A chute apparatus is comprised of a guide member, an arched member, and a floor member. The guide member guides an object entering the chute apparatus. The arched member receives the object from the guide member and redirects the object toward an exit port of the chute apparatus. The floor member receives the object from the arched member and directs the object toward the exit port of the chute apparatus. It is contemplated that the object may comprise a fruit, such as a berry or the like.

In a flange-nut posture control device includes a first opening, a direction controlling portion is constituted by two vertical wall portions extending in a vertical direction such that the vertical wall portions are distanced from each other to face each other via a space with a distance smaller than the diameter of a flange portion of the flange nut. A lower guide portion is provided such that a V-shaped groove having a bottom portion between the vertical wall portions extends to be inclined from a horizontal plane. A second opening is surrounded by at least the vertical wall portions and the lower guide portion and formed such that the flange nut is passed through the second opening. An outlet groove portion is connected to the lower guide portion at an end surface of the second opening and extends with the same inclination as the lower guide portion.

A chute apparatus is comprised of a guide member, an arched member, and a floor member. The guide member guides an object entering the chute apparatus. The arched member receives the object from the guide member and redirects the object toward an exit port of the chute apparatus. The floor member receives the object from the arched member and directs the object toward the exit port of the chute apparatus. It is contemplated that the object may comprise a fruit, such as a berry or the like.

A bolt supply device includes a slide plate inclined to a vertical direction; and a groove portion formed in the slide plate and having a width that allows passing of a screw portion of a bolt and prevents passing of a flange portion of the bolt. The groove portion includes a first groove configured such that an angle formed between a line extending in an up-down direction along the slide plate and the first groove is a first angle; and a second groove connected to a lower end of the first groove and configured such that an angle formed between the line extending in the up-down direction along the slide plate and the second groove is a second angle smaller than the first angle. The bolt take-out portion is set in the groove portion at a lower end or below the lower end of the second groove.

An apparatus and system include an upper stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; a lower stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; and an intermediate conveyor section separating the upper stepped chute from the lower stepped chute. The intermediate conveyor section has a slope that is different from the slope of the upper stepped chute and the lower stepped chute.

An apparatus and system include an upper stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; a lower stepped chute having a substantially downward sloped configuration; and an intermediate conveyor section separating the upper stepped chute from the lower stepped chute. The intermediate conveyor section has a slope that is different from the slope of the upper stepped chute and the lower stepped chute.

A bolt supply device includes a conveyor, a bolt absorbing portion, a bolt storage portion, and an allocation portion. The conveyor is an endless belt and is provided to circulate between a first height and a second height above the first height. The bolt absorbing portion protrudes on an outer surface of a ring formed by the conveyor and is configured to absorb a bolt. The bolt storage portion is provided in a region where the bolt absorbing portion ascends, the region located at the first height. The allocation portion is configured to swing to drop the bolt in either one of both width directions of the conveyor at the second height, the bolt absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion in the bolt storage portion.

In a flange-nut posture control device includes a first opening, a direction controlling portion is constituted by two vertical wall portions extending in a vertical direction such that the vertical wall portions are distanced from each other to face each other via a space with a distance smaller than the diameter of a flange portion of the flange nut. A lower guide portion is provided such that a V-shaped groove having a bottom portion between the vertical wall portions extends to be inclined from a horizontal plane. A second opening is surrounded by at least the vertical wall portions and the lower guide portion and formed such that the flange nut is passed through the second opening. An outlet groove portion is connected to the lower guide portion at an end surface of the second opening and extends with the same inclination as the lower guide portion.

Parts merge smoothly without any stopper at a branching region. A determining and sorting unit determines, between an introduction passage and a branching region, whether weld nuts at rest are facing up or down. The weld nuts determined as facing up are fed to a first branch passage, whereas the weld nuts determined as facing down are fed to a second branch passage.

A bolt supply device includes a conveyor, a bolt absorbing portion, a bolt storage portion, and an allocation portion. The conveyor is an endless belt and is provided to circulate between a first height and a second height above the first height. The bolt absorbing portion protrudes on an outer surface of a ring formed by the conveyor and is configured to absorb a bolt. The bolt storage portion is provided in a region where the bolt absorbing portion ascends, the region located at the first height. The allocation portion is configured to swing to drop the bolt in either one of both width directions of the conveyor at the second height, the bolt absorbed by the bolt absorbing portion in the bolt storage portion.