Patent attributes
The device comprises: a chute, on which tubes arranged in a line and with a random orientation of closed and open heads thereof, fall by gravity towards a rotor activated by a motor with stepped 90° displacements. A head tube enters one of two housings realised in the rotor, one housing being perpendicular to the other housing and destined in turn to be aligned with the line of tubes. An endrun stop halts the head tube while the sensor organs ascertain whether a frontally-situated head of the head tube is open or closed. The motor activates the rotor in a direction or in another, according to a datum supplied by the sensor organs, such that the open head of the tube is always in a predetermined position. During rotation cam means act in cooperation with containing and guide means to raise the head tube into a predetermined collection position where it is picked up by handling organs. The raising enables a following tube to insert in the other housing, which has in the meantime become aligned with the chute.
