Patent ID: 6182814
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B65B,B65G

Abstract:
An inline vacuum slug feeder comprising:a conveyor belt for moving a plurality of items, serially stacked front-to-back in line, from an intake end to a discharge end of the conveyor belt,a vacuum chamber adjacent to and in line with the conveyor belt discharge end, for pulling items by vacuum from the discharge end of the conveyor belt into the vacuum chamber, such that the items are serially stacked front-to-back in line as on the conveyor belt,a regulating means for controlling the passage of items from the discharge end of the conveyor belt to the vacuum chamber,a first finger inserted into and moving in the vacuum chamber, the finger inserted between the items, for regulating the velocity of the items in the vacuum chamber and for separating the plurality of items into slugs.