Abstract: A fork lift tine construction is disclosed which includes a tine (11) and a tine mounting (12). The tine mounting (12) is characterised in that it includes at least one open area (A) through which the tip of the tine may be seen when viewed from the other side of the tine mounting (12). The construction aids in visibility of the tine for a fork lift operator and therefore offers greater accuracy.

Abstract: A modular roller-top conveyor belt constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of each row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row and interlinked by hinge pins to form an endless conveyor belt. Each of the belt modules includes a body section extending between opposite ends of each row in the direction of belt travel. Cavities formed in at least some of the modules open onto an upper conveying surface of the belt. Rollers residing in the cavities protrude onto the upper conveying surface to engage conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact. The rollers may be cylindrical rollers that rotate about axles, spherical balls that rotate in all directions, or caster-like roller assemblies.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling bags that are conveyed on a first conveyor in an upright position and on a second conveyor in a lying position, particularly for the gentle handling of bags and adapted to the handling of stand up bags, by providing a transfer device between the first and second conveyor, the first conveyor comprising a transfer portion in which the bags are oriented in a substantially horizontal direction in space, and the transfer device comprising a depositing surface for forming a row of lying bags, alone with a gripper for pulling the bags from the first conveyor onto the depositing surface in a substantially straight movement, and a delivery means for delivering the row of bags to the second conveyor.

Abstract: A system for loading and unloading semiconductor wafers includes a frame having a charging opening, a platform mounted on the frame and movable between a deployed position and a retracted position, and a movable closure for the charging opening for opening and closing a horizontal path through the charging opening. In the deployed position, the platform has a generally level orientation adjacent the charging opening and projects away from the frame for receiving thereon a cassette adapted to support therein a plurality of the semiconductor wafers to be passed though the charging opening. In one embodiment, the platform is elevationally movable on the frame between a retracted lowered position distant from the charging opening and a deployed raised position adjacent the charging opening.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for jogging elements to settle or align the elements. The apparatus includes a vibrating element and an input bin for receiving the elements to be jogged. The apparatus further includes an elongated element disposed between the vibrating element and the input bin separating the input bin from the vibrating element. Wherein, the elongated element transmits the vibrations from the vibrating element to the input bin such that the vibrations jog the elements in the input bin.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus for electric parts has a tape and a driving mechanism. The tape has holding holes for holding board-shaped electric parts therein at regular intervals and feeding holes for feeding the tape at regular intervals. The driving mechanism can feed the tape by engaging with the feeding holes of the tape. Each of the holding holes has a pair of abutting edges for abutting on both opposite surfaces of the board-shaped electric parts and at least one cutout portion formed from the abutting edges. Due to the above constitution, the board-shaped electric parts are held by the pair of abutting edges. Thus, the electric parts can be conveyed with their attitude kept fixed regardless of adverse influences such as vibrations from the moving tape, and can be easily removed from the holding holes by using the cutout portions.

Abstract: An automated cleaning system for an endless belt conveyor. The cleaning system having a central control which controls pumps supplying hot water, soap and a sanitizer to a plurality of controllable spray valves for plural spray bars.

Abstract: A chip conveyor includes an endless carrier that circulates in a predetermined direction such that chips discharged by machine tools are collected at a collecting position, are carried to a discharging position, which is spaced from the collecting position by a predetermined distance, and are discharged at the discharging position. The carrier follows an upper path from the collecting position to the discharging position and returns through a lower path from the discharging position to the collecting position. A reservoir tank is provided to correspond to the lower path of the carrier. The carrier passes through the reservoir tank, and chips attached to the carrier are separated from the carrier in a liquid in the reservoir tank.

Abstract: A continuous conveying apparatus of an unified going/returning way type in which tread faces can be turned around with driving elements (chains or the like) on both sides of the tread faces maintained. A movable member having tread faces is turned helicoidally by 180° around an axis which extends in a plane parallel to the reference plane of the tread faces and is inclined at an angle of 45° with respect to the traveling direction. Then, the movable member travels horizontally and turned helicoidally by 180° around another axis which is inclined oppositely to the aforementioned axis. Thus, the movable member travels in the direction opposite to the going direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting, loading and unloading a watercraft, such as a jet ski, or wheeled vehicle from the bed of a pick up truck, where the apparatus is convertible to a mobile dolly for storage of the jet ski or other object. The apparatus comprises a tiltable mechanism formed of a pair of spaced apart rails mounting a pair of pivotal and retractable legs at a first end, a winch mechanism at the opposite end, and a longitudinally movable and pivotal leg support mechanism, movable from the first end to near the opposite end.

Abstract: A conveyor belt scraping apparatus comprises a blade having a blade edge biased against a conveyor belt. The blade is supported at its base and has a blade body extending from the base to support the blade edge. The scraper blade body has a substantially rectangular recess in the base adapted for frictional mounting on a flange for engaging the surface of a conveyor belt for scraping material therefrom. A blade assembly of the present invention includes a mounting having a plurality of radial flanges and one or more scraper blades each having a blade body with an edge distal from its base and at least one substantially rectangular recess in the base frictionally mounted on at least one of the plurality of flanges, but not in mechanical locking engagement thereto.

Abstract: A paper feed device includes paper feed rollers to feed a sheet of paper. A paper loading device is loaded with at least a sheet of paper and lifts the loaded sheet of paper toward the paper feed rollers. A pressure differences decreasing device is mounted on the paper loading device and decreases differences of pressures among a plurality of positions where the paper feed rollers contact the sheet of paper.

Abstract: A method for selectively printing messages and adding inserts to merchant statements includes defining messages and inserts. Merchant parameters for each message and insert are then selected. Merchants having the selected parameters for each message and insert are identified. The messages and inserts are associated with the merchant statements of the merchants having the selected merchant parameters. Messages associated with the merchant statements are printed on the merchant statements. Inserts associated with the merchant statements are added to the envelopes containing the merchant statements.

Abstract: A method of transferring packing units from a receiving station to a stack building station includes the steps of delivering the packing units to the receiving station in a plurality of rows and in a plurality of tracks in a conveying direction, accepting the packing units in a plurality of rows and in a plurality of tracks at a transfer apparatus, removing all packing units of desired properties from a first row not only including packing units of desired properties, storing the at least one packing unit of desired properties, and positioning the at least one stored packing unit of desired properties in a row following the first row, so that only rows of packing units of desired properties are collected at the stack building station.

Abstract: A conveyor and escalator for transporting objects having a substantially uniform size and length such as eggs horizontally, vertically and helically vertically comprising at least one flexible endless support means; a drive means operably engaging said flexible endless support means for driving said flexible endless support means in a direction of advance; and a plurality of equispaced elongated paddles attached substantially perpendicular to said flexible endless support means, said paddles being adapted to support an object during linear travel and to open for receiving or releasing said object therebetween during arcuate travel. The endless flexible support means comprises an endless chain, an endless belt or an endless cable.

Abstract: A chain conveyor includes a slide-guide for a chain formed of articulated links, below which bodies for link articulation project within a channel. The articulation bodies for sequential links form a first seating to receive a hinged-connection pin. The pin and seating axes are directed transversely of the sliding direction of the chain on the slide-guide and the seating has an end opening facing a side wall of the channel and constituting the opening for introduction of the pin into the seating. The articulation bodies include a second seating which is close to the opening for introduction of the pin into the first seating and receives, by forced fitting, an insert which takes an interposed position between the pin end turned towards the side wall of the channel and the channel side wall itself.

Abstract: The material handling system includes a frame supporting a horizontally extending axle. A rotatable superstructure is rotatably mounted to the axle. The rotatable superstructure is generally circular and includes a plurality of spaced apart horizontal support rod members which are generally parallel to the axle and are arranged about the outer circumference of the rotating superstructure. Engagement clips attached to each of the support rod members are sized and configured so as to grasp the rims of metal storage barrels. The clips extend from points near the central portions of the rods to out past the ends of the barrels. The weight of the barrels forces the clips into snug engagement with the barrel rims. Thus, the barrels are held on a rotating wheel-like structure which may be motor driven to cause the frame to rotate about the horizontal axle.

Abstract: A wafer boat for securely holding wafers therein during processing in a vertical furnace and a method for loading dummy wafers into a wafer boat without having to remove/reload for each oxidation process have been disclosed. In the wafer boat, a plurality of cavities are formed by horizontal notches in support posts together with horizontal ridges that are integrally formed with the support posts. A raised portion extending upwardly from a top surface of the horizontal ridge such that any possible outward movements of the dummy wafer, even after repeated loading/unloading operations, from the cavity can be prevented. A suitable height of the raised portion is between about 0.2 mm and about 2 mm, a more preferred range for the height is between about 0.2 mm and about 0.5 mm.

Abstract: An ending apparatus for a log ladder (2), wherein the log ladder (2) sorts, feeds and sequentially indexes logs (54) along a longitudinal array of laterally extending adjacent log cradles (4, 8, 12), having, in the log cradles (4, 8, 12), exclusive of a downstream—most log cradle (12) in the longitudinal array, log translating means (64) for laterally translating the logs (54), when the logs (54) are in the log cradles (4, 8) exclusive of the downstream—most log cradle (12), so as to abut one end of the logs (54) against an edge (72) of the log ladder (2), wherein the log translating means (64) has selectively actuable rollers (64) mounted within a lower vertice of the log cradles (4, 8), wherein the selectively actuable rollers (64) are mounted in lateral array and the rollers (64) are generally hourglass-shaped so that in longitudinal cross section the rollers (64) have a longitudinal profile generally matching the longitudinal profile of a longitudinal cross section of the log cradles (4, 8), a

Abstract: A metallic conveyor belt arrangement for transporting bulk material comprises a metallic conveyor belt closed in itself and extending along a longitudinal axis. The metallic conveyor belt forms at least two ends, such as a slack end and a tight end, and at least a first and a second deflector loop connecting said ends. The metallic conveyor belt has first and second surfaces, each on one side thereof, of which one surface serves for loading the bulk material to be conveyed on it. A tensioning device for said metallic conveyor belt is arranged in the range of a second loop. At least one V-belt is secured to the engagement surface of the metallic belt. A roller-shaped drive wheel subdivided into at least two adjacent parts is secured to the drive shaft. The parts form a circumferential groove between them for receiving the V-belt. An axial tightening device is on the drive shaft for tightening the parts together in the direction of the shaft axis.