Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for sorting a wide variety of packages, including, but not limited to, parcels, mail pieces, bundles, and other similar items. Embodiments of the invention specifically relate to interchangeable sorting modules with sort stations that may be used to quickly and accurately sort packages of varying shapes and sizes. Additional embodiments of the invention relate to a control architecture for operating the aforementioned interchangeable sorting modules. Such control architecture may comprise a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling each of the interchangeable sorting modules.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic container loading and unloading apparatus and method. The apparatus comprises: a data acquisition module, used for scanning a container truck panel to obtain laser point cloud data; a data preprocessing module, used for segmenting a laser point cloud on a surface of the container truck panel from the laser point cloud data; a key point extraction module, used for performing edge extraction on the laser point cloud on the surface of the container truck panel to obtain discrete points on edges of the keel of the container truck panel; and a straight line fitting module, used for performing random sample consensus straight line fitting on the discrete points on the edges of the keel of the container truck panel to obtain spatial straight lines of the edges of the keel of the truck panel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for sorting a wide variety of packages, including, but not limited to, parcels, mail pieces, bundles, and other similar items. Embodiments of the invention specifically relate to interchangeable sorting modules with sort stations that may be used to quickly and accurately sort packages of varying shapes and sizes. Additional embodiments of the invention relate to a control architecture for operating the aforementioned interchangeable sorting modules. Such control architecture may comprise a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling each of the interchangeable sorting modules.

Abstract: A mail piece processing apparatus and related method. A mail piece processing apparatus includes a base, a table connected to the base by a vertical member, a camera mounted above the table and positioned to take an image of a mail piece on the table, and a data processing system. The data processing system is configured to receive the image of the mail piece from the camera; determine address information and address information of the mail piece according to the image; determine a disposition result for the mail piece according to the image; and cause a label to be printed for the mail piece according to the disposition result.

Abstract: According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of automatic container orientation systems. Also disclosed are methods for automatically orienting containers. In an exemplary embodiment, a system for automatically orienting containers generally includes one or more cameras, a controller, and an orientation unit. The one or more cameras are configured to obtain data relating to an orientation of at least one container to be included in a package. The controller is in communication with the one or more cameras for receiving the data and is configured to use the data to determine an amount of rotation needed for the at least one container to orient the at least one container in a desired final orientation. The orientation unit is configured to rotate the at least one container by the determined amount of rotation to thereby orient the at least one container in the desired final orientation.

Abstract: A utensil dispensing tray that cooperates with a dispenser. The tray includes at least one feature that causes the utensil, such as a knife, fork, spork, or spoon, to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation for presentation as the utensil drops into the tray. The tray also includes one or more features that result in the utensil being consistently positioned in its second orientation within a dispensing area of the tray.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for producing and loading of bundles of printed material (18, 19) corresponding to respective specified consolidated orders (20; 30; 23, 33; 26; and 36) consisting of a specified number of preferably similar types of printed material that belong to a shipment (16) allocated to a means of transportation (11, 11?), with which bundles of printed material of shipment (16) can be produced on at least two production lines (2, 3) that can be operated independently of each other according to the consolidated orders (20; 30; 23, 33; 26; 36) are conveyed to a loading station (11) and are loaded there, wherein the production lines (2, 3) are automatically controlled by the shipment data corresponding to the production of the bundles of printed material (18, 19) depending upon the individual consolidated orders (20; 30; 23, 33; 26; 36) of the shipment (16).

Abstract: An apparatus and a method stand up and process articles of different dimensions, in particular flat mail items. A conveying device transports articles to an up-ending apparatus. The up-ending apparatus transports the articles further and, in the process, up-ends the articles such that the up-ended articles stand on an edge. Up-ended articles are transported to a separating apparatus. The separating apparatus separates flat articles such that a stream of upright, spaced-apart articles leaves the separating apparatus. Up-ended and separated articles are transported to a format-separating device. The format-separating device divides the articles as a function of the dimensions thereof into article classes such that all of the articles of a set of articles belong to the same format class. All of the articles of a set of articles are transported as a stream of upright and spaced-apart articles to an appropriate processing device. The processing device processes the articles.

Abstract: A document processing system is disclosed. The document processing system includes one or more document guide components defining a path of travel of documents, the path of travel of documents including an intersection portion. The document processing system also includes a component repositioning element at the intersection portion of the path of travel of documents, the component repositioning element arranged to align a document processing component with a portion of the path of travel in which a document resides.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for further processing of a mail piece initially rejected from an automatic sorting machine. In the case of a window envelope, the envelope is rotated or inverted, shaken, and rotated to reposition the insert. Address recognition is repeated, and additional techniques are applied if an address is not quickly resolved. Additional processing may be carried out on a reject processing machine.

Abstract: A handling system able to efficiently process information relating to a plurality of conveyed articles, the handling system provided with a conveyer for conveying workpieces, a visual sensor for detecting positions of workpieces by acquiring images of a plurality of tracking ranges obtained by dividing a belt into sections, an encoder for detecting an amount of movement of the belt, a tracking manager for monitoring amounts of movement of the plurality of tracking ranges based on the amount of movement detected by the encoder and specifying the tracking range passing through a workpiece detection area, a workpiece manager for selecting the article in the tracking range specified by the tracking manager, and a controller for controlling operations of robots so as to hold the workpiece selected by the workpiece manager.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for sorting purchase items. A selection module selects a plurality of categories. In one embodiment, the selection module receives a category selection. In addition, the selection module may receive a criterion selection for the category selection and receive a modification for the criterion selection. The selection module may further modify the criterion of the selected category with the modification. An identification module identifies a purchase item. An association module associates a selected category of the plurality of categories with the purchase item. A sorter sorts the purchase item to a specified bin. The specified bin is associated with the selected category. In one embodiment, a bagger may bag one or more purchase items from a bin.

Abstract: A stream of shredded scrap metal is divided into increments. A bulk material analyzer is employed to determine the bulk chemical composition of each increment. The increments are then sorted on the basis of the bulk chemical composition of each increment.

Abstract: A device (or system) and method for sorting or sequencing product in different bundles. The device includes a staging area for separating a first plurality of bundles having a first product type and a second plurality of bundles having a second product type. A sorting mechanism sorts the separated first product type with the second product type to a predetermined sort level. A product bundle mechanism forms a plurality of bundles with sorted product comprising the first product type and the second product type. A bundle sorter sorts the plurality of bundles exiting from the product bundle mechanism and directs each bundle of the plurality of bundles to a pallet building area associated with a destination of the predetermined sort level.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for waste disposal. In one embodiment, a waste pickup apparatus comprises a network interface configured to communicate with a networked waste disposal unit associated with a first user, a data store containing user rules, processor executable instructions configured to read a user-specified waste pickup rule for a first user from the data store, determine if the user-specified waste pickup rule is satisfied based at least in part on the status information, if the user-specified waste pickup rule is not satisfied, to again determine if the user-specified waste pickup rule is satisfied when a predetermined period has elapsed, and if the user-specified waste pickup rule is satisfied, cause a waste pickup entity to pickup the waste, wherein the waste pickup entity is selected based at least in part on a preference of the first user stored in computer readable memory.

Abstract: A device for use with conveyor means and a detector station, said conveyor means for moving empty beverage containers, suitably bottles of different shapes and sizes, past the detector station, and said detector station for providing characteristic data about the containers, and means which based on such data are capable of determining how the containers are to be handled subsequent to detection.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting small cylindrical objects has a trough having a longitudinally extending groove along which the objects can slide. The groove is of generally rectangular upwardly open shape and has a pair of upright and horizontally spaced side walls and an upwardly directed floor bridging lower edges of the side walls. The floor is formed offset from the side walls with a vertically throughgoing slot of a width substantially smaller than a predetermined minimum object width so that if any of the objects is of a diameter smaller than the minimum object width it will fall through the slot as it slides along the floor. One of the side walls is formed at the slot with an inwardly directed braking formation engageable with the objects as they slide past the slot to rotate same about vertical axes.

Abstract: A mixed mail sorting machine includes a feeder that receives a stack of incoming mail pieces and outputs the mail pieces one at a time in a vertical position; a scanner which receives mail pieces from the feeder and scans each mail piece in a vertical position to read sorting information thereon; a reorientation conveyor which receives the scanned mail pieces from the scanner and re-orients each mail piece from a vertical to a horizontal position; a transport device for turning mailing through a 180° arc; a splitter conveyor including a movable divert section which diverts each mail piece to an upper path or a lower path; a bin module which includes upper and lower bin sections which receive mail pieces from the upper and lower paths, respectively, wherein each bin section includes a row of bins and an associated series of tiltable conveyor sections which can be actuated to drop a mail piece into the associated bin; and a control system which tracks each mail piece as it moves from the scanner to the bins and

Abstract: A method of analysing products arranges above a conveyer line three successive analysing stations having, in the first station, two cameras arranged in such a way that their optical axes form a V centred on the products and has a vertex angle in the range between 90° and 130°, and in the other two stations, a camera arranged plumb with the conveyer line. Moreover, the products are driven in rotation during their transport along the analysing stations, in such a way that the cameras each take a number of photographs of complementary faces of the surface of the products, and there are selected from among the photographs taken, by a comparison between the calculated theoretical diameter of a product and a predetermined average diameter, the photographs to be retained so as to obtain a complete analysis of the total surface of the product.

Abstract: A system for separating and aligning small parts including a separating device arranged on an output side of a storage container. The separating device is adjoined by an aligning station connected with a transfer device. The aligning station precisely positions each small part to be transferred and the transfer device transfers each small part to a processing unit.

Abstract: An electronic trash disposal unit comprises a control unit which scans and identifies disposed items to store them in an appropriate recycling bin. The unit is connectable to a communication network which updates a central database with the contents of each unit. The unit initiates a reorder instruction to suppliers.

Abstract: A method and system for re-sequencing mail prepared in enhanced carrier route line of travel (ECR-LOT) format into carrier walk sequence (CWS) format within a flat bundle collator (FBC) system. The mail items in LOT are separated into subsets, one subset being in the same order as CWS, and another subset being in reverse order to CWS. All items from all groups are then merged into a stream of items in CWS for delivery by mail carriers.

Abstract: Apparatuses for article handling, comprising one or more of a) an article-moving conveyor belt (1) designed to move along an underlying plate (55) which has a ridge portion (56), so that a substantial part of each article (21) will lie on one side or the other of the highest point of the conveyor belt; b) a lifting apparatus (4) for moving articles, e.g., PET bottles, from an in-feed point to discharge point located above the in-feed point, with the aid of a continuous row of movable article-carrying baskets (26-36) spaced apart along the length of driving belts or drive chains; and c) an article sorting apparatus (6) that is conveyed on a continuously moving conveyor belt (22) and includes a gate (15) that is designed to be able to move an article (21) away from the conveyor belt (22) sideways, and which in the neutral position of the gate (15) is designed to allow the article (21) to move past the gate (15) unaffected thereby.

Abstract: A method and system for packaging batches of elongate, non-symmetrical products that are soft and/or flexible in nature, such as fish, in which the products are arranged in mutually reversed orientations for maximized utilization of package space. The products are weighed for determining their individual weights and a computerized control is used to selectively accumulate the products on the basis of product weight and other predetermined criteria, to merge the products into groups, and to automatically deposit the products into boxes with a mutual reversed orientation.

Abstract: A method and device for identifying small stacks of currency bills within a large stack of currency bills using a currency evaluation device. A stack of currency bills to be processed is received in an input receptacle and the bills are transported from the input receptacle, one at a time, past an evaluating unit to at least one output receptacle. The evaluating unit determines the face orientation of each of the bills. Next it is determined whether the face orientation of each of the bills matches a target orientation. If the face orientation of a bill matches the target orientation, the face orientation of that bill is maintained. If the face orientation of a bill fails to match the target orientation, the face orientation of that bills is reversed with a bill facing mechanism. Each of the bills are then stacked in the output receptacle. After a predetermined number of bills having a common face orientation are stacked in the output receptacle, the target face orientation is redefined.

Abstract: A mixed mail sorting machine includes a feeder that receives a stack of incoming mail pieces and outputs the mail pieces one at a time in a vertical position; a scanner which receives mail pieces from the feeder and scans each mail piece in a vertical position to read sorting information thereon; a reorientation conveyor which receives the scanned mail pieces from the scanner and re-orients each mail piece from a vertical to a horizontal position; a transport device for turning mailing through a 180° arc; a splitter conveyor including a movable divert section which diverts each mail piece to an upper path or a lower path; a bin module which includes upper and lower bin sections which receive mail pieces from the upper and lower paths, respectively, wherein each bin section includes a row of bins and an associated series of tiltable conveyor sections which can be actuated to drop a mail piece into the associated bin; and a control system which tracks each mail piece as it moves from the scanner to the bins

Abstract: A recycling system particularly useful for using, sorting and reusing large quantities of animal identification tags for use by producers, feedlots and packing plants is described. In one aspect of the invention, a plurality of unsorted, previously used and cleaned identification tags are passed through a tag aligner that aligns the tags in series. The aligned tags are fed to a tag sorter that includes a plurality of sorting bins for storing the sorted tags. A tag reader reads the identification tags and passes identification information stored on the tags to a controller. The controller analyzes the identification information from the tags and determines in which one of the sorting bins each tag should be stored. When each tag is adjacent the proper sorting bin, the controller signals the sorter to eject the tag into such bin. After sorting, the tags are redistributed to their original users for reuse.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is composed of: an insert portion into which the plural number of sheets are inserted in a lump; a conveying belt to convey the inserted sheets through a conveying path by one sheet at a time; a detector to detect directions of both sides and the top and bottom of sheets being conveyed through the conveying belt; a both side reversing mechanism to selectively reverse both sides of sheets conveyed by the conveying belt; a top and bottom reversing mechanism to selectively reverse the top and bottom of sheets being conveyed by the conveying belt; and stackers to sort and stack sheets that are aligned in the same direction by the both side reversing mechanism and the top and bottom reversing mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing electronic circuit devices includes an infeed station, a first inspection station, an inverter station, a second inspection station, a sorting station, and an outfeed station. A linear transport mechanism having side edges transports a first work piece containing a plurality of electronic circuit devices through the stations along a linear path. The inverter station holds an empty second work piece above the transport mechanism in an inverted orientation. The inverter station also includes an elevator for lifting the first work piece vertically into an abutting relationship with the second work piece, and an inverting mechanism for inverting the first and second work pieces while maintaining them in the abutting relationship to position the electronic devices in the second work piece in the inverted orientation.

Abstract: A device for the selection and elimination of crop ends of rolls of kitchen towel and/or toilet paper, in which the device is supplied by at least one row of finished rolls (12) and by top and tail crop ends (13) cut in sequence from at least one log, and including a structure (14) supporting an upper belt unit (16) and a lower belt unit (15a, 15b), facing each other to receive the rolls (12) and crop ends (13), the lower belt unit (15a, 15b) having a first, belt subunit (15a) and a second belt subunit (15b) separated by an opening (26), upstream the first belt subunit (15a) with a fixed lower surface (32) underneath the upper belt unit (16) to turnover the crop ends (13) and with a contact means (33, 35) being provided a the entrance of opening (26), on the turned crop ends to rotate them into the opening (26), letting the cut and finished rolls (12) pass by.

Abstract: In a method and system for automatically forming a plurality of packages of groups of articles, the articles move along a conveying path in a substantially continuous motion. The selected articles are transferred to selected buffer storage assemblies in response to selection control signals from a central processing unit. The central processing unit generates the control signals according to predetermined packaging criteria. The groups of articles are stored in the buffer assemblies in a layer corresponding to one layer of a plurality of layers to be assembled in one of the plurality of packages. The entire layer in the buffer assembly is then transferred into an associated package at one time after assembly of that layer is completed from the accumulation of individual articles transferred from the conveying path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for feeding and tabbing intermixed pieces of mail. A method preferably includes positioning a plurality of intermixed pieces of mail having a plurality of different widths, lengths, and thicknesses so that each of the plurality of intermixed pieces of mail has a commonly-oriented edge to be tabbed. The commonly-oriented edge to be tabbed is preferably defined as being the side of a piece of mail generally perpendicular to the address orientation when reading the address of the piece of mail. The method also preferably includes positioning at least one tab on each of the plurality of intermixed pieces of mail. An apparatus for feeding and tabbing intermixed pieces of mail preferably includes an intermixed mail feeder for feeding a plurality of intermixed pieces of mail having a plurality of different widths, lengths, and thicknesses so that each of the plurality of intermixed pieces of mail has a commonly-oriented edge to be tabbed.

Abstract: The invention is a method and system for printing a mail list in presort order, on a plurality of printers. The method begins with the preparation of a mail list within an addressing system. The mail list is presorted in accordance with postal service requirements. The presorted mail list is then divided into batches by container type. Container type is determined by selecting from among container types generally available to a mailer and which are in conformance with postal service regulations for containing presorted mail. The maximum mailpiece capacity of the container defines the point at where the presorted mail list is divided. After division into batches, the mail list is then directed to the printers for printing to envelopes. Each of the printers is selected based upon the batches that are to be printed and are configured to print based upon a container type corresponding to the batch. The batch size equals the corresponding container's capacity.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting from a group of different articles at least one batch of articles where members of the batch are either the same of have some unifying visual characteristic, said apparatus including: (a) a conveying means for transporting the articles along a predetermined path; (b) at least one vision recognition unit; (c) removal means for selectively removing those articles from the conveying means which have been recognised by the vision recognition unit as having the one or more predetermined visual characteristics.

Abstract: A recycling system particularly useful for using, sorting and reusing large quantities of animal identification tags for use by producers, feedlots and packing plants is described. In one aspect of the invention, a plurality of unsorted, previously used and cleaned identification tags are passed through a tag aligner that aligns the tags in series. The aligned tags are fed to a tag sorter that includes a plurality of sorting bins for storing the sorted tags. A tag reader reads the identification tags and passes identification information stored on the tags to a controller. The controller analyzes the identification information from the tags and determines in which one of the sorting bins each tag should be stored. When each tag is adjacent the proper sorting bin, the controller signals the sorter to eject the tag into such bin. After sorting, the tags are redistributed to their original users for reuse.

Abstract: This invention is a sheet processing array having an imaging station, an in-site, an exit-site and a transport array connecting all of them. The transport array is adapted to advance sheets from the in-site, past the imaging station for imaging the first face of the sheet and to advance it to a reversing transport section. This section has a series of rollers arrayed in a loop which continually rotate in one direction and are adapted to provide non-stop forward movement that turns the sheet over and returns it to present its opposite face to the imaging station for imaging. The sheet is then advanced to the exit-site.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or the like having a sorter with a plurality of paper ejection bins, there is provided a sorter apparatus which can efficiently execute a dividing and sorting operations for every work irrespective of a size and a direction of sheets, the presence or absence of a sheet stapler, a remaining state in the sheet sorter apparatus, or the like. A recycle automatic document feeder (RDF) for automatically feeding originals, a sorter, an aligning bar and a reference bar in a sorter bin, and the like are provided. When a length of sheet exceeds a predetermined value, the movement of the sheets by the reference bar is inhibited.

Abstract: A device for a reverse vending apparatus which has a conveyor (102, 201) for moving containers of different shapes and sizes, e.g., cans or bottles of glass or plastic, past a detector station (100) in order to produce characteristic data about the containers (B). Such data determines how the containers shall be handled thereafter, e.g., sorted out, compacted, further treated or recycled. At the downstream end of the conveyor (201) there is located a bottle raiser (301) for putting transported bottles (B) which arrive bottom (B2) first into a standing position, and wherein the bottle raiser comprises a, preferably curved, guide duct or shaft (302) which guides the bottle in standing position down towards a shock-absorbing rest (303). The device also comprises a bottle stabilizer (304-307, 309-310) which on the basis of said data is held with the aid of a motor (305) in a first position (FIG.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sorter preferably for an inserting system for sorting mailpieces into one of at least two sorting bins, the sorter having a transport device for conveying the mailpieces along a transport path. Each sorting bin includes a bending mechanism for bending the tail edge portion of a mailpiece and a final stacking roller for unbending the tail edge portion of the mailpiece such that the tail edge portion of the mailpiece is diverted into the sorting bin and away from the transport device without the occurrence of jamming of the mailpiece in the entry portion of the sorting bin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sorter for sorting mailpieces into one of at least two sorting bins, the sorter having a transport device for conveying the mailpieces along a transport path. Each sorting bin includes a drive nip located in close proximity to a gate assembly for conveying a mailpiece away from the transport path and into the sorting. Each sorting bin further includes a stacking belt assembly spaced away from the drive nip and having a first end positioned at an acute angle relative to the drive nip and second end positioned adjacent a registration wall.

Abstract: A line connector apparatus has at least one table receiving items to be conveyed from at least one feeder conveyor. At least one guide mechanism is rotatably mounted on the table for selectively guiding items into two different directions, one direction leading into a transport path, and the other direction leading away from the transport path and into a discard container for defective items.

Abstract: A feed assembly for a pack seal tester includes a vertically extending housing having a top opening for receipt of packages therein and a bottom opening for discharge of packages therefrom. The housing includes a feed hopper comprised of two parallel movable opposed spaced C-shaped sidewalls. A piston plate is aligned to remove packages from the bottom opening and into a package test chamber, the package test chamber being in alignment with the bottom opening. The package test chamber includes means to align said packages at a preselected position for testing by a pack seal tester.

Abstract: Articles are conveyed along a primary conveyor in a first direction, and are moved rapidly onto a selected one of a plurality of sorting conveyors closely packed and extending generally lateral to the primary conveyor by rotating the articles so that a portion of each rotated article extends across the side of the primary conveyor to be frictionally engaged on the sorting conveyor for rapid movement away from the primary conveyor.

Abstract: A suspension conveyor comprises two conveyor circuits which circulate in opposite directions. The circuits are arranged on opposite sides of an additional conveyor path, where the conveying directions of the path and circuits are the same at their point of coincidence. Roller devices for carrying objects (a, b, . . . , n), are entrained by a pushing or pulling mechanism of the conveyor circuits. A controllable switch arranged between the conveyor circuits, for transferring the objects individually from one of the conveyor circuits to the other, is adapted to transfer the objects selectively from the conveyor path to either of the conveyor circuits and vice versa. The switch is also adapted to selectively allow the objects to travel past the switch without leaving the respective conveyor circuit in which the objects are present. The suspension conveyor is additionally a sorting installation for sorting numerous different individually conveyed objects (a,b, . . . n).

Abstract: A conveying system for tablet inspection is provided. The conveying system includes a hopper assembly for feeding tablets to a conveyor at a controlled rate. The conveyor includes a pair of conveyor belts surrounding a plenum that communicates with a vacuum pump. The conveyor belts are parallel to one another and are spaced a distance for efficiently supporting a tablet thereon. An uprighter is disposed between the hopper assembly and the conveyor to rotate the tablets into an upright condition supported on an edge. The tablets are stably held in the upright position by the vacuum pump and are moved rapidly in their upright condition by the rotatably driven conveyor belts. The upright orientation of the tablets permits the opposed sides of each tablet to be electro-optically inspected for defects without repositioning the tablets and without changing the direction of movement.

Abstract: In an automatic pinsetter having an elevator mechanism for receiving bowling pins seriatim at a lower entrance portion from a pit area at a rear end of a bowling alley and for transporting the same upwardly for discharge at an upper end portion, a frutso-concial baffle is provided and is suspension mounted forwardly of the elevator mechanism and above a rearwardly moving conveyor. Fallen bowling pins in indiscriminate arrangement proceed rearwardly on the conveyor beneath a bridge which obstructs rearward ball movement and passes prone bowling pins only. Left and right hand guides cooperate with the baffle to define left and right hand entry passageways for the bowling pins in rearward movement to the entrance of the elevator mechanism. The passageways are insufficient in width to accommodate the side-ways passage of bowling pins. The baffle is also free to move in any direction over a limited degree of movement.

Abstract: A needle sorting device comprises an infeed device which singulates and randomly deposits surgical needles upon a first conveyor for transmission to a processing station. Upon transit, one or more cameras to obtain an image of the deposited needles. The image is digitized and the digital signals are transmitted to a control system computer which evaluates the position and orientation for randomly positioned needles and processes the information to obtain data for communication to one or more robot assemblies having grippers. Utilizing the position and orientation data, the robot assembly grippers removes selected needles from the first conveyor and transfers each needle to an engagement device located upon a second precision conveyor. This second precision conveyor is provided with additional devices to further orient the needle transferred thereto. Each oriented needle is conveyed by the second conveyor to an automatic swaging station where sutures are automatically attached.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically processing a supply of cartons, in flattened form and of different types, in accordance with a selectable number of plural, different and separately identifiable carton types. Unsorted cartons are removed in successive layers from stacks thereof and transported in serial succession along a transport path. Sorting modules are disposed along the transport path, each including respectively associated routing and stacking devices individually predesignated to receive and stack a given, identifiable carton type. A system controller tracks the progress of each carton, simultaneously for plural cartons, along the transport path and when a match of the carton type with a predesignated stacking device is determined, actuates the associated routing device to route a carton of a matching type from the transport path and to the associated stacking device for stacking.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically processing a supply of cartons, in flattened form and of different types, in accordance with a selectable number of plural, different and separately identifiable carton types. Unsorted cartons are removed in successive layers from stacks thereof and transported in serial succession along a transport path. Sorting modules are disposed along the transport path, each including respectively associated routing and stacking devices individually predesignated to receive and stack a given, identifiable carton type. A system controller tracks the progress of each carton, simultaneously for plural cartons, along the transport path and when a match of the carton type with a predesignated stacking device is determined, actuates the associated routing device to route a carton of a matching type from the transport path and to the associated stacking device for stacking.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing electronic circuit devices includes an infeed station, a first inspection station, an inverter station, a second inspection station, a sorting station, and an outfeed station. A linear transport mechanism having side edges transports a first work piece containing a plurality of electronic circuit devices through the stations along a linear path. The inverter station holds an empty second work piece above the transport mechanism in an inverted orientation. The inverter station also includes an elevator for lifting the first work piece vertically into an abutting relationship with the second work piece, and an inverting mechanism for inverting the first and second work pieces while maintaining them in the abutting relationship to position the electronic devices in the second work piece in the inverted orientation.