Abstract: In a package sortation conveyor comprising an endless apron supported for movement on a frame defining a main line and one or more side outlets therefrom, and a plurality of pusher elements mounted for sliding movement on the apron from one side thereof to the other to push a package through one of the side outlets, each pusher element has a guide pin depending therefrom and an anti-friction bearing on the upper part of the guide pin for cooperation with a switching mechanism and a camming bar in such manner that when a pusher element is diverted from its rest position at one side of the apron, the bearing thereon will engage the camming bar during the balance of its travel across the apron. In addition, special guide members are provided for preventing any incompletely diverted pusher element from jamming against a stationary part of the conveyor and for preventing any pusher element from jamming against a package which has been held against forward movement on the apron.

Abstract: A composite-motion drive unit comprises an electromagnet and a drive shaft extending through a hole defined in the electromagnet. The electromagnet and the drive shaft are energized and actuated independently of each other for driving distribution tables coupled respectively thereto in a composite motion pattern. A combinatorial weighing apparatus incorporating the composite-motion drive unit has sweep conveyors for transferring articles from the distribution tables, and a guide chute rotatable in a horizontal plane for distributing articles to be supplied to the distribution tables.

Abstract: A preform transfer mechanism for transferring preforms from an oven to a mold station includes a support frame, a slide block mounted on the support frame and an elongated transfer bar fixed to the slide block. At least two sets of jaw assemblies are positioned on the transfer bar. A jaw actuating rod engages the jaw assemblies to open and close them. An overtravel plunger carried by the rod permits independent closing of each jaw assembly to accommodate different diameter preforms. A set of preform locators or baskets are mounted on the support frame for receipt of heated preforms from the oven.

Abstract: A folding belt system having the head and tail pulleys twice the width of the support idler rolls and having a transition length of about 7 to 15 times the width of the belt between the fold or hinge lines, where transition width support rolls are located. The folding conveyor belt is composed of a central belt section which has specially constructed flexible areas at each edge extending longitudinally the length of the belt to which are attached cover flaps. The cover flaps completely enclose the load while it is conveyed. This reduces spillage, dust, and contamination while providing highly enhanced conveying capacity. The flaps may be of the same or different construction than the center section of the belt.

Abstract: A conveyor belt formed of links, in which the links each carry on a pair of opposite parallel sides, sleeve-shaped, mutually spaced ears which are each fitted into the spaces between the ears of adjoining links, such that the interfitted ears may be articulated relative to each other by transverse rods inserted therein. At the lateral side ears, the transverse rods are secured against displacement by pegs or dowels inserted from the side and acting as closing and stop devices.

Abstract: A self-cleaning trash rack for removing debris from a stream of water has an upright frame positioned in the path of trash carried by the stream and a plurality of endless, flexible chains carrying trash supports which engage and carry debris on the upstream side of the frame upwardly for disposal. Each chain has sufficient slack to enable any trash support on the upstream side of the frame to rock in such direction as to release debris that is too heavy to be carried upwardly by such trash support.

Abstract: A conveyor system for the mass transport and handling of articles or containers through any packaging and/or processing cycle (for example, uncasing, filling, cooling, sorting, recasing) wherein the individual articles or containers are, at some point in the handling cycle, surrounded or encased by a removable cylindrical ring, enabling the containers for items to be efficiently moved and treated in the packaging and/or processing cycle; the system also includes a mechanism for removal and recycling of the removed rings.

Abstract: A process and device are provided for supplying an operation station with a uccession of articles guided along a given path from a feeding station, whereby an acceleration is imparted to each article by a pushing lug for example, and then the article is braked by a retainer lug for example.

Abstract: A device for use with conveyor tracks, comprising a continuous drive element (2), arranges so as to be moved by drive device (30) on a track with steering mechanisms for the drive element and load-carrying elements moving along the track, they being equipped with attachment devices (28) to the driving element in such a manner that they can accompany the same in their movements for the transport of materials. Drive element (2) has the shape of a band with corrugations, between which are constructed transverse grooves. The material in the drive element is hard and resilient and is preferably composed of a stiff plastic material and is dimensioned in such a way that the corrugations and hence the grooves in general retain their shape during the intended drive resistance and the intended load under the effect of the pointwise applying driving elements (30).

Abstract: A roller having a torque overload release mechanism for use with an accumulating roller conveyor system. A shaft is rotatably mounted to a frame for the conveyor system while a drive sprocket is rotatably mounted to one end of the shaft. A first friction pad is secured to the shaft and abuts against one end of the drive sprocket while a second friction pad is axially slidably mounted to the shaft and abuts against the other axial end of the drive sprocket. A nut variable compresses one or more belleville washers against the second friction pad to thereby drivingly connect the drive sprocket and shaft together and yet permit torque overload release when the torque between the shaft and the sprocket exceeds a predetermined but adjustable amount.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously forming a product having elongated members at least about one foot long which are oriented, compressed and bonded is provided. The apparatus deposits elongated members on a moving carrier with an orientation that is substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the carrier. The members are deposited on the carrier over a length of carrier that is at least as long as about one and one-half times the length of the elongated members and is at least as long as about 30 times the final thickness of the compressed, composite product.

Abstract: A composite floor plate assembly for locating between side walls of a pan of a scraper-chain conveyor has an access plate fitted into an aperture in a floor plate proper. A locking bar secures the access plate in position. The access plate has the same thickness as the floor plate but lies wholly flush with the floor plate as does the locking bar and the fixings to prevent collision with the scraper-chain assembly.

Abstract: A balustrade of passenger conveyor comprises a guide handrail having a fitting groove for fitting the guide member onto an end of a balustrade panel, a longitudinal groove formed by a bottom wall and inner and outer side walls of the guide member, the handrail guide being formed by a material having a resilience which allows the width of the fitting groove to become small when the outer walls of the guide member are laterally displaced, and an extension member which is extendable within the longitudinal groove to laterally displace the outer side walls of the guide member. The width of the fitting groove can thus be made narrow by the action of the extension member so that the balustrade panel can be held by the inner side walls of the guide member, thereby firmly fixing the guide member to the balustrade panel.

Abstract: Bucket conveyor (13) with a rotatable boom, which comprises a frame (18) and a plurality of pulleys (21-22-23) on which an endless catenary (17) of buckets (20) is driven, the catenary (17) consisting of at least one chain (19) bearing a plurality of buckets (20), in which bucket conveyor (13) substantially a whole lower bar (28) contained between the front lower pulley (22) and the rear lower pulley (23) is able to oscillate and is rotated about the neighborhood of the axis (30) of rotation of the front lower pulley (22). The variant of the bucket conveyor (13) with a rotatable boom comprises in cooperation with the front lower pulley (22) a support (41) able to move substantially in the plane on which such catenary (17) of buckets (20) lies.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing segments of a wafer adhering to an upper surface of a flat flexible carrier. The apparatus comprises a base supporting a separator plate disposed between a cassette-type conveyor and a support plate. The separator plate has a separator edge spaced apart from the conveyor to form a narrow gap. A take-up drum is rotatably mounted within the base and has a clamping member capable of gripping the leading edge of the flexible carrier. When the take-up drum is rotated by a powering mechanism the carrier is drawn along the support surface and into the narrow gap between the separator plate and conveyor. The carrier is framed to ensure that the carrier maintains its configuration during operation of the apparatus. The powering mechanism that rotates the take-up drum simultaneously actuates the conveyor. Thus, as the carrier is drawn into the narrow gap the segments of the wafer and the frame are peeled from the carrier and deposited onto the conveyor.

Abstract: A device for individually and sucessively advancing cops from a cop-producing machine in an orderly manner via conveyor belts to a cyclically stepwise advanceable cop conveyor having take-up mandrels thereon, comprising respective substantially vertical loading shafts located between the conveyor belts and the cop conveyor for delivering cops in upright position onto the take-up mandrels of the cop conveyor, the loading shafts being formed of sidewise deflectable wall elements, an actuating device operatively engageable with the loading shafts, respectively, for deflecting the wall elements thereof sidewise so as to permit the respective delivered cop to be father advanced by the cop conveyor, clock switching devices connected to the conveyor belts for actuating the belts to individually and successively advance the cops in the orderly manner, and a sensor for distinguishing between the absence and presence of a cop on a respective take-up mandrel of the cop conveyor and for enabling and disenabling the clock

Abstract: Frusto-conical or cylindrical reels or cones are first oriented with their axes perpendicular or parallel to the axis of a conveyor belt. Then, by a tilting device actuated by a detector device for detecting the position of a through hole in a reel, the reels or cones are all arranged with their axes parallel to the axis of the conveyor belt. In the case of frusto-conical reels or cones a further detector actuates a device for rotating the reels or cones about a vertical axis. The system includes a slanting plate for rectifying the position of the reels or cones, the tilting device and relative detector and the rotating device and relative detector. All these devices can be removed selectively and a flag-shaped device is provided for fitting to the system in order to adapt it for use with disk-shaped reels.

Abstract: In a plate belt conveyor for steep conveying in the overlapping region of adjacent plates (5, 6), a pocket (15) is provided which is formed by a seam (12) and an upward projecting leg (8) of the lower rear plate end as well as a roof-like arch (9) projecting over the seam (12) and the leg (8) with downward directed leg (10) of the front upper plate end. The rising flank of the seam (12) is concentrically formed with respect to the chain fulcrum (14) in such a manner that when the leading plate (6) is angled relative to the trailing plate (5), the pocket (15) firstly remains closed and opens only on a further angling of the plate.

Abstract: A scraper cleaning apparatus for reversible conveyor belts comprising a plurality of individual scraper elements which are all simultaneously pressed against the belt by the coordinated operation of first and second flexible vessels by which the scraper elements can be disengaged from the belt when reversing the direction of movement of the belt.

Abstract: A travelling hopper belt car has a feed chute and a throw-off conveyor belt that can pivot in a vertical plane around a horizontal axis in the area of the feed chute. The side walls of the feed chute are designed in two parts with the upper side section in each case foldable down around a horizontal axis at least to the height of the axis.