Abstract: Various embodiments of a method and apparatus for managing the allocation of items to processing stations in an order fulfillment process are described. The apparatus for managing the allocation of items to processing stations in an order fulfillment process may include a conveyance mechanism including at least one item inducted into the conveyance mechanism. The apparatus for managing the allocation of items to processing stations in an order fulfillment process may also include an item allocation component. The item allocation component may be configured to assign the item to a particular sorting station of a group of multiple sorting stations. The item allocation component may determine the particular sorting station to which the item is assigned based upon a determined quantity of other items located at the particular sorting station and a determined quantity of other items en route to the particular sorting station.

Abstract: A clutch controlling apparatus includes a shift change transmission having a plurality of gear trains between a main shaft on an input side and a countershaft on an output side. A clutch controls transmission of power between the shift change transmission and an engine between engagement an disengagement. The clutch controlling apparatus automatically controls the clutch upon shift change of the shift change transmission. An input power ratio is calculated as a ratio between a rotation of the engine and a rotation of the countershaft. If the input/output power ratio exceeds a predetermined value in a direction of a rise of the rotation of the engine during shift change of the shift change transmission, a target control amount of the clutch is corrected in a clutch engagement direction.

Abstract: A cooler for particulate product includes a substantially enclosed housing. A first cooling screen is disposed in the housing and is configured to receive the product. The first cooling screen is configured to move the product along a surface by gravity when the first cooling screen vibrated. A duct is coupled to the first cooling screen to move cooling fluid through the first cooling screen. A second cooling screen is disposed in the housing below the first screen and is configured to receive the product after discharge from the first screen. The second screen is configured to move the particulate product along a surface when vibrated. A second duct is coupled to the second screen to move cooling fluid through the screen. A collector receives the particulate product after moving along a surface of the second screen. A vibrator is coupled to the housing and vibrates the housing.

Abstract: In a control apparatus for an automatic transmission having two input shafts connected to an output shaft of a prime mover; two output shafts; and two drive force transmission paths including clutches and synch devices each of which is able to connect a speed gear to the associated one of the output shafts, it is configured to discriminate whether shifting required by an operator is a first shifting pattern or a second shifting pattern, supply fluid pressure to one of the drive force transmission paths associated with a desired speed gear, while engaging the lockup clutch, when the shifting is the first shifting pattern, and supply the fluid pressure to the one of the drive force transmission paths associated with the desired speed gear, while disengaging the lockup clutch, when the shifting is the second shifting pattern.

Abstract: A separator includes a trough having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a bottom wall, and a vibration generator attached to the trough. The separator also includes first, second, and third deck sections, each of which is disposed within the trough, the first deck section being disposed at a higher elevation relative to the bottom wall than the second deck section, and the third deck section being disposed above the second deck section. The separator also includes at least one source of heated air, the first deck section and the second deck section being in fluid communication with the at least one source of heated air so that heated air from the at least one source passes through the first and second deck sections.

Abstract: A system and method for electronic assistance in dispensing pharmaceuticals, utilizing software, hardware and barcode technology to yield error free, clinically correct, adjudicated prescriptions. The system is adaptive to the preferences of an authorized user, by being configurable on the basis of when and what type of warnings are given in particular circumstances, based on entries in a field, and whether the order can proceed. Additionally, the invention allows for automated and electronically assisted refilling of orders. The invention allows for tracking and monitoring of prescription orders through barcode labeling and scanning.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for enabling manual sorting items to one of several designated areas associated with delivery destinations. The system includes a conveyor for transporting a stream of items. A video camera is positioned to capture an image of an observation zone to read destination data on the item as it is transported on the conveyor and the location of the item as it continues on the conveyor. A control computer is used in which destination data is stored associating the destination data for an item with a location of the item on the conveyor, and operable to track the location of the item by video tracking with the same camera as the item moves out of an observation zone into an unloading zone. A video projector projects an image onto the item on the conveyor in the unloading zone that includes human-readable instructions for disposition of the item.

Abstract: A holder for flat objects according the invention includes an endless belt made of a flexible sheet material, wherein an end portion of the belt is folded into itself forming an inner bend and an outer bend with the inner bend disposed inside of the outer bend. A set of first and second support rods are disposed side by side in parallel to each other, the first rod at the bottom of the inner bend and the second rod at the bottom of the outer bend. A pair of third and fourth rods extend through parallel endwise openings in the belt between the inner and outer bends, which third and fourth rods are disposed side by side in parallel to each other with the belt is wound over the third and fourth rods so that the belt can slide over the third and fourth rods, whereby movement of the first rod away from the second rod causes sliding movement of the belt over the third and fourth rods. In a preferred embodiment an inside surface of the belt is attached to one or both of the first and second rods.

Abstract: The invention concerns a spiral module (1) for a trommel screen comprising a flat part (5) that transports ore and that is designed as a product that becomes worn, with an elastic cladding (27) that functions as wear lining, intended to interact with the charge for the transport of the charge forwards on a sieving deck (2) that is a component of the sieving drum, mounting fixtures (9, 9?) intended for coupling with hole openings (3) in the sieving deck and supporting the part that transports ore directed in towards the central axis of the sieving drum.

Abstract: A device includes means for generating and applying to an aircraft protecting orders avoiding a flight with an excessive descent rate. More specifically, the device includes components configured to perform a series of operations including measuring the current vertical speed and the current height of the aircraft and comparing these flight parameters with a safety envelope defining couples of vertical speed and height that are indicative of an excessive descent rate. If the current vertical speed and height are located in the safety envelope, a protection is triggered by generating protecting orders to remove the aircraft from the safety envelope and applying those protecting orders to control surfaces of the aircraft.

Abstract: A classification device for classifying particles by size including an upper impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with an upper cover disc with a penetration hole; and a lower impeller-type rotor, a first end of which is covered with a cover disc without penetration hole and a second end of which is covered with a lower cover disc with a penetration hole. The upper impeller-type rotor and the lower impeller-type rotor are provided so that axes thereof are coincident and the first ends face with each other forming a gap therebetween in an axial direction, and the diameters of the penetration holes of the upper cover disc and the lower cover disc are different.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interactive fuel dispenser system having a plurality of fuel dispensers operating in conjunction with a local server. Each dispenser generally has two fueling positions, each with a graphical user interface through which a customer interacts. In contrast with efforts to turn fuel dispensers into super computers, applicants' provide a dispenser architecture that need only be sufficient to establish interactivity with a server to create multimedia applications and carry out POS functions with a browser interface. Each fueling position acts as a client of a local server at the fuel station store. In the preferred embodiment, each fueling position client also may access remote servers connected to the same network in which the fueling position clients and the local server are connected. Preferably, this network is connected to the Worldwide Web of the Internet.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed generally a biomass conditioning system and methods for conditioning biomass to remove undesirable material for further processing and applications. In some embodiments, the disclosure includes a biomass conditioning system including a conditioning tank, a water input device, a biomass input device, a containment device, a spillway, and a moving separation device. In some embodiments, methods according to the disclosure include pumping water into a conditioning tank, depositing biomass into the conditioning tank, allowing the biomass to soak in the water and separate into a bark portion and a non-bark portion, allowing the bark portion to float to a water line, containing the bark portion to one side of the conditioning tank, moving the bark portion into a bark storage area, separating the non-bark portion into a biomass portion and a debris portion, and moving the conditioned biomass portion into a storage area.

Abstract: This invention concerns a system for sorting elongated random width wood boards and preparing board rows having a row width within a predetermined width range. The system comprises a main longitudinal surface, a conveyor for conveying the boards on the main surface, a width detector, and accumulating compartments located one after the other under the main surface, controllable traps located on the main surface providing access to the accumulating compartments, controllable gates for retaining or releasing the boards accumulated therein and a controller. The controller selectively distributes each of the boards into the accumulating compartments, and controls the gates of the accumulating compartments to release the boards accumulated therein when the sum of the widths of the boards accumulated is within the predetermined width range.

Abstract: A system and method for electronic assistance in dispensing pharmaceuticals, utilizing software, hardware and barcode technology to yield error free, clinically correct, adjudicated prescriptions. The system is adaptive to the preferences of an authorized user, by being configurable on the basis of when and what type of warnings are given in particular circumstances, based on entries in a field, and whether the order can proceed. Additionally, the invention allows for automated and electronically assisted refilling of orders. The invention allows for tracking and monitoring of prescription orders through barcode labeling and scanning.

Abstract: An ID barcode printing section 13 prints IDs for identifying arrived mails. An address recognition section 21 recognizes address information for the primary sorting and the secondary sorting from the address images photographed by an image input section 14 for saving in an ID database 25. Based on the recognized primary sorting address information, the sorting control section 15 sorts the mails in a sorting box 16, 17 that corresponds to a secondary sorting post office 30. Upon filling up the sorting boxes 16, 17, the mails therein are transferred to a transportation medium. An ID writing section 18 writes secondary sorting address information of the mails in the transportation medium that is read from an ID database 25 for recording on the transportation medium.

Abstract: A system and method for electronic assistance in dispensing pharmaceuticals, utilizing software, hardware and barcode technology to yield error free, clinically correct, adjudicated prescriptions. The system is adaptive to the preferences of an authorized user, by being configurable on the basis of when and what type of warnings are given in particular circumstances, based on entries in a field, and whether the order can proceed. Additionally, the invention allows for automated and electronically assisted refilling of orders. The invention allows for tracking and monitoring of prescription orders through barcode labeling and scanning.

Abstract: A method of sorting a plurality of articles (A, B, C), in which each article goes through a sorting installation in at least two passes, comprises the steps of recording the image of each article that is generated during the first sorting pass in a memory and in correspondence with a data item indicating a sorting outlet to which the article is directed during the first sorting pass. If an article is misrouted, a correctly routed reference article is chosen in the vicinity of the misrouted article in the sequence of articles obtained during the last sorting pass, the memory is searched (22-28) for an image of said correctly routed reference article, and, on the basis of said reference article image, a set of article images grouped together in the memory and that includes the image of the reference article is looked through (29-34) to identify an image of the misrouted article.

Abstract: An air classifier contains a cylindrical casing provided with at an upper part thereof a feed port to feed high pressure air and a powder material, an umbrella-shaped center core in the casing, and an umbrella-shaped separator core arranged downstream of the center core in the casing and including an opening at center thereof. The air classifier has a configuration containing a dispersion chamber to disperse the powder material, being surrounded by an inner wall of the upper part casing and the center core, and a classification chamber to classify the powder material into fine and coarse powders by centrifugation, being surrounded by the center core, separator core and inner wall of the casing. In the dispersion chamber provided are a louver ring containing guide slats circularly arranged at regular intervals, and a space encircling the louver ring and serving as flow passage of the air and powder material.

Abstract: The powder classifying device classifies powder having a particle size distribution and collects the classified powder. The device includes a disc-like cavity to which the powder is supplied and where the supplied powder is classified, a powder supply port for supplying the powder to the cavity, guide vanes arranged so as to extend from an outer periphery of the cavity in an inner direction at a predetermined angle, a discharge unit for air streams including fine particles discharged from the cavity, a collection unit for coarse particles discharged from the cavity and air nozzles arranged below the guide vanes on an outer peripheral wall of the cavity along a tangential direction of the outer peripheral wall and blow compressed air into an inside of the cavity.