Abstract: A transporter has stars arranged in series such that a container is transferred at a transfer point that is common to two successive stars. Some of the stars rotate about a fixed axis whereas other stars rotate about an axis that moves relative to the fixed axis.

Abstract: There is provided a recording system that can suppress a reduction in throughput when post-processing is performed in a post-processing apparatus.

Abstract: A manufacture work machine for preforming a manufacture work, including: work-element performing apparatuses each configured to perform one of work elements of the manufacture work, and a central control device to control the apparatuses in a centralized manner, such that motion commands for one motion to be performed by one of the apparatuses are sequentially transmitted, wherein each apparatus has an individual control device to control an operation of said each apparatus and at least one operating device for performing a work element corresponding to said each apparatus, and wherein the individual control device is configured to recognize a matter of the motion command transmitted from the central control device and is configured to control an operation of each of the at least one operating device so as to permit one of the apparatuses to which the individual control device belongs to perform one motion corresponding to the motion command.

Abstract: In a rotor manufacturing method, a magnetic body is moved by being pushed by a pusher along a guide surface of a guide portion, and the magnetic body is in a stated of being biased to the guide surface since the magnetic body is urged by a restriction portion. Therefore, the magnetic body can slide reliably between the guide portion and the restriction portion while restricting an insertion posture of the magnetic body. Thus, even if a wall surface of a magnet insertion hole is provided with a protrusion, when the magnetic body slides with the guide surface as a reference, the magnetic body will not abut against the protrusion, and the magnetic body can be reliably loaded into the magnet insertion hole.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for picking items according to the goods-to-man principle a picking station in which items are placed in order load carriers that are conveyed through the picking station in a row, and the put place of the order load carriers in the row changes when a chronologically preceding order load carrier is loaded and conveyed away. This disclosure also relates to a corresponding order picking station.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism and method for feeding objects singulated from a bulk mass of objects includes receiving the bulk mass into a hopper system having a hopper screw set including first and second hopper screws and a plurality of feeding pockets defined by the thread forms of the hopper screws. Rotation of the hopper screws tumbles the bulk mass to cascade and singulate individual objects into respective feed pockets. An object set including at least one singulated object is discharged from the hopper screw set by rotation of the hopper screws. A discharge assembly including a ramp and star wheel receives the discharged object set, and transfers the object set to a discharge outlet. The object set output from the discharge outlet is received by a target defined by a receiving article. In one example, the object is rounded, the target is an opening of a container.

Abstract: In a work system for substrates which includes plural working machines conveying circuit substrates through two paths and in which the circuit substrates are conveyed through the two paths from the working machine disposed upstream out of the plural working machines to the working machine disposed downstream, a circuit substrate of which the work result is not good is conveyed to the downstream working machine earlier than the circuit substrate of which the work result is good in a state in which the circuit substrate of which the work result is good and the circuit substrate of which the work result is not good are able to be conveyed to the downstream working machine by the upstream working machine.

Abstract: A transport device for goods, comprising a transfer device for transferring the goods (4) from a delivering conveying device (3) of the transport device to a discharging conveying device (6) of the transport device having an endless transport element (8) which can be driven in a circulating manner, having a first drive (15) for driving a first section (7) of the endless transport element (8), which first section (7) is intended to receive the goods (4) and is assigned to the delivering conveying device (3), and a second drive (17) for driving a second section (16) of the endless transport element (8), which second section (16) is intended to dispense the received goods (4) and is assigned to the discharging conveying device (6), wherein the endless transport element (8) is arranged on a carriage (9) which is held by a carriage carrier, and the carriage (9) can be adjusted along a carriage axis by way of a speed difference between the first and the second drive (15, 17).

Abstract: The invention concerns a conveyor lane divider for dividing trays that are received in one lane from an infeed conveyor and are passed on to a two-lane production unit. The conveyor lane divider has a line motion control system that can be automatically initialized when starting.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a booklet processing unit is disclosed. It includes a conveyance means for conveying a booklet containing an IC chip along a conveyance way; a printing means for printing a first particular information in the booklet; a recording means for recording a second particular information on the IC chip; a distinguishing means for distinguishing the quality of the printing state of the booklet and a recording state of the IC chip; and a marking means which moves a marking component and marks the booklet when the booklet is identified as being in a poor state by the distinguishing means such that the IC chip is avoided by the marking.

Abstract: A combination weigher comprises a collecting conveyor which conveys objects and discharges the objects; a plurality of weighing conveyors configured to convey the objects fed thereto and discharge the objects, to feed the objects to the collecting conveyor apparatus; a plurality of weight sensors for measuring weights of the objects held on the weighing conveyors; and a control section which finds a discharge combination including a combination of the weighing conveyors holding the objects in which a total weight thereof falls within a target weight range, based on the measured weight values of the weight sensors and activates the weighing conveyors selected to make up the discharge combination to convey the objects on the weighing conveyors and discharge the objects, wherein a conveying speed of the collecting conveyor apparatus is set higher than a conveying speed of the weighing conveyors.

Abstract: An assembly for moving caps through a cap-lining machine includes a track for the downstream movement of the caps to a cap-lining location in the cap-lining machine. A first gate is mounted downstream from the cap-lining location for movement between first and second positions preventing and allowing downstream movement of the caps, respectively. A sensing location is formed in the track downstream from the cap-lining location. A second gate is mounted downstream from the sensing location for movement between first and second positions preventing and allowing downstream movement of the caps, respectively. The first gate moves to the first position in response to a sensor sensing the arrival of one of the caps at the sensing location, and the second gate moves to the second position in response to the first gate moving to the first position.

Abstract: A method of operating an installation for conveying and sorting baggage items within an airport building, preferably between the check-in area and reclaim area for the baggage items and the loading units assigned to a certain flight. The installation has a complex electrically and/or electronically driven and controlled conveying and handling system for transporting, sorting, transferring, storing and checking the baggage items, which are transported in a state in which they rest loosely on conveyors or are located in containers. In order to configure a method of operating the installation such that, along with relatively low energy costs and relatively low levels of wear, it is possible to reduce the operating costs of the installation and the maintenance costs, it is proposed that it is possible for the power supply to individual suitable installation parts or components to be switched on and off in dependence on the state of occupancy of the installation and/or on the varying loading.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for inspecting and orienting manufactured articles. The apparatus and method include recirculating inspected articles to the inspection station for additional processing.

Abstract: A control system for a manufacturing chain having a plurality of modular manufacturing stations positioned in series includes a memory for storing a plurality of unique operation patterns thereon. The control system also includes at least one communications conduit for receiving a first position signal from a first position tracking device of each modular manufacturing station. A processor is configured to independently transmit at least one operation signal corresponding to one of the unique operation patterns to an article transportation device of each modular manufacturing station via the communications conduit based, at least in part, on the first position signal from each modular manufacturing station. The communications conduit further receives a second position signal from a second position tracking device of each modular manufacturing station.

Abstract: A conveyer apparatus for transporting and processing tablets includes a conveyer and an ejection system. Each of the tablets includes a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a belly band that interconnects the first and second sides. The conveyer includes a plurality of carrier links to convey a plurality of tablets along a predetermined conveyer path. Each carrier link has a pocket to receive and transport a tablet in a vertical orientation along the predetermined conveyer path. The ejection system is structured to selectively accept or eject a tablet from the carrier link in response to a signal provided by a sensor positioned upstream of the ejection system.

Abstract: This mail-handling apparatus includes a feed module for feeding in mail items, a weigh module and a franking module. The weigh module includes regulator means for regulating the speed of advance of the conveyor means of the weigh module, which regulator means are adapted to take account of the weighing times taken to weigh the mail items.

Abstract: A conveyor for shock-sensitive products includes a conveyor member with at least one intermediate storage region adapted to receive a predetermined number of the products placed thereon when the conveyor is a static condition for temporary intermediate storage. A force measuring member determines the weight force of the products in the intermediate storage region. A control member, adapted to increase and decrease the rate of feed of the shock-sensitive products in the conveyor member, processes the weight force detected by the force measuring member as an input parameter, and increases or reduces the rate of feed of the products toward and away from the intermediate storage region as a function of the weight force.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting objects to identify is manufacturable at low cost and is capable of providing correct images of the objects. The apparatus has belts (19, 21) to transport the objects (M) through a photographing section (13). The apparatus also has strings (27, 29) stretched across the photographing section in the object transporting direction. Each of the objects transported by the belts to the photographing section is supported between the belts and the strings and is photographed from the string side.

Abstract: A method of controlling an autoloader that supplies workpieces to a plurality of workstations. Each of the workstations is operable to generate and transmit a call signal, a ready signal and an error signal. In accordance with the method, the autoloader supplies workpieces to the workstations based on the chronological order of the receipt of call signals from the workstations. If an error signal is received from a workstation that is to be supplied with a workpiece, the autoloader instead supplies the workpiece to the next workstation that is to be supplied.

Abstract: A method for controlling a wrapping machine for printed products that includes determining the size of an incoming gap in a printed product stream and controlling a speed of the wrapping machine as a function of the size of the incoming gap. The controlling step includes intentionally leaving, in the printed product stream in the wrapper machine, at least a single product gap corresponding to the incoming gap so as to create at least one empty bag. A newspaper finishing machine and controller are also provided.

Abstract: A conveyer-belt sushi control system, in which an amount of sushi distributed by a conveyer belt can accurately be counted, is provided as follows. A plurality of menu stands are mounted on a conveyer-belt table. A menu stand is followed by a plate on which sushi of a kind described on the menu stand is arranged. When the menu stand passes near a sensor, the sensor detects information output from the menu stand (e.g. electric wave for specifying a kind of sushi passing by subsequent to the menu stand). The sensor counts the number of passing-by plates until it detects the next menu stand, enabling counting of the amount of sushi per kind.

Abstract: A methodology of grouping a plurality of leads of a stator is provided. The methodology includes the steps of positioning a lead secured to a first lead securing device to a predetermined position, removing the lead from the first lead securing device, rotating a second lead securing device to a predetermined position, and securing the lead to the second lead securing device.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and an arrangement for checking items (3) belonging to a commissioning order and transported on a conveyor path (1) with respect to product type and number of items (3) by aid of sensing devices (10) connected with a computer (4′). Here, each one of the items (3) is optically or opto-electronically, respectively, checked, optionally after having been individualized and aligned, while being transported.

Abstract: In a handler attracting and transporting ICs by the use of a vacuum pick-up head, a control system is provided which provides for removing a jammed IC without the need for opening the door of the constant temperature chamber, if the vacuum pick-up head's failure to grasp an IC should cause jamming. A jam detecting means detects the occurrence of jam to interrupt the operation of the handler, whereupon a motion control means is activated to move the vacuum pick-up head to and stop it at a position distant from the site of jamming whereby the space above the site of jamming is cleared. This allows for removing the jammed IC by using a manipulator rod inserted through a through-hole formed through the outer wall of the constant temperature chamber.