Abstract: An article unstacking system includes an infeed conveyor which delivers stacks of articles to an unstacker which has an inclined support wall and a carriage reciprocatively movable parallel to the support wall and carrying a platform disposed in a plane perpendicular to the support wall for cooperation therewith to define a generally V-shaped trough into which the stack is received. The carriage is moved upwardly until the top article is engaged by a discharge roller which lifts it from and peels it off the stack. To facilitate separation of the top article, the stack is retracted a short distance as soon as the top article is engaged by the discharge rollers, so that the carriage undergoes repeated up and down movements until the stack is depleted. Carriage drive is effected by short-stroke and long-stroke air cylinders, with the former being carried by the movable element of the latter.

Abstract: A roller conveyor includes a belt of parallel free rollers interconnecting endless conveyor chains which move along a conveyor path. At least certain ones of the rollers carry encircling O-rings engageable with traction shoes for effecting rotation of the rollers. A given roller may carry more than one O-ring of different cross-sectional thicknesses, and the roller may be provided with recesses in which the O-rings are seated. The O-rings and traction means can be arranged in various configurations for effecting rotation of different groups of rollers, for effecting rotation in opposite directions, and for effecting rotation at varying speeds.

Abstract: An in-line pattern forming apparatus includes a windowed endless roller conveyor disposed in a longitudinal system path for sequentially receiving sets of articles. A friction shoe shifts the set of articles through the conveyor window to an underlying turntable which is rotatable for selectively reorienting the set, whereupon the lead roller at the end of the window pushes the set off the turntable to a staging support which sequentially receives a plurality of sets to form a pattern. The pattern is then swept as a unit from the staging support to a container loader or other associated apparatus in the system path. Means may be provided for selectively shifting sets of articles on the staging support laterally of the path to facilitate formation of certain patterns.

Abstract: A stacker/unstacker for receptacles such as bread pans or baskets or the like includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart endless chains having receptacle carriers mounted therebetween for conveying receptacles between an infeed-outfeed conveyor and the top of a receptacle stack. The conveyor chains are horizontally spaced-apart in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction with the carriers mounted for rotation about two spaced-apart axes which are respectively fixed with respect to the chains so that the carriers are stably held in a predetermined orientation and undergo only translational movement along the conveyor path. The path has a transfer portion at the top of the stack wherein the carriers and carried receptacles remain stationary for a time during which the carriers are moved between support and release conditions to pick up or deposit receptacles at the top of the stack. Indexing mechanism moves the transfer portion vertically to keep it at the top of the stack as the stack height changes.

Abstract: A stacker/unstacker for receptacles such as bread pans or baskets or the like includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart endless chains having receptacle carriers mounted therebetween for conveying receptacles between an infeed-outfeed conveyor and the top of a receptacle stack. The conveyor chains are horizontally spaced-apart in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction with the carriers mounted for rotation about two spaced-apart axes which are respectively fixed with respect to the chains so that the carriers are stably held in a predetermined orientation and undergo only translational movement along the conveyor path. The path has a transfer portion at the top of the stack wherein the carriers and carried receptacles remain stationary for a time during which the carriers are moved between support and release conditions to pick up or deposit receptacles at the top of the stack. Indexing mechanism moves the transfer portion vertically to keep it at the top of the stack as the stack height changes.

Abstract: Apparatus for slitting the upper surfaces of a plurality of parallel rows of proofed dough pieces on a conveyor, including a plurality of spray nozzles respectively in general vertical alignment with the longitudinal midline of the path of each row of proofed dough pieces, a supply of fluid for the nozzles and sprayable thereby in a stream against the upper surfaces of the proofed dough pieces, sensing mechanism for sensing the arrival of the rows of proofed dough pieces between the nozzles, and control mechanism responsive to the sensing mechanism for causing each nozzle to impinge a stream of fluid upon the skin of the associated row of proofed dough pieces as they arrive therebeneath.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically transferring elongated rows of articles from an oven hearth conveyor moving continuously in a first direction essentially normal to the longitudinal axes of the rows of articles thereon includes an outfeed conveyor continuously moving in a second direction disposed at an obtuse angle to the first direction and having a lateral width substantially less than the length of a row of articles. An endless transfer conveyor extends between the hearth and outfeed conveyors and carries thereon pickup mechanism mounted for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the rows of articles for engaging and lifting a row of articles from the hearth conveyor and carrying it in a level upright condition to the outfeed conveyor without changing the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the row of articles. Cam-actuated unloading means at the outfeed conveyor engage the row of articles for removing them from the pickup means and holding them on the outfeed conveyor.

Abstract: A loading system for loading articles into containers includes a container handling assembly and an article handling assemby, the paths of which intersect at a loading station. The container handling assembly carries a series of empty containers which it intermittently drives for moving the forwardmost one to the loading station while pushing a filled container from the loading station. The article handling assembly includes an input conveyor which moves the articles to a loading conveyor having alternating conveyor sections and window sections passing over the loading station. A platen carries a plurality of upwardly extending pins and is movable vertically between a receiving position with the pins disposed through complementary holes in the bottom of the container at the loading station and a depositing position wherein the pins are withdrawn from the openings in the container.

Abstract: An apparatus for accumulating into a group a series of spaced-apart loaves of bread in a bakery conveying line comprises an entry conveyor and an exit conveyor each including a driven belt of interconnected free rollers. Upon the arrival of the first loaf at the exit end of the exit conveyor, the exit conveyor is stopped, with succeeding loaves accumulating behind the first loaf under the continued action of the entry conveyor to form a contiguous group which fills first the exit conveyor and then successive zones of the entry conveyor. As each zone is filled, a corresponding shoe is moved into engagement with the rollers passing through that zone for rotating them to counteract the movement of the entry conveyor belt and relieve pressure on the accumulated loaves.

Abstract: An articulated chain conveyor has a plurality of links joined together by connecting pins each having a socket formed axially therein. A conveying surface is formed by a plurality of wire rod structures each having two ends respectively received in the sockets of adjacent ones of the pins and a support portion overlying the chain and extending laterally therebeyond to provide a support surface. Welded and non-welded rod structures for single-chain conveyors and a non-welded rod structure for double-chain conveyors are disclosed. Also disclosed are T-shaped mounting members and cooperating clips for connecting wire rod structures to a conveyor chain.

Abstract: A loader including a support for holding at a loading station a container having openings in the bottom, a continuous conveyor having alternating conveyor sections and window sections passing by the loading station and disposed above and in registration with the support, a platen disposed beneath the support and carrying a plurality of pins extending upwardly and having the upper ends disposed in a plane, means for moving the pins to a receiving position with the upper ends extending through the openings in the container bottom and disposed immediately below the loading station and a depositing position wherein the pins are withdrawn from the openings in the container on the support, and structure for feeding a package onto one of the conveyor sections and off the conveyor section at the loading station and into and through the trailing window section to deposit the package gently upon the pins, whereby upon moving the pins to the depositing position the package is deposited in the container; also disclosed i

Abstract: Apparatus for staggering product delivered to multiple product lanes. A merging conveyor receives the staggered product from the product lanes and merges the product into a single lane.A split conveyor is disclosed in which alternate groups of product positioning supports and product conveying supports position and convey the product in staggered relation to a merging conveyor for merging into a single lane without product accumulation.

Abstract: A stacking-unstacking machine for bread pans and the like includes an elevator having pan support means thereon for carrying stacked pans to or away from a stacking-unstacking station, guide means being provided properly to align the pans for the stacking or unstacking operations, and particularly the latter. The pan support means on the elevator include a fixed base and a support platform mounted for low-friction horizontal movement with respect to the base in response to aligning forces exerted on the top of the stack by the guide means. Bias means are provided to urge the movable platform toward a home position.

Abstract: A machine for feeding into a stack and removing from a stack baking pans and the like wherein there is provided a transfer conveyor, a pan carrier, a pan dropping mechanism for sequentially separating baking pans from the transfer conveyor and depositing the baking pans on the pan carrier, a pan lifting mechanism for sequentially lifting baking pans from the pan carrier and engaging the baking pans with the transfer conveyor. The carrier drive mechanism disclosed drives the pan carrier upwardly toward the transfer conveyor during unstacking and downwardly away from the transfer conveyor during stacking. A control mechanism is disclosed for selectively operating the transfer conveyor in a pan unstacking mode and in a pan pass-through mode and in a pan stacking mode.A complete system for feeding baking pans and the like upon demand to a process station is shown including a process station, a baking pan handling station, sensing mechanism and control mechanism.

Abstract: A stacker/unstacker for receptacles such as bread pans or baskets or the like includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart endless chains having receptacle carriers mounted therebetween for conveying receptacles between an infeed-outfeed conveyor and the top of a receptacle stack. The conveyor chains are horizontally spaced-apart in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction with the carriers mounted for rotation about two spaced-apart axes which are respectively fixed with respect to the chains so that the carriers are stably held in a predetermined orientation and undergo only translational movement along the conveyor path. The path has a transfer portion at the top of the stack wherein the carriers and carried receptacles remain stationary for a time during which the carriers are moved between support and release conditions to pick up or deposit receptacles at the top of the stack. Indexing mechanism moves the transfer portion vertically to keep it at the top of the stack as the stack height changes.