Patent ID: 8096403

Claim:
A machine for orienting and aligning articles, comprising: a plurality of orientation cavities arranged in a moving arrangement which can move said orientation cavities along a closed path, the orientation cavities being provided with an upper inlet for loading articles and with an open base through which the articles can pass; a plurality of aligning conduits arranged in said moving arrangement below the orientation cavities, each of said aligning conduits having a funnel-shaped upper inlet located below the open base of one of the orientation cavities for receiving an article from same; means for temporarily supporting the articles in said orientation cavities and dropping same into the corresponding aligning conduits in a predetermined site of said closed path; and support and/or end stop elements in each of the orientation cavities adapted to cooperate with some parts of the article when it drops through the open base of the orientation cavity in order to give a predetermined orientation to the article inside the aligning conduit, wherein each orientation cavity is formed by a front wall and a rear wall in relation to the forward movement direction of the orientation cavity, and an inner side wall, a first support and end stop element of said support and/or end stop elements being located near said front wall and a second support element and a third end stop element of said support and/or end stop elements being located adjacent said rear wall, wherein each of the orientation cavities comprises several seats or housings located at several different positions of at least said inner side wall for receiving said first support and end stop element, and retaining means for retaining said first support and end stop element in any of said seats or housings, such that at least one dimension of the orientation cavity can be adapted to different articles by changing the first support and end stop element from a seat or housing to another.