Abstract: An apparatus for turning the posture of flat articles (such as envelopes and post cards) can stably clamp and turn a flat article accurately, with a 90.degree. rotation. The turning apparatus has a cone roller that is disposed along a path for transporting the flat articles. A first plurality of idler pulleys are independently mounted to engage and be driven by the conical surface of the roller. A second plurality of idler pulleys are disposed on the upstream side of the conical surface, with respect to the first idler pulley. At least one running belt is stretched between the first and second idler pulleys. The angle between the conical surface and the running belt is small enough to reliably grip and turn the flat article.

Abstract: In the diverter turn assembly disclosed herein, an array of wheels are mounted on rocking frames so as to be vertically shiftable between a first position which the wheels are retracted below the nominal top surface of the conveyor and a second position in which they are raised above that level so as to engage articles being transported by the conveyor system. The wheels are individually adjustable as to angular orientation and are driven at respective preselected speeds to permit an article to be diverted and/or reoriented with respect to the nominal conveyor path.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a troughing conveyor for products such as bags, boxes, cartons and the like. It is anticipated that products of like configuration and initial orientation are carried to an orienting conveyor means. This conveyor system has a stop plate that is actuated as and when required to insure that an oriented product has exited the system before entrance of another product to said system. Two plate-like conveyors are arrayed in tandem and are of like size and extent. These conveyors are troughed to provide a shallow included angle and the upper extents are also formed with convex arc so that the product is transported on two points. Each of these conveyors is independently driven by variable-speed gear motors, each with computer programs controlling the speed of each of the conveyor extents. An electric-eye counter device insures that an oriented product has exited the system before another product has been delivered.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement in a sealing machine through which there extends at least one conveyor (2,3,8,9), which has a plurality of constraining means (19) at predetermined spacing in the conveying direction for packages (7), which are intended to be sealed in the sealing machine after they have been filled. The conveying means comprises one or more belts (5,6,10,11) side by side and in the same plane and said constraining means comprises perforations (19) in the belts, the openings of the perforations facing towards the interior of the conveyor being in communication with a vacuum source and the openings facing towards the carrying surface of the conveyor being intended for coaction with the underside of the packages (7) placed on the conveying means and in that the packages (7) are located on the conveyor belt during conveying through the sealing machine with the aid of the suction achieved via the perforations (19) with the aid of the vacuum.

Abstract: A product turning device suitable for direct mounting in a conveyor stream includes a first driven input roller which applies an accelerating force to the product as it enters the turner and which has a knurl at one end to slightly skew the product into the turning motion, and a transfer roller with a multi-beveled knurl which moves transversely against the side of the product and contacts its bottom surface to accomplish the turn. A series of guide bumpers and a guide bracket maintain alignment of the product as the input roller skews the product, and the transfer roller turns it.

Abstract: A tax stamping machine for applying heat activated tax decals to the bottom of packs of cigarettes in cartons utilizes an adjustable carton guide channel having an offset section and a heated stamp bar having a plurality of selectable patterns of heated platens. The cigarette carton guide channel is adjustable in both width and depth so that various sizes of cigarette packs in cartons can be handled. A carton stop bar and reset latch assembly are used to halt the travel of hand fed cartons along the guide channel while tax stamps or decals are applied to the packs within the cartons.

Abstract: A container orienting apparatus suitable for flasks and other non-cylindrical containers comprising a pair of continuously moving counter-rotating parallel belts for engaging opposite sides of the finish and/or neck of each container and for rotating each container a predetermined amount by changing the relative speeds of the belts for a predetermined time period. The amount of rotation necessary to rotate each container to a common second orientation is determined by a programmable controller responsive to orientation sensors which determine which one of a number of discrete first orientations each container is in prior to engagement by the belts. The controller contains in memory a plurality of predetermined instruction sets corresponding to the various possible container orientations and the amount of rotation which is required to achieve a predetermined common second orientation.

Abstract: A device for rotating a moving, overlapping stack of flattened boxes on a conveyor belt comprising a motor, a driven pulley driven by the motor, a freely rotating pulley, and an endless belt rotating around both of the pullies, wherein the device is positioned slightly above the conveyor belt at an obtuse angle to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The stack of flattened boxes are positioned on the endless belt wherein the rotation of the endless belt causes the flattened boxes to rotate on the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing poultry gizzards employing in-feed rollers and retarding means to initially orient the gizzards with appendage organs dangling below. The appendage organs are severed whereupon the gizzards are secured in the initial positions, transported and reoriented to a new position before being slit by a cutting blade. The slit gizzards are spread apart and transferred while being secured in a predefined position to a shearer-peeler station having a pair of primary rollers with a shearing and a peeling section, and then to a pair of slower rotating rollers also with a shearer and a peeler section. A vibrating tamper compresses the gizzards on the secondary peeler section for a final thorough cleaning of the gizzards.

Abstract: Article rotating apparatus includes an endless element having a working reach movable alongside the path of movement of the articles and having a curvilinear reach forming a continuation of the downstream part of the working reach and extending in a direction away from the path of movement of the articles, and an article engaging lug mounted on the endless element and engageable with an article for imparting angular movement thereto while being moved along the curvilinear reach of the endless element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assisting in turning or reorienting cartons during transition between conveyors is disclosed wherein a moving finger engages one side of the carton adjacent the leading edge of the carton. The moving finger initiates the turning action and assists in the final turning action generated by a friction plate and pressure brush. The finger is mounted in a horizontal plane for rotation about a vertical axis and engages the side of the carton within leading 15%-35% along the length of the carton. The finger provides sufficient turning assist action to assure reorientation of a carton through at least 90.degree.. The finger should be flexible in order to provide shock absorbing action.

Abstract: Article feeding apparatus includes a series of equally spaced pushers for advancing along a platform a procession of sweets or the like lying flat on the platform. The platform has a downwardly extending ramp and as the sweets travel down the ramp they are turned through 90.degree. to an erect position under control of one or more restraining fingers which move in timed relationship with the pushers. A further turnover device may be provided for turning the erected sweets through a further 90.degree..

Abstract: A conveyor for transporting containers in a vertical position along a defined path through a power adjustable, container rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism includes a pair of elongate friction members respectively disposed laterally adjacent the defined path of travel. One of the friction members is a movable wall device and the other friction member is a static wall device. Each friction member is laterally movable by cam devices controlled by power operated linkage mechanisms.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus for stand-up orientation of bottles, which apparatus has a minimum of moving parts, and includes an assembly of side gripping belts substantially parallel to a stand-up chute. The belts are driven at speeds commensurate with the bottles speed while coming from an alignment chute under the influence of gravity. In order to accomplish the stand-up orientation of the bottles, the assembly of belts is adjustable relative to the stand-up chute. The apparatus further consists of means to deliver bottles to the alignment chute and means to remove bottles which have been stood up.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of conveying a sheet in a turning action to alter its path of movement. The operator has the option of conveying the sheet through a bump turn mode or a flow turn mode. In the bump turn mode, the original sheet leading edge on a first conveyor is not the leading edge on the second conveyor but instead the sheet side edge becomes the leading edge. In the flow turn mode, the operator can drive the conveyor members of the first conveyor so that the sheet is rotated ninety degrees on the first conveyor and is then deposited onto the second conveyor so that the sheet leading edge on the first conveyor is also the leading edge on the second conveyor. The apparatus consists of a first conveyor and a second conveyor with the first conveyor having individually driven members for the optional modes mentioned.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing a grill stripe or score mark on a meat product by transporting the meat product against a heated grill. A continuous conveyor transports individual wieners along a path of conveyance. A belt conveyor raises the wieners above the supported path of the continuous conveyor and into rotational contact with the superimposed heated grill. The wieners are rotated one complete revolution against the grill while synchronously moving the wiener with the continuous conveyor. The wieners are returned to the continuous conveyor for further processing.

Abstract: A conveyor for sorting and arranging in single file randomly received articles is disclosed. The unscrambling device has an acticle conveying surface consisting of skewed rollers divided into a number of zones arranged in tandem along the conveyor. The rollers in each zone from infeed to discharge are driven at increasingly higher speeds with the zones overlapping in such a manner that abrupt speed changes occur in steps both lengthwise and laterally of the conveyor. The articles are biased to one side of the conveyor which side is equipped with an article contacting rail divided into segments at least some of which are inclined to impart a jostling effect to the articles.

Abstract: A device for obtaining the proper end to end orientation of articles that are delivered to the device in a random orientation, the articles having a common longitudinal characteristic, the device including a rotating pick up and feed device for introduction of the articles to a first fee conveyor, an inspection device arranged to scan the article being carried therepast on the conveyor, a selector responsive to a signal from the inspection device and actuated in response thereto to shift the article into position for rotation, allow the same to continue its travel without rotation or to eject the article dependent upon the size of the article and a rotating wheel element to accomplish the rotation of the articles that are positioned for rotation by the selector and to propel and deliver such articles and those articles that do not require rotation to a final delivery conveyor.

Abstract: For a newspaper mail room having a closed-loop track and an endless cart train whose carts are adapted to carry a pair of newspaper bundles for delivery to the exit end of the system, an exit conveyor system is provided which includes a first bundle-spacing section comprising a power-driven roller conveyor disposed parallel to the cart-train track and having drag means for effecting desired spacing between individual bundles, followed by a second bundle-turning section comprising a power-driven off-center belt conveyor parallel to the cart-train track for applying forward pull to the undersurface of only a portion of a received bundle for rotating the bundle about its vertical axis into an angular orientation for delivery into the 90.degree. bend of a gravity exit chute which extends at right angles to the cart-train track.

Abstract: A surface flaw detector includes a light source capable of generating a laser beam, a material conveyance means provided for conveying a material to be examined in the direction transverse to the axis of the material and designed to let the material rotate on its axis at a fixed position or along the direction of conveyance, means for scanning the laser beam on the surface and in the axial direction of the material which is rotating on its own axis, optical means adapted to transmit the light reflected from the surface of the material to form a stationary optic image of the scanning means, light receiving means provided at the image forming position, and processing means adapted to discriminate the flaw signal upon receiving the output from the light receiving means.

Abstract: A tile stacking machine wherein each tile is tilted while being conveyed at high speed and supported by its lower edge. The tiles are then transferred to a set of speed reducing belts to travel on edge. In most instances they are then transferred to at least one further set of speed reducing belts so as to crowd the tiles into a stack. One of the features of tilting the tiles while being conveyed edgeways, is that tilting is achieved by slowing the leading edge as it is lifted, thereby reducing tile speed even before it enters the speed reducing belts.

Abstract: Spotting instrumentalities for turning containers traveling along a predetermined path on a conveyor comprising, at opposite sides of the conveyor, a pair of drive rolls and a pair of idler rolls, said pairs of rolls being movable linearly along said path and, while being so moved, rotatable about axes parallel to the vertical axis of the container, said drive rolls being driven in rotation to rotate the container and said idler rolls being freely rotatable and a positioning dog operable by engagement with the positioning element on the side of the container to stop rotation of the container at a predetermined position of orientation. The drive rolls are provided with traction elements adapted to slip when rotation of the container is stopped by the positioning element and the idler rolls are provided with guide elements adapted to be displaced laterally by out-of-round containers and/or irregularities in the surfaces of the containers.

Abstract: A document handling device that is adapted to turn a document such as a letter or other flat mail piece through an angle of substantially 90 degrees in its own plane by means of a plurality of pairs of feed rollers, the latter being respectively driven at different effective speeds which are proportional to the respective distances of said feed roller pairs from a predetermined axis located adjacent the lower leading corner of said document. The geometry of the system is such that the lower edge of the document before and after being turned is adapted to move along one substantially horizontal planar surface. Provision is made for enabling at least some of said feed roller pairs to feed a document without turning the latter through said 90 degree angle.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting juice from citrus fruits comprising a feeding conveyor for conveying the whole fruits to a cutting device, which cuts the fruits into halves. The fruit halves are fed into a squeezing tunnel with their cut surface oriented in a predetermined direction. The squeezing tunnel consist of two opposed surfaces which converge towards one another, thus effecting the squeezing of the fruit halves which are caused to travel therealong. One of the said surfaces is a portion of a rotating drum conveyor, while the other surface comprises a plurality of consecutive parallel rotating rollers arranged transversely with respect to the direction of travel of the fruit halves, and rotating at a peripheral speed which is higher than the speed of the drum conveyor. The rotating rollers are screw threaded with alternating right and left screw threads, or each rotating roller is provided with contiguous right and left screw threaded portions.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying and rotating articles 90.degree. while being conveyed along a predetermined path with rotation being achieved by contacting a forward corner of the article for pivoting it partially as the extending side will be grasped by a side-facing belt to complete rotation and propel the article forward.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically dispensing stacks of cookies into the pockets of cookie packaging trays. A succession of multi-pocket cookie trays are intermittently advanced along a horizontal tray conveyor. Cookie delivery assemblies located in spaced relation along said tray conveyor each include a cookie delivery line and a cookie dispenser assembly which deposits stacks of cookies in the tray pockets during the dwell phase of the intermittent tray conveyor.Each said cookie delivery line includes a shingler assembly and a separator assembly. The shingler assembly comprises a pair of spaced parallel horizontal feed belts onto which the cookies are manually loaded in edge-supported face-abutting relation and an underlying shingling belt traveling at a faster speed than said feed belts. The feed belts serve to advance the array of cookies toward the separator assembly while the shingling belt engages the lower edges of the cookies and tilts the cookies into an inclined attitude.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a device for adjusting an original to be copied, in particular an original which is repeatedly conveyed through the exposure station of a photocopying machine, including a transport mechanism with a deviatable transport band arrangement adapted to transport said original at a variable speed, and when said original is to be copied a number of times, in a closed path, further including a device for lengthening the path on one side, two switches positioned transversely and normal to the direction of flow and adapted to be actuated by the original whereby a switching circuit to a servomotor is closed when the leading edge of the original deviates from a correct position, said servomotor being connected to a correcting element adapted to change the length of the path of the original on one side of said transport band arrangement, the improvement comprising generator means adapted to put out a first signal proportional to the transport speed of said original, said servomo

Abstract: A machine for orienting generally tapered objects such as ears of corn and lining them up on a moving conveyor with their smaller ends uniformly forward, made up of a vertically reciprocating plate with a vertical face, a pressure plate with an opposed face biased toward the face of said vertically reciprocating plate and held in parallel relation thereto, a feed roller with a downward turning generally cylindrical face which feeds tapered objects between said vertically opposed faces, means to supply tapered objects one by one onto said downward turning face, and a conveyor below said pressure plate and vertically reciprocating plate to carry away oriented tapered objects while maintaining their orientation.

Abstract: Fish are oriented by laying them in random arrangement in the central portion of a vibrating trough, the opposite ends of which form passages slightly wider than the widest fish being sorted. Fish move headfirst toward the trough ends, and the movement of fish discharged in single file from such trough ends is accelerated to propel fish past detector means. Such detector means include a radiant-energy source and fish-sorting means responsive to energy from such source operable to deflect fish leaving such source for channeling the fish corresponding to a characteristic detected by the detector. Such characteristic may be sex, length or sidewise orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for orienting a flat workpiece has upper and lower hubs rotatable on a support about respective spaced-apart upper and lower rotation axes. Respective radially extending elongated upper and lower arms are mounted on the upper and lower hubs and carry respective upper and lower levers pivotal on these arms about respective upper and lower pivot axes parallel to the upper and lower arms at locations thereon spaced from the upper and lower rotation axes. Respective upper and lower workpiece-engaging needles are mounted on the upper and lower levers at substantially like spacings from the upper and lower rotation axes. Each lever is pivotal between an operative position with the respective needle engageable with the workpiece and an inoperative position unengageable with the workpiece and can be locked in the operative position by locking means.

Abstract: In removing articles from a wheel-type blow molding machine continuously revolving in a vertical plane with multiple mold sections opening radially to the wheel axis out of which the articles are ejected sidewise downwardly onto a takeaway pocket conveyor.A process involving positioning the articles in the pockets such that the moils protrude laterally of the conveyor, capturing such moils within a spiral screw channel while still advancing within the pockets, then pivoting such captured articles downwardly to a vertical attitute beyond the conveyor by means of the screw and forward twisting contour of a guide rail.

Abstract: A turntable comprising a plurality of transfer roller assemblies of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,230. The transfer roller assemblies are mounted in two parallel ranks in planar array, and means are provided for controlling the direction of rotation of the cylindrical rollers and stub rollers in selected subsets of the planar array so as to impart rotary and/or translational motion to an object positioned on the array. A center pivot pad and means for selectively urging the center pivot pad upwardly against an object positioned upon the transfer rollers may be provided to provide resistance to unwanted translation by the object.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding rectangular blanks of corrugated paper board from a stack thereof comprising means for delivering the blanks onto a first conveyor belt in such a manner that the blanks extend transversely of the belt with one edge only engaging the belt and extending outwardly therefrom to overlie a further conveyor belt transversely spaced from and parallel with said first conveyor belt and arranged at a lower level and which runs in the same direction but at a higher speed than the first conveyor belt, whereby an operator can pivot selected groups of blanks being fed by said first conveyor belt from engagement therewith and into engagement with said further conveyor belt, whereby thus selected groups are caused to fall backwardly and thus inverted relative to remaining groups which are allowed to fall forwardly when in engagement with the first conveyor belt.

Abstract: A device for positioning substrate wafers with a flat zone on their periphery comprises a support in which a tilting member is tiltably mounted by means of a pinion. The tilting member is provided with two rollers rotatably seated thereon for guiding a belt in the longitudinal direction of said tilting member. At least one of said rollers is driven by a respective drive means. A support track is arranged on the longitudinal side of the tilting member for receiving said substrate wafers.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for the assembly of a two component home canning closure. One popular type of home canning closure utilizes a relatively thin lid to seal a jar with a threaded band holding the lid down. The gasket portion of the lid is relatively fragile. In the assembly of the two components in a manufacturing process for shipment to the consumer, the lids are handled gasket upmost the minimize possible damage. At an assembly station, the lids are rotated 180.degree. to present the gasket downward in the band for protection during shipment and storage.