Abstract: In a method of grouping, orienting, and packing articles such as ice-cream cones, the cones are advanced in rows on conveyors while being grouped and oriented, and are subsequently gripped in groups by a gripping device. Through suction heads gripping their respective groups, the gripping device is adapted to situate the groups in an open packing box. To permit the process to be carried out at a relatively high speed and low noise level, the articles are initially advanced in a first advancing direction while lying directly on a first endless and continuously running conveyor. They are then received in groups by a second endless and continuously running conveyor, which lifts the cones into contact with the suction heads of the gripping device while the mutual distance of the cones is being adjusted. The transfer of the cones from the first conveyor and through the second conveyor to the gripping device is carried out without stopping the advancing movement of the cones.

Abstract: A bobbin removing apparatus for an automatic winding system comprising a running belt and a bobbin guide member confronting with the belt, the apparatus being so constructed that a bobbin is tightly caught between the belt and the guide member and removed from a bobbin conveying medium by utilization of the motion of the belt.

Abstract: A lift apparatus for lifting cigarette filter plugs which receives cigarette filter plugs fresh from a plug making machine and delivered by a lower horizontal conveyer and upwardly conveys the plugs while piled in multiple layers to an upper horizontal conveyer. The lift apparatus has a pair of vertical conveyers formed of flat belts and diverging as they extend upwardly. A pressurizing conveyer is provided outwardly of a bend in the conveying passage extending from the lower horizontal conveyer to the vertical conveyers. This pressurizing conveyer is rotatable at a greater speed than the vertical conveyers.

Abstract: A system for conveying a transfer box between a first station and a remote second station wherein a pair of vertical modules are interconnected at their upper ends by a horizontal module. The modules each comprising a tubular housing, such as a cylindrical tube. The vertical modules each contain a conveyor composed of an opposing pair of conveyor belts arranged to convey a deposit box therebetween in a sinuous path of travel. The horizontal module contains a slide plate along which a horizontal conveyor belt is adapted to travel. The vertical modules have transfer belts at their uppermost ends to transfer a deposit box between the vertical and horizontal modules. The conveyor belts in the vertical and horizontal modules are interconnected for joint movement and driven by a single power source.

Abstract: An en-mass conveyor for vertically or steeply lifting bulk material has two, primary, flat, endless belt conveyors which are vertical or steeply-inclined throughout facing, correspondingly-progressing, material-conveying runs thus forming a belt shaft. One of the primary belts has flights or similar impellers which extend to the other belt in the belt shaft. Two, secondary, endless, flat belts laterally close the belt shaft along with one or two side or closure walls which are vertically immovable and provided with an opening for laterally feeding of the bulk material into the belt shaft for conveyance.

Abstract: In an arrangement for excavating bulk material and for conveying the excavated bulk material, which comprises a main endless excavating and conveying chain vertically adjustably mounted on a frame of a track maintenance machine, a polygonal guide for the chain, the guide including a transverse section operational below the track, an ascending longitudinal section leading from the transverse section, the transverse and ascending sections forming a transition zone, and a descending longitudinal section leading to the transverse section, and a drive for driving the endless chain in the polygonal guide, an auxiliary endless excavating and conveying chain in associated with the polygonal guide at least in the transition zone, and a separate drive is provided for the auxiliary endless chain.

Abstract: A conveyor for moving articles, typically cartons from one elevation to another in a continuous path by means of tensioned squeeze belts. The conveyor may lift or lower articles and cooperates with infeed and outtake conveyors as part of a conveying system.

Abstract: A vertical feed apparatus for conveying a continuous stack of cigarettes upwards and/or downwards includes one or two bands which convey the stack around a rotatable member, from a horizontal conveyor to a pair of vertical conveyors, the bands being laterally offset from the horizontal and vertical conveyors.

Abstract: A conveyor mechanism for transferring cylindrical articles, such as, cigarettes embodies a single belt conveyor which does the conveying from a lower level to a higher level. The surface used for conveyance has a curved portion unlike belt conveyors in general use and a plurality of pins project from at least one side of the belt in parallel relation to each other. At the curved section, these pins are held by a suitable means such that the belt maintains the curvature. Cigarettes or other cylindrical objects are fed by the internal surface of the curving belt and an auxiliary belt conveyor.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a splicing apparatus for splicing together the leading end face of one of cord ply segments and the trailing end face of another cord ply segment positioned in front of one of the cord ply segments. The apparatus comprises a first conveyor having a first surface, a second conveyor fixed with respect to the first conveyor and having a second surface spaced apart from and in face-to-face relationship to the first surface of the first conveyor and for conveying the cord ply segments on the second surface thereof in a second conveyance direction substantially in parallel with the first conveyance direction of the first conveyor, and transfer members for transferring each of the cord ply segments on the first surface of the first conveyor to the second surface of the second conveyor.

Abstract: There are disclosed apparatus and method for transforming a moving, multiple layered bed of relatively thin pieces of solid material into a moving stream of the pieces having a considerably lesser number of layers of such pieces, preferably an essentially single layer. The multiple layered bed of pieces is moved on a first conveyor at a relatively slow speed toward the discharge end of the conveyor. At the discharge end of the conveyor the leading edge of the bed of pieces encounters a second conveyor which moves in the same general direction as the conveyor supporting the multiple layered bed of pieces but at least about 10 times greater speed. The second conveyor is disposed at an acute angle with respect to and above the first conveyor in a manner such that the lower or leading end of the second conveyor is positioned near the discharge end of the first conveyor.

Abstract: An article weighing machine having a turntable with fixed rakes for directing articles, i.e., fruits or vegetables, on the turntable along prescribed paths into side-by-side metering assemblies where successive articles are placed in successive pockets formed by opposed fingers on continuous chains, the fingers moving in linear parallel paths above cooperating parallel feed belts. Brushes over the entrance and exit of each assembly engages each article as it enters and leaves the fingers. The parallel belts receive the successive, equally spaced articles thereon and transport them successively to weighing cells where such articles are individually weighed and analog signals corresponding to the weight of the individual article are fed to a control logic which then converts such signals to digital form and transfers the logic output to a computer.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for transporting layers of sheets in which the layers of sheets are carried off discontinuously transversely to the direction in which they are supplied and follow the layers of sheets previously carried off. The apparatus comprises a belt conveyor running at a substantially constant velocity, and a belt run with upper and lower belts which is connected in front of the continuously running belt conveyor and overlaps it at least in part. The belt run may be driven intermittently at a velocity varying between standstill and a higher velocity than that of the belt conveyor. The distance between the upper and lower belts may be varied cyclically.

Abstract: A novel apparatus for vertically conveying bulk materials is provided which includes a vertical belt conveyor comprised of two endless conveyor belts guided to travel upwardly along a substantially vertical plane in a face-to-face overlapping relation to each other and a highspeed bulk projector for packing bulk material into between the opposing faces of the two conveyor belts, utilizing the momentum of the bulk material per se. The two conveyor belts are guided at the bottom so as to turn round in directions opposite to each other in substantially symmetrical fashion and bulk material is projected rapidly under the effect of centrifugal force to the bottom belt junction where the two conveyor belts come to join each other. The conveying apparatus, with its highspeed bulk projector combined with a rotary bucket wheel type bulk feeder, forms a vertical bulk delivering apparatus which is compact and highly versatile.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for carrying workpieces on flat trays has two parallel chains with tray supports connected at equal intervals between the two chains. Each tray support has a clamping device for clamping and releasing flat silicone rubber covered trays against itself. Cams are located between the chains to operate the clamping device to release the tray (for travel through a separate path) at one point in travel and later (when the tray returns from its separate path) to clamp it again. The conveyor is shown as combined with up-and-down elevator means in an oven to give a boustrophedontic path to a plurality of workpieces being heated on trays in the oven: the trays are released and clamped at the entrance to and exit from the oven to allow movement of the trays by the elevators through up and down paths at the release and clamping stations.

Abstract: A method for the continuous manufacture of an undulating or corrugated longitudinal material in which a strip is projected longitudinally in the form of transverse folds between two longitudinal walls defining a passage or corridor having a height exceeding the thickness of the strip, a longitudinal displacement of said walls being caused in the direction of projection of the strip at a speed lower than the linear projection speed and decreasing in the direction of movement, in such a manner as to cause the packing or bunching of the folds inside the passage or corridor along the length of the material.

Abstract: A device for continuously feeding logs into a machine center to cut or chip pieces from the sides thereof is disclosed. The device includes opposed upper and lower tracks mounting upper and lower endless drive chains. Each drive chain mounts a plurality of spaced dogs adapted to be disposed in alternating sequence of upper and lower pairs, each dog having a horizontally directed gripping surface whereby a log may be gripped between a pair of upper and lower dogs and fed through a machine cutting center. As a first log held by a pair of upper and lower dogs passes through the machine, a second pair on each chain rotates into a feeding position for gripping a second log to be taken through the machine. The device also includes associated centering and positioning members to align logs entering the machine, conveyors for cut pieces, and means for interlocking the upper dog in the lower track as the log gripped thereby passes through the machine center.

Abstract: A conveyor system for handling containers, particularly non-rigid bottles or jars, wherein the containers are gripped firmly but resiliently, to minimize deformation, and are conveyed, without friction or danger of marring, to a delivery zone where they can be delivered individually or in groups. The container gripping means includes holding jaws carried by complementary endless belts or chains, and inflatable pressure adjusting air bags for urging the holding jaws into engagement with the containers, holding them precisely spaced for subsequent operations and releasing them accurately on signal.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for removing drinking straws from empty bottles having drinking straws projecting from their mouths, said apparatus comprising a pair of endless straw gripping belts adapted to move in substantially parallel relationship to each other adjacent to the path of said bottles maintained thereunder while the bottles are travelling on a moving bottle conveyor, and a plurality of pulleys for guiding portions of said straw gripping belts from a spaced relation to each other to a side by side substantially abutting relationship whereby the drinking straws are gripped and removed from the bottles and transported to another location, in which location the drinking straws are automatically removed from the gripping belts.

Abstract: An apparatus suitable for use in transporting microfiche master frames, preferably containing microfiche, either from a loading station to an operating station and from the operating station selectively back to the loading station for a repeat transport by said apparatus, or to an exit station. The transport apparatus comprises a feed mechanism for feeding a master frame from the loading station to the operating station, and from the operating station to an elevator. The elevator lifts the master frame which is then selectively ejected from the elevator to either a recycle means or an exit means. The exit means delivers the master frames ejected thereto to an exit station from where the master frames may be removed from the transport apparatus, while the recycle means delivers the master frames delivered thereto back to the loading station from where the master frames are recycled through the transport apparatus.

Abstract: Logs are advanced through a saw while they are engaged between driven pusher dogs and retarded hold-back dogs. The pusher dogs are mounted on a lower endless roller chain below the logs, and the hold-back dogs are on an upper endless roller chain above the logs. The upper chain and its hold-back dogs are vertically movable to elevations dependent on the elevation of a log, thus assuring proper engagement. When the sawed portion of a log is retained laterally on a support, the hold-back dogs are moved forwardly away from the log so that a hold-back dog will be in the path of the next log to be handled by the system.

Abstract: A device to lower bulk material from a supply level down to a discharge conveyor which device will avoid free falls of material when in operation such as would damage the material. The device includes a conveyor having a vertical run which defines a chimney from a point just below the supply level down to the discharge conveyor, the chimney speed and discharge conveyor speed being related to the supply to keep a body of material within the chimney supported by the discharge conveyor. The chimney is formed by two endless elements which come together and diverge at the top and bottom of the chimney.

Abstract: A product conveyor for use in processing machinery such as freezers and the like, in which a series of product conveying mats is continuously moved in a closed path from a rising section in which the mats are raised gradually upwardly during the process, a transfer section in which the mats are transferred from the top of the rising section to a falling section where they are conveyed downwardly through the processing environment, and to an unloading station and a return section where the product is unloaded and the mats are returned to the input side of the rising section. Apparatus is provided for synchronizing the transitional movement of the mats from the different sections with their arrival so that the operations required to transfer the mats in turn through the different stages of the apparatus are accomplished smoothly and automatically.

Abstract: A bulb accumulator for electric lamp bulbs is disclosed wherein the bulbs are supported, in transit, by moving belts and a fixed member or, when accumulated, by the fixed member and the bulb ahead.