Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus (20) includes a spiral conveyor system (22) configured into an ascending spiral stack (26). An air balance tunnel (40) includes a tunnel housing (76) positioned inside of a thermal processing chamber adjacent an outlet opening (36). A conveyor belt (24) travels through the housing on its way out of the processing chamber. An air pervious ejector assembly (78) is positioned within the housing at an elevation above the conveyor belt (24). An air pervious evacuation sheet (80) is located within the housing at a location beneath the conveyor belt (24). An air pervious cover assembly (150) is positioned over the conveyor belt (24) at a location just before the conveyor belt enters the air balance tunnel (40). The cover sheet (150) is connectable to the ejector assembly (78) so as to remove the ejector assembly from the tunnel housing (76) by manually moving the cover assembly (150).

Abstract: The technology described herein generally relates to particular form of folded package. The package packages loose particles into a conical container and secures the filling with a folded distal end. More specifically, loose plant matter, such as crumbled dried leaves, are supplied as filling and the package may further be provided with a fluid core.

Abstract: A system and a method for automatic transfer of carcass parts suspended from a first carrier to being suspended from a second carrier. The carcass parts may be a half carcass that may have been eviscerated and cleaned. The first carrier may be an industry standard gambrel or a single carrier or a Marel DeboFlex carrier, for example a Euro Carrier. The second carrier may be a single carrier, for example a Euro Carrier, or a Marel DeboFlex carrier.

Abstract: A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

Abstract: A step-wise feeding device of containers equipped with a mouth, a plane of symmetry passing through the mouth, includes support bases and transportation means of the support bases in a feeding direction. Each support base can be associated with and dissociated from the transportation means, and each support base includes a clamping group of a container, the clamping group having a closed clamping position and an open loading and unloading position. The clamping group is a gripper-type including two side boards, sustained by supports on opposite sides of the support base, which move in a self-centering manner with respect to an axis. Each support base has a bearing plane for the bottom of the container, on which a virtual point is defined, arranged on a longitudinal axis at a fixed distance from a front end of the support base, for centering the mouth of any container arranged on the plane.

Abstract: A sorting installation, in particular for transporting and/or sorting items to be conveyed, includes a transport path, a stator arranged adjacent to the transport path and a transport unit configured to move on the transport path in a movement direction. The transport unit includes a conveyor element for loading and/or unloading an item, and a conveyor rotor for driving the conveyor element. The conveyor rotor includes a permanent magnet and interacts electromagnetically with the stator for rotation about an axis of rotation. A latching apparatus applies a detent torque on the conveyor rotor, when the conveyor rotor interacts electromagnetically with the latching apparatus.

Abstract: A vertical dough conveyor includes a base frame, and a vertical conveyor assembly pivotably connected to the base frame for pivoting movement between a use position and an access position. The vertical conveyor assembly includes a first conveyor belt unit and a second conveyor belt unit, wherein the second conveyor belt unit is pivotably connected to the first conveyor unit such that, when the vertical conveyor assembly is in the access position, the first conveyor belt unit is pivotably movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a belt of the second conveyor belt unit is positioned in opposed relation to a belt of the first conveyor belt unit to define a dough feed gap therebetween. In the second position, the belt of second conveyor belt unit is pivoted away from the belt of the first conveyor belt unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the industrial manufacture of bakery products, such as long or elongated breads, rolls, baguettes, Parisian breads, round loaves. The apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying at least one piece of dough on a conveying surface in a transport direction, a substrate which is arranged above said conveyor. The substrate includes a contact surface at a side facing the conveyor. The apparatus is configured for providing a relative movement between the contact surface and the conveying surface. The contact surface is configured for touching an upper side of said at least one piece of dough on said conveying surface. And the apparatus further includes a heating device configured for heating at least a part of a circumference of the at least one piece of dough facing the contact surface for forming a film on said part of the circumference.

Abstract: A single drive dual hopper conveyor system is presented having a center conveyor system and a pair of side conveyor systems that are connected to one another. A single motor is connected to the center conveyor system and drives movement of a belt within the center conveyor system. The connection of the center conveyor system to the side conveyor system causes the belts of the side conveyor systems to be simultaneously driven as the belt of the center conveyor system is driven. This arrangement eliminates the need for multiple motors. A guide at the center of the belts is configured to guide the belts through the center of the housings and prevent the buildup of grain within a cut-out section of the flights of the belt that is needed to allow access to the links of the belts to facilitate driving of the belts.

Abstract: A modular processing machine includes a first module comprising a first mounting plate including a first hole, and a first rail extending along a longitudinal axis, the first rail having a first axial end facing the first hole, the first hole being coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis. A second module comprises a second mounting plate including a second hole coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and a second rail extending coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, the second rail having a second axial end facing the second hole. The first rail has a first alignment feature at the first axial end thereof, and the second rail has a second alignment feature at the second axial end thereof. The first alignment feature is engaged with the second alignment feature to coaxially align the first rail with the second rail along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: To provide a ball transfer and a seal member for a ball transfer, a seal member is employed which is characterized in that it has a seal member employing pile fiber that, at a ball transfer having a main body which has a socket, an inner surface of which is a hemispherical concave surface, a plurality of ball bearings arranged at the main exterior socket, a primary ball, diameter of which is greater than that of said ball bearings and which is rotatably supported by the socket by way of the ball bearings, and a housing-like case which surrounds the main body socket and rotatably supports the ball bearings and the primary ball at a bearing portion thereof and which has a hole from which a portion of the primary ball is made to protrude at an upper surface of the primary ball socket.

Abstract: A combine feeder slat having a first base, a second base, and a slat body. The bases are located at respective ends of the slat, and have respective upper and lower surfaces. The slat body extends longitudinally and connects the bases. The slat body has a variable profile as viewed along the longitudinal direction, that transitions from a first profile shape at the first base, to an intermediate profile shape between the first base and the second base, to a second profile shape at the second base. The intermediate profile shape includes a front lip, a rear lip, and an upward-facing concave projection that connects the front lip to the rear lip and extends below an attachment plane defined between the first lower surface and the second lower surface. The first base, second base, and slat body are made from a unitary wrought metal part.

Abstract: A contact protection structure can be positioned on a belt body to prevent a pinching gap, where the belt body presents a conveyor belt deflected by a roller, and where a roller holder supporting the roller and attachable to the belt body also supports the contact protection structure.

Abstract: A support station includes a frame, at least two support rollers separated transversely by a gap, and a nip angle protector, which includes, for the or each gap, a gap protector placed longitudinally opposite the gap on an upstream side of the gap. The support station can be manufactured by obtaining a profile with a continuous upper edge and a continuous lower part along its entire length, and cutting the space and the slots, by T-punching the profile.

Abstract: A system for automatic unloading of parcels from a container or trailer includes a base belt (310), a plurality of inserts (320, 322, 420, 422, 520, 522) and an automated unloading apparatus (200) with a ramp (230) and a conveyor (226). The ramp (230) is configured to pass under the base belt (310) and the conveyor (226) is configured to remove a plurality of items (370) when the automated unloading apparatus (200) moves into an interior of the container or trailer (350), and the base belt (310) is configured to be installed in a first section (360) of a floor (356) of the container or trailer (350), and the plurality of inserts (320, 322, 420, 422, 520, 522) is configured to be installed in a second section (362, 364) of the floor (356) of the container or trailer (350), such that the plurality of items (370) is either located on the base belt (310) or on the plurality of inserts (320, 322, 420, 422, 520, 522).

Abstract: A guiding device for a positioning plate of a transport device for gripping, holding, guiding and transporting bottle-like containers. In order to provide non-rotational guiding and stabilizing of the positioning plate and/or gripper devices, the guiding device includes an elongated hollow body having a plurality of guide recesses that are formed along the hollow body. A transport device having such a guiding device is also provided.

Abstract: An automatic loading and unloading device includes a frame, an unloading unit, a receiving unit and a receiving link unit. The frame defines a processing area, an unloading area and a receiving area. The unloading unit includes an unloading slide rail, and an unloading drive group movably disposed on the unloading slide rail for driving at least one plate to move from the processing area to the unloading area. The receiving unit includes a receiving slide rail, and a receiving lift group movably disposed on the receiving slide rail for driving the at least one plate to move from the unloading area to the receiving area. The receiving link unit interconnects the unloading drive group and the receiving lift group.

Abstract: A transfer machine for machining operations includes a frame, a rotary table with a rotary feeding movement relative to a machine axis, a plurality of workpiece-holder members associated with the rotary table and spaced by a working radius (r) from the machine axis, and a plurality of workstations accessible by the workpiece-holder members as a result of the feeding movement of the table. The transfer machine further includes at least one rotary unit able to rotate a workpiece-holder member about a respective axis and relative to the table, wherein the rotary unit includes a motor assembly located in the machine base at a distance (d) from the machine axis which is less than the working radius (r).

Abstract: A system for detecting properties of a rubber product is disclosed. The system includes a dipole antenna and circuitry. The dipole antenna is configured to obtain antenna measurements and measure for a resonance frequency of a conductive resonator (200), wherein the dipole antenna (200) is positioned at a first position (A) and a second position (B). The circuitry is configured to determine one or more resonator properties (X) based on the antenna measurements.

Abstract: A button fastener transfer device can detect a fastener with one or more legs are bent radially outward. The button fastener transfer device includes a transfer path for passing the fastener with the base down; a movable member movable in the transfer path for moving the fastener downstream in the transfer path; a rotation applying part capable of contacting the fastener moving in the transfer path and configured to rotate the fastener in the circumferential direction of the base; at least one first conductive member and at least one second conductive member, which are normally electrically isolated from each other; a detection part configured to detect a non-normal fastener having at least one non-normal leg bent radially outward; and an energization mechanism configured to cause an electric current to flow between the first conductive member and the second conductive member if the detection part detects the non-normal fastener.