gate means as the same is moved to clear said opening; means for applying an upwardly directed torce to the undersurface of said can as said gate is moved to clear said opening to discharge said can through said opening laterally from said upper track; an arcuately extending chute for receiving cans discharged througnsaid opening, said chute inverting said cans as they pass downwardly therein; and guide means carcried at the lower end of said chute ior deliverlng the cans passed downwardly in said chute onto said lower track I'or movement tnerealong in the preselected attitude.

kA device Ior arranging cans of the type having a sealing bead extending around the upper edge thereof for delivery to a discharge station thereon in a preselected constant attitude, comprising: a track leading to said discharge station; an inclined track arranged above said first named track for receiving cans in a random end-to-end relationship, said upper track being inclined laterally so that one edge thereof is lower ythan the other; gate means forming a part of said upper track; means for pivotally mounting said gate means for movement about an axis substantially coincident with the higher edge of said second track; means normally urging said gate means into a normal position in which the same is substantially coincident with said upper track and operative to hold cans moving thereover against lateral movement ofi the lower edge thereof; means, including means engaged and actuated by the sealing bead inoperative of each can moving along said upper track in abead-up attitude, for pivotally moving said gate means downwardly, whereby said can is laterally discharged from said upper track; chute means for receiving said discharged can, said chute means arcuately extending downwardly andV into registry with said lower track, whereby said can discharged thereinto is inverted in its passage downwardly therein and delivered to said lower track inY a bead-down attitude, the can moving along said upper track in a rim-down attitude being delivered thereby in that attitude onto said lower track for movement therealon'g to said discharge station; and arresting means made operative by actuation of' said' bead engaging means for holding the can following the can moving along said upper track in a bead-up attitude against movement as long as the gate moving means is operative.

A' device for arranging 'cans of the type having 'a sealing bead extending around the one edge thereof for delivery to `a discharge Ystation thereon in `a preselected constant attitude, comprising: a track leading to said discharge station; an inclined track arranged above said rst namedl track for receiving cans in a random end-toeend relationship and terminating in a transfer station superimposed relative to Said lowerV track whereby cans moving into said transferstatiorrare delivered to said lower track, said upperv track beingV inclined laterally' so that one edge thereof is lower than the other; gate means forming a part of said upper track; means for pivotally mounting said gate means for movement about an vaxis substantially coincident with the higher edgeof saidsecond track; means normally urging said gate means into a normal position in `which theV same issubstantially coincident with said upper track and operative to hold cansU downwardly and into registry with said lower track, whereby said cans are inverted in their passage downwardly therein and delivered to said lower track in a bead-down attitude; said urging means returning said gate means to said normal position upon discharge of the can into saidv chute whereby the can following and moving along said upper track in a bead-down attitudemoves over said gate means and along said upper track to said transfer station for delivery onto said lower track in the bead-down attitude formovement therealong to said discharge station.

ALBERT A. YATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,118,972 Torres Dec. 1, 1914 1,886,896 Nelson Nov. 8, 1932 2,270,428 Flint Jan. 20, 1942 2,333,940 Kuehlman Nov. 9, 1943 2,368,796 Ardell Feb 6, 11945 2,505,398 Harris Apr. 25, 11950 2,529,603 Galt Nov. 14, 1950

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