Patent ID: 7121428

Claim:
A spout supply apparatus comprising: a spout conveying and positioning device which conveys spouts lined up in a single row and successively positions a spout in a spout receiving position, and a spout transfer device which successively receives said spout that is in said spout receiving position, conveys said spout toward spout transfer positions while changing orientation of said spout by approximately 90 degrees, and transfers said spout to spout clamping members that are disposed at said spout transfer positions; wherein: said spout transfer device comprises two sets of spout holding members that have a common swing venter and swing in a reciprocating swing motion in a horizontal plane through a swing angle of approximately 90 degrees, said two sets of spout holding members have respective holding centers which are set to be equidistant from said swing center, said two sets of spout holding members are provided at an angle of approximately 90 degrees apart from each other, each one of said spout transfer positions is disposed on each side of said swing center, said spout receiving position and spout transfer positions are located at either end of a circular are that is drawn, when said two sets of spout holding members swing, by each one of said holding centers; said two sets of spout holding members are comprised of first set of spout holding members and second set of spout holding members; and when said two sets of spout holding members are at one end of said swing motion, said first set of spout holding members holds a spout in said spout receiving position, while said second set of spout holding members transfers a spout to one of said spout clamping members that is disposed at one of said spout transfer positions, and when said two sets of spout holding members are at another end of said swing motion, said second set of spout holding members holds a spout in said spout receiving position, while said first set of spout holding members transfers a spout to another one of said spout clamping members that is disposed at another one of said spout transfer positions.