Abstract: A shoe sorter is described. The shoe sorter can include a switch plate that supports movement of a shoe pin of a pusher shoe, a finger, and an actuation arm. In some examples, the finger can be configured to be moved in a first direction in response to a portion of the shoe pin contacting a portion of the finger. The actuation arm can be pivotably engaged to the finger so that a movement of the finger in the first direction can cause a movement of the actuation arm in a second direction. In this regard, the actuation arm in the second direction can cause a change in a signal outputted by the photoelectric sensor coupled to the shoe sorter. This change in the signal can be used by a processor to determine that the shoe pin is misaligned.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a drive belt tensioning system that comprises drive assembly detachably attached with mounting bracket. The drive assembly comprises assembly plate, driving mechanism rigidly affixed to the assembly plate, and driving pulley shaft protruding through assembly plate. First axis of rotation of the driving mechanism perpendicular to the assembly plate defines center of rotation of the drive assembly. The driving pulley shaft is positioned at first radial distance from the center of rotation of the drive assembly. The mounting bracket defines shaft aperture sized to receive the driving mechanism and radial driving pulley slot that extending circumferentially around a portion of the shaft aperture and sized to receive the driving pulley shaft. An application of torque causes arcuate motion of the driving pulley shaft in the radial driving pulley slot such that distance between the driven pulley and the driving pulley is altered.

Abstract: An end manipulator for picking packages is provided. An example end manipulator includes a vacuum plate coupled to a machine where the vacuum plate includes a first set of vacuum cups. Further, the end manipulator includes a grasper plate movably coupled to the machine. The grasper plate moves between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position, the grasper plate aligns with the vacuum plate such that the grasper plate abuts the vacuum plate. In the extended position, the grasper plate extends out from the vacuum plate. In some examples, when the grasper plate is in the retracted position, the end manipulator is configured to pick and place a first type of package. Further, in some examples, when the grasper plate is in extended position, the end manipulator is configured to pick and place a second type of package.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a load assist module for transferring articles onto a downstream conveyor. The load assist module may include a roller conveyor having one or more rollers that together define a conveyor plane, such that the one or more rollers may be actuatable to convey the article along the conveyor plane in a direction of a downstream conveyor. The load assist module may further include a pusher assembly positioned adjacent the conveyor plane. The pusher assembly may include a track-guided vertical popup with a base and a pop-up. The pop-up may be actuatable such that the pop-up extends through the conveyor plane to contact the article. The pusher assembly may drive the track-guided vertical popup toward the direction of the downstream conveyor such that the track-guided vertical popup pushes the article.

Abstract: A multi-belt conveyor is described. The multi-belt conveyor comprises a base assembly comprising a base frame that extends along a length of the multi-belt conveyor. Further, the multi-belt conveyor comprises a conveyor bed having a plurality of cartridges positioned adjacently to each other and mounted to the base frame. In this regard, each cartridge of the plurality of cartridges comprises a set of conveyor belts configured to move in a direction along the conveyor bed at a defined speed. Further, in accordance with some example embodiments, a cartridge of the plurality of cartridges is configured to be removed from the conveyor bed without removing an adjacent cartridge from the plurality of cartridges. Further, each cartridge of the multi-belt conveyor comprises an actuation assembly comprising: a drive pulley, a roller-slider bed comprising a plurality of rollers, and the set of conveyor belts mounted around the roller-slider bed and the drive pulley.

Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and non-transitory processor readable media of the various embodiments enable in store voice picking systems. In various embodiments, an end-to-end voice ordering and fulfillment system for a retail store may enable a customer to place an order over the phone, a personal shopper to be directed to fill the order via voice commands, and the order to be made available for pickup at the retail store by the customer or delivered to the customer from the retail store.

Abstract: A material handling system includes a conveyor, an actuation unit, and a chute. The chute is mechanically coupled to the conveyor at a defined angle with respect to a surface of the conveyor. The chute includes an inlet defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the inlet is mechanically coupled to the surface of the conveyor. Further, the chute includes at least one tube configured to be rotated by the actuation unit at a defined rotational speed. The chute also includes an outlet mechanically coupled to the at least one tube. In this aspect, the defined angle and the defined rotational speed is based on at least one of: physical characteristic of an item to be passed through the chute, a rate of inflow of the item through the inlet, and a rate of outflow of the item through the outlet.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein, relates to a sortation conveyer system comprising a cart coupling assembly for coupling two adjacent carts. The cart coupling assembly includes a coupling disc having: (a) a control slot, (b) a bearing slot, and (c) one or more arcuately shaped mounting slots. The coupling disc is mounted on a cart such that, upon rotation of the coupling disc, a control slot cavity defined by the control slot slid ably moves about a position register screw along the control slot cavity and a cavity defined by a respective mounting slot slid ably moves relative to a respective mounting pin received in the mounting slot.

Abstract: A conveyor is described. The conveyor includes a conveyor frame that includes a slot defined on a first portion of the conveyor frame and a notch defined on a second portion of the conveyor frame. Further, the conveyor includes a stanchion configured to be mounted on the conveyor frame. In this regard, the stanchion comprises a hook adapted to pass through the slot of the conveyor frame and a surface that defines an aperture, the aperture adapted to enable a bolt to pass through the stanchion and insert into the notch in the second portion of the conveyor frame.

Abstract: A conversion assembly for transferring an item from a first tray to a second tray. The conversion assembly includes a paddle assembly, a first tine assembly comprising one or more tines coupled to a first rotating shaft, and a second tine assembly comprising one or more tines coupled to a second rotating shaft. The first tine assembly is configured to facilitate emptying the item from the first tray onto the paddle assembly and the second tine assembly is configured to facilitate moving the first tray to a second conveyor while the item remains on the paddle assembly. The first tine assembly alters an orientation of the second tray to a position to receive the item from the paddle assembly, and wherein the paddle assembly is configured to move the second tray and the item back onto a first conveyor.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for static warehouse area sizing and slotting of a multi-mode forward area. Method includes: receiving article dimensional attributes and demand information of more than article identified by a stock keeping unit (SKU); receiving storage dimensional attributes of more than one storage configuration of pick media; for each of a forward area and a reserve area, receiving a picking cost and a restocking cost for each storage configuration; optimizing slotting of each of the SKUs based upon the article dimensional attributes and the storage dimensional attributes; defining possible designs of the more than one storage configuration up to a maximum size of a facility; calculating a first cost for each design in picking and restocking in the forward area and a second cost for each design in picking from reserve area; and optimizing forward area based upon a difference between first and second costs.

Abstract: A material handling system for singulation of items is described. The material handling system can include, a singulation conveyor with a mechanical actuator. The mechanical actuator can be configured to manipulate an item on the singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can comprise a sensing unit comprising an imaging device that can be configured to capture an image of a zone of a singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can have a control unit that can be configured to classify, based on a classification model and the image, the item into a category. The category can be indicative of an orientation of the item with respect to another item and a conveying surface of the singulation conveyor. Further, the control unit can be configured to, generate instructions to cause actuation of a mechanical actuator to perform a singulation action based on the classification associated with the item.

Abstract: A sortation conveyor is provided that can include a switch assembly that includes a switch plate, a divert plate, and a bridge plate. The switch plate includes a switch member that defines a switch guide path and a switch that can be mounted on the switch member. Further, the divert plate includes a divert member that defines a divert guide path on a first side and a non-divert guide path on a second side of the divert member. Furthermore, the bridge plate includes a bridge member that defines a first bridge guide path and a second bridge guide path. In some examples, the bridge plate is positioned between the switch plate and the divert plate so that the first bridge guide path connects the switch guide path to the divert guide path and the second bridge guide path connects the switch guide path to the non-divert guide path.

Abstract: A conveyor that includes a conveyor frame, a first guide rail assembly, a divert unit having a switch assembly, and an alignment key is described. In this regard, the first guide rail assembly is positioned on a first portion of the conveyor frame such that rails of the first guide rail assembly extends along a length of the conveyor. In some examples, the first guide rail includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail positioned parallel to the first guide rail. Further, the first guide rail defines a groove along a length of the first guide rail assembly. Furthermore, according to some examples, the switch assembly defines a key slot. The key slot is adapted to enable the alignment key to pass through the key slot and further into the groove of the first guide rail, thereby, aligning the switch assembly on the first guide rail.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein generally relate to techniques for conveying articles on a conveyor system of a robotic material handling system in a material handling environment. In accordance with an embodiment, the robotic material handling system includes a front portion and a rearward conveyor. The front portion may be expandable to a first configuration and retractable to a second configuration. On detecting a jam on the front portion, the robotic material handling system may actuate expansion of the front portion to the first configuration, and attempt to dislodge the jammed articles by causing one or more of (i) separating the jammed articles by activating one or more of a plurality of zones of the front portion under the jammed articles, and/or (ii) activating one or more of the plurality of zones under the jammed articles in a reverse direction.

Abstract: A controller of a material handling system performs a method of dynamic spacing on a sortation conveyor by predicting fullness of divert destinations. Required tray spacing between inducted articles destined for the same divert destination can be reduced when the divert destination is calculated to have sufficient capacity. Fewer discharge commands need to be ignored due to insufficient tray spacing. The material handling systems can achieve higher throughput by having fewer articles that cannot be discharged to an assigned destination.

Abstract: A coupling block is provided to dynamically adjust a difference in height between a first support structure and a second support structure attached to a conveyor frame. The coupling block includes at least one rotating cam attached to the coupling block. The rotating cam is actuated to move at least a portion of the coupling block about an axis to compensate for a height difference between the first support structure and the second support structure. A cam adjuster is also accessible from an outer face of the of the conveyor frame to change a direction of rotation of the at least one rotating cam.

Abstract: A conveyor bed is provided that can include a conveyor frame, a roller frame and an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism can include a first wheel movable on a first rail and a second wheel movable on a second rail. A sled can be coupled to a bottom face of the roller frame, where an inner face of the sled is in contact with the first wheel and the first rail and an outer face of the sled is in contact with the second wheel and the second rail. An actuable component coupled to the sled, wherein the actuable component is configured to move the sled back and forth linearly along the first rail using the first wheel in response to rotation of the actuable component, wherein a movement of the sled rotates the second wheel and pivots the second rail to alter an angle of the roller frame.

Abstract: A conveyor is described. The conveyor includes: a conveyor frame having a sidewall and a roller. In some examples, the roller can be mounted on the conveyor frame so that a first portion of the roller extends beyond the sidewall of the conveyor frame. In this regard, the first portion of the roller is the portion that includes a bearing assembly of the roller and the sidewall is that portion of the conveyor frame that guards a conveying surface of the conveyor. The conveyor also includes a strip belt-mounted over a second portion of the roller. The second portion is a portion of the roller that is defined adjacent to the first portion of the roller. In some examples, the strip belt is mounted over the roller so that the strip belt is positioned adjacent to the sidewall on the conveyor.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein relate to controlling an accumulation conveyor that comprises at least a first zone that is upstream of a second zone and the second zone that is upstream of a third zone. A second control module associated with the second zone receives a third feedback signal, indicating that a third sensor is blocked, from a third control module associated with the third zone. The second control module sets a second drive assembly associated with the second zone to a disengaged state, and receives a first signal from a first control module associated with the first zone. The first signal indicates that one of a first article having an irregular boundary or a second article having a regular boundary exits from the first zone. The second control module controls the second drive assembly and a second brake assembly based on the indication by the first signal.