Importance

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Abstract

A feed means for feeding elongate articles of the type described in succession and in a predetermined orientation to a receiving station, the feed means including an inclined track comprising a pair of parallel shoulders affording a slot therebetween so that, in use, a head of an article of the type described can be supported on the shoulders with its shank depending downwardly through the slot and, at the lower end of the slot, there being a rotatable feed member having a helical groove of such configuration as to permit a lowermost article in the track to enter the groove and be transported transversely away from the track between the feed member and the lower end of the track, wherein a drive means is provided to rotate the feed member unidirectionally at a speed of at least 300 r.p.m. so that the lowermost article is subjected to a frictional force having a component generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shank of a magnitude to cause relative movement between the lowermost article and the next adjacent article in the longitudinal direction of their shanks and thereafter to transport the thus engaged article in a direction transverse to the axis of the shank.

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First Claim