Abstract: A raised belt transfer unit may comprise a first angled support and a second angled support, a drive roller rotatably mounted to the first angled support and the second angled support, a plurality of driven rollers rotatably mounted to the first angled support and the second angled support, and a drive connecter in communication with the drive roller and a driven roller. The drive roller may be positioned adjacent a lower end of the first support and adjacent a lower end of the second support. The drive roller may be adapted to be coupled to a conveyor belt of a telescopic conveyor.

Abstract: Disclosed is an object transfer device for a conveying installation, the device including a main object conveying path and a plurality of rotary drive elements, the rotary elements being configured to adopt a lowered position in which the element is situated below the main path a raised position in which the element projects above the main path in order to drive an object, the rotary drive element including drive surfaces with external diameters that vary over the length of the element, wherein the drive surfaces of the rotary drive elements have an external diameter that varies according to the angular position of the rotary element along the transfer path. Also disclosed is a conveying installation including such transfer device.

Abstract: A roller conveyor, comprising: a plurality of rollers (2) each of which has a cylindrical external surface (21), arranged to enable an object to be transported to rest; a motor (3); a transmission element (4), which kinematically connects the motor (3) to the rollers (2). The transmission element (4) is placed in contact with the external surface (21) of the rollers (2), or in contact with a portion of the rollers (2) which has the same diameter as the external surface (21), and in the same position as the contact point of the external surface with the element to be transported.

Abstract: A finger guard member includes: a first surface disposed between one end of a roller and a belt wound around the one end; a second surface in which a notch having a width larger than a shaft diameter of a fixed shaft of the roller is formed with respect to the fixed shaft positioned outside the one end in a longitudinal direction of the roller; and a positioning part disposed inside the notch. When the fixed shaft has a first shaft diameter, the finger guard member is positioned by the positioning part being supported by a peripheral surface of the fixed shaft. When the fixed shaft has a second shaft diameter greater than the first shaft diameter, the finger guard member is positioned by an edge of the notch being supported by the peripheral surface of the fixed shaft with the positioning part being not present on the second surface.

Abstract: Transmission equipment is provided. The transmission equipment includes a carrier and a transmission rail. The carrier includes at least one carrier guiding structure. The transmission rail includes a first rail, a second rail and a turning unit. The first rail includes at least one first transmission member. The second rail includes at least one second transmission member. The turning unit includes a first guiding slot, a second guiding slot and a turning member. At least one portion of the first guiding slot is parallel to the first rail. At least one portion of the second guiding slot is parallel to the second rail. The turning member moves between a first position and a second position.

Abstract: A disc for use in a disc screen is disclosed. The disc has a longitudinal axis and includes a hub extending a length along the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis is coaxial with the center of the hub and the hub further includes a hub surface, a major axis defined by a first cross section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and through the center of the hub at and a minor axis defined by a second cross section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and through the center of the hub. The first cross section is longer than the second cross section, and the first cross section is substantially orthogonal to the second cross section. A helical ridge structure extends away from hub surface and twists at least 360 degrees about the longitudinal axis for the length.

Abstract: A printing device that prints on media held in a tray includes a first roller section including a first conveyance roller; a second roller section including a second conveyance roller and a pinch roller; and a printing section provided between the first and the second roller sections. Printing is performed on the top surface of the media in the printing section while the tray is being conveyed by the first and the second roller sections. The tray is such that friction surfaces having a coefficient of friction that is higher than that of the other portions of the tray are formed in portions that come in contact with the first conveyance roller when the tray is taken in by the first roller section and the tip end of the tray advances to a gripping section between the second conveyance roller and the pinch roller.

Abstract: A material handling system incorporates one or more arcuate conveying surfaces defined by rollers with a large conveyor radius. The rollers may be tapered rollers, and may be live rollers.

Abstract: A manual sheet feeder that is an example of a sheet conveying device includes a roller unit in which a rubber roller is mounted on a support member. A separation wall is formed in an internal space of the support member, and a rotation shaft is formed at the separation wall. A slide shaft is provided such that a coil spring is interposed between the rotation shaft and the slide shaft in a compressed state. Movement of the slide shaft from an opening outward in an axial direction is restricted by an elastic engagement piece of a movement restriction mechanism. The elastic engagement piece is formed at a spring holding portion of the slide shaft. In a state where the coil spring is stored in the spring holding portion, a back surface of the elastic engagement piece is supported by the coil spring.

Abstract: A conveyor is provided with a supply roll, a corrective holding part and an additional holding part. The supply roll rotatably supports a belt-shaped cell material for an electrode or a separator. The corrective holding part conveys and holds the cell material fed out from the supply roll while bending a first side surface of the cell material that lies against an outer peripheral side of the supply roll into a concave shape. The additional holding part conveys and holds the cell material while bending a second side surface of the cell material into a concave shape. The holding parts include a curved contact surfaces that contact opposite side surface of the cell material. The curved contact surface of the corrective holding part has a radius of curvature that is less than a radius of curvature of the curved contact surface of the additional holding part.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems, methods and assemblies comprising one or more tapered feed rolls. Tapered feed rolls may be used to change the rate and direction of workpiece travel along a processing line while retaining the workpieces in sequential order. Routing workpiece flow with tapered feed rolls may allow the workpieces to be tracked along one or more processing lines, and may reduce the operational space required for workpiece processing.

Abstract: A drive system for curved segments of roller conveyors and more specifically to a cost-effective, efficient, and reliable system of transferring power from a straight segment to an adjacent segment.

Abstract: An approach is provided to move an object across a surface using a grid of vertically-adjustable low friction transfer modules. A first set of transfer modules is selected from the grid, with the first set of modules being underneath the object. Back-side and front-side sets of modules are identified from the selected first set of modules, with the back-side sets being toward the back of the object opposite to the horizontal direction and the front-side sets being toward the front side of the object that faces the horizontal direction. The back-side and front-side sets are vertically adjusted so that the average of the back-side sets of vertical heights is higher than the average of the front-side sets of vertical heights. The vertical adjustment of the transfer modules causes the object to move across the tops of the transfer modules in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: An approach is provided to move an object across a surface using a grid of vertically-adjustable low friction transfer modules. A first set of transfer modules is selected from the grid, with the first set of modules being underneath the object. Back-side and front-side sets of modules are identified from the selected first set of modules, with the back-side sets being toward the back of the object opposite to the horizontal direction and the front-side sets being toward the front side of the object that faces the horizontal direction. The back-side and front-side sets are vertically adjusted so that the average of the back-side sets of vertical heights is higher than the average of the front-side sets of vertical heights. The vertical adjustment of the transfer modules causes the object to move across the tops of the transfer modules in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A drive system for curved segments of roller conveyors and more specifically to a cost-effective, efficient, and reliable system of transferring power from a straight segment to an adjacent segment.

Abstract: A package stream indexer device (1) for indexing a stream (S) of packages (P) being displaced thereon within a stream plane includes first and second articulated tracks (24) with live rollers (28) and corresponding lower articulated tracks (50) with depending pressure wheels (58) for maintaining packages (P) in contact with the first and second tracks (24) and within the package path defined there between within the stream plane. Each of the first and second articulated tracks (24) along with corresponding lower track (50) are each composed of a plurality of interconnected links (26,52) frictionally engaged together to allow adjustment in track orientation from one set position to another by means of dynamic movement on the tracks (24,50). The second tracks (24) respectively register upstream arid downstream of a moveable intermediate conveyor (2?) bridging an input conveyor (40) and a reception conveyor (40? or 40??), with the respective indexing mechanisms (1?, 1? or 1??).

Abstract: A power roller conveyor system includes a section having a slide mechanism that engages a loop that is driven by an external motor. The loop slides along a surface of the slide mechanism. The slide mechanism maintains the loop in frictional engagement with surfaces of rollers of the conveyor, whereby the rollers are directly driven by the loop. A wheel may bridge a directly driven roller and another roller that is not driven. The other roller and driven roller bridged by the wheel may be separated by an intermediate roller. The section may be a straight section, a 90 degree curved section, or a 180 degree curved section.

Abstract: A twin strand conveyor uses roller chains to move pallets along straight conveyor sections and an unpowered corner assembly that enables the pallets to glide around corners of the conveyor. The pallets are transferred from an upstream conveyor section into the corner assembly using a corner injection unit that includes powered rollers that lift the pallets off the roller chains an onto a set of ball transfers that support the pallets as they glide through the corner assembly. A pickup unit having powered rollers draws the pallets off the ball transfers and onto the roller chains of the downstream conveyor section. Side guides are used to direct the pallets around the turn and onto the downstream conveyor section. One or more movable guides can be used in conjunction with a third or more conveyor sections to permit selective diverting of the pallets between the different conveyor sections.

Abstract: A roller conveyor includes a drive member whose path and the end of the overlying portions of the rollers sortation conveyor is configured to avoid substantial contact between certain rollers and the drive member. The roller conveyor is depicted in an embodiment as an accumulation conveyor with skewed roller sections.

Abstract: A package stream indexer device for indexing a stream of packages being displaced thereon within a stream plane includes a first articulated track with live rollers and a second articulated track with depending pressure wheels for maintaining packages in contact with the first track and within the package path defined there between within the stream plane. The first and second articulated tracks are each composed of a plurality of interconnected links frictionally engaged together to allow adjustment in track orientation from one set position to another by means of dynamic movement on the track.

Abstract: A package stream indexer device (1) for indexing a stream (S) of packages (P) being displaced thereon within a stream plane includes a first articulated track (24) with live rollers (28) and a second articulated track (50) with depending pressure wheels (58) for maintaining packages (P) in contact with the first track (24) and within the package path defined there between within the stream plane. The first and second articulated tracks (24, 50) are each composed of a plurality of interconnected links (26, 52) frictionally engaged together to allow adjustment in track orientation from one set position to another by means of dynamic movement on the track (24, 50).

Abstract: A twin strand conveyor uses roller chains to move pallets along straight conveyor sections and an unpowered corner assembly that enables the pallets to glide around corners of the conveyor. The pallets are transferred from an upstream conveyor section into the corner assembly using a corner injection unit that includes powered rollers that lift the pallets off the roller chains an onto a set of ball transfers that support the pallets as they glide through the corner assembly. A pickup unit having powered rollers draws the pallets off the ball transfers and onto the roller chains of the downstream conveyor section. Side guides are used to direct the pallets around the turn and onto the downstream conveyor section. One or more movable guides can be used in conjunction with a third or more conveyor sections to permit selective diverting of the pallets between the different conveyor sections.

Abstract: In a state where a second power transmission path of transmitting power from the second planetary gear to the cam driving gear through the intermediate gear is selected, when the intermediate gear is opposed to the non-tooth portion for the release position of the cam driving gear, the rotation direction of the driving motor is changed to select a first power transmission path of directly transmitting power from the first planetary gear to the cam driving gear, the non-tooth portion for the release position deviates from the opposed position of the intermediate gear, and the rotation direction of the driving motor is changed again to select the second power transmission path.

Abstract: A power roller conveyor system includes a section having a slide mechanism that engages a loop that is driven by an external motor. The loop slides along a surface of the slide mechanism. The slide mechanism maintains the loop in frictional engagement with surfaces of rollers of the conveyor, whereby the rollers are directly driven by the loop. A wheel may bridge a directly driven roller and another roller that is not driven. The other roller and driven roller bridged by the wheel may be separated by an intermediate roller. The section may be a straight section, a 90 degree curved section, or a 180 degree curved section.

Abstract: A twin strand conveyor uses roller chains to move pallets along straight conveyor sections and an unpowered corner assembly that enables the pallets to glide around corners of the conveyor. The pallets are transferred from an upstream conveyor section into the corner assembly using a corner injection unit that includes powered rollers that lift the pallets off the roller chains an onto a set of ball transfers that support the pallets as they glide through the corner assembly. Side guides are used to direct the pallets around the turn and onto the downstream conveyor section. A pickup unit having powered rollers draws the pallets off the ball transfers and onto the roller chains of the downstream conveyor section. The rollers of the corner injection unit and pickup unit can be powered by the same motor used to drive the chains of the respective conveyor sections.

Abstract: A package stream indexer device for indexing a stream of packages being displaced thereon within a stream plane includes a first articulated track with live rollers and a second articulated track with depending pressure wheels for maintaining packages in contact with the first track and within the package path defined there between within the stream plane. The first and second articulated tracks are each composed of a plurality of interconnected links frictionally engaged together to allow adjustment in track orientation from one set position to another by means of dynamic movement on the track.

Abstract: A roller conveyor installation (1) includes a curved roller conveyor (2) for conveying piece goods, optionally from a first conveying strip to a second conveying strip oriented in a different direction. The first and second conveying strips are roller conveyors (3, 4) with driven rollers (9) that extend at an angle to the conveying strip. The curved roller conveyor (2) includes, at an angle to the conveying strip, radially extending, spaced-apart individual rollers (5) that are driven by a common revolving driving belt. A revolving driving belt is configured as a V-belt (6) which is guided in coaxial drive rollers (13) or coaxial peripheral sections of the individual rollers (5) both at the upper end in the V-belt upper strand (6a) and at the bottom end in the V-belt lower strand (6b) in the same V-belt guide. The V-belt (6) is held in the V-belt guide from above in the V-belt upper strand (6a) and from below in the V-belt lower strand (6b) by floating upper or lower press rollers (14).

Abstract: A conveyor device for conveying slaughtered poultry or one or more pieces thereof, comprising a plurality of carriers, each suitable for carrying slaughtered poultry or one or more pieces thereof. The device also comprises at least one guide which supports the carriers and guides them such that they can move in a conveying direction, a drive member which advances parallel to the guide for jointly driving a plurality of carriers in the conveying direction, and coupling means associated with each carrier for coupling the carrier to the drive member. The conveyor device is also provided with decoupling means, which can be actuated by an actuating member, for selectively decoupling one or more of the carriers from the drive member.

Abstract: A tapered spline conveyor roller, and a curved conveyor roller assembly using a plurality of the tapered spline rollers. The tapered spline roller has a cylindrical barrel and an inner and an outer drive portion that is formed of a plurality of parallel, radially-disposed, tapered splines about the circumference of the barrel portion. The splines can be tapered inwardly at a taper angle toward the center of the roller, along the length of the spline, from the first end toward the second end of the roller. A belt connects and engages the tapered splines of the drive portions of adjacent rollers, for rotationally coupling the rollers. The connecting belt typically has an inner surface having spaced-apart ribs for engaging the slots disposed between the tapered splines. The tapered splines of the two drive portions of adjacent rollers is provided with a taper angle that is one-half of the angle that is formed between the centerlines of the adjacent rollers.

Abstract: A conveyor system for transport of containers, in particular an airport baggage handling system, includes a conveyor having a curved transport path with one end defining an entry zone and another end defining an exit zone. The containers are moved by a container propulsion mechanism along the curved transport path between the entry and exit zones, wherein the curved transport path is constructed for movement of the containers in an inwardly inclined disposition for reducing centrifugal forces.

Abstract: A transport system for advancing containers includes a curve section for defining a curved transport path which is defined by a curve radius, and a driving and guiding assembly for advancing and guiding a container along the transport path. The driving and guiding assembly has support elements, which support the underside of the container, and is constructed to bear upon at least one of the sidewalls, at least along portions thereof, in a force-locking or form-fitting manner for propulsion of the container. The container has an underside formed with two longitudinal sidewalls extending mirror-symmetrically and curved outwardly or inwardly at a radius, which corresponds to the curve radius, such that a distance between the sidewalls is at a maximum or minimum in mid-section of the sidewalls.

Abstract: A belt guide for a drive belt of a roller conveyor that cants the belt in the skewed roller section of the conveyor so that an edge portion of the belt, and not the entire width, engages the skewed rollers to impart driving motion. This is accomplished by providing a series of free-wheeling cam followers that support the raised edge portion of the drive belt that contacts the skewed rollers. A second series of freely rotatable grooved wheels or sheaves is provided whose grooved portion captures the lower edge portion of the drive belt.

Abstract: A roller conveyor with rotating rollers for transporting goods with a belt for driving the rollers arranged under the rollers, whereby the belt is aligned substantially vertical, is characterized in that on the upper edge of the belt, in contact with the rollers, a continuous profile element is arranged, and that the profile element is designed wider than the belt and projects over the latter on both sides.

Abstract: A cargo loader platform having an array of roller assemblies on the deck thereof which are capable of moving a container longitudinally or laterally or rotating it includes several independently driven groups of roller assemblies. The groups include groups along the sides of the platform having drive axes parallel to the loader axis, groups near the center of the platform having a separate drive axes that are perpendicular to the loader axis, and groups down the center of the platform having drive axes parallel to the loader axis. Large diameter, driven cylindrical rollers are mounted on the outer sides of the sides and rear end of the platform to assist in moving cargo onto the deck.

Abstract: A belt guide for a drive belt of a roller conveyor that cants the belt in the skewed roller section of the conveyor so that an edge portion of the belt, and not the entire width, engages the skewed rollers to impart driving motion. This is accomplished by providing a series of free-wheeling cam followers that support the raised edge portion of the drive belt that contacts the skewed rollers. A second series of freely rotatable grooved wheels or sheaves is provided whose grooved portion captures the lower edge portion of the drive belt.

Abstract: A deviation device for a conveyor which defines a conveying plane (22), e.g. a driving roller path (23), for deviating conveyed goods, e.g. containers, comprising a row of rollers (7) arranged on a separate carrier (5) common to them, the carrier being arranged in a frame (3) so as to be adjustable in height therein, the rollers having an associated driving roller (4) in common, characterized in that the frame (3) accommodating the carrier (5) is a separate module frame of a deviation module element (1; 1′) in which the driving roller (4) is mounted below the carrier (5) with the rollers (7), and in which, preferably, furthermore a basic carrier (3B) is fixed between the roller carrier (5) and the driving roller (2), which basic carrier carries a lifting drive (2) for the roller carrier (5).

Abstract: A roller conveyor belt driver system for a roller conveyor includes a closed loop belt having a continuous driving surface and a non-circular base and a plurality of pulleys which support and engage said non-circular base for at least partially laterally restraining the belt from rotation. A first group of pulleys are constructed and arranged to position the belt in non-orthogonal orientation with respect to the rollers of the conveyor for contacting one or more rollers with the driving surface of the belt. Optionally, the belt driver system includes a lateral restraint associated with a respective pulley of the first group of pulleys to urge the belt to remain engaged with the respective pulley to prevent twisting of the belt and, therefore, increase the life of the belt. For example, the lateral restraint may comprise a bearing which is positioned adjacent the respective pulley and which contacts the belt to maintain the belt in proper orientation in the pulley.

Abstract: A method for detecting a roller failure at a roller in a continuous casting machine having a plurality of rollers arranged in a row and rotatably supported in bearings for transporting material produced in the machine involves determining a radial target load value exerted by the material on a roller, measuring the actual load value on at least each second roller in the row of rollers, comparing the measured actual load value with the determined target load value, detecting a possible divergence between the actual load value and the target load value, and establishing the presence of a roller failure upon detection of such divergence.

Abstract: A roll-forming unit of a curved glass manufacturing apparatus includes a cooperating pair of upper and lower forming roll mechanisms. Each mechanism includes a forming roll having a resilient rod covered with a cover member except opposite end portions thereof, a pair of support members rotatably supporting the opposite end portions of the resilient rod while allowing the resilient rod to tilt about said support members, a bending unit coupled with at least one of the opposite end portions of the resilient rod for applying to the one end portion an external force tending to flex the forming roll into either an upwardly arched configuration or a downwardly arched configuration, and at least one backup roller unit being in rolling engagement with the forming roll to maintain the arched configuration of the forming roll.

Abstract: A power turn conveying apparatus and method of using same is provided which includes the use of a drive belt that extends in a horizontal plane and engages drive pulleys that rotate about vertical axes and are connected by 90 degree gear boxes to horizontally extending conveyor rollers. The drive belt cooperates with the drive pulleys and gearboxes to hold the conveyor rollers to the conveyor frame while the drive belt is tensioned, and easy removal of the conveyor roller assemblies is allowed while the drive belt is untensioned. Receptacles that receive the gearboxes and bearings at the opposite ends of the conveyor rollers extend vertically and define upwardly oriented openings, so that when the drive belt is untensioned the conveyor roller assemblies can be vertically lifted from or vertically dropped into their respective positions in the conveyor system.

Abstract: An improved ball deck having a plurality of driven balls arranged in rows, with each driven ball supported on a freely rotatable ball and a pair of drive wheels secured to parallel shafts positioned on either side of the driven balls in each row, and a tray for each row of driven balls having bearings in the end plates thereof. Chain drive sprockets attached to each of the shafts with adjustment means for adjusting the trays to control the tension in the chains.

Abstract: A drive belt take-up system for a live roller conveyor. Live roller conveyors are made up of one or more curved and/or rectilinear segments. Each segment comprises a pair of spaced side frames which support the live rollers. The live rollers carry and transport the articles being conveyed. The live rollers are driven by frictional contact with the upper flight of a continuous drive belt. At one end of the conveyor segment one of the side frames (the one with a smaller radius of curvature in the case of a curved segment) supports a powered sheave which drives the belt. The same side frame supports a plurality of idler wheels therealong and a first idler sheave at its other end, all of which maintain the upper flight of the drive belt in frictional contact with the live rollers. From the first idler sheave the drive belt passes about an adjustable take-up sheave. Thereafter the belt passes about a second idler sheave located near the first idler sheave.

Abstract: A roller conveyor composed of a main body, several rollers, a roller's fixed block and a transmission device and is shaped as a rectangle or a circular arc. The two sides of the main body are preferably composed of an aluminum extrusion frame. The roller is fixed on the aluminum extrusion frame at the two sides of the main body by coupling with a pair of roller's fixed blocks, one being connected to a concave trough positioned on each side of the main body. The inner part of the roller includes a bearing stand of cup shape, a central shaft, an end cover, and a bearing of industrial use. On the outer surface, there is a concave trough for connection with a PU belt and a transmission device to turn and power the rollers. Also, another embodiment of the invention employs a leaning cone roller-type conveyor to make the roller comply with the circular arc shape and enable the conveyor to make a turn.

Abstract: A powder coating apparatus and method are provided for feeding fine powdered coating material such as thermoplastic type material to a succession of discrete articles passing by the apparatus. The invention also provides a powder feed system that deposits an excess of powdered coating material than that required to form the coating and provides for recirculation of the powder not ultimately used to form the coating back to the powder feeding apparatus.

Abstract: A conveyor with a straight pathway has laterally spaced side walls with opposing banks of driven roller assemblies mounted thereon. Each roller assembly has a shaft, a roller, and a driven pulley. The pulleys of assemblies on a side wall are driven by an endless positive drive belt that has teeth for meshing with the grooves on a driven pulley. The belt is maintained in its meshed relationship with the driven pulleys by an anti-camming surface that obstructs the belt from being cammed out of its meshed relationship. The belt is laterally guided by an annular ridge on the pulleys and the outside surface of the side wall. A docking station for product carriers is also described. A transitional conveyor embodiment with a curved pathway has spaced curved alignments of bearing mounts for mounting roller assemblies thereon. The roller assemblies have dual pulleys which are each paired with the dual pulley of an adjacent assembly by an endless belt, such as an O-ring.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus especially useful for loading a cargo airplane utilizes several parallel transverse and longitudinal shafts on which are fixed for rotation wheels which contain around their periphery rollers which have axes of rotation in a plane perpendicular to the shaft on which the wheel is mounted. The shafts are divided into appropriate zones and subzones to provide for longitudinal, transverse and rotary movement in two zones for the conveyor as a whole. Joystick type controllers with rocker switches provide for easy actuation of the above control directions.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus for moving articles such as pallets in a plurality of directions. The article is supported, at least partially, by a plurality of rollers mounted along parallel chains. The rollers are free to rotate, and are mounted to the chains with their axis of rotation approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the chain. By selecting the chain to be driven, and its direction, the article can be moved longitudinally, laterally, or at approximately 45 degree angles to the longitudinal axis of the chains. The article can also be rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise in the area of the conveying system where sections of longitudinal chain terminate, and the next section of longitudinal chain starts, due to the perpendicular axis of rotation of rollers in adjacent chains.

Abstract: A handling and orienting device comprises a carrier plane surface that includes a series of driven rollers between which a table equipped with driven balls is located, the carrier plane and table are relatively movable upward and downward, as well as shifted sidewise in one or the other direction. The driven balls are actuated by a rotating disk and the disk is able to rotate in one or the other direction.

Abstract: A conveyor system with driven balls, in which each driven ball is supported by at least one driving roller. The point of contact between the driving roller and the ball is located at some distance below the horizontal plane through the center of the ball, which distance is smaller than the radius of the ball.

Abstract: A rotate/translate conveyor module enables a workpiece to be selectively rotated and translated between adjacent sections of a conveyor without having to be lifted above the plane of the adjacent conveyor sections. The rotate/translate conveyor module comprises a plurality of roller modules that are arranged along the path of the workpiece. Each roller module has at least one roller that is driven by an independent electric motor. The rollers of the roller modules support the workpiece in the same plane as the rollers of the conveyor sections. In one embodiment, four roller modules are symmetrically located about the workpiece path, with the longitudinal axes of the rollers intersecting at 90 degrees and at a point on the workpiece path. By operating the electric motors in different combinations of directions, four translational and two rotational motions can be imparted to the workpiece.