Abstract:
A device for conveying closures (D) made from metallic sheet in an essentially vertical direction from a collecting point ( 1 ) to a release point ( 6 ) is proposed. The closures are selected to be in correct position during conveying in order to release at the release point ( 6 ) only same-lying closures in a row of closures following one another closely. A conveyer belt ( 10 ) serves for the transport (v 1 , v 2 ) of the closures. A sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ) serves for detecting wrong-position closures and for lateral discharge (q 1 , q 2 ) of individual wrong-position closures. In the course of the conveyer belt ( 10 ) upstream of the sensor and discharge device, a bar ( 15 ) is arranged above the conveyer belt, which terminates after the sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ). More than one row (R 1 , R 2 ) of closures next to one another may be supplied separately to the sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ). The performance itself is thus increased if the speed of the belt ( 10 ) is reduced. Performance is understood to mean the number of conveyed lids/minute which hitherto reached an order of magnitude of about 800 lids/minute.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The invention is concerned with a device and a process for the conveying of closures made from metal sheet (metallic sheet), for example according to the preamble of claim  1  or the introductory words of claim  10 . 
   BACKGROUND ART 
   Conveyer devices for preferably vertical conveying of closure lids made from magnetically attractable (ferromagnetic) metal sheet are in essence a way of separating a quantity of individual closures collectively conveyed or taken from a container, and which are guided together to form a line of closures, which line is conveyed upwards by a conveyer belt in longitudinal direction. In the course of longitudinal conveying, a blow-off device, which is coupled functionally to a sensor device which detects whether the closure, which in each case has just arrived below the sensor device, is placed in the row in the correct position or in the wrong position, is arranged laterally at one point of the conveyer belt. This identification can be achieved easily due to the cap structure of the closure lid, because the covering wall (surface or “panel”) of the closure lid of U-shaped section produces a different sensor signal than the measurement in the hollow interior of the cap. Therefore the closure lids, which lie in the row with their edge bars or edges on the conveyer belt and with their flat upper sides (covering walls) pointing towards the sensor, may be easily identified. These caps are blown off laterally by a pulse of compressed air so that fewer closures remain, which are conveyed in longitudinal direction, after the sensor and discharge device. Hence the closures are cleared-up with regard to their position. Hence, only correct-position closures are found in the row which is now provided with gaps, so that the conveying capacity is reduced (internal use, no publicly accessible reference known). 
   In order to compensate the reduction in conveying capacity, attempts have been made for a long time and also developments successfully concluded, in which the cap-like closures—instead of being blown off—are rotated using a turning device and again placed in the row, see for example WO-A 01/55014 (CCS&amp;CMB), page 8 there, lines 16 to 22 and claim  13  there, feature (ii). A reduction in the performance, measured in (correctly lying) closure lids (“closure”) per minute (or lids or caps per minute) may thus be avoided, in each case compared at the same speed of the conveyer belt. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention takes a different path. As a technical way of looking at a problem, it may not only retain the conveying capacity (performance), but optionally also increase it without using an expensive device for turning the lids or having to accelerate the belt. Rejecting the aim of the state of the art, the performance should thus be able to be increased even if the speed of the belt is reduced. Performance is understood to mean below the number of conveyed lids/minutes, which currently reaches an order of magnitude of about 800 lids/minute. 
   For the solution, a device according to claim  1  or  30  and a process according to claim  10  is proposed, wherein considerably more or a large number of lids are supplied in parallel to a sensor and discharge device on the conveyer belt, so that the loss due to discharge of lids not placed in correct position is not crucial or hardly crucial. 
   According to the invention, the performance may be almost doubled, easily dependent on how many closures are situated in the wrong position in the several rows (preferably two rows) of supplied lids. 
   For two tracks or lines of parallel conveyed lid rows (claim  14 ), which are supplied adjacently on the conveyer belt, separated by a bar which divides the conveyer belt preferably essentially centrally into two longitudinally directed elongated conveying sections (claim  8 ), the conveying capacity is virtually doubled. The two rows supplied to the sensor and discharge point are guided together (claim  10 , group (c)) again after the end of the bar physically separating them (claim  23 , claim  11 ), following the sensor and discharge device, in order to form a row of closures following one another closely or a virtually gap-less chain of closures. This row may also be called a “closure string” or a virtually gap-less chain of lined-up closures, which are released for further processing or processing at the outlet of the conveyer device. 
   The supply of such closure lids may take place from a container, in which they are stored in bulk. Suitable metallic (ferromagnetic) closures are those which are used in packaging technology, for example sheet metal lid closures with covering wall and peripheral wall and thereon radially inwardly pointing cams for forming “cam rotary closures”. They may be conveyed by the device, wherein the released closure string of lids is either further processed or is further conveyed to the closing machine. 
   Under the assumption of doubling the supplied quantity indicated above at the same speed of the conveyer belt, it depends on the number of lids not lying in the correct position as regards the actual capacity increase achieved. Assuming hypothetically that no such lids are in both conveying strings, the capacity may be doubled. However, usually this cannot be assumed so that a certain number of supplied lids do not lie in the correct position, statistically seen in each row half, so that the performance is at least equal even without a lid turning device with respect to single-track conveying supplied only in correct position. In a comparison with single-track conveying—with lids statistically distributed half in correct position and half in wrong position—the invention achieves essentially virtually double the performance. 
   Those lids which lie in the wrong position are rejected at the sensor and discharge station only from the direction of running of the belt, inmost cases laterally ejected, and fall back into the container described, from where they are taken up again and supplied. 
   Ejection of the lids may take place on two sides (claim  37 , claim  4 ), depending on the separating device as, for example the bar, which both lid rows pass guided in parallel. Starting from that, ejection may take place to the one or to the other side, that is on both sides. A blow-off pulse of compressed air thus comes from the centre of the belt and is triggered by nozzles which are directed in opposite manner. They are arranged firmly on the bar and do not change their height relative to the surface of the belt for a size/height of closure lids. If the type of conveyed closure lids is changed, that is either in their diameter or in their height, adjustment may take place at the sensor and discharge device. At least the sensors of the sensor and discharge device may thus be adjusted at a height relative to the surface of the belt (claim  6 , claim  26 ). The sensitivity of the sensors may also be adjusted by the height adjustment. 
   Tests have shown that increases in capacity up to 1,500 lids/minute may be achieved using the conveyer device according to claim  1  or  37 , for essentially the same belt speed of a comparable plant. 
   Discharge is favoured if the sensor device and the discharge device are spaced slightly in longitudinal direction in each case on one of the two adjacent conveying sections (claim  5 ). Hence, time delays may be compensated by the sensor when detecting a wrong-position closure, whereas the conveyer belt continues to move the closure lid just measured and detected by the sensor. 
   Laterally projecting guide strips (claim  38 ) may conduct the rejection of the lid and ensure that the lateral ejection movement is always converted into a downward movement, supplemented by the force of gravity, so that the lids lying in the wrong position are returned to the collecting container. 
   If the sensors can be adjusted in their height position relative to the belt surface, the conveyer device may be adapted in height to different lids (claim  6 ). Different lid diameters between, for example about 27 mm up to for example about 53 mm may also be conveyed by the same arrangement which is only limited in the conveyable maximum diameter in that the remaining belt sections on both sides of the bar should still be so wide to be able to accommodate the flat sides (the ferromagnetic covering walls) of the lids and to convey them by frictional force, whereas magnets are provided which press the lids onto the surface of the conveyer belt with their magnetic force (claim  7 ). Adjustment of the distance of the elongated magnet may influence this force (claim  31 ), which acts on the ferromagnetic lids. 
   In the guiding-together region, an elongated magnet, which is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the belt and which favours guiding together (claim  9 ), is provided. It starts from the end of the first elongated magnet (claim  32 ,  33 ), which essentially terminates where the sensor and discharge device is arranged, and extends at an angle upwards in the direction towards one edge of the belt in the case of a vertically standing device. Both rows of closures cleared of wrongly lying closures are guided together by this magnet guide lying at an angle and reach the discharge end. Guiding together takes place on the same conveyer belt, on which supply to the sensor and discharge device also took place, only after the latter (claims  24 ,  25 ). Without interposing further conveyer belts or diverting points for the conveyed closure lids, supplying of the non-uniform lid rows and guiding together of only correct-position lid rows is achieved in a small space or a short length (claims  11 ,  12 ). 
   A further guide member may achieve support here and improve the formation of the row of closures following one another closely (claim  15 ). It is arranged upstream of the discharge and at a distance from the sensor and discharge device. It has a guide surface or guide edge at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the belt or central plane and can be pivoted in a small pivoting angle about a pivotable bearing, depending on a pressure which is exerted on the guide member by the several closure lids supplied—in the guiding-together region (claim  35 ,  36 ). 
   The guide member at the discharge end is biased by a spring force (resiliently flexible), so that deflection effects an increase in spring force (claim  19 ), in order to optionally release wedged lids at their pointed end (nose end) and to make them either into such lids which run into a feed hopper to form the lid row following one another closely or to make them into such lids which slide along a deflecting edge (claim  22 ) of this guide member and are deflected laterally from the conveyer belt in order to also fall back into the collecting container. 
   The guide member after the sensor and discharge device guides together the several separate rows in a guiding-together section into the row of closures following one another closely (claim  10 , last alternative). 
   The elongated magnetic device in the guiding-together region (claim  9 , claim  24 ) and/or the elongated magnetic device in the upstream region (claim  7 ), which upstream magnetic device extends into the sensor and discharge region, may be composed of individual piece magnets, which are inserted in an elongated, flat support arrangement. An elongated magnetic device, which fixes the single individual magnets against one another (claim  27 ), is thus produced. Due to the position of the accommodation points in the support arrangement, track sections (guide lines) are defined which consist in each case of individual magnets. At least one of these track sections is inclined with respect to a central plane of the conveyer belt in order to form the inclined elongated magnetic device (claim  28 ,  29 ). This inclination relates to the guiding-together region, where a row is formed from several rows of closure lids, which takes place like points by presetting the individual magnets along guide lines at different angles—to a vertical (for example the central plane). 
   Also upstream of the guiding-together region, the elongated magnetic device may consist of two spaced rows of individual magnets, which are arranged so that in each case one row lies on this side and that side of the bar and is arranged below the conveyer belt (claim  30 ). 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is illustrated and supplemented using exemplary embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a first section of the conveyer device. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a second section of the conveyer belt, above  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the vertically erected conveyer device. 
       FIG. 4  is a component view of elongated magnetic devices which are arranged in the upper part section of the first section and in the lower part section of the second section below the conveyer belt. The magnet pieces, which are circular here, are not closure lids as have been illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a component view of one embodiment of the invention in the direction of the central plane corresponding to the track path, wherein at the top the conveyer belt and at the bottom an elongated support device with the magnet pieces, which can be seen in  FIG. 4 , are shown in detail. 
       FIG. 6  is a component view of the distance relationships of the magnet pieces based on a closure lid to be conveyed 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The device for conveying the metallic closure lids operates vertically, as may be seen using an example from  FIG. 3 . Starting from a container—not shown in more detail—lying at the bottom in section  1  of the conveyer device, into which a continuous conveyer belt  10  engages, closure lids D are moved upwards along two tracks on the continuous conveyer belt  10 . A combined section of sensors  17 ,  19  and discharge devices  16 ,  18 , which may be formed as metal sensors or blowing nozzles for compressed air ejection, is situated in section  3  approximately at the central height. A bar  15  extends into the collecting container and lies above the upper side of the upper conveyer strand of the conveyer belt  10 . The bar extends into the section  3 , where the sensor and discharge device is arranged. The collecting section  4 , in which closure lids are guided together without a bar design, starts above section  3  towards a feed hopper which is formed in section  5 . 
     FIG. 3  shows on the left of the feed hopper a moveable guide member, the pivoting axis of which is arranged below a carrying strap  80 . After the hopper section  5 , a discharge section  6  is connected, which releases a row of closures following one another closely and which are moved upwards, optionally are then diverted and are supplied to their use or application or reprocessing. 
   The lower section  2 ,  3  above the collecting point  1  in the container is shown in  FIG. 1 . The upper section  4 ,  5 , starting after the sensor and discharge device  3  (or the section  3  of the conveyer path), is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
   Lids in correct position and wrong position can be seen from  FIG. 3 . A wrong-position closure is placed so that the peripheral wall points towards the conveyer belt and in the plan view of  FIG. 3 , the outer surface of the covering wall of the closure can be seen. A correct-position closure is placed so that the covering wall of the particular closure lies on the conveyer belt, on which the covering wall is pressed by a magnetic force of attraction of a device  50 , which is arranged below the upper strand of the conveyer belt. The peripheral wall can be seen as an edge line pointing upwards towards the observer in  FIG. 3 . Due to the frictional force between a particular closure lid and the surface of the conveyer belt, a transporting force (by means of the frictional force formed via μ R ) may be transferred by pressing. Nevertheless, the lids also slip on the conveyer belt if they abut against one another or come across obstacles, as shown in  FIG. 3  in section  4  at the inlet of the hopper section  5 . Several lids abut against one another here and are jostled into the inlet, wherein those lids are also shown which are ejected laterally, because they may no longer be taken up by the hopper section due to the excess quantity of available (transported) lids. 
   The belt according to  FIG. 1  is moved upwards. In each case one of two rows R 1 , R 2  of closure lids D can be seen on this side and the other side of the bar  15 , as illustrated by  FIG. 3 . Both rows lie on the same conveyer belt and are moved upwards according to the speed of the belt. They reach the sensors  17  or  19  which detect whether a closure lid situated in each case under them lies in correct position or wrong position. If it lies with the covering wall pointing upwards towards the sensor, the discharge device belonging to a particular sensor is activated in order to eject this lid laterally. This takes place by activating a short air pulse which results for row R 1  in deflection q 1  of the lid D 10 , which is guided laterally by a guide element  30  and deflected downwards in order to fall into the container  1 . The same happens with the second row R 2  and the sensor  19  arranged here and the ejector  18  provided at a distance therefrom, which may also be operated by compressed air. If the sensor  19  detects a closure lid lying wrongly, a nozzle  18  activates an ejection pulse q 2  which leads to the lateral pressing out of the lid D 11 . This lid is diverted by a deflecting device  31 , correspondingly that deflecting device  30 , and thrown back downwards into the container  1 . 
   Two wipers  20 ,  21 , which wipe lids lying one on another so that only one layer of lids, but several strings (or rows) of lids are moved upwards, are provided above the two elongated guide track sections on this side and that side of the bar  15 . 
   After the end of the bar  15 , the two rows R 1 , R 2  cleared of wrongly-lying lids, symbolised here by the lids D, may be guided together in order to produce a single row of lids, which takes place in sections  4  and  5  of the conveyer path. Reference should thus be made to the illustrations of  FIG. 2 . 
   First of all it should also be explained that the two discharge devices  16 ,  18  are directed outwards, that is operate in opposite direction, in order to discharge the wrong-position closure lids. They fall out—depending on the composition of the rows R 1 , R 2 —to the one or other side of the conveyer belt, as is shown clearly also in  FIG. 3  by two falling lids below the two guides  30 ,  31 . 
   The distance “a” may be the same for sensor and discharge device on both sides of the bar  15 . It compensates a delay which corresponds essentially to the transit time of the lids between the sensor point and the site of discharge. 
   To adapt to different heights of the conveyed lids, the sensors may be height-adjustable using an adjusting device  82  on the bar  15 , relative to the surface of the conveyer belt. The discharge heads  18 ,  16  on the other hand are mounted on the central bar  15  at a fixed height. 
   The magnetic device  50  is indicated in  FIG. 1  as placed below the upper strand of the conveyer belt running upwards. Its distance (from the belt) may be adjusted in order to change the magnetic force on the lid and hence the quantity of conveyed lids. The magnetic device  50  is elongated and has a width which is adequate to magnetically attract the closures of preset diameter so that the frictional force of the belt is adequate for conveying. Due to the double-track conveying, the magnetic device extends on both sides of the bar  15 . In longitudinal direction, it extends as far as the discharge device and optionally slightly beyond, so that a connection magnetic device  51 , which can be seen from  FIG. 2 , does not leave too great a gap in order to facilitate continuous conveying of the closure lids. The end of the bar  15  is provided in  FIG. 1  after the uppermost of the discharge elements  18 ,  16 . The exact position of this end may be changed easily, it should lie in the region of the sensor and discharge device and not extend too far into the guiding-together section  4 , in which the lids separated beforehand by the bar  15  are to be guided together. The distance of the connection magnetic device  51  (from the conveyer belt) can also be adjusted in order to change the magnetic force on the conveyed lids. 
   The speeds v 1  drawn in for the first row R 1  of closures and v 2  for the second row R 2  of closures are the same, since both closures lie on the same conveyer belt, only at the beginning separated physically by the separating device  15  designed as the bar which does not touch the belt surface, but is arranged above it. 
   Section  4  of  FIG. 2  follows on from  FIG. 1  and its upper end. No central bar is provided in the guiding-together section  4 , rather the belt surface of the conveyer belt  10  is free. A magnetic field, aligned at an angle inclined with respect to a central plane  100  of the belt, from an elongated magnetic device  51  guides the metallic closures, or presses them, against the conveyer belt, which moves them upwards due to frictional force. At the same time, the closures are deflected laterally by the alignment of the magnetic device  51 . Its conveying speed v 3  corresponds essentially to the belt speed and those speeds v 1 , v 2 , which was described for the first and second row R 1 , R 2 . 
   The magnetic device  51  is connected essentially to the upper end of the preceding magnetic device  50 , but is significantly narrower, preferably essentially half as wide. The magnetic device leads into an inlet, which is formed on the left of a guide member  60  and on the right of an edge  70 , which is formed by an elongated guide member or guide strip  71 . This guide member  71  can be adjusted in transverse direction x 70  in order to change the guide edge  70  at a distance from the pivotable left-hand guide member  60 . 
   The magnetic device  51 , which is arranged below the upper strand of the conveyer belt  10 , extends into the feed hopper between the edge  70  of the guide strip  71  pointing to the left and the edge  62  of the guide member  60  pointing to the right. Its position (inclination) may be changed with respect to the central plane  100  of the conveyer belt in order to be adapted to changes in the position of the guide member  60  and the adjustment of the guide strip  70 . 
   The guide member  60  on the left of the magnetic device  51  is mounted pivotably on a pivotable bearing  60   a . It has the previously described inner edge  62  which is orientated at an angle with respect to the central plane and a curved running front edge  63 , which may be designed as an edge or as a bar or as a flat section, depending on the height of the guide member. This guide edge is arched so that a closure abutting at a front nose section  61 , which is slightly rounded, is pressed either into the feed hopper, or is deflected via the deflecting edge  63  outwards from the conveyer belt  10  in order to fall back into the container  1 . 
   Depending on the number of closures jostling into the feed hopper, a pressure force is formed on the pivotable guide member  60 , which facilitates a reaction force via a spring device  66 . If the pressure force increases either on the nose section  61  or the inner guide edge  62 , the guide member is deflected in order to change the mouth of the feed hopper. Possibly blocking closures at the inlet, as are shown for example in  FIG. 3 , may be loosened and threading of the closures into the required row of closures following one another closely is facilitated. Wedging at the feed hopper may be avoided, wherein the feed hopper starts wider due to the alignment of the two edges  70 ,  62  forming it and becomes narrower at the top in order to have its lowest width towards the discharge region  6 . 
   In order to restrict the movement clearance of the guide member  60  which is pivotable in the angle a, a guide  64  is provided which has two end stops for an inner and an outer rest position. A pin  65  is placed in the guide  64 , so that pivoting of the guide member  60  at one of the two ends  64   a ,  64   b  of the curved slot  64  defines a particular end stop. The inner end stop or the rest position is shown, at which no force is exerted by the lids on the guide member  60  and therefore also no spring force F is produced by the spring device  66  as (resiliently flexible) counter-force. 
   For stronger pressure, the guide member  60  falls back by a small angle, which is settled up to 30°, preferably in the range between 12° and 20°. 
   A plate  68  is arranged below the guide member  60  acting like an elongated triangle, on which it can be moved in sliding manner by its pivoting movement. A raised stop  69  arranged opposite serves to accommodate the spring device  66  and for its support relative to the schematically shown belt body, which defines the conveyer belt  10  on both sides. 
   The nose section  61  serves to separate those closures which are also supplied or aligned to the closure string and those closures which are deflected by the conveyer track and thrown down at the side. The pivotable bearing  60   a  is arranged at the acute angle of the guide member  60  acting like a triangle opposite the thus formed deflecting edge  63 . To clarify the attachment site of the pivotable bearing, the supporting bar  80  is shown broken away in the region of the bearing. In corresponding manner, the bearing  60   a  is drawn in as a dashed line in  FIG. 3  below this supporting bar. 
   The likewise provided adjustment of the second guide side edge  70  on the guide strip  71  takes place through elongated holes and bolts  72 ,  73 , in each case adapted to an actual diameter of conveyed closure lids. 
   A further sensor and blow-off arrangement may be arranged at the upper end close to the transition between the feed hopper  5  and the conveying section  6 , as was illustrated using devices  18 ,  19 . A safety check takes place here and those closures which in rare cases are passed to this point in wrong position are ejected laterally and fall from here back into the container  1 . Ejection takes place in the same manner, as illustrated using the guides  30 ,  31  acting as tracks in region  3 . 
   An additional guide element  75  may also be arranged opposite the guide strip  71  on the other side of the belt and closer to the sensor and discharge region  3  in order to serve as a safety guide. 
   The elongated magnetic device  51  may also make a contribution to the described lateral guides  71 ,  60  and  75  for the guiding together of the closure lids conveyed upwards in several rows. It was thus already described that the elongated magnetic device may laterally deflect the closures during their movement V 3 . This lateral deflection may be reinforced if the magnetic device is indeed also designed as an elongated magnetic device, but defines independent magnetic tracks, as become clear from  FIG. 4 . Here too, the elongated magnetic device  51 , which can be seen in plan view in region  5  when the conveyer belt  10  is shown broken away, and moreover belt path extending as far as section  3  in dashed line representation is placed below the conveyer belt  10 , serves for lateral advancement. A number of individual magnets, which have cylindrical shape, can be seen in  FIG. 4 . They are arranged at a distance from one another and due to their lining-up form tracks  55 ,  56 ,  57  which may be regarded as connecting lines of the particular centres of the cylindrical magnets. The individual magnets themselves are thus mounted in a non-magnetic support  53 , which can be seen from  FIG. 5 . It is arranged below the conveyer belt and has recesses, into which the cylindrical magnets are inserted and hence fixed in their relative position to one another. The non-magnetic support plate  53  has a distance e from the lower side of the conveyer belt  10 , which can be seen in  FIG. 5  with a lid D (at a diameter d 0 ) serving as an example. 
   The track  56 , which is shown in  FIG. 5  in section, can be seen from  FIG. 4 . The lining-up of the cylindrical magnets  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c ,  56   d ,  56   e  produces a continuation of the track guide of the right-hand row R 2 , which is shown in  FIG. 4  as track  59 . The second track  55  of magnets  55   a ,  55   b , . . .  55   d  running at an angle with respect to the track section  56  conveys the closure lids of the left-hand row R 1  cleared of wrongly lying closures into a points section in the guiding-together region  4 , to which the track  57  is connected, which runs essentially parallel to the track  56 . Here too, individual magnets are inserted in the support plate  53  at a distance from one another, so that the centres of the magnets  57   a  to  57   d  produce the track guide of the guide line  57 . 
   The track sections  55 ,  56  and  57  may also have different inclinations with respect to one another if they have in common in the guiding-together region a cutting point, in which the lids from the two rows R 1 , and R 2  are guided together in order to be introduced into the hopper inlet between the pivotable guide member  60  and the right-hand guide strip  71 . In the example shown of  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the guide line  56  of the individual magnets  56   a  to  56   e  has at the start a slight inclination with respect to the central plane of the conveyer belt  10 . At least two of the conveyer devices  55  to  57  have different inclinations with respect to the central plane  100  described. 
   The elongated magnetic device  50 , which extends into the sensor and discharge region  3 , may also be designed in the same manner. For it, the guide devices  58 ,  59  as connection of the centres of the individual magnets, are however aligned in parallel and have no inclination to one another whatever. The individual magnets  58   a  to  58   d  form the conveyer device  58  on the left of the central bar  15 , whereas the individual magnets  59   a  to  59   d  clarify the conveyer device  59  on the right of the central bar  15 . The elongated conveyer device  50  can be seen in plan view due to the belt section  10  shown broken away. It also has an elongated support device  54 , into which the magnets are thus inserted, like that described using  FIG. 5  for the elongated conveyer device  51 . 
   Reference may be made to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  regarding the arrangement, positioning and relative alignment of the individual magnets. 
   A ferromagnetically acting lid, which is attracted by the individual magnets  56   b ,  56   c , has such a diameter d 0  that always at least one, preferably both, magnets may have influence on it in an intermediate region, in order to be able to ensure the force F M  during conveying at such a height (amount), that during an upward movement according to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the weight F G  does not become greater than the opposite-acting frictional force F R , which in the case of static friction is proportional to the force of attraction F M . The distance “e” used for adjusting this force may be preset via the adjusting device  40  by Δe. 
   The distance “c” of the individual magnets in the support plate  53  according to  FIG. 5  is determined so that it should not be greater, preferably even somewhat smaller, than the smallest lid diameter d to be conveyed. The diameter d 1  of the individual magnet pieces is relatively small based on the belt width b 10 , for example below 15%, so that there is considerable freedom for positioning the individual magnet pieces. 
   They may be arranged along the tracks  55 ,  56  and  57 , optionally also  58  and  59 , in each case designated as conveying direction or conveying line, also offset with respect to one another in order to take into account the cylindrical shape and to reduce the distance which the closest-lying edges of the magnet pieces have, as clarified in  FIG. 5  using the distance c. 
   If the individual magnet pieces have adequate force of attraction, the track guiding applied by the tensile force F M  and guiding of the lids to be orientated laterally to one another in the guiding-together region may be achieved virtually just by the individual magnets, without considerable lateral guide elements being necessary. For example the safety guide  75  could be omitted. 
   The individual track sections  55 ,  56 ,  57 , their inclination to one another and a certain length of the individual sections, which is preset in each case, thus make a considerable contribution to guiding-together of the parallel rows R 1 , R 2  in an entire row R 3  for introduction into the hopper section and further conveying to the discharge section  6 .