Patent ID: 7089654

Claim:
A ball given quantity supply apparatus, comprising: a ball storage portion for storing a plurality of balls therein; a ball arranging device for arranging a plurality of balls stored in the ball storage portion in a line; a ball delivery device including a ball passage extended from the ball storage portion so as not only to be able to receive a plurality of balls arranged in a line by the ball arranging device when the plurality of balls are supplied thereto but also to allow the plurality of balls supplied thereto to pass in a line therethrough, the ball delivery device being capable of delivering the plurality of balls arranged in a line in the ball passage from the ball storage portion to the extended end portion of the ball passage using gravity; a first gate device disposed at a position near to the ball storage portion in the ball passage of the ball delivery device for opening and closing the ball passage; a second gate device disposed at a position more distant from the ball storage portion in the ball passage of the ball delivery device than the first gate device for opening and closing the ball passage and also for holding a given quantity of balls between the first gate device and itself; a pressurized fluid jetting device disposed in the vicinity of the first gate device in the ball passage of the ball delivery device for jetting out a pressurized fluid onto the balls to thereby separate substances attached to the surfaces of the balls from these surfaces; and an operation control device for detecting that a given quantity of balls are held between the first and second gate devices in the ball passage of the ball delivery device, and also for controlling the operations of the first and second gate device, wherein the operation control device opens the first gate device and closes the second gate device while the plurality of balls arranged in a line by the ball arranging device are being supplied into the ball passage of the ball delivery device, and closes the first gate device and opens the second gate device after it is detected that a given quantity of balls are held between the first and second gate devices in the ball passage of the ball delivery device.