Patent ID: 6994248

Claim:
Apparatus for counting objects comprising: a bowl adapted for holding a plurality of the objects therein and rotatable about an axis in a housing, the bowl further comprising, a first annular inclined surface portion adjacent a bottom of the bowl, a second annular inclined surface portion adjacent a top of the bowl, and an annular, substantially flat ledge intermediate and interconnecting the first and second inclined surfaces; a spiral guide ramp held stationary within the rotating bowl for guiding the objects from the bottom of the bowl to the ledge and from the ledge to the top of the bowl, the ramp forming a gap adjacent the ledge; means for periodically altering an angular velocity of the rotation of the bowl so as to cause the objects on the ledge to either distribute individually therealong and traverse the gap to be guided to the top of the bowl or to fall through the gap to return to the bottom of the bowl; a slide for guiding the objects individually from the top of the bowl to one of either a first collecting means or a second collecting means; a counter for counting individual objects guided to the first collecting means; and a gate at a first position for guiding individual objects into the first collecting means and when a predetermined number of objects have been collected in the first collecting means the gate being actuable to a second position for guiding individual objects into the second collecting means.