Patent ID: 8875902

Claim:
A machine for sorting a plurality of fasteners, said machine comprising: a plurality of normal fasteners each having a shaft and a head, said shaft of the normal fastener having a predetermined diameter, said head of the normal fastener having a predetermined diameter; at least one defective fastener, said defective fastener only having a shaft, said shaft of the defective fastener having the same predetermined diameter as said normal fastener; a plurality of rollers rotatably attached to a frame, aligned generally parallel to each other, and oriented at an angle relative to horizontal, the plurality of rollers rotated by a drive belt, the drive belt positioned over at least two adjacent rollers causing the adjacent rollers to rotate in the same direction, the drive belt positioned under an adjacent third roller causing the third roller to rotate in the opposite direction of the at least two adjacent rollers; said plurality of rollers having a predetermined gap between adjacent rollers, said predetermined gap dimensioned for the shaft of the fastener to fit therethrough and to prevent the head of the fastener to fit therethrough, said predetermined gap larger than the predetermined diameter of the shaft of the defective fastener, said predetermined gap smaller than the predetermined diameter of the head of the normal fastener; said plurality of rollers having an elevated end and an exit end, said exit end having an opening proximate thereto and dimensioned for the head of the fastener to fit therethrough; said plurality of rollers operable for sorting the plurality of fasteners by placing the plurality of fasteners onto said plurality of rollers proximate said elevated end, the fasteners moving down to the exit end as said plurality of rollers are rotated with the fasteners having only a shaft falling between the rollers before reaching the exit end, the defective fasteners falling into a first bin, the fasteners having a shaft and a head reaching the exit and falling through the opening into a second bin thereby separating the defective fasteners from the normal fasteners.