Abstract: A modular conveyor system is disclosed which includes a plurality of non-contiguous, freestanding pedestals, arranged in two parallel rows. Each of the pedestals includes a support roller for contacting the bottom surface of a pallet placed on top of it, and the support rollers are connected to one another and to a drive by a series of belts. The system can easily be modified to accommodate loads of different widths, lengths and weights by moving the pedestals to correspond to the dimensions of the new load.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing articles bearing information thereon that is made of a box like container having a hinged lid for loading articles such as business cards. The front side of the box, opposite the hinged side, is slightly shorter than the other sides, whereby a slit is formed between the lid and the front side. A spring biasing means is attached to the bottom of the box and lifts a supporting surface and the business cards towards the lid. Interested individuals may remove the cards through the slit and the spring biasing means will replenish the cards.

Abstract: A pill dispensing system includes a shelving unit in array form that holds a number of bulk containers, each holding a bulk amount of a pill to be dispensed. A computer controlled robot removes a selected bulk container and places it on a counter that also dispenses pills. The robot has an arm with a free end portion that can grip a bulk container or a single pill bottle to be filled. The robot is computer controlled to retrieve an empty pill bottle, place it on a label printing and applying unit, then place it next to the counter/dispenser to receive the selected number of selected prescription pills, then place the filled, labeled bottle on a conveyor.

Abstract: An automatic bag-dispenser which includes a supply of bags (30) arranged flat in a stack (3), and two rotary devices (1, 2) which have parallel axes, are located adjacent each other and are covered with a non-slip material. The rotary devices (1, 2) rotate in counter-rotation at linear speeds which differ at their periphery. At least one of the rotary devices (1, 2) can come into contact with one of the two end bags (30) in the stack (3) in the region of the bottom (32) of the bag (30) such that it can be driven between the rotary devices (1, 2). At least one of the rotary devices (1, 2) has a central part which is not rotated and opposite which devices (4) for gripping the center part of the bag (30) are active.

Abstract: A switching machine having a number of trolleys pulled by belts mounted on drive wheels set at the ends of the machine and comprising a mechanism suitable for imposing a counter rotating motion on the trolleys, so as to maintain them in a correct position while passing over the drive wheels.The mechanism for achieving the counter rotation motion on the trolleys comprises a number of first sprockets, mounted on a support firmly attached to the drive wheels, having a rotation motion proportional to the rotation of the drive wheels and having the same direction, and, for each trolley, a sprocket firmly attached to the frame of the trolley, suitable for meshing with said first sprockets when the trolley reaches the ends of its path.

Abstract: A collation method and apparatus that is immune from singularization faults which disrupt the collation process. Each signature is loaded into individual grippers of a power and free gripper conveyor system. Those grippers that experience a miss or a double are diverted out of the process stream. Only those grippers that carry one and only one signature are allowed to continue on in the primary signature queue. The grippers that continue on in the primary signature queue are re-queued into a sequential order which eliminates gaps in the queue. The collation machine accepts signatures from the downstream end of the signature queue as the singularization process continues to add signatures to the upstream end of the signature queue. The singularizer uses a track and diverter structure, where grippers without a signature are diverted to the diverter structure and grippers with a signature continue on the track to a collator.

Abstract: A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor. Each of the tilting conveyor carts includes a trailer frame base, a carrying tray for holding the objects and a tiltable support apparatus for supporting the carrying tray above the trailer frame base and for allowing tilting of the carrying tray towards at least one side of the conveyor to unload objects into unloading stations on at least one side of the conveyor.

Abstract: A roller for a roller conveyor which has an integral base body (3) made of thermoplastic which is symmetric to an axis of rotation (9) and which contains a through passage (11) coaxial to the axis of rotation and is defined by two face sides (7, 8). The roller has a flanged pulley (4) integral to the base body (3) which is coaxial to the axis of rotation, a covering (34) arranged on the supporting section (5) which forms a running surface for work pieces or work piece supports, a tooth arrangement (45) constructed on the driving section (6) for at least one drive means active in a positive-locking manner, and bearings (17, 18, 29) arranged in the through passage (11) for rotatable support of the roller (1) on a shaft member (48).

Abstract: A cup dispenser includes a housing for storing a plurality of cups nested in a stack. The cup dispenser has an annular collar surrounding the exterior of the housing. An annular retaining ring carries a cup holding member that is removably mounted on the collar such that the cup holding member is disposed over the discharge end of the housing to control removal of cups from the stack. The collar and housing have a locking arrangement which cooperates to permit relative movement of the collar and housing between a locked position and an unlocked position where the collar and housing can be separated. Portions of the collar and locking arrangement exposed to the interior of the housing preferably are substantially free of crevices or cavities which can trap bacteria.

Abstract: The holding elements (28), designed as hook-gripper elements (26), are driven in a circulating manner by means of a drive arrangement (44) in a plane at right angles to a stack (16) of printed products that have back margins (20). In the takeover section (46), the cantilever arm (36) of a hook-gripper element (26) comes to bear against the back margin (20) of the topmost printed product (14) of the stack (16). The hook-gripper element is then guided in a sliding manner on the printed product (14) in the direction of a stop, until the hook mouth (38) of the hook-gripper element (26) has seized the back margin (20). From the takeover section up to the transfer of the printed product (14) separated in this way from the stack (16), the direction of movement of the hook-gripper element (26) has a component toward the stop and a component away from the stack (16).

Abstract: A support for the guide rail of a conveyor which enables the guide rail to be adjusted among a plurality of pre-set positions in a quick and simple manner with precision. The guide rail is supported by a generally horizontal support arm which is supported by a vertical post on the frame of the conveyor alongside the conveyor belt. The arm has a series of notches or receptacles along the underside of its length and the post has a stop member having a latch adapted to engage in the receptacles. The stop member is a cap telescopically engaged on the post and biased upwardly by a spring. The cap includes latch portions facing upwardly adapted to engage in the notches on the arm.

Abstract: A conveyor (10) has a self-contained main conveyor line (12), a number of feed lines (14, 14') in the form of buffer lines and a return line (16, 16'). Each feed line (14, 14') is associated to a processing station (26, 26'). The feed lines (14, 14') are connected to the main conveyor line (12) by means of controlled switches (28) so that, viewed in the conveyor direction (F), any of the clamps (20) can be delivered to any desired processing station (26). This gives the device great flexibility and decouples the processing stations from the pickup of the pressroom products at the pickup station (24).

Abstract: A chain conveyor for transporting sheets in a printing press. The chain conveyor includes two conveyor chains disposed opposite one another and revolving together during operation, and at least one gripper bar extending in a direction transverse to and between the two conveyor chains. An expansion joint is provided to connect one end of the gripper bar to one of the conveyor chains and to allow movement of the gripper bar in the direction transverse to the two conveyor chains. The expansion joint may also allow rotational movement of the gripper bar. The expansion joint reduces wear of the conveyor chains by allowing the gripper bar to move.

Abstract: A stabilizing system stabilizes light-weight articles carried on conveyors for automated bulk processing equipment. In a preferred embodiment, the light-weight articles, such as, for example, tobacco leaf products or wood chips, are moved and stabilized along a conveyor from a first infeed end to a second discharge end where they are projected in-air along a trajectory through an illumination station and sorting station. An enclosed off-belt housing is provided within which the light-weight articles are projected along a controlled trajectory to be processed by the optical inspection and sorting systems.

Abstract: A singulator apparatus includes a forwardly driving device and a reverse driving mechanism which operate together to separate individual articles from a stack of articles being transported thereto from an upstream feeding device. The singulator further includes a sensor which detects the presence of articles at the articles ingestion nip defined between the forwardly driving device and the reverse driving mechanism. A controller stops operation of the feeding device upon detection of the presence of articles by the sensor and initiate feeding by the feeding device if no articles are sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: A disposable first tube (68) extends axially through, and is detachably connected to, an annular main body (10'). An input piezo electric element (38) is attached to a first end of the tubular main body (10'). A second, sensor piezo electric element (40) is attached to the opposite end of the main body (10'). A nozzle (20') having a nozzle passageway (110) and a discharge opening (112) is detachably secured to an outlet end of the first tube (68). A second tube (102) within the first tube (68) delivers a core liquid to the nozzle passageway (110). A sheath liquid is delivered through a space in the first tube (68) surrounding the second tube (102). The nozzle passageway (110) forms the core and sheath liquids into a small diameter jet stream. Electrical energy is delivered to the input piezo electric element (38), to vibrate the nozzle (20') and break the jet stream into droplets.

Abstract: An improved simple and low cost tamping system for a printed sheets compiling system directly driven by partial rotation of a reversible stepper drive motor driving a single molded plastic tamper drive unit. That tamper drive unit integrally includes a rigid radially extending portion rotatably driven by the drive motor, an elongate flexible member portion driven from one end by the rigid rotatable portion, and a tamper at the opposite end of the elongate flexible member. The elongate flexible member is slidably mounted in a fixed guides system to smoothly transition from an initial arcuate configuration to a final linear configuration to convert reversing partial rotational movement of the stepper drive motor into the desired substantially linear reciprocal sheet edge tamping movement of the tamper.

Abstract: A lead frame separating and conveying device used with, for instance, a wire bonding apparatus, including a frame separating assembly that includes frame guides which support lead frames that are lined up with the flat surfaces in a vertical direction, frame suspension guides which are installed above the front ends of the frame guides in the feeding direction of the lead frames, and a frame pusher which pushes the rear end of the lead frames lined up on the frame guides so as to convey the lead frames onto the frame suspension guides. The frame suspension guides supports the lead frames in a suspended fashion and have frame separating sections which are inclined upward.

Abstract: A filter dispenser for the storage and dispensation of individual flat filter sections. The filter dispenser includes a storage compartment with a slot shaped exit for a tube-like band, composed of two parts, and guides in proximity to the slot for the running through of the band parts. The two parts of the band are joined by continuous and releasable edges and cross connections which form pockets which seat filter sections. Upon simultaneous drawing of the parts of the band through the guides, the connections of the band between the guides and the storage compartment are broken and the encapsulated filter sections are released for removal.

Abstract: A dispenser apparatus for stacked single-fold towel sheets has a rear wall, side walls, and front and rear funnel walls extending to a funnel height between bottom portions of the side walls on opposite sides of a feed slot; and a pair of shelf members projecting downwardly and inwardly from respective ones of the side walls, each shelf member having a shelf width perpendicular to the rear wall being approximately 45 percent of a housing depth between upper extremities of the funnel walls, inward extremities of the shelf members, the inward extremities being spaced above the feed slot within the funnel height and being spaced apart by a distance of not greater than approximately 90 percent of the stack width for partially supporting the sheets. Each shelf member has an upwardly and inwardly facing panel surface that forms a side angle of approximately 45 degrees with the side wall. A perimeter contour of each shelf member has a plan radius of approximately 0.