Abstract: A vehicle-mounted conveyor system including an infeed conveyor assembly mounted for powered rotation relative to the vehicle. The conveyor system includes a discharge conveyor assembly pivotally mounted to a main turret, which in turn is mounted to a primary turntable for powered rotation relative to the vehicle. The discharge conveyor assembly includes a telescoping boom and a moving discharge conveyor belt to supply an aggregate material, such as concrete, to a desired point at the work site. An infeed conveyor assembly is rotatably mounted to the main turret by a powered secondary turntable. The powered secondary turntable is mechanically driven by a drive mechanism, such that the infeed conveyor assembly can be rotated relative to the main turret. The secondary turntable and the primary turntable are independently operable and rotate about a common vertical axis, such that the infeed conveyor assembly and the discharge conveyor assembly can be independently rotated relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: Unassorted tokens of different types are supplied into a coin inlet portion 16 of an upper casing 3, so that the numbers of respective types or total amount of discharged tokens are calculated and displayed. A rotary disk 5 and a disk follower 6 are arranged at an upper surface of a main case 2, with a belt 12 extending around their circumferences, so that they are rotated by a handle 14. An upper casing 3 is attached to the main case 2 in a manner enabling opening and closing movement. A lower surface of the upper casing 3 is formed with a guide passage 19. The upper casing 3 is provided with detection holes 23 above which a coin sensor is provided that is capable of calculating the diameters and transit number of tokens. The main case 2 is provided with a light source from which light is emitted for irradiating the coin sensor. The supplied tokens are shifted from the outer edge of the rotating rotary disk 5 onto the belt 12 in the guide passage 19.

Abstract: A transporter which is attachable to the tow package of a vehicle for transporting a container from one place to another. The transporter includes a lifter which manually engages, lifts and holds the container for transportation.

Abstract: The articles advance along a conveyor line in which there is drop in level of a height correlated with the height of the stacks of articles to be formed. Downstream of the drop in level a stopper member is provided which can selectively interrupt the advancing movement of the articles along the conveyor line. For each stack of articles formed, the stopper member prevents the advancing movement of at least a first article downstream of the drop in level so as to allow at least a second article to fall and to be stacked on the first article. Upon completion of the stack, the stacked articles are allowed to advance along the conveyor line again.

Abstract: A robotic manipulator having a gripping tool assembly for separating a thin sheet of metal from a stack of metal sheets. The assembly comprises a frame mounted to a lift arm. A separating device is pivotally mounted to the frame for grasping and lifting a corner of the top metal sheet to create an initial separation of the sheet from the stack. A plurality of stationary suction lifters are secured to the frame for grasping and lifting the remaining portions of the top sheet. The gripping tool assembly is characterized by first and second air hoses or nozzles mounted to the frame with the first air nozzle positioned above the second air nozzle whereby the first air nozzle provides pressurized air toward the corner of the sheet to assist in the initial separation of the sheet and the second air nozzle provides pressurized air below the sheet after the initial separation of the sheet from the stack.

Abstract: A locking structure of pivot arms of an inverting machine comprises a leg frames two pivot arms, and an inverting platform The leg frame has two pivoting ends which arc provided with a slot. The two pivot arms are provided with a plurality of locating through holes and at one end thereof with a pivoting pillar which is pivoted in the slot of the leg frame. The inverting platform is provided in two sides thereof with a receiving member which has a retaining slot for retaining the pivot arm. The retaining slot is provided in the bottom wall thereof with a locating pillar engageable with any one of the locating through holes of the pivot arm. The receiving member is provided with a locking member for locking the pivot arm in the receiving member.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to prolong the life of a sealing portion by using bellows and to prevent the generation of dust and the effect thereof. A support member for positioning is extended to the outside through an opening of a vacuum vessel and bellows connected to the circumference of the opening with a play such that positioning movement can be performed without being in contact with the opening and the bellows, and the support member is received by roller bearings in a bulkhead portion connected to a free end of the bellows and closing the bellows of a bearing support. Necessary rotation is given to the support member from outside via inside and outside magnetic couplings facing each other on the inside and outside of the bulkhead portion, and movement in the X direction perpendicular to the axis is given to the support member from outside by moving the bearing support in the direction perpendicular to the axis with respect to the vacuum vessel.

Abstract: A tortilla stack transfer system for moving a plurality of tortilla stacks from a counter-stacker machine to a packaging area comprises a plurality of transfer finger sets, a plurality of transfer stack supports corresponding to the transfer finger sets, a plurality of finger set actuators adapted to move each of the transfer finger sets from a loaded position to an unloaded position, a transfer conveyor located elevationally below the transfer finger sets and carrying a plurality of conveyor blocks, a block position detector, a conveyor position counter, and a processor in electrical communication with the finger set actuators, the block position detector, and the conveyor position counter.

Abstract: Successive palletized stacks of blanks in a layer of such stacks on a penetrable support of cardboard or the like are lifted off the support by a substantially horizontal plate- or blade-like implement which is caused to penetrate between the upper side of the support and the underside of a selected stack prior to lifting of the selected stack off the support for transfer onto a conveyor or into a blank converting machine, such as a cigarette packing machine. An optical or other suitable monitoring unit has one or more sensors carried by the implement such that they share the movements of the implement to detect, and to effect the generation of defect signals in response to the detection of, improper operation of the apparatus, such as the penetration of the implement through and subsequent lifting of a portion of the support with a selected stack.

Abstract: A large bale loading, transporting and unloading method and apparatus including a wheeled vehicle having a flatbed with a longitudinal conveyor and a cross-bed conveyor for unloading bales laterally from the side of the flatbed. A tine carrying frame or bed is movable to a vertical position against a bale stack and bale engaging tines are actuated to hold the bales against the frame. The frame is returned to the horizontal position for either transport or lateral unloading. In one embodiment the longitudinal and cross-bed conveyors and the tine structures are carried on a flatbed beneath the surface thereof. In a second embodiment the longitudinal conveyor and tine structures are mounted on top of the bed. Apparatus is disclosed for selectively cuffing off flakes or segments of the bale as it is discharged laterally.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stacking and loading disc-like objects into receptacles is provided. The apparatus includes a lane combining conveyor which receives multiple lanes of product and combines one or more of the outer lanes into the remaining lanes. A stack former is provided for forming individual stacks of patties which are side supported onto rails. The rails can be pivoted down to divert patties for clearing jams. After the product is formed on the stack formers, a stack transfer mechanism transfers the stacks of products formed on the stack forming rails to the matrix former. Matrix former receives individual rows of multiple stacks from the stack transfer mechanism. A stripper mechanism is used to ensure that the stacks are not scrambled during this transfer. Once the matrix former is filled with product, a case rollover mechanism is rotated to the matrix former.

Abstract: A floating installation, including a main moonpool (1), wherein in the main moonpool (1) there is arranged a bulkhead (4) which divides the moonpool (1) into a first section and a second section. The bulkhead (4) forms a first wall in a compartment (16) in the first section. The compartment (16) is also defined by the walls of the moonpool (I) and a floor (7). The bulkhead (4) is designed to be opened to provide communication between the first section and the second section. The compartment (16) is substantially watertight when the bulkhead (4) is closed.

Abstract: Lifting tools for safe, 105 degree, off-center rotation of large, heavy objects are disclosed. A lifting tool includes a bar that can be positioned generally parallel to a centerline of the object, and first and second clamps that are rotatably or slidably coupled to first and second ends of the bar, respectively. The clamps are adapted to secure the tool to edges of the object. The tool also includes a pivot arm that is rotatably coupled to the bar, which allows the object to be lifted, rotated up to 90 degrees, moved, and then set down. The pivot arm includes first and second chain sprockets disposed along a length thereof. A second pair of chain sprockets is coupled to the second chain sprocket via a common shaft. A pair of chain segments are attached to the pivot arm, and engage each of the second pair of chain sprockets.

Abstract: Devices for stacking sheet-fed paper or cardboard sheets (1) on pallets (4) are known to have a vertically stationary conveyor (2) at a height above the maximum stack level above the floor and a storage platform (5) which can be raised and lowered upon which the stacks are formed. An optical sensor (17) which senses the stack level is arranged at the input side prior to the stacking area to control the lowering of the storage platform (5). According to the invention, at least three optical sensors (17) are disposed below the conveyor level at a slight distance from each other in a vertical line. The maximum vertical distance between the two sensors (17) is 20 mm. By activating any two sensors (17), the drop in height of the sheets (1) can be set depending on the type of sheet and without the need for extensive adjustment upon a change in the type of sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus that is one part of a conveying system for transferring objects, such as bottles, removes layers of the objects from a pallet on which the layers have been stacked or, in reverse operation, arranges the objects in layers stacked on one another on a pallet. The apparatus may be employed to depalletize objects or to palletize objects, wherein in the depalletizing mode of operation the apparatus has a slipsheet retainer that holds a slipsheet below a layer of objects being depalletized from the stacked layers of objects on the pallet and prevents the slipsheet from moving with the layer of objects as the layer of objects is depalletized.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering stackable bag packages, particularly plastic bags with a bottom fold, with a pin stacking conveyor, from which the bag packages are brought in a relatively simple manner by means of a upward swingable plate into a substantially horizontal delivery position, from which they can be perfectly taken up by a grip hand of a robot and delivered to a receiving station.

Abstract: In the conventional elevator, there arise problems that there is no apparatus capable of reducing only radio-frequency components according to the characteristics of the rubber isolator and dealing with vertical vibration of the entire car, although it is possible to reduce the vibration descending along the rope while passing through the rubber isolator at the lower portion of the car.

Abstract: The invention relates to an advancing tailpiece of a continuous belt conveyor system used in the mining industry. The advancing tailpiece is supported by telescopic booms extending from a support structure rising from the base of a tow car. The telescoping booms are pivotally connected to the support structure and the advancing tailpiece. The advancing tailpiece further includes a mechanical arm pivotally connected to the advancing tailpiece and having a telescopic boom. Carrying idler assemblies are loaded on the mechanical arm which is used to position the carrying idler assembly for attachment to an intermediate conveyor section of the continuous belt conveyor.

Abstract: A hay bale carrier has a horizontal U-shaped wheel supported frame. The frame is comprised of separate parallel arms, with the arms being connected by a forward cross beam. A hollow tongue extends forwardly from the frame and has an elongated tongue member slidably mounted therein with its forward end protruding from the forward end of the tongue. A post structure is pivotally secured to the cross beam and has at least one bale penetrating bar secured thereto and extending in a rearward direction. A first pulley is located on the upper end of the post structure, a second pulley is located on the forward end of the tongue, and a third pulley is located rearwardly of the tongue. An elongated cable has one end secured to the tongue and is thence threadable about the first, second and third cables with a second end secured to the tongue member.

Abstract: A retractable arm serves as a combined pushing mechanism and dead plate for holding and moving articles that have been stacked onto an accumulation tray for a stacking station in an article sortation conveying system. The stacking station stacks articles sequentially onto the accumulation tray standing upright on edge and in series side-by-side. While the articles are being stacked, the retractable arm is positioned in the down position and positioned so that a first side of the arm holds the articles on edge without tipping, much like a bookend. A linear motion actuator, preferably a pneumatic cylinder, moves the retractable arm along the length of the elongated accumulation tray. During the stacking procedure, the pneumatic cylinder is deactivated (i.e. a dead cylinder), and the stacked articles push the retractable arm incrementally along the accumulation tray towards an unloading area.