Abstract: A conveyor system having a plurality of conveyors of increasing speeds with an angular guide member which directs incoming containers across the conveyors to the last conveyor where they are positioned in aligned and spaced relation for subsequent processing. The system is capable of sorting bottles and cartons from one another and the conveyors are sized to sort a predetermined range of dimensions of cartons and bottles and have their relative speeds governed by the ability of predetermined configurations of containers to be processed without tipping as they transfer from one conveyor to the next.

Abstract: Elongate workpieces with enlarged heads to be distributed in groups to different destinations, such as plastic parisons to be delivered to respective mold cavities of a four-cavity blow-molding unit, are fed--partly by gravity--over a pair of sloping, counterrotating spindles to a tilted turntable, the spindles being separated by a gap letting the bodies of the workpieces hang down between them. The workpieces are successively inserted into peripheral recesses of the turntable along a raised edge thereof for rotary entrainment to respective guide channels confronting its opposite, depressed peripheral edge. Four workpieces at a time are dislodged from their recesses, after retraction of a barrier, by air jets driving them into the guide channels assigned to them. Fresh workpieces are deposited upon the upstream end of the spindle track by an elevating conveyor controlled by a monitoring device such as a photosensor which stops the conveyor upon detecting a backup of workpieces along the track.

Abstract: An extensible grain auger includes a casing defined by co-axial telescoping sections, with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end of the casing, a pair of inter-connected auger tubes rotatably mounted in the casing, the flight of one tube being threadable into the auger flight of the other tube; and an extension tube and screw assembly rotatably mounted in the auger tubes, the extension tube extending out of the casing at one end and the screw being connected to a nut in the tube and to the other end of the casing, so that one casing section can be extended and retracted relative to the other casing section.

Abstract: In a carton loading machine having a load accumulating station, the improvement of a load spacing mechanism which includes an escalator for engaging load units and advancing one load unit with respect to the next following load unit so as to space the load units. The mechanism includes a transfer platform in the load accumulating station and an escalator extending upwardly and forwardly from below the transfer platform to a loading plane disposed above the platform and load carrying supports on the escalator and movable with the escalator along the escalator plane so as to support the load units for movement along the escalator plane.

Abstract: Self-cleaning apparatus for removing material from a rotating drum. Buckets are associated with a scraper which is maintained in a substantially fixed position relative to the local gravitational force vector. The scraper is maintained in said position by means of a counterweight. A scraping action is achieved as the drum and buckets rotate.

Abstract: A conveyor system for moving hangers carrying clothes includes a reciprocating chain which has a number of depending fingers attached to it at regular intervals along its length. The fingers extend down and move hangers along a pipe which is mounted below the chain. As the chain is reciprocated back and forth, each of the fingers picks up a hanger and moves it forward along the pipe, and then on the backward movement in the reciprocating motion of the chain, each of the fingers slides over the hook of the hanger and moves back to pick up the next preceding hanger. The fingers are pivotally suspended from a series of plastic slides, and these slides are arranged so that they may be pushed into engagement with one another, at one end of the assembly, so that the pipe on which the clothes hangers are supported may be used for general purpose storage and the hangers may be slid in either direction on this pipe.

Abstract: Reversable scraper blades engaging against one side of a belt run respond through a resilient connection to the movements of a roller engaging against another side of the belt run.

Abstract: An auger feed device, and more particularly an open auger feed device for feeding scrap material to a comminution means and which includes improved means to aid in the prevention of pinch type personnel injuries, as well as to improve feeding efficiency.

Abstract: A magnetic rail is arranged for use in a conveyor system and includes permanent magnets arranged either in alternately interspersed relationship or in checkerboard pattern regarding relative north and south polarities; and the individual magnets are advantageously selected to have a dimension in the direction of belt travel which is less than the diameter of tinplate containers being transported. When the magnetic rail is used in the bleed-off section of the system, the magnets are selected to be of progressively diminishing transverse dimension relative to the direction of belt travel in order to gradually reduce mangetic attraction as the containers pass down the belt.

Abstract: The invention relates to a push grid comprising grid panels which overlap one another and which are alternately fixed and reciprocable longitudinally of the push grid; grid panel supports provided with a slot-like opening for holding the grid panels; tie members which project through the slot-like opening in the grid panel supports and which, at one end, engage in the associated grid panel; and spring elements arranged between the other end of the tie members and a web of the grid panel supports accommodating the slot-like opening for biassing the connection between the grid panels and the grid panel supports.

Abstract: A conveyor belt cleaning assembly (10) including at least one generally transversely extending cleaning member (20), engaging, in an operative position, a conveyor belt (14) surface to be cleaned. The cleaning member (20) is characterized in that over at least a short portion of its length, a lead-in surface is provided on its leading end (20A), such that it makes an acute angle with the belt. The belt cleaning member (20) is constructed of an abrasion resistant material and is flexible. In one embodiment, the flexible belt cleaning device (20) is resiliently biased in frictional engagement with the curved surface of the conveyor belt by a tension spring (30). In other embodiments, yieldable tension is developed by a counterweight (34) and alternatively, by a compression spring assembly (48).

Abstract: An appartus for aligning an advancing plastic-glass sandwich on a conveyor to accurately direct the same in a desired orientation for proper entry into the restricted receiving zone of a pressing apparatus. The aligning apparatus includes a pair of pivotal arms located on one side of the sandwich and a third pivotal arm movable inwardly against the other side of the sandwich to urge the same against said first mentioned pair of arms while the sandwich is advanced therebetween.

Abstract: Paper sheets are advanced seriatim between high speed upper and lower conveyor belts across a gap onto a slower speed multi-belt conveyor with which the upper high speed belts cooperate to form a sheet controlling tunnel. Static eliminating and sheet knock-down air is directed through the upper high speed belts and into the sheets traversing the gap. Advance of the sheets across the gap is facilitated by impermanent wave-like longitudinal stiffening rib deflection of the sheets where they leave the high speed conveyor belts. After each sheet has been fully received on the slow speed conveyor, its high speed travel is stopped by stop roll means to assure overlap of a succeeding sheet thereon. The stop roll means cooperate with the slower speed conveyor belts to effect impermanent wave-like longitudinal jam preventing stiffening rib deflection of the sheets.

Abstract: An elevator for farm produce or other articles includes a pair of continuous entrainments each having a series of spaced members, such as rods or rollers, supported by continuous bands. One entrainment is mounted within the other and the inner entrainment is slack over an ascending section so that it normally sags towards a corresponding section of the outer entrainments. When the entrainments are driven, material is picked up by the outer entrainment as it passes around inside a hopper. This travels up the ascending section whereby the slack section of the inner entrainment moves away from the corresponding section of the outer entrainment so that the material is elevated as a rising column. The inner entrainment takes up a natural spacing from the outer entrainment over the elevating sections. The lower end of the inner entrainment may form a converging inlet to assist initial elevation and its upper end may form a diverging outlet to assist in releasing the material at an outlet.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying rod-like articles, especially cigarettes, includes parallel conveyors for streams of articles and two transfer conveyors which together re-orientate articles in one stream for combination with articles in the other stream. The transfer conveyors each convey articles on a curved path having a substantially vertical axis and include guide means for elevating the outer ends of the articles on the path. In another arrangement parallel opposed conveyors deliver articles to a downwardly-extending junction provided with retractable conveyor bands which may initially extend across the junction to aid filling. The stream on one of the opposed conveyors may be delivered from a further parallel conveyor by a rotary disc transfer conveyor which turns articles through 180 degrees for delivery to the one conveyor. The apparatus is particularly useful for tip-turning of cigarettes at the exit on a filter cigarette assembling machine.

Abstract: A hopper for feeding fruit in several transversely spaced lanes from a supply conveyor to the pick-up positions of a fruit feeder includes several drums mounted in spaced and downwardly inclined relationships. The spacing between the adjacent drums is adapted for the reception of a single file of fruit, and the inclination of the drums is sufficient to cause the fruit to gravitate downwardly to the feeder pick-up positions. A push-pull drive mechanism is provided to pivot the drums back and forth about their axes of rotation to cause the fruit to spin as they gravitate downwardly between the drums. Such spinning action facilitates rapid feeding of the fruit downwardly between the drums and, in particular, prevents irregularly shaped citrus fruit such as tangerines or lemsons from becoming enlodged against each other to thereby interrupt their flow to the pick-up positions.

Abstract: A photographic print stacking apparatus is positioned proximate the discharge end of a conveyor system which conveys photographic prints from a photographic print cutter. The print stacking apparatus includes upper and lower print receiving elements which receive and hold the prints as they are discharged. The conveyor system delivers the prints to the stacking apparatus with sufficient force to carry the prints between the upper and lower print receiving elements until their leading edges engage a generally upstanding stop element. A print deflecting flap element is connected to the upper print receiving element and extends toward the stop element. The print deflecting flap element prevents the leading edges of the prints from passing over the upper end of the stop element.

Abstract: A magnetic transfer mechanism for transferring ferro magnetic articles from one endless belt conveyor to another. The transfer mechanism includes a magnetic pulley and the conveyor belts are disposed in side-by-side relation on the pulley. Guide rails are disposed outwardly of the pulley and arranged in a generally helical configuration and serve to guide the articles from one belt to the other belt as the belts travel over the pulley.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting stacks of paper sheets in a spiral binding machine has a hollow frame with a forwardly and downwardly sloping front panel which is provided with a horizontal slot extending between a first station where fresh stacks of paper sheets are placed onto the exposed side of the panel and a second station where the stacks are subjected to one or more treatments, such as making of perforations, breaking up into smaller stacks, introduction of spiral binders, or looping of end portions of the outermost convolutions of inserted spiral binders. A tongs in the interior of the frame is mounted on a reciprocable carriage which is rigid with one jaw of the tongs and supports the other jaw through the medium of a pivotable lever which is pivotably connected with the other jaw.

Abstract: An allocating means for sorting or allocating of side boards individually immediately after sawing of logs into a main yield and an number of side boards. The allocating means comprises a longitudinal conveyor (10) for the main yield and movable support rolls (11, 12) for the side boards. Below the support rolls there are disposed stops (16, 17) for the side boards and in level with the stops there are disposed arresting means in the form of suction plates (18, 19) adapted to first hold one side board of each pair whereas the other one of that pair is permitted to fall into a compartment of a cross-conveyor, and then to free also that second side board of the pair so that it falls into a further compartment of the cross-conveyor for individual transport to a place for further handling.