Abstract: A method of and apparatus for feeding randomly received items and for placing these items on apparatus, such as a flight conveyor or a packaging machine, which cycles continuously at a steady rate, with the flight conveyor being operated at a cycling rate slightly faster than the average rate at which the items are randomly received, with the placement of an item on the flight conveyor being in timed relation to a portion or window of each cycle of the flight conveyor, and with placement of an item on the flight conveyor being intermittently deferred so as to bring the rate at which the items are randomly received and the operating rate of the flight conveyor into phase with one another.

Abstract: Two vertically extending endless chains have bowling pin holders attached ereto to move the holders to a discharge region. The pin holders are pivotably supported on the chains and each of the holders has at least one projecting arm rigidly connected thereto. The arm is guided in a guide track to so position the bowling pin holders on the chains, when below the discharge region, that bowling pins are retained, the guide track deflecting the arm to permit the holder to pivot and release the pin thereon when at the discharge position.

Abstract: An apparatus for evening a printed stream of printed products comprising a number of revolving entrainment members which are in a drag connection with one another. At the region of their conveying-active path the entrainment members are guided and at the start of this path driven by a thrust drive and at the end thereof driven by a traction drive. The entrainment members engage the printed products and the thrust and traction drives cause a change in the spacing of the entrainment members and, consequently, in the spacing of the products.

Abstract: Method for positioning lumber being transported on a conveyor prior to sorting or other similar processing, comprises centering the lumber intermediate its ends on the conveyor, reducing the number of conveyor lines required. The apparatus includes a first displacement member, for laterally even ending the lumber in a first direction, and a sensing member, for sensing the length of the lumber relative to the plane of the even ending. The lumber then is displaced laterally in a second, 180.degree. opposed, direction by a second displacement member until lumber engagement members, upon signal of the sensing member, selectively stop each piece of lumber at a particular transverse position on the conveyor corresponding to the length of that piece of lumber. The lumber engagement members comprise continuous chains interposing the lines of the conveyor and having segmented stops pivotally mounted thereon.

Abstract: A conveyor, particularly for feeding tobacco to a cutting drum, comprises a number of articulated slats passing around sprocket wheels. The slats are identical and each has extensions and recesses. The extensions of one slat enter the recesses of the next adjacent slat, and are retained by a pin passing through the extensions of adjacent slats. The underside of each extension has a flat surface for contacting a support plate and the top face of the sprocket teeth contact the slats so that the flat underside of each extension is not contacted by the sprocket wheel, in order to maintain a constant pitch as the band travels around the sprocket wheels. In this way the spacing between the conveyor and a dead plate positioned to remove tobacco from the band as it passes over a sprocket wheel remains constant.

Abstract: A conveyor for use in hydraulic mining operations to convey a slurry of water and heavy mined aggregate under conditions where the grade is insufficient to effectively accommodate gravity flow. The conveyor comprises a flume trough having a generally flat lower surface and a continuous belt conveyor having a lower reach disposed within the trough in engagement with the lower surface thereof. In use, the slurry is introduced into the trough and the belt conveyor is driven to move the lower reach in the direction that it is desired to move the slurry. Heavy aggregate within the slurry settles out onto the lower reach of the belt conveyor and is conveyed thereby. Water and suspended aggregate is moved within the flume under the influence of gravity, if any, and the influence of the moving lower reach of the belt conveyor and the moving heavy aggregate carried thereby.

Abstract: An apparatus for the purpose of piling up a prescribed number of plate-shaped articles in trim order, said apparatus comprising chain conveyers which are installed below a receiving member for temporarily supporting the plate-shaped articles and accommodated in a frame, chutes which are disposed on both sides of said conveyers, and fore adjusting plates and rear adjusting plates which are disposed to be perpendicular to the direction of progress of the chain conveyer and capable of reciprocating between a vertical position and an outwardly inclined position relative to said direction of progress of the chain conveyer, whereby said piling-up work can be performed by driving said adjusting plates.

Abstract: Apparatus for pushing a row of glass containers from a cross-conveyor onto a lehr mat in which containers being pushed have their finish portions stabilized by both a forward and rearward positioned angle iron movable with the pushing member and mounted to the pusher mechanism that reciprocates during operation.A cam member contacts the rear portion of the spring-biased stabilizing member-mounting arms causing the bar to stop moving rearwardly as the pushing member is retracted so that the stabilizing member does not enter or cross the path of the next row of containers.

Abstract: An endless belt conveyor including straight path and curved path sections for the carrying and return runs of the belt. The carrying and return runs of the belt are supported on a support frame by troughing and support idlers. In one version of the invention, the carrying and return runs of the belt are caused to follow a predetermined curve through the curved path section of the conveyor by powered edge drive rolls on the outside edges of the belt runs having a speed which is greater than the belt speed thereby causing the edge of the belt on the outside of the curve to be stretched relative to its condition in the straight path section. In a second version of the invention edge drive rolls are also used on the edges of the belt runs at the inside of the curve. In the latter construction, the peripheral speed of the drive rolls at the inside of the curve is less than belt speed in the straight path section whereby the inner edge is compressed or stretched to a lesser extent than in the straight path section.

Abstract: Packaging machinery for alternately inverting, collecting and grouping tapered objects in suitable quantities for packaging is disclosed. Two or more lines of containers proceed in parallel, one line remaining upright while an adjacent line is inverted in a turnover unit. Where the tapered objects are containers of products, great care and delicate handling are needed to avoid spillage or leakage. The turnover units accomplish the careful inversion of containers by indexing each container to be inverted through a radial path. Along the path the containers are first supported by carrying plates contacting the bottoms of the containers, then by the member forming the radial path, and finally by succeeding support plates contacting the tops of the containers. The adjacent line or lines of upright containers proceed in parallel with those passing through the turnover unit and a shuttling carriage groups the output of the lines for suitable nesting and arrangement.

Abstract: A magnetic drive for a metallic conveyor belt is provided by a driving wheel having permanent magnets disposed in the outer periphery thereof, the magnets protruding radially outwardly so that they act as cleats for driving the belt in addition to supplying a magnetic shear force for driving the belt.

Abstract: A transfer device for seriately receiving from a forming machine frustoconical paper bucket bodies, nestably accumulating them in a horizontal column in a cylindrical front section of a rotatable drum, loosening the nested bucket bodies from each other in an enlarged cylindrical rear section of the drum, randomly separating the column of bucket bodies into small groups, intermittently conveying successive groups axially away from said drum to a lateral conveyor, conveying the groups laterally to a remote processing machine and adavancing said groups axially into said machine in a direction opposite from the first axial direction.

Abstract: In moving bottles to and from a cleaning machine, the bottles are transported over a stationary support surface by drivers formed on a plurality of juxtaposed rotating discs. Each disc has a pair of angularly spaced drivers and rotates about a common axle. During rotation of the disc, the axle moves transverse to its axial direction back and forth along a substantially straight path. For each complete back and forth movement of the axle, the disc rotates through one-half of a revolution so that one driver of each pair transports one or more bottles from a first station to a second station while the other driver of each pair returns from the second station to the first station.

Abstract: A conveyor for the nonforced displacement of a multiplicity of workpiece-supporting carriages along a transport path whereby the carriages can be selectively stopped and, after unloading, are returned to the starting end of the conveyor. Flanking this path there are provided upwardly-open upper channels and laterally open lower channels, each upper and lower channel on a respective side of the path receiving a roller conveyor chain so that rollers of the conveyor are supported upon the bottoms of each channel. The chain has central rollers which support the carriage along the upper stretch of the chain while the lateral rollers engage the bottom of the upper channel. On the return stretch, the central rollers support the chain on the lower channel while at least one of the lateral rollers supports the returning carriage through brackets which reach around the channels and form guides for laterally positioning the carriage with respect to both upper and lower channels.

Abstract: Method for providing surge capacity and for smoothing out the flow rate of refuse in a system, wherein refuse is loaded onto a moving conveyor at variable or intermittent rates, by (1) preventing excess refuse from passing beyond a given point on the conveyor by a rotating leveler, spaced a predetermined distance from the conveyor to permit only the desired level of refuse to remain on the conveyor beyond the leveler, and (2) rotating the leveler at a speed greater than the speed of the conveyor, the direction of rotation of the leveler being opposite to the direction of travel of the refuse on the conveyor. Refuse in excess of the amount desired to be transported by the conveyor is retained behind the leveler as a rolling inventory of refuse, causing the refuse to be discharged from the conveyor at a constant and uniform rate.

Abstract: An apparatus for distributing articles supplied in one line amongst a plurality of conveying tracks comprises guides pivotable about a vertical axis and defining a pivotable passage for said articles. A starwheel which is rotatable about a vertical axis is mounted on one of the guides and has its teeth successively projecting into the passage so that the starwheel is advanced by one tooth by the articles passing through said passage. A steering member is pivoted by one end to a crank driven by the starwheel, the other end being pivotable about a vertical axis so that an outlet end of said pivotable passage swings between said conveying tracks upon rotation of said starwheel. The starwheel is operatively connected to said crank by way of gearing.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring at a predetermined spacing on to a reception conveyor objects fed at an irregular spacing from a continuously moving delivery conveyor. The apparatus consists of a transfer conveyor which moves continuously and at a speed different from that of the delivery conveyor from the delivery conveyor to the reception conveyor, object take-up suckers for transferring the objects from the delivery conveyor and for depositing them at regular distances on the reception conveyor and at least one sensor sensing the position of the objects on the delivery conveyor. The apparatus comprises, moreover, a valve associated with each sucker, at least two control devices adapted to assume a position of engagement with the sucker valves to move them to an activation position and a further control device able to engage with the sucker valves to move them into a deactivation position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for use in producing a wood product comprising at least one layer of binder-coated wood strands oriented into parallelism by causing the strands to fall through elongated, parallel spaces defined by a plurality of generally rigid plates or flexible belt stretches located in vertical planes and parallel to each other above a moving support. The distance from each plate or belt stretch to the next adjacent plate or belt stretch is less than the average length of the strands. In one embodiment, adjacent, generally rigid plates reciprocate in opposite directions relative to each other. In another embodiment, adjacent belt stretches of an endless, flexible belt move in opposite directions with respect to each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing printed products wherein the product copies are introduced at an infeed location into individual compartments of a revolving cell wheel, processed during the time they are present in the compartments and removed from the compartments at a removal location. The infeed location and removal location are arranged in offset relationship in the direction of the lengthwise axis of the cell wheel. Each compartment has arranged therein, in an axial direction, entrainment means movable between a work stroke and a return stroke, the entrainment means of each compartment being operatively coupled with one another. The entrainment means are driven by a drive embodying a common stationarily arranged guide track describing a closed curve and follower elements rotating with the cell wheel.

Abstract: A conveyor device particularly designed for the conveying of mass loads such as grains, powders and the like which may be termed semi-solids which device includes an extending housing having a substantially flat support bed with a conveying mechanism engaging the upper surface thereof for the conveying of material thereover and wherein the conveying elements are of a predetermined minimal height in comparison to the load or height of material in the conveyor which is to be conveyed and an intermediate discharge for the conveyor which is arranged on the support bed thereof which includes a pair of door members hinged at their respective ends and opening downwardly from their mating edge which doors extend the full width of the conveyor and which are interlinked for simultaneous opening and closing to provide in their closed condition a smooth surface continual with the support bed of the the conveyor and which provide when open, an opening without ledges or other areas in which material may lie or become lodge