Patent ID: 7740424

Claim:
An apparatus for separating a single article from a group of articles, comprising: a containing means for containing one or more articles that define a group of articles, said containing means comprises an inlet for introducing said one or more articles into said containing means and at least one outlet; a levitating means for levitating said one or more articles in said group of articles within said containing means in a levitation direction; and a conduit operatively coupled to said at least one outlet, said conduit includes an introduction surface and a portal, wherein the plane of said introduction surface is oriented at an angle (θ 1 ) with respect to an axis defined along the length of said conduit of about 45 degrees; and said portal is oriented at an angle of rotation (θ 2 ) with respect to said levitation direction and a virtual axis projected through the center of said portal of from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees; whereby single articles are separated from said group of articles and transported away from said group of articles via a differential pressure.