Abstract: A pallet unstacker/stacker can receive a stack of skewed or misaligned pallets on a conveyor of the unstacker/stacker, raise all but the bottom most pallet in the stack, square or straighten the bottom pallet and then dispense the straightened pallet from the unstacker/stacker, lower the remaining stack of pallets onto the conveyor and again raise all but the bottom most pallet in the stack to repeat the straightening step and dispensing step of operation of the unstacker/stacker. All of the component parts of the unstacker/stacker are supported on a unitary, transportable frame that enables the pallet unstacker/stacker to be shipped in conventional cargo containers and also enables the pallet unstacker/stacker to be easily incorporated into existing pallet conveyor systems.

Abstract: An apparatus that is one part of a conveying system for transferring objects, such as bottles, removes layers of the objects from a pallet on which the layers have been stacked or, in reverse operation, arranges the objects in layers stacked on one another on a pallet. The apparatus may be employed to depalletize objects or to palletize objects, where in the depalletizing mode of operation the apparatus has a slipsheet retainer that holds a slipsheet below a layer of objects being depalletized from the stacked layers of objects on the pallet and prevents the slipsheet from moving with the layer of objects as the layer of objects is depalletized.

Abstract: A guide is employed on air conveyors of the type that suspend conveyed objects from an intermediate enlargement, for example, conveying plastic bottles by suspending the bottles from their neck rings, where the guide limits the upward movement of the bottles conveyed by a conveyor system preventing the bottles from becoming wedged in the air conveyor and jamming the flow of bottles through the air conveyor while permitting each of the bottles conveyed to swing freely forwardly and rearwardly from their neck rings as the bottles are conveyed through the conveyor.

Abstract: An air conveyor apparatus is adapted for conveying bottle containers having a neck ring with an outer diameter dimension. The conveyor apparatus includes a first air conveyor section and a second air conveyor section. The first air conveyor section has a first conveying slot extending longitudinally therethrough in a downstream direction. The first conveying slot is defined by a first pair of mutually opposed, laterally spaced, substantially horizontal flanges. The first pair of flanges are laterally spaced by a distance smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the container neck rings so that the containers can be conveyed with the neck rings sliding in a friction engagement along the first pair of flanges as the containers are conveyed through the first air conveyor section. The second air conveyor section has a second conveying slot extending longitudinally therethrough in the downstream direction.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an improved belt and pulley conveying apparatus for conveying bottle containers. The conveying apparatus comprises a set of belts each driven by a pair of pulleys with a lateral spacing between the belts dimensioned to receive bottle containers therebetween. The belts engage the bottle containers and convey them from an input conveyor to a diverter assembly. The apparatus includes a plurality of motor driven shafts, each shaft having a plurality of the pulleys adjustably mounted thereon. The positions of the belts are horizontally and vertically adjustable thereby allowing the conveyor to accommodate containers of various dimensions.

Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying an article has an upper portion and a lower portion below the upper portion. The conveyor system comprises a guide mechanism configured for engaging the upper portion of the article in a manner so that the article is suspended from the guide mechanism. The guide mechanism is further configured for guiding the article in its suspended orientation along a conveyor pathway defined by the guide mechanism, the conveyor pathway having a lateral curve. The conveyor system further includes at least one air nozzle for connection to a source of pressurized air. The air nozzle is oriented for directing a stream of air in a direction generally adjacent the lateral curve and in a manner such that the stream of air blows against the lower portion of the article when the article is moving along the lateral curve of the conveyor pathway to counter inertial forces which tend to cause the article to deviate from the conveyor pathway.

Abstract: Moveable conveyor guide rails are located on opposite sides of a conveyor which conveys articles, such as beverage bottles. The guide rails are pivotable or otherwise moveable from a first position, where they serve as conventional conveyor guide rails by preventing the articles being conveyed from tipping, rocking, or falling off the sides of the conveyor, to a second position, where the guide rails are concealed by being pivoted or otherwise moved downwardly so that the articles being conveyed on the conveyor can be accessed by a palletizing machine from the sides of the conveyor without obstruction from the guide rails.

Abstract: An air conveyor conveys bottle containers, the conveyor being constructed as a channel having a general, inverted-U-shaped configuration. The channel has a plurality of air ducts extending through the walls of the channel which communicate with a source of pressurized air to eject streams of air against the bottle containers being conveyed. The streams of air ejected from the ducts impinge upon the bottle containers to push the containers along the conveyor in the direction of travel. Each air duct has a first port opening, which emerges from the sidewall thereof below the pair of flanges, and a second port opening, which emerges from the sidewall thereof above the pair of flanges. The first port opening is a jet port configured to eject a stream of air against the bottle containers, and the second port opening is a vacuum port configured for drawing air from the channel.

Abstract: An air conveyor conveys a stream of bottle containers along an input path and then selectively diverts bottles from the input stream into one of a plurality of output paths. The invention includes a diverter plate positioned between the input path and the output paths which is moveable for selectively connecting the input path with one of the plurality of output paths.

Abstract: An air conveyor for plastic bottles conveys the bottles at generally constant speed. The bottles are of the type having annular rims around their necks and shoulders below the rims. The air conveyor includes a pair of spaced flanges and a plurality of nozzles for each flange. The flanges provide opposed inner edges which define a central slot extending elongately in the forward to rearward direction. Each flange supports a plurality of nozzles at spaced intervals in the forward to rearward direction for substantially the length of the slot. An air blower supplies pressurized air to the nozzles. Each nozzle discharges air in a stream along a diagonal direction that generally slopes downwardly, inwardly, and forwardly. In use, the flanges provide the neck rims with slidable support as the bottles are blown forwardly through the slot by the force of the air streams against the shoulders. Constant speed is gained through the direction of the air streams against bottle shoulders.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for supporting, conveying and diverting a lane of successive articles to supply four lanes so that the articles can be intermittently bunched in successive rows of four articles. The apparatus comprises a horizontal array of rollers arranged in transverse rows longitudinally spaced apart from one another. The rollers are rotatably driven about horizontal axes for providing upper rolling surfaces upon which the articles can be supported and conveyed. The rollers are operably pivotable about vertical axes for steering the articles across the array of rollers along the prescribed sharp-angled zig-zag paths.

Abstract: A pallet inspection and stacking apparatus having a frame with an upper end. An elevator can index a stack of pallets upwardly in the frame as the uppermost pallet from the stack is subject to an automatic alignment mechanism and then is transferred from the stack to a transversely located inspection mechanism. The inspection mechanism grips the side edges of the pallet and rotates the pallet for inspection purposes. A rejected pallet can be released from the inspection mechanism and deposited on another elevator that is indexed downwardly as rejected pallets are stacked on it until the rejected stack is removed by a conveyor. Accepted pallets are transferred from the inspection mechanism to an outfeed bay where the pallets are gripped and sequentially deposited on an elevator which is indexed downwardly as the stack grows.

Abstract: A combiner rail having a plurality of horizontal rows of rollers. Each horizontal row is staggered from the adjacent horizontal row to prevent containers from jamming in gaps between adjacent rollers.

Abstract: A product turning device suitable for direct mounting in a conveyor stream includes a first driven input roller which applies an accelerating force to the product as it enters the turner and which has a knurl at one end to slightly skew the product into the turning motion, and a transfer roller with a multi-beveled knurl which moves transversely against the side of the product and contacts its bottom surface to accomplish the turn. A series of guide bumpers and a guide bracket maintain alignment of the product as the input roller skews the product, and the transfer roller turns it.

Abstract: A drive train includes a rotating shaft driven element of a materials handling device with two drive motors separately coupled to the drive shaft to provide a slow and fast traverse speed and thereby increase the throughput of the machine. A brake mounted on the rotating drive shaft allows exact positioning of the element. The drive shaft drives a gearbox with an automatic oiler to provide a measured application of oil to a bearing not lubricated by the oil bath of the gearbox reservoir. The automatic oiler includes a single action cylinder which sumps oil from the reservoir of the gearbox and which is connected in a slave relationship to any other repetitive function in the materials handling device. A counterweight attached to the piston rod automatically resets the cylinder after each operation. A method within the operation is recited for moving a rotated shaft driven element from a first position to a home position with the drive train apparatus disclosed.

Abstract: A gravity roller conveyor has a pair of side frames, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted between the side frames, with provisions for conveniently converting the conveyor to a power roller conveyor including a mounting plate to receive a motor, a center bracket disposed between the side frames to receive and mount a drive shaft and end pulley at each end of the conveyor, provision for mounting a plurality of guide pulleys between the end pulleys, and a belt tightener so that an endless belt may be looped around the pulleys and tightened in place. A center spine may be provided extending the length of the conveyor to strengthen it and minimize the size of the side frames. The guide pulley mount includes a tee bar extending between the side frames with a cross bar mounted to the leg of the tee. A tension adjustment includes a tension spring and nut which threads on the leg to compress the spring against the cross bar and urge the guide pulleys mounted on the cross bar against the drive belt.