Abstract: A conveying system having an input end receiving flat, generally disc-shaped articles in a flat-lying orientation and arranged in at least one column of indefinite length and an output end discharging the articles in consecutive article groups wherein each group being formed of a number of face-to-face stacked articles. The conveying system includes a plurality of separate, individual pallets for receiving and supporting the article groups; a stacking device arranged for forming the groups and charging the pallets therewith; an article removal device arranged for emptying the pallets and discharging the article groups removed from the pallets; a first conveyor for advancing charged pallets from the stacking device to the article removal device; a second conveyor for returning empty pallets from the article removal device to the stacking device; and lateral guides extending along the first conveyor for guiding and retaining the pallets thereon.

Abstract: A conveyor includes a conveyor track; a throughgoing slot provided in the conveyor track; an endless sprocket chain composed of chain links articulated to one another by link pins; support pins mounted on the chain and constituting an axial extension of at least some of the link pins; a plurality of article carrier units inserted on the support pins; and an article carrier lug forming an integral part of each article carrier unit and projecting through the slot for engaging an article supported on the conveyor track. The carrier body has a centering bore centered on a first one of the support pins; and a control slot receiving and being guided by a second one of the support pins. The first and second support pins are at least two consecutive chain links apart from one another. The carrier body is further provided with an aperture between the centering bore and the control slot. The aperture receives a third support pin situated between the first and second support pins.

Abstract: A volumetric metering apparatus for dosing constant quantities of granular material includes a generally vertically oriented shaft having a shaft axis, a cylindrical trough having a generally horizontal trough base and being mounted on the shaft for rotation about the shaft axis and a plurality of metering receptacles secured to the trough base and extending downwardly therefrom. Each metering receptacle has a top opening being in a continuous communication with a space above the trough base and a bottom outlet openable and closable by a shutoff element. There is further provided an evener device stationarily supported above the trough base. The metering receptacles are arranged to be brought in succession into alignment with the evener device by the rotation of the cylindrical trough. The evener device has a radial dimension measured parallel to the trough base; the radial dimension is greater than a diametral dimension of each top opening.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus comprises a plurality of side-by-side arranged first conveyors lying in a first plane. Each first conveyor has a pivotal first conveyor belt portion adapted to assume a first pivotal position in which articles continue to be advanced on the first conveyor and a second pivotal position in which articles are deviated from the first conveyor. The conveyor apparatus has a second conveyor which lies in a second plane spaced vertically from the first plane and which traverses each first conveyor at a location of crossing downstream of the downstream end of the first conveyor belt portions. The second conveyor includes a plurality of pivotal second conveyor belt portions adapted to assume a first pivotal position in which the upstream end of the respective second conveyor belt portion is in alignment with the second conveyor, and a second pivotal position in which the upstream end of the second conveyor belt portion is out of alignment with the second conveyor.

Abstract: Support plates used in so-called rock bolting for supporting the roof in an underground excavation, such as a tunnel or mine, are positioned initially by a parallelogram bar structure that is attached to a moveable shield that is moveable upwardly toward the roof by lifting cylinders. Two bar structures are arranged side-by-side and each has at one end a shoe that includes support plate positioning surfaces and at least one shoe has a centering pin that automatically locates and centers the support plate. Upon placing a support plate on the shoes and determining that the excavation roof is of a sufficient height, the two bar structures are pivotted upwardly, which turns the support plate parallel to the roof and by means of the lifting pistons the support plate is firmly pressed against the roof so that automatic anchor placement or rock bolting is facilitated.

Abstract: A heat energy transfer device has an enclosure defining a closed cavity and including an outer face to be heated or cooled. A heat transfer medium is contained in the cavity. The device has a first capillary arrangement disposed in the cavity for advancing the heat transfer medium in the liquid phase in a first direction parallel to the outer face of the enclosure and a second capillary arrangement disposed in the cavity for advancing the heat transfer medium in the liquid phase in a second direction parallel to the outer face of the enclosure. The first and second directions are non-parallel to one another.

Abstract: A carton for storing flowable material has a side face formed of a side panel and an adjoining top face formed of top flaps and a triangular ear formed from one of the top flaps and being situated in a zone where the side face and the top face adjoin. A weakening line which is provided in the triangular ear encloses an area portion of the triangular ear. The latter is folded flat against the side panel and the area portion enclosed by the weakening line is firmly bonded to the side face of the carton. The triangular ear is free of a firm bond with the side face externally of the area portion enclosed by the weakening line, whereby upon lifting the triangular ear away from the side face, the area portion tears out of the triangular ear along the weakening line and thus remains bonded to the side face of the carton for obtaining a pouring aperture in the triangular ear, delimited by the weakening line.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating article groups from a stream of flat articles, comprises an inclined chute on which a stream of flat articles arranged in an edgewise standing, face-to-face oriented, stacked relationship are advanced, an article group receiving arrangement situated downstream of the chute, a pickup base arranged for movement from a discharge end of the chute along the article group receiving arrangement while being in a face-to-face contact with an advancing leading article; a separating gate arranged for introduction between two adjoining articles of the article stream and a common drive for moving the pickup base parallel to the direction of article advance and for moving the separating gate, during displacement of the pickup base, away from the chute, from a point above the chute along a path of displacement that causes the separating gate to penetrate progressively between two adjoining articles of the article stream as the article stream advances.

Abstract: An apparatus for cyclically separating articles in groups, includes a guide floor on which the articles are forwarded in a direction of advance in an edgewise standing orientation to form an article stack of undetermined length thereon; a pickup gate arranged for geing abutted by a leading article in the stack; a separating member arranged for being introduced between two articles of the stack at a predetermined distance from the pickup gate upstream thereof as viewed in the direction of advance for separating a group of articles of predetermined length from the article stack; a driving mechanism for cyclically introducing the separating member between two articles of the stack and moving the pickup gate and the separating member together in a stroke of predetermined length for shifting away the article group situated between the pickup gate and the separating member from the article stack of undetermined length; a first setting mechanism for varying the distance of the separating member from the pickup gate

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus includes a first guide assembly defining a plurality of inlet lanes in which inlet columns of flat articles are forwarded in a direction of advance determined by the first guide assembly and a second guide assembly defining a plurality of outlet lanes in which outlet columns of the flat articles are advanced. The outlet lanes are different in number from that of the inlet lanes. A plurality of routing gates is arranged at a discharge end of the inlet lanes. Each routing gate is arranged to be pivoted into one of two end positions for redistributing the articles from the inlet lanes into the outlet lanes. There are further provided separate actuating units operatively connected to separate routing gates for independently operating each routing gate.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating articles advanced in series and in a mutually contacting relationship, includes a first conveyor advancing the articles in a series and in contact with one another on a first conveyor surface, and a second conveyor arranged for receiving articles from the first conveyor and advancing the articles in series on a second conveyor surface. The second conveyor has a conveying speed greater than that of the first conveyor, whereby the articles are advanced on the second conveyor surface in a spaced relationship to one another. There is further provided a third conveyor having article carriers which convey the articles downstream of the second conveyor surface as viewed in a direction of article advance. A suction device generates, in zones of the first and second conveyors, a force exerted on the articles and oriented for pressing the articles against the first and second conveyor surfaces.

Abstract: A vibratory conveyor includes a trough containing articles to be advanced therein, an oscillating drive operatively connected to the trough for imparting vibrations thereto and a carrier extending along the trough and being connected to the oscillating drive and the trough for transmitting oscillations of the oscillating drive to the trough. The carrier is made of a fiber-reinforced synthetic material.

Abstract: A method of operating a packaging line comprises the following steps:(a) sensing the absence and presence of an operationally sufficient quantity of wrapper sheet supply for a bag making station of the packaging line;(b) sensing the absence and presence of an operationally sufficient quantity of bulk material supply in a metering and filling station of the packaging line;(c) sensing the absence and presence of the bags on a first conveying lane of the packaging line;(d) sensing the quantity of the bags on a second, accumulating conveying lane which adjoins the first conveying lane and receives the filled and closed bags therefrom, to determine a receptiveness or non-receptiveness of the second conveying lane;(e) allowing a start-up of the packaging line only if the sensing steps (a) and (b) determine a presence of bags on the first conveying lane and the sensing step (d) determines a receptiveness of the second conveying lane; and(f) allowing the stoppage of the packaging line only if the sensing step (c) det

Abstract: A fluidic power-assisted setting device has a setting motor having an output torque; a threaded spindle supported for rotation; a spindle nut threadedly mounted on the spindle for linear displacement; a setting member attached to the spindle nut for linear travel therewith; a gearing for transmitting the output torque of the setting motor to the spindle; a signalling device coupled to the gearing for generating an output signal when the linear force derived from the output torque of the setting motor is insufficient to overcome an external force opposing linear displacement of the setting member; and a fluidic power device including a hydraulic motor connected to the setting member for applying thereto a linear force to overcome the external force; and a hydraulic control valve hydraulically connecting the hydraulic motor with pressurized hydraulic fluid as a function of the output signal of the signalling device for causing the hydraulic motor to generate a force applied to the setting member for overcoming

Abstract: A method of packing a flat, angular item having two opposite large faces, two opposite side faces and two opposite end faces. Each end face is bounded by two short end face edges, a first long end face edge and a second long end face edge.

Abstract: A re-routing apparatus for selectively channelling articles conveyed in at least two side-by-side arranged rows to one of a first and a second article advancing mechanism has an inclined chute arranged for simultaneously receiving articles belonging to different rows; a base plate extending from below the chute for receiving the articles sliding off the chute; and a plurality of parallel, generally vertically oriented, mutually spaced separating walls arranged above the base plate and defining therewith a plurality of side-by-side arranged, alternating first and second channels. Each channel has an upstream end corresponding to the receiving end of the base plate and a downstream end corresponding to the discharge end of the base plate. The first and the second channels are arranged to supply articles to the first and the second article advancing mechanism, respectively.

Abstract: An important factor in firearms suitable for combat is the capability to permit replacing the magazine with one hand, that is, to permit the user to eject an emptied magazine by releasing it with the shooting hand and permitting it to drop out automatically, so that a full magazine can be inserted with the free hand. To accomplish this, a latch mechanism is arranged in a through hole formed transversely to the magazine opening and to the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the gun and includes two positive detent latches in a concave or arched portion, the detents being separated by a central groove. The detents have an outer arched or curved surface and on the inside provide straight walls for the groove, in this way a straight magazine can displace the latch axially. The magazine has two pairs of recesses in a rounded leading surface that are arranged so that the two detents seat in the recesses, thereby to accurately support the magazine in two dimensions.

Abstract: A vibratory conveyor for advancing stacked wafer-like articles in an edgewise upstanding orientation includes a vibratory trough having a vibratory base portion of a width which is less than the width of the entire vibratory trough. The conveyor further has a non-vibratory, elongated base component situated adjacent the vibratory base portion and having a width which, together with the width of the vibratory base portion constitutes substantially the width of the entire vibratory trough. In response to an operational parameter of the vibratory conveyor, the articles are caused to be disengaged from the vibratory base portion and engaged solely by the non-vibratory base component, whereby conveyance of the articles is interrupted.

Abstract: A package for slabs of butter of the type including a lower tray part and an upper tray part wherein the lower tray part does not have any edges protruding beyond the plane of a middle butter support field so that the butter can easily be cut into portions with a knife. The upper tray part, with its edge, engages a continuous furrow in the edge region of the lower tray part, where it is retained by friction. The slab of butter is covered with a wrapper material on its five sides above the support side on the lower tray part. The butter is thereby protected both mechanically and physically and it is very convenient to remove servings thereof.

Abstract: A chain conveyor for conveying containers and composed of a chain extending over a closed conveyor path having straight and curved portions, the chain being composed of links and roller pins connecting the links together and extending transverse of the conveyor path, a chain protection box enclosing the chain and provided with rails for supporting the roller pins, the box and the rails presenting a lateral slit recess extending along the conveyor path alongside the chain and providing an enclosure for the chain which is sealed against dust except for the opening presented by the slit, connecting elements each forming part of a respective roller pin and extending out of the box through the recess for supporting holders for the containers, and a closed shielding belt formed of a succession of laminae each pivotally mounted on at least one respective roller pin and dimensioned and positioned such that the belt covers the slit recess over both the straight and curved portions of the conveyor path, each lamina cov