Abstract: A material stacking device including: an elevated truss supported at opposite ends by first and second pillars, the first pillar includes a pivot allowing the truss to pivot about the location of the first pillar and the second pillar moving in an arc as the truss turns about the first pillar, and a material conveyor extending at least part way along the truss and discharging material to be deposited to an upper section of a material pile below the truss.

Abstract: A direct load system and conveyor is disclosed. The direct load system includes a load port for moving containers in a vertical orientation between a lower position near the conveyor and up to an upper position proximate to a load port door. The load port includes a single arm that moves a support in a vertical configuration, such that moving the single arm allows for the support to be lowered to the conveyor in a nested location between beams of the conveyor. The conveyor includes a single slot in a beam that allows the single arm to pass, and allows the support to be placed in the nested location, which is below a conveyor path defined by the belts of the conveyor. If a container is to be lifted off of the belts, the single arm raises up from the nested location, to then raise the container up and off of the conveyor and to the load port door.

Abstract: The present invention features, in part, a moving cart system that comprises a moving cart main line which is disposed along process portions and on which a moving cart is transpired along a positive length direction of the moving cart main line, a moving cart return line which is disposed parallel with the moving cart main line and on which the moving cart is transpired along a negative length direction of the moving cart return line, traverses which are disposed for connecting a front and a rear of the moving cart main line and the moving cart return line, and a plurality of storages which are disposed perpendicular to the moving cart return line in predetermined intervals along a length direction of the moving cart return line for storing the moving cart, wherein the moving cart moves along the plurality of storages.

Abstract: A conveying device for objects, in particular for bottles, having a first conveyor, a second conveyor and an intermediate buffer communicating with said first and second conveyors via a first transfer site. In order to increase the flexibility of such a conveying device, the first and second conveyors are connected to the buffer separately from one another via a respective first transfer site. Also, a switchable intermediate conveyor is provided, which bypasses the buffer and which is in conveying connection with the first and second conveyors via a respective second transfer site.

Abstract: A work module for connection to a main conveyor line in a conveyor system, in which the work module comprises a first transverse conveyor line, a longitudinal conveyor line and a second transverse conveyor line. The first transverse conveyor line is arranged to transport goods delivered from the main conveyor line to a longitudinal conveyor line in the module. The second transverse conveyor line is arranged to transport goods delivered from the longitudinal conveyor line to the main conveyor line. Further, each of the first transverse, longitudinal and second transverse conveyor lines in the work module comprises an outer conveyor line and an inner conveyor line.

Abstract: A sliding loader is disclosed comprising an undercarriage, one or more air bearings attached to the undercarriage, one or more forced air means provide pressurized air to the air bearings, and one or more lifting means for moving payloads, wherein the lifting means are attached to the undercarriage. An improved air bearing is disclosed comprising an optional top surface, wherein the top surface has an orifice; a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is porous; an inflatable chamber, wherein the inflatable chamber is positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface; an optional bottom framework, wherein the bottom framework is attached to the bottom surface; and one or more optional elastic members, wherein the top ends of the elastic members are attached near the top end of the inflatable chamber and the bottom ends of the elastic members are attached near the bottom end of the inflatable chamber.

Abstract: An extendable belt conveyor system designed to be installed under a self-propelled windrower between the front and the rear wheels suitable for multiple windrowing operations. The self-propelled windrower with the extendable belt conveyor system deliver a swath at a variable distance from the windrower, either on left or on the right, as the machine moves through the field. The conveyor can be directed on the left or on the right at variable distances with no need to manually change a part. The extendable belt conveyor system has at least two conveyors disposed one above the others and are connected with a trolley between each conveyor. The extendable belt conveyor system is driven by a single driving means and by a single reversible motor.

Abstract: A temporary storage system (1) of belt type for lightweight hollow bodies (C), said system being particularly suitable for use with empty plastic containers (C) and of the type comprising a storage buffer vessel (2) provided with a feed entry opening (3) in its upper part and a discharge exit (4) in its lower part, said exit (4) being situated above conveyor means (5) for removal from the buffer vessel (2), said system comprising at least one movable storage belt (6a, 6b, 6c) positioned substantially horizontally in the interior of said buffer vessel (2), said storage belt (6a, 6b, 6c) being arranged to receive a falling plurality of desired volumes (D) of said hollow bodies (C), while advancing during the fall of said hollow bodies (C) by a distance sufficient to maintain said volumes (D) separate, said volumes (D) being made to advance towards the discharge exit (4) and allowed to fall onto the removal conveyor means (5) when said stored hollow bodies (C) are required to be withdrawn.

Abstract: A system and methods for conveying linked chains of food product in a production cycle. In one implementation, a system comprises a first and second conveyors each traveling from a loading station proximate a linker to an unloading station and back, each conveyor having link support members for receiving linked chains discharged from the linker and conveying them to the unloading station. Preferably, the conveyors are independently driven such that while the link support members of one conveyor are at the loading station, the link supports members of the other conveyor are conveyed to the unloading station and/or are unloaded at the unloading station. Thus, the receiving of one linked chain at a conveyor is not affected by interruptions in movement of the other conveyor. Similarly, the unloading of one linked chain is not affected by interruptions in movement of the other conveyor.

Abstract: A movable transport member used in an article conveying system is disposed across and movable along a space between oppositely running conveyors. The transport member has a drive member that continuously rotates as either conveyor moves. An article transfer member carried by the transport member includes an endless drive belt disposed along a transfer path so as to contact and move articles therealong. The article transfer member further comprises a driven rotatable member having an article contacting surface, the transfer path defined between the drive belt and a circumferential portion of the driven rotatable member.

Abstract: The system and method for monolayer alignment snack chip transfer process a snack chip from a first to a second conveyor. By using a roll at the discharge of the toast oven conveyor that has a diameter that is substantially closer in size to the pickup roll of the second conveyor, mechanical devices for lifting the chips off of the toast oven conveyor can be avoided. Further, chip preforms' alignment in passing between the two conveyors is maintained.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a transfer mechanism interposed between the first and second conveyors. The first conveyor has an input end, an output end, and a pair of laterally spaced belts rotating between its input and output ends. The belts define an upper drive run which travels in a direction from the input end towards the output end. The second conveyor has an input end adjacent the output end of the first conveyor and a distally spaced output end. The second conveyor includes a pair of laterally spaced belts rotating between its input and output ends. The belts define an upper drive run which travels in a direction from the input end towards the output end. The transfer mechanism includes first transfer pulley positioned inwardly of the output end of the first conveyor and a second transfer pulley positioned inwardly of the output end of the second conveyor.

Abstract: A movable transport member used in an article conveying system is disposed across and movable along a space between oppositely running conveyors. The transport member has a drive member that continuously rotates as either conveyor moves. An article transfer member carried by the transport member includes an endless drive belt disposed along a transfer path so as to contact and move articles therealong. The article transfer member further comprises a driven rotatable member having an article contacting surface, the transfer path defined between the drive belt and a circumferential portion of the driven rotatable member.

Abstract: An article transfer member including a resiliently mounted guide for aligning articles being transferred onto an outfeed conveyor from an infeed conveyor. The resiliently mounted guide includes an arcuate guide plate that is spring biased so as to flex responsive to variations in the dimensions of the packages being transferred normally as a result of a damaged package and maintaining the packages in alignment on the outfeed conveyor.

Abstract: A storage apparatus for storing goods (G) conveyed along a conveying section from an entry station to an exit station has a flexible conveying means (1), which is subdivided into a storage strand (10, 10′) and an idle strand (11, 11′, 12, 12′), and a carriage (2) which can be displaced along a conveying plane. The carriage (2) serves for changing a storage capacity of the storage apparatus, it being the case that the carriage (2) has a first deflecting roller (21) for deflecting the storage strand (10, 10′), and a second deflecting roller (21′) for deflecting the idle strand (11, 11′), in the at least one conveying plane.

Abstract: A work conveying apparatus is comprised of a conveying rail for moving carriages with works and a returning rail for returning the carriages without works to the conveying rail. The returning rail is disposed along the conveying rail while being perpendicularly inclined from the conveying rail. Selector rails are disposed at both ends of the conveying rail, respectively. The selector rails are swingable between a horizontal position extending from the conveying rails and a vertical position extending from the returning rail. The selector rails are swung to transfer the carriages between the conveying rail and the returning rail.

Abstract: Lightweight moulded pulp trays or the like are attracted upward from transport on the upper side of a first conveyor to contact with the underside of the lower run of the perforated conveyor belt of a vacuum transfer mechanism by means of vacuum conditions transmitted through groups of perforations in said perforated belt, the location of said perforations in each group, and the timing of vacuum conditions transmitted through each perforation in each group being arranged to lift the forward and rearward proportions of each said product simultaneously with continuous support during transport to a selected location for simultaneous release of vacuum support for said forward and rearward portions of each said product, whereby to provide a level lift and drop-off for each product.

Abstract: A spiral conveyor with automatic flow control includes a plurality of curved segments connected to form a spiral for the flow by gravity of articles from an upper level to a lower level. Each of the segments includes freely rotating skate wheels forming a conveying surface and a controlled, powered cylindrical roller. A sensor mounted in each segment senses the presence of an article in the segment. A controller receives the signals from the sensors and activates the associated roller for transport mode to assist articles through the conveyor if the path is clear, or if the downstream portion of the conveyor is blocked, to reverse the roller for accumulate mode to hold articles in the segment until the path is cleared.

Abstract: A spiral conveyor with automatic flow control includes a plurality of curved segments connected to form a spiral for the flow by gravity of articles from an upper level to a lower level. Each of the segments includes freely rotating skate wheels forming a conveying surface and a controlled, powered cylindrical roller. A sensor mounted in each segment senses the presence of an article in the segment. A controller receives the signals from the sensors and activates the associated roller for transport mode to assist articles through the conveyor if the path is clear, or if the downstream portion of the conveyor is blocked, to reverse the roller for accumulate mode to hold articles in the segment until the path is cleared.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the flow of articles between a first conveyor driven in a first direction and a second conveyor driven in a second direction includes a movable transport member disposed across and movable along a space between the conveyors. The transport member includes a drive member drivingly engaged simultaneously by the first and second conveyors so as to rotate if either of the conveyors is moving and to travel linearly along the space between the conveyors if a relative speed difference exists between the conveyors. The transport member includes an article transfer device or member disposed so as to contact and transfer articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor along a transfer path. The article transfer member includes an endless drive belt disposed along the transfer path so as to contact and move the articles therealong.

Abstract: A packaging machine is shown for individually wrapping objects, such as candies. The machine has a rotary hopper for selecting the objects to be wrapped, folding them and ejecting them precisely onto a delivery conveyor. A continuous wrapping film is laid over the objects on the delivery conveyor and the sides of the film are folded downwardly to partially wrap the objects. The objects are then gripped through the wrapping film by gripping fingers mounted on a second gripping conveyor. The gripping conveyor moves the objects along while the bottom edges of the wrapper are crimped, and the wrapper between the objects is then crimped and cut off. The gripping fingers then release the wrapped object.

Abstract: A work station feeding module with a rail includes a carriage guided thereon and movable along the rail. The work station feeding module includes at least one supply line guided in a flexible energy supply chain arranged within the rail. One end of the flexible energy supply chain is fixed with respect to the rail and the other end is fastened on the carriage. Such work station feeding modules have the disadvantage that only electric lines can be guided in such modules and additional feeding devices must be provided for other energy carriers or raw materials. The work station feeding module enables a simpler and more compact feeding of the work station and guarantees that at least one of the supply lines is a compressed-air line. A compressed-air outlet connection is provided on the carriage. The module has a continuous compressed-air channel in its longitudinal direction that is connected to the rail-fixed end of the compressed-air line through an output branch.

Abstract: A conveyor system for conveying coal out of a coal mine includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor coaxially aligned with the first conveyor. The first conveyor includes a frame having longitudinal side rails and a conveyor tunnel structure having a coal discharge outlet opening located over the side rails at the downstream end thereof. The first conveyor further includes an endless belt structure trained about a head pulley located in the conveyor tunnel and about a tail pulley located proximate the upstream end of the first conveyor frame. A first conveyor drive sprocket is mounted to the head pulley. The second conveyor includes a tail pulley at its downstream end mounted to the conveyor frame of the first conveyor beneath the coal discharge outlet opening of the conveyor tunnel structure, a head pulley, and an endless belt structure trained about the head pulley and tail pulley.

Abstract: An unloader for unloading bulk commodities within holds, such as wheat and coal. A plurality of boom conveyers are juxtaposed on a boom, and vertical screw conveyers, each having at the lower end an inlet port for receiving a bulk commodity to be conveyed and at an upper portion a chute for discharging the bulk commodity into the corresponding boom conveyer, are used in unloading by exclusively combining the vertical screw conveyers with the corresponding boom conveyers. In this way, the unloader is provided with a plurality of conveyance routes so as to be applicable to unloading of a plurality of different kinds of bulk commodities. Because one conveyance route can be exclusively used in unloading in accordance with the kind of bulk commodity to be unloaded, there is no need to clean the vertical screw conveyer and boom conveyer each time the kind of bulk commodity to be unloaded changes.

Abstract: Pipe handling apparatus for pipe laying barges, sometimes called lay barges, wherein pipe is lifted from an incoming pipe conveyor to a transverse rack, from one rack position to another, and from the rack to the pipe line-up conveyors, by a series of pivotal lifting means which lift, move, and deposit the pipe without impact or shock, whereby the pipe and any concrete or other coating on the pipe is not damaged. In addition to the novel pipe transferring means, the invention presents a novel universally adjustable line-up conveyor apparatus.