Abstract: The present invention relates generally to improved method and apparatus for mass production manufacturing, and in a presently preferred form, to an apparatus and method for dynamically regulating input and output workloads to achieve efficient operations.

Abstract: A workload regulator for controlling the flow of articles between work stations at which the articles are produced.The apparatus receives a continuous flow of articles on various inbound tracks, subdivides the continuous flow into individual arrays or groups of articles, picks up these groups of articles and deposits them in trays for transient storage, removes them from trays and transfers them to one or more outbound tracks, or transfers the groups from inbound to outbound tracks in a buffer area. The apparatus also positions as needed the trays into which plural groups of articles are being placed during the filling, or from which the groups are being taken as the tray is emptied. Also, the apparatus adds or withdraws trays, as needed, from magazines which hold full and empty trays, respectively.The apparatus may have more than one transfer apparatus and may include equal or unequal numbers of inbound and outbound tracks.

Abstract: A container conveying and elevating apparatus conveys relatively shallow containers having a relatively large diameter, such as aluminum can cup bodies, in banks, or en masse, that is, in multiple rows, along a generally horizontal feed-in conveyor to the front or imput side of a vertically extending elevator housing and onto the bottom run of a generally vertically extending elevator conveyor which is arranged in the housing. The elevator conveyor embodies multiple rows of generally horizontally or longitudinally and transversely extending spaced flexible container-conveying and supporting finger members which are adapted to project into the interiors of, or otherwise engage, the containers as they are fed by the feed-in conveyor to the bottom horizontal run of the elevator conveyor.

Abstract: A feed-in can conveyor receives a bank of multiple rows of cans from a first work station, such as a can washing apparatus, and conveys them in inverted position, that is, with the open ends of the cans facing down and the closed bottom ends facing up, under a perforated endless can-carrying and can-uprighting conveyor belt which works over the peripheral surface of a rotary foraminous metal cylinder or drum.

Abstract: A flexible coated wire cable conveyor structure which includes one or more flexible wire cables coated with a flexible plastic resinous cable-coating material, such as nylon, and novel means for attaching the conveyor flights to and supporting them on the flexible coated wire cable or cables including flight-attaching and supporting members integrally united, as by molding or heat-bonding to the flexible plastic resinous cable-coating material on the flexible coated wire cable or cables and for attaching the conveyor flights to and supporting them on the flexible coated wire cable or cables. In a preferred embodiment thereof, the invention includes means for detachably latching the conveyor flights to the flight-attaching and supporting members.