Abstract: A destacker wheel is provided for a denester where a stack of containers is destacked, one by one, by rotating or partly rotating the destacker wheel about an axis parallel to the stack of containers. The destacker wheel comprises a stack carrying surface for carrying the stack of containers connected to an inclined surface. A slit orthogonal to a rotation axis is provided between the carrying surface and the inclined surface. The slit has a height in a direction of the rotation axis corresponding to the thickness of a flange of the containers. An ejector surface follows below and at least partly behind the inclined surface in the direction of rotation. The ejector surface commences with an edge arranged substantially radially to the axis of rotation. The edge is above the level of the slit. The inclined surface has a side surface between the inclined surface and the slit.

Abstract: A conveyor device for conveying test tube holders in a laboratory distribution system is presented. The conveyor device is a screw conveyor device comprising a helical track having a helix axis and a drive shaft having an axis of rotation parallel or coaxial to the helix axis, which drive shaft is adapted to be driven to rotate about the axis of rotation for causing a movement of one test tube holder or a plurality of test tube holders contacting the helical track between an entry region and an exit region. The entry region and the exit region are spaced in a direction of the helix axis. A laboratory distribution system for conveying test tube holders and a laboratory automation system comprising a laboratory distribution system are also presented.

Abstract: An optical inspection apparatus 1 includes a light radiation unit 11 configured to radiate light to an article 50, a light detection unit 12 configured to detect transmitted light of the light radiated to the article 50, and a support unit 13 configured to support the light radiation unit 11 and the light detection unit 12 in a cantilever manner. An inspection region of the article 50 by the light is exposed to an ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A food forming and shaping device. The food forming and shaping device may comprise: a mixer, forming and shaping portion, and cutter. The mixer may comprise: at binder container, a cereal base container, and a hopper. The binder container may store and dispense a binder to the hopper. The cereal base container may store and dispense a cereal base to the hopper. The hopper may mix the cereal base and the binder to create the food mixture. The hopper may pour the food mixture onto a mixing surface of the frame. The forming and shaping portion may comprise: a frame; rollers, motors, pistons, and top mixing surface. The rollers may be rotatably connected to the frame and may be adjacent to one another. The motors may actuate the rollers, such that the motors may actuate the feed roll heads in the same direction. When the food mixture is placed onto the top mixing surface, the shoulder plate may move the food mixture to the rollers.

Abstract: A ball dropper has a stack of trays that have solid portions for supporting a ball and open portions to allow a ball to pass through a tray. Fixed barriers limit the travel of the ball with the rotating tray to allow the ball to become unsupported so that it can be caught on the tray below. A stepper motor precisely makes the required incremental rotation to allow the addition of the next ball at the top. Once the trays are filled or the balls loaded are advanced such that the lead ball is on the last tray any further rotation will start to discharge the balls with each increment of rotation. The device is easy and cheap to fabricate and presents a reliable way to get jam free operation while having a housing that will tolerate the operating pressures in the wellbore.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying a cellulosic feedstock are disclosed. The apparatus, such as a holding tank, has a passage. At the outlet to the passage, a conveyance member is provided to convey the cellulosic feedstock laterally across the outlet. The conveyance member, e.g., at least one screw conveyor, may have a variable pitch along its length. The method comprises passing the cellulosic feedstock through an impregnation chamber to an outlet of the impregnation chamber; passing the cellulosic feedstock from the outlet of the impregnation chamber to an inlet of a holding tank; passing the cellulosic feedstock downwardly through the holding tank; maintaining a generally constant residence time in the holding tank; and subsequently subjecting the cellulosic feedstock to a hydrolysis process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing a cellulosic feedstock are disclosed. Embodiments of the method comprise passing the cellulosic feedstock through an optional impregnation chamber to an outlet of the impregnation chamber, passing the cellulosic feedstock from the outlet of the impregnation chamber to a holding tank having an inlet and an outlet, and conveying the cellulosic feedstock downwardly and laterally as it travels through the holding tank. Embodiments of the apparatus comprise at least one sidewall defining a passage. The passage has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the lower portion has a greater cross-sectional area than the upper portion. At least one inlet is provided adjacent the upper portion, and at least one outlet is provided adjacent the lower portion, at an elevation below the inlet.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transport system configured to transport a receptacle which accommodates an upright sample holder containing a sample, the transport system including a screw includes a rotatable shaft disposed along a predetermined transport path and a helical ridge protruding outward from an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and a drive unit configured to rotate the screw.

Abstract: A device for delivering a conveying truck into a screw driving area has a truck delivery screw and a truck propulsion screw which are connected in tandem via a single position electromagnetic clutch and both the screws are configured to rotate in the same phase in the transmission state of the electromagnetic clutch. Two front and back driven rollers are pivotally connected to a conveying truck at an interval at which the driven rollers can engage both screws. A truck delivery mechanism is provided for delivering the conveying truck in the disengaged state of the electromagnetic clutch while rotating the truck delivery screw by the front-side driven roller until the roller arrives at a fixed position in the truck delivery screw.

Abstract: An installation for processing articles, the installation comprising an article-transfer device extending between two processing stations, the transfer device comprising a rail having at least one rectilinear segment and defining a closed travel path for carriages that are mounted on the rail to move freely therealong, each of which is provided with means for driving at least one article, the transfer device comprising a screw extending along the rectilinear segment of the rail and having a thread that co-operates with fingers secured to the carriages in order to drive the carriages along the rectilinear segment.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transport system configured to transport a receptacle which accommodates an upright sample holder containing a sample, the transport system including a screw includes a rotatable shaft disposed along a predetermined transport path and a helical ridge protruding outward from an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and a drive unit configured to rotate the screw.

Abstract: A drive rail includes a sealed interior cavity and an exterior drive surface that extends along a length of the drive rail. A first magnetic member is disposed within the interior cavity and adjacent to a surface of the interior cavity that is immediately opposite the exterior drive surface. A drive mechanism is disposed within the interior cavity and in connection with the first magnetic member, and is configured to move the first magnetic member within the interior cavity along the length of the drive rail, such that the first magnetic member remains immediately opposite the exterior drive surface. The first magnetic member is configured to magnetically couple through the exterior drive surface to a wafer carrier disposed adjacent to the exterior drive surface. Movement of the first magnetic member within the interior cavity along the drive rail causes corresponding movement of the wafer carrier along the exterior drive surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means for feeding blanks into the thread rolling part of a thread rolling machine in accurate timing and accurate position. A transport screw for transporting blanks e.g. in a thread rolling machine is disclosed, said transport screw comprises a transport helix for transporting a blank along said transport screw when said transport screw rotates, said transport screw further comprises a feeding area being a widening of said transport helix, whereby said feeding area can receive and feed said blank into said transport helix upon rotation of said transport screw. Further, a method of feeding blanks into a transport screw and a feeding system comprising a transport screw, a blank height adjustment mechanism and a blank alignment mechanism are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for conveying a stack of flat objects, in particular a stack of mail items, in a conveyance direction. The conveyor device comprises a base face, a side wall, which is perpendicular to the base face, a base face conveyor facility let into the base face and a side wall conveyor facility let into the side wall. The side wall is divided into two partial side walls. The rear partial side wall—viewed in the conveyance direction—is offset outward in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction in relation to the front partial side wall. The side wall conveyor facility is let into the rear partial side wall. The base face conveyor facility is embodied to exert a force on the objects, which moves the objects toward the side wall conveyor facility.

Abstract: A patty-forming machine includes a food supply system where the drive mechanism for feed screws use integrated and compact motor and gearbox assemblies. The feed screws have heavy wall thickness flights and the feed screw shafts are journaled through modular bearing assemblies. A conveyor that forms the bottom of the hopper uses a sealed drum motor housed in the drive roller to drive the conveyor. A food supply system includes independent sensing means for indicating whenever the moldable food material accumulated at one end of the hopper exceeds a given level.

Abstract: A method and device for forming a stack of n packets, whereby the packets, fed successively in a substantially horizontal direction to an input of a substantially vertical conveyor channel, are stacked by being lifted, along the conveyor channel, by an n-start screw push device rotating about an axis substantially parallel to the conveyor channel; the stack so formed is extracted from an output of the conveyor channel, in a radial output direction with respect to the axis of the screw push device, by a comb extractor movable along an annular path extending through the conveyor channel.

Abstract: A device for stopping a continuous product stream of the products of a rotary press, with a height conveyor which has a lower loading region to which the products are supplied via a first conveying means, and an upper delivery region, from which the products are conveyed to a reception container via a second conveying means, wherein on the downstream side of the delivery region of the height conveyor a switch is assigned to the second conveying means, a third conveying device being connected to this switch, the lower end of which is assigned to the loading region of the height conveyor, so that the products are supplied to the second or third conveying means depending on the condition of the switch

Abstract: Damage or deformation of a container in a processing device downstream a convey path is prevented. A filling device includes a filling unit (1), star wheel (2), and timing screw (3). Containers (10) are supplied to the timing screw (3) by a conveyor (6) along a convey path. A container control apparatus includes a control member (11) which controls supply and stop of the containers (10) before the timing screw (3), a driving unit (13) which drives the control member (11), and a sensor (35) which detects a state of the timing screw (3) such as a rotation angle. When the containers (10) are to be stopped, the driving unit (13) controls the control member (11) under the control of a control unit (30) to stop the containers (10) in accordance with a detection result of the sensor (35).

Abstract: A reduction to the traveling motion of bottles along a delivery conveyor in an intermittent motion decorating machine is provided by one of a pair of workpiece feed cams rotatably supported in a side-by-side relation to rotate about spaced horizontal axes lying in a common horizontal plane. The workpiece feed cams have feed cam tracks for receiving cam followers of each of plurality of vertical bottle carriers. One of the feed cam tracks reduces the speed of the bottle carriers from a relatively high entry speed corresponding to the through put speed in the decorating machine to the speed of the deliver conveyor for more densely populating the delivery conveyor with workpieces. Carrier transfer members at each of opposite ends of the workpiece feed cams transfer the bottle carriers from one to the other of the workpiece feed cams. A drive rotates the workpiece feed cams, carrier return cams and carrier transfer members.

Abstract: There are provided linear section moving chain conveyors for moving carrier trucks on linear sections of a guide rail, curvilinear section moving chain conveyors for moving the carrier trucks on curvilinear sections of a guide rail, and conveyance interval variable portions for moving the carrier trucks on borders between the linear sections and the curvilinear sections while gradually varying the interval between the carrier trucks. When the carrier trucks are moved from a linear section to the following curvilinear section, spiral screws of the conveyance interval variable portions gradually widen the intervals between the carrier trucks, and when the carrier trucks are moved from a curvilinear section to the following linear section, the screws gradually narrow the intervals between the carrier trucks.

Abstract: A method for feeding automatically metal profiles in bar form entails gripping a group of the metal profiles from a magazine for collecting the profiles and transferring the group of metal profiles or their end to a raised position. The raised metal profiles are arranged on a movable transfer device provided with means for separating the metal profiles, at which the initial portion of a preset number of metal profiles to be fed to the machine at each work cycle is conveyed transversely and counted. The metal profiles are transferred, in the counted number, at receiving elements of the machine, while the excess metal profiles are unloaded inside the collection magazine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a screw assembly apparatus and a method of using the same. More specifically, a screw assembly apparatus is provided having a carriage attached to a nut assembly and a dog for engaging a workpiece. The carriage runs along the length of a screw within a carriage guide that may surround the nut assembly thereby protecting the nut assembly from debris and contamination. An opening may be contained within the carriage guide for the carriage to extend therefrom.

Abstract: An infeed mechanism for a glass container inspection machine which will receive bottles on a linear conveyor and which has a support to which the infeed mechanism can be secured. The infeed mechanism has a timing cam and a frame is provided for supporting the timing cam at the bottom thereof which includes a first box like frame for rotatably supporting the timing cam at the bottom, a servo motor secured to and within the first box like frame, a vertically extending transmission supported by the first box like frame for transferring the output of the servo motor downwardly to the rotatable timing cam, a second frame, above the timing cam for supporting first frame for relative vertical displacement, and a mounting plate located vertically above the second frame for supporting the second frame for relative horizontal displacement transverse to the linear conveyor so that the infeed mechanism can be mounted by securing the mounting plate to a machine frame with the infeed mechanism above the linear conveyor.

Abstract: A unit for feeding cigars from an input hopper to a pocket conveyor for feeding single cigars successively along a given path, wherein the cigars are fed along a downfeed channel, an outlet of which faces a rotary transfer member for feeding the cigars successively into respective pockets on the conveyor and in time with the pockets; the channel receives a column of superimposed cigars oriented crosswise to their feed direction along the channel; and a screw conveyor extends along at least one end portion of the channel to feed single cigars successively to the outlet of the channel in time with the transfer member.

Abstract: Flat articles to be formed into groups for packaging are advanced in succession at a set tempo toward a transfer station where each article is made to assume a predetermined position in space, standing on edge. Thereafter, the articles are advanced in a direction perpendicular to the position in space and toward a release station by means of a first conveyor equipped with pockets. The articles are caused to advance at a first linear velocity in such a way that each pocket receives an article and, at predetermined intervals, are accelerated to a second velocity for a predetermined duration between the arrival of one article at the transfer station and the arrival of the next article. In this way, one or more pockets remain empty, and groups of articles forming on the conveyor are separated one from the next by the empty pockets.

Abstract: The furnace comprises a tubular inner chamber for the treatment of the raw material, mounted inside the enveloping body of the furnace which is insulated from the exterior and is provided with internal resistor systems for heating the chamber of the furnace by radiation, comprising means for feeding raw material at one end and means for controlling the output of completed product at the other end of the treatment chamber of the furnace, inside which a worm screw, driven in rotation from the exterior, is mounted rotatably, respective percussion devices being incorporated in the ends of the screw to prevent compaction of the mass on the screw.

Abstract: An helical worm gear conveyor (10, 110) for conveying a succession of articles (C) along a travel path (A), the conveyor having a first worm conveyor (14, 114) surrounded by a second worm conveyor (16, 116). The helixes of the second conveyor are positioned between the helixes of the first conveyor to divide the pockets (18, 118) defined by the helixes of the first conveyor into a first, article receiving portion and a second portion. The helixes of the second conveyor are laterally translatable relative to the first conveyor, by rotation (16) or without rotation (116), to vary the longitudinal extent of the article receiving portions of the pockets, as required for proper conveying of articles of a given size that differs from articles of another size.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for inventorying packages on a storage device which consists of removing packages from the storage device with a variable pitch inventory screw, scanning a surface of the packages to read indicia on the surface and recording information obtained from the indicia about the contents in the packages. The present invention enables users to quickly and efficiently scan and store packages of items hanging on a lead screw in a centralized storage/retrieval system.