Abstract: An inventory transport monitoring system for gathering usage information in a retail store includes a network of sensors and data collection hubs located within the retail store. A plurality of inventory stocking carts are outfitted with nodes for tracking the cart location within the store. The tracking node may track location data and patterns and uses a unique ID that broadcasts monitored data to understand when and where the node has been moved. The usage information is transmitted to the hub for collection and analyzing. The system can use the usage information collected from the individual stores to measure and compare successful stores to failing stores.

Abstract: A splitter that physically delineates the travel path between material steams having different trajectories mounted on a metal sorting system. The splitter has an outer edge and comprising an automatic mechanism located at the outer edge for removing accumulated debris from the splitter. The automatic mechanism may be a sliding body that moves across said outer edge or a retractable blade extends and retracts to remove debris from the splitter.

Abstract: A splitter that physically delineates the travel path between material steams having different trajectories mounted on a metal sorting system. The splitter has an outer edge and comprising an automatic mechanism located at the outer edge for removing accumulated debris from the splitter. The automatic mechanism may be a sliding body that moves across said outer edge or a retractable blade extends and retracts to remove debris from the splitter.

Abstract: What is presented is a permanent magnet drum separator for removal of a ferrous fraction from a material stream comprising a pickup magnet that is a rare earth permanent magnet that can be moved within the drum separator. The drum separator comprises a rotatable outer shell having tubular shape with a circular cross section. The drum separator includes a carry magnet that is positioned at a fixed location within the rotatable outer shell near the inside circumference of the rotatable outer shell. The pickup magnet is positioned on a hinge plate within the rotatable outer shell. The hinge plate has a first end attached to a hinge and a second end attached to a movable element. The hinge is positioned at a fixed location within the rotatable outer shell near the inside circumference of said rotatable outer shell. The movable element is able to move the pickup magnet about the hinge to vary the distance between the pickup magnet and the inside circumference of the rotatable outer shell.

Abstract: What is presented is a permanent magnet drum separator for removal of a ferrous fraction from a material stream comprising a pickup magnet that is a rare earth permanent magnet that can be moved within the drum separator. The drum separator comprises a rotatable outer shell having tubular shape with a circular cross section. The drum separator includes a carry magnet that is positioned at a fixed location within the rotatable outer shell near the inside circumference of the rotatable outer shell. The pickup magnet is positioned on a hinge plate within the rotatable outer shell. The hinge plate has a first end attached to a hinge and a second end attached to a movable element. The hinge is positioned at a fixed location within the rotatable outer shell near the inside circumference of said rotatable outer shell. The movable element is able to move the pickup magnet about the hinge to vary the distance between the pickup magnet and the inside circumference of the rotatable outer shell.

Abstract: A motorized paddle assembly for a material sorter is presented. The motorized paddle assembly comprises a paddle, internal mechanisms, and a housing that encloses the internal mechanisms. The paddle is attached to a circular hinge to enable the circular hinge and the paddle to rotate about an axis. The motorized paddle assembly includes an upper plate for the circular hinge. The upper plate allows the free rotation of the circular hinge while substantially preventing unwanted material from falling behind the circular hinge. In a series of adjacent motorized paddle assemblies, a gasket is mounted between adjacent motorized paddle assemblies to substantially prevent unwanted material from falling between the adjacent motorized paddle assemblies.

Abstract: The tie bar supporting a feed tray (moving mass) is attached to the reaction mass using one leaf spring and one elastomeric spring. The elastomeric spring comprises first and second elastomeric pads which sandwich a portion of the tie bar to which the feed tray is attached. The elastomeric spring operates in shear with the spring rate of the elastomeric spring being adjusted by increasing/decreasing the compressive force exerted by the first and second elastomeric pads on the tie bar. The adjustable vibratory feeder has demonstrated greatly enhanced stability over other existing systems.

Abstract: A sports equipment storage rack for supporting a variety of sports equipment in an off the ground position includes an elongated cylindrically shaped body of a wire type cage construction that is sized to hold a plurality of spherically shaped balls and has an arcuately shaped top portion for receiving the balls and a bottom portion that is arcuately formed to provide a ramp for discharging the balls from the rack.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system which includes a method and apparatus for the removal of carton bundles from where they are stacked, such as on pallets, re-positions the carton bundles relative to a carton holding structure such as a hopper, removes the restraining strap(s) from each bundle and feeds the bundle or cartons onto a hopper.

Abstract: A magnetic rotor for use with an eddy current separator. The rotor has a plurality of permanent magnets bonded to a polygonal outer periphery and undercuts are formed in the flat surfaces to relieve stresses due to differences in thermal co-efficient of expansion of the permanent magnets and the rotor structure. A carbon filament is wrapped around the permanent magnets under tension overcome the centrifugal force due to rotation of the rotor. The rotor is supported on a bearing sleeve that surrounds the rotor shaft with rotor bearings which support the rotor on the sleeve and the sleeve extends inwardly over the rotor shaft and the shell has shell bearings supported on the sleeve extension. Therefore, the sleeve supports the rotor independent of the shell so that the bearing of the shell and the bearing supporting the rotor are each independent of one another. The sleeve is supported on pillow blocks. The ends of the rotor are clamped to the rotor shaft by means of a locking assembly arrangement.