Abstract: A dispersion feeder for distributing a product stream to a plurality of receiving devices arranged about the periphery of the dispersion feeder, the dispersion feeder comprising a dispersion table; wherein the dispersion table comprises: a product receiving region at the centre of the dispersion table configured to receive a product stream comprising product and slack, and a product dispensing region surrounding the product receiving region; wherein the dispersion table is configured to transfer the product radially from the product receiving region to the product dispensing region; characterised in that the dispersion table further comprises: one or more apertures extending through the dispersion table, the one or more apertures being positioned between the product receiving region and the product dispensing region.

Abstract: An inspection device inspects of goods that include plural articles that sometimes overlap each other. An X-ray inspection device irradiates goods containing plural articles having a predetermined shape and inspects the goods on the basis of inspection images obtained from radiation that has passed through the goods or radiation that has reflected off the goods. The X-ray inspection device includes a storage component, a learning component, and an inspection component. The storage component stores, as teaching images, at least the inspection images of the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The learning component acquires, by machine learning using the teaching images stored in the storage component, features relating to the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The inspection component inspects the goods using the features that the learning component has acquired.

Abstract: An article retaining device includes a hopper configured to temporarily retain articles and discharge the articles, and a supporting body configured to detachably support the hopper. The hopper has a main body configured to retain the articles, and an extending portion that extends along a width direction of the main body. The supporting body has an engaging portion that engages with the extending portion, and a guide surface configured to guide movement of the extending portion to the engaging portion when the hopper is attached.

Abstract: An X-ray inspection apparatus includes: an X-ray irradiation unit; a transport unit; an X-ray detection unit; and an X-ray shielding door. An inclined portion that is inclined downward from the one side toward the other side in the width direction when seen in the transport direction in the closed state is formed in at least a part of an inner surface of the X-ray shielding door. In the closed state, a lower end portion of the inclined portion in the vertical direction is located closer to the other side of the width direction than a position of an end portion of the transport unit on the one side of the width direction.

Abstract: An article conveying apparatus (1) according to an embodiment includes: a hopper (60/70) that temporarily stores an article charged from an outside and discharges the article downstream; a driver (10) that dives the hopper; and a main body (100) to be attached with the driver, wherein the main body includes: a top plate (110) that has a plane in a horizontal direction; and a side surface (120) to be attached with the driver, and the side surface has: a first surface (120A) that stands up in a vertical direction and is to be connected to the top plate; and a second surface (120B) that is formed continuously with the first surface, is attached with the driver, and is inclined in a direction of going toward a center axis (0) of the main body as going downward in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A combination weighing apparatus (1) according to one embodiment includes: a plurality of hoppers (4) to (6) that receives articles inputted from an outside, temporarily stores the articles, and discharges the stored articles downstream; a discharge chute (9) that receives the articles discharged from the hoppers and causes the articles to slide downstream; an acquisition unit (50) that acquires weight values of the articles stored in each hopper; and a control unit (30) that performs combination calculation on the basis of the weight values acquired by the acquisition unit and discharges the articles from a hopper determined by the combination calculation to the discharge chute. The discharge chute includes: a first slide surface (91) having a plurality of openings (91A); and a second slide surface (92) that covers a part of the opening and is disposed at a position on an inner side of the discharge chute with respect to the first slide surface.

Abstract: In a combination weighing apparatus (1), a driver (10) is attached to a main body (100) by being inserted into an opening (100A) provided in a lateral surface of the main body, in a direction from an outer side (O) toward an inner side (I) of the main body, a first motor (14), a second motor (13), and a load cell (12) are arranged on the inner side of the main body in relation to a base (11), and in a state where the driver is attached to the main body, at least a portion of the first motor, the second motor, and the load cell is located further on a lower side (L) than a lower edge (E1) of the opening.

Abstract: A bagmaking and packaging device includes a transverse sealing unit, a first tube member, and a gas flow path member. The first tube member is disposed above the transverse sealing unit and extends in an up and down direction. The first tube member allows a packaging material to become wrapped around it to thereby form the packaging material into a tubular shape. At least part of the gas flow path member is disposed inside the first tube member. The gas flow path member delivers nitrogen into the packaging material formed into the tubular shape. The first tube member includes a cutout portion that extends in the up and down direction. The cutout portion is formed so that the nitrogen can move between a space between the packaging material formed into the tubular shape and the first tube member and the inside space of the first tube member.

Abstract: To provide an article gripping system that reduces the installation area of the apparatus and further shortens the amount of time from when it grips to when it feeds articles. An article gripping system (110) switches between a first positional relationship in which a container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by a first gripping unit (15A) but does not obstruct discharge of articles by a second gripping unit (15B) and a second positional relationship in which the container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by the second gripping unit (15B) but does not obstruct discharge of articles gripped by the first gripping unit (15A), so the gripping units do not move while they are holding the articles, and the articles can be prevented from falling out of the gripping units (15).

Abstract: A flavouring dispenser for dispensing compacted doses of flavouring comprises a flavouring dosage unit configured to dispense a dose of flavouring and a plurality of compacting hoppers, each configured to receive and hold a dose of flavouring dispensed from the flavouring dosage unit and to subsequently dispense the dose of flavouring to a dispense position. The flavouring dosage unit and the plurality of compacting hoppers are configured such that the flavouring dosage unit sequentially supplies a dose of flavouring to each of the plurality of compacting hoppers.

Abstract: A box forming apparatus includes first holders configured to hold a first side surface of a cardboard sheet, second holders configured to hold a second side surface of the cardboard sheet, an arm, a first mover, and a second mover. The arm has a support that supports the first and the second holders. The first mover changes a position of the first holders relative to the second holders while the arm is being rotated to open the cardboard sheet. The second mover moves the arm in association with opening of the cardboard sheet so that, when the cardboard sheet has been opened, the second mover will have moved the support a predetermined distance in a second direction opposite a first direction, which is a direction heading from a rotational center of the arm to a distal end of the arm.

Abstract: A label printing device includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a mountless label; a shaft portion configured to change a conveying direction of the mountless label; a cutting unit configured to cut the mountless label of which the conveying direction is changed by the shaft portion and issue a label; and a controller configured to control the conveying unit and the cutting unit. The controller executes a preparatory operation mode in which the mountless label is conveyed a predetermined distance longer than a length of a portion extending from the shaft portion to the cutting unit in the mountless label by the conveying unit and is cut by the cutting unit when a label is not issued for more than a predetermined time.

Abstract: Problem To improve the efficiency of a combination weighing operation. An article conveyance device 110 includes an article discharge container 10, an article conveyance mechanism 30, an article detection mechanism 60, and a control unit 90. The container 10 has outlets 20 to discharge articles A. The article conveyance mechanism 30 has feeders 40 including a first feeder 41 to an n-th feeder 4n configured to convey the articles A. The article detection mechanism 60 has sensors 70 including a first sensor 71 to an n-th sensor 7n configured to detect the articles A in the first feeder 41 to the n-th feeder 4n, respectively. The control unit 90 judges whether jamming of the articles A is occurring in the outlets 20 based on output of the article detection mechanism 60. The control unit 90 increases a conveyance intensity of some feeders receiving the articles A from places where the jamming is occurring in the outlets 20.

Abstract: An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

Abstract: An article transfer device includes: a robot hand transferring an article gripped by a gripping unit; and a control unit controlling operation of the robot hand so as to insert the gripping unit into an article region where the article is disposed, grip the article, and transfer the gripped article to a transfer destination. The control unit controls the operation of the robot hand such that the gripping unit is closed and a predetermined amount of the article is gripped after opening-closing operation for opening the gripping unit after temporarily closing the gripping unit is executed at least once.

Abstract: Provided is a strain gauge including a substrate, a resistive body, and a metal sheet. The resistive body includes a sensing portion, a first connection portion, and a second connection portion. The metal sheet covers at least the substrate that is exposed between two connection sites to which wirings to an external circuit are respectively connected and provided respectively in the first connection portion and the second connection portion and the sensing portion.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for separating excess slack out from a mixture of product and slack. For example, the slack could be a food product coating. According to one aspect, there is provided a hopper for diverting excess slack away from a mixture of product and slack, the hopper comprising a gate moveable between open and closed positions, wherein the gate is configured such that: when the gate is in the open position a first path is provided for contents of the hopper, comprising a mixture of product and slack, to exit the hopper; and when the gate is in the closed position the first path is closed by the gate so that product is retained in the hopper and a second path, different from the first path, is provided for slack to exit the hopper.

Abstract: A load cell unit includes: a load cell that is provided with a distortional member including a free-end block, a fixed-end block, an upper beam portion connecting an upper end of the free-end block and an upper end of the fixed-end block, and a lower beam portion connecting a lower end of the free-end block and a lower end of the fixed-end block; a first temperature sensor that is disposed at the upper beam portion or the lower beam portion; and a second temperature sensor that is disposed at one of the free-end block and the fixed-end block.

Abstract: A method of processing fish portions determines at a control unit a target weight of a cut fish portion; inspects a fish portion using an inspection unit to determine a mass distribution of said fish portion and providing said mass distribution to the control unit; calculates a cutting plan of the poultry fish portion based on the target weight and the mass distribution using the control unit; uses a mechanical gripper so as to grip the fish portion and arrange said poultry fish portion for execution of the cutting plan; and cuts the fish portion using a cutting unit in accordance with the cutting plan so as to produce a cut fish portion in accordance with the target weight. A system for processing fish portions is configured to perform the foregoing method, among others.

Abstract: A supply apparatus that supplies corrugated cardboard sheets to a supply position in a box-making section that opens folded corrugated cardboard sheets and makes boxes. The supply apparatus comprises a conveying unit, a drive unit, and a control unit. The conveying unit conveys a plurality of the corrugated cardboard sheets to the supply position with the corrugated cardboard sheets stacked. The drive unit drives the conveying unit. A controller, serving as the control unit, estimates the total quantity of the plurality of stacked corrugated cardboard sheets on a conveying surface of the conveying unit. The controller acquires a value pertaining to the drive force of the drive unit when the drive unit drives the conveying unit, and estimates the total quantity of the plurality of stacked corrugated cardboard sheets on the basis of the acquired value.