Patent ID: 7597189
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: B65G

Abstract:
1. A cap sorter for lifting and orienting caps, comprising: a hopper section for holding randomly oriented caps; a conveyor belt traveling along a belt path that extends through the hopper section, the belt path extending from the hopper section and moving upward therefrom, a plurality of spaced apart cleat attachment locations along a length of the conveyor belt, each cleat attachment location formed by a plurality of button members extending from an outer surface of the conveyor belt, each button member including an enlarged head portion, each cleat attachment location having a cleat attached thereto, each cleat having a plurality of slots for matingly engaging with a corresponding one of the button members to removably hold the cleat to the conveyor belt when the enlarged head of the button member is located at a securing location of its corresponding slot, each button member movable along its corresponding slot to a removal location of the slot so as to enable the cleat to be separated from the conveyor belt by movement of the cleat relative to the conveyor belt; and a cap removal station located toward an upper part of the conveyor belt path for removing oriented caps from cleats; wherein each cleat includes a working edge and a non-working edge, the button members and slots are spaced such that the button members and slots will only align for engagement when the working edge of the cleat faces toward a travel direction of the conveyor belt so that the cleat will only attaches to the conveyor belt with its working edge facing toward the travel direction of the conveyor belt.