A Novel Design of a Vibratory Feeder Incorporating an Integral Cut Off Valve

The paper presents an entirely new design for a small vibratory feeder that uses a stepper motor as the source of vibration. The motor may also be used to change the position of the table relative to the chute that delivers material on to the table so as to provide a complete cut off of the material flow. Such a feature is particularly valuable when the feeder is being loaded with material. The characteristics of stepper motors are described and their influences on aspects of the design are explained. Some initial test results are given together with an outline of the future development of the device.