Abstract: A section of chain for conveying product along a material handling system includes a pin connecting a center link between two side links. The pin may be dialable or selectably positioned at the side links to control and adjust the wear surface of the pin relative to the chain links. The pin may have a rotationally non-symmetrical shaft portion to provide different wear surfaces that engage a center link of the section of chain. The different wear surfaces may be sized and shaped to accommodate wear at the wear surface of the center link. The shaft portion may include a rotationally non-symmetrical ball member or portion on the shaft portion to enhance flexibility of the section of chain. The pin may be dialed to the next position or wear surface in response to an output of a wear measurement device or system.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and a unit for the formation of groups of products in a machine for continuous packaging of products, according to which at least two continuous rows of products are fed via two conveyor devices set in series with respect to one another along a first given path and in contact with at least one alignment element, which is set transverse to the first path and in front of the rows of products to align the rows themselves with respect to one another, and is displaced along a second, loop-like, path defined by two portions, along which the alignment element is set on the inside and on the outside, respectively, of the first path.

Abstract: In a machine for feeding a partially formed carton in a conveying direction and reorienting the carton for completion, a turn-assist mechanism and related methods help to ensure that proper turning of a skewed carton is achieved in a reliable and highly efficient manner. The mechanism comprises a bed for supporting the carton, which may be skewed from a first orientation in which one of the side flaps could be folded and sealed in an upstream procedure. A conveyor includes at least one lug with a portion generally elongated in a direction transverse to the conveying and vertical directions for engaging a trailing end of the carton. This engagement helps to turn the carton to a second, squared orientation approximately 90° rotated from the first orientation so that the forming operation may be completed, such as by folding and sealing any other side flaps.

Abstract: An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a driven roller and a idler roller each coupled with a flexible member. A pressure roller is also included and can be forced against the driven roller to tension the flexible member.

Abstract: A belt unit includes a plurality of rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller; a belt being supported by the plurality of rollers; a specified roller; and a shift restraint member restraining the belt from shifting toward one end side of the specified roller. The specified roller is at least one roller of the plurality of rollers. The specified roller has such a shape that an outer diameter thereof on each of both end sides thereof is continuously enlarged toward a central part thereof in an axial direction thereof, and has such a shape that a region where the outer diameter thereof is the largest is shifted onto one end side thereof with respect to the central part thereof in the axial direction thereof within a belt suspension range.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic pallet exchanger of a machine tool, which can exactly decide a position of a pallet exchanging operation, and which can improve stability in operation. The automatic pallet exchanger includes an APC driving shaft (30) rotatably and elevatably standing on an APC body (20); an APC arm (40) supported on the APC shaft (30) for exchanging pallets of a processing area and a waiting area; rotating means for rotating the APC driving shaft (30); a cylinder (80) inserted on the APC driving shaft (30) and fixed on the APC body; a piston mounted on the APC driving shaft (30) for elevating the APC driving shaft (30) according to hydraulic pressure direction within the cylinder (80); a stopper (100) located within a fixed radius from the APC driving shaft (30) and fixed on the APC arm (40); and a pair of stop bolts (110A, 110B) fixed on the APC body (20) to stop the rotation of the APC arm (40) by contacting with the stopper (100) whenever the APC arm (40) is rotated at an angle of 180°.

Abstract: A driving assembly for driving panels and plate elements in general to be processed comprises a central framework for supporting a driving chain continuously entrained on a driving pulley and an idle pulley, a plurality of panel driving shoes being coupled to the chain. The main feature of the invention is that the driving assembly further comprises, on a portion of an active arm of the driving chain, actuator elements for removing the drive shoes from a panel sliding plane, to allow a processing tool to perform a lot of desired machining operations on the panels.

Abstract: Systems and methods to facilitate the cleaning of arenas, such as stadiums having different seating levels. Pivotable bins can collect and funnel trash from different levels such as the concourse level. A series of tubes or chutes can be fixed to the arena structural undercarriage. Approximately 24? diameter tubes can be used to funnel trash from the bins located on perimeter arena walkways to receptacle containers, recycling containers at ground levels, and even refuse removal trucks. The chutes and tubes can be located adjacent to walkway aisles on different levels of the arena. The chutes/tubes can be vertically oriented and/or be inclined as long as refuse can move down the chutes by gravity. Grates can be also used beneath the bins. And locks can further provide safety.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transfer mechanism (12) for separating conveyed objects (4) out to the side from a first conveyor system (1) onto another conveyor system (14), with a pushing unit and two parallel flexible drives (15a, b) at a distance apart extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first conveyor system (1), each of which has an endless traction means (23) which can be driven, and the pushing unit has oppositely lying drivers secured to the traction means (23) and a profiled pushing element (29) which is able to slide out of an initial position at the side, adjacent to a conveyor path (6), into an operating position in the conveyor path (6).

Abstract: A balustrade fastening arrangement for an escalator or passenger conveyor having a moveable skirt panel whereby the fastening arrangement secures an inner decking panel such that it overhangs the moving skirt panel between the skirt panel and the step.

Abstract: A transfer tail assembly for use with a conveyor assembly that creates a reduced radius transition from the upper run to the lower run of a continuous conveyor belt used with the conveyor assembly. The transfer tail assembly includes a stationary nose bar over which the continuous conveyor belt passes at the end of the conveyor assembly. The nose bar is supported at the end of the conveyor assembly by a series of support brackets mounted to a cross support. Each of the support brackets is formed from a wear resistant material and contacts the conveyor belt as the conveyor belt passes around the transfer tail assembly. The nose bar, support brackets and cross support are mounted within the tail assembly without the use of any external connectors and thus require no tooling to assemble and disassemble.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an endless conveyor belt comprises providing a flexible web in the form of a PTFE cross film laminate which in its as laminated state has a first length and a first lengthwise yield strength. The web is prestressed by lengthwise stretching to a second length greater than its as laminated first length to thereby achieve a second lengthwise yield strength greater than its as laminated first lengthwise yield strength. The ends of the prestressed web are then interconnected.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus and method for conveying materials in which the conveyor belt has chord members located along each belt side. The chord members are adapted to fit within a slotted track assembly whereby the chord members slide relative to the track assemblies when the conveyor is actuated.

Abstract: A bulk material handling system includes a bulk material handling apparatus to convey bulk material and a bulk material handling accessory to aid the bulk material handling apparatus in conveying the bulk material. The bulk material handling accessory includes a controller having one or more sensors. The controller generates a control signal to adjust operation of the bulk material handling accessory based upon at least one status signal of the one or more sensors. The controller also generates the control signal in accordance with a status signal to control signal response pattern defined by system parameter values. The system parameters include a minimum value to define a minimum level of the control signal associated with fail-safe operation and a maximum value to define a maximum level of the control signal associated with stable operation the bulk material handling accessory.

Abstract: A device and method for sequencing trays includes a tray receiving conveyor and a recirculating conveyor. Trays are placed on the recirculating conveyor and merged with ejected trays into a multiple of sequenced trays at one or more merge locations. The system can include more than one merge location, with one of the merge locations providing a merge of trays into a contiguous sequence of trays.

Abstract: A rotating cylinder is used to orient wood material, such as but not limited to blocks (e.g., finger joint blocks), preparatory to further processing. The rotating cylinder uses gravity and a tumbling action of the blocks to orient the blocks and move them through the cylinder. Unlike known apparatus such as vibrating conveyors, embodiments of the invention are relatively simple, vibration free, not prone to mechanical stress failures, are quiet, and use minimal horsepower to operate. Furthermore, embodiments of invention may advantageously reduce noise-caused fatigue amongst lumber workers, as well as reduce maintenance and power costs. The rotating cylinder may be part of a larger system for orienting wood material, such as blocks, for further lumber processing.

Abstract: An endless side-flexing conveyor is described comprising a conveyor belt made from a number of rows of hinged interconnected belt links, where each row comprises at least one link, where each link has a front end, a back end, a top surface, a bottom surface and two sides, where hinge parts separated by apertures are arranged along the front end and the back end such that front hinge parts on the front end will fit inside apertures on the back end of an adjacent belt link, and where the front end and back end are substantially parallel to a first axis parallel to the width direction of the link, wherein the hinge parts of each link are defined by a top and bottom which are substantially flush with the top and bottom surfaces respectively, and two side surfaces and a free front surface, and that the front hinge parts on one end of each link are provided with a protrusion on each side surface, where the protrusions fit inside elongated apertures provided in the side surfaces of the rear hinge parts on the opposi

Abstract: A system and method for machining an elongate workpiece in a plurality of work cells are provided. The work cells are positioned along a substantially linear process flow path so that the work operations can be performed on different lengthwise portions of the workpiece simultaneously. A transport system advances the workpiece from an infeed system along the process flow path, thereby moving the lengthwise portions of the workpiece successively through the work cells. The transport system includes a plurality of pallets that can be engaged to the workpiece so that the workpiece is supported by the pallets throughout at least part of the machining system.

Abstract: A handling system able to efficiently process information relating to a plurality of conveyed articles, the handling system provided with a conveyer for conveying workpieces, a visual sensor for detecting positions of workpieces by acquiring images of a plurality of tracking ranges obtained by dividing a belt into sections, an encoder for detecting an amount of movement of the belt, a tracking manager for monitoring amounts of movement of the plurality of tracking ranges based on the amount of movement detected by the encoder and specifying the tracking range passing through a workpiece detection area, a workpiece manager for selecting the article in the tracking range specified by the tracking manager, and a controller for controlling operations of robots so as to hold the workpiece selected by the workpiece manager.

Abstract: Packets of cigarettes are conveyed from a packer to a cellophaner by a unit utilizing a first pocket conveyor connected to the infeed of the cellophaner, and a second pocket conveyor by which packets are directed onto the first conveyor at a transfer point; the unit is also equipped with a sensor that will check whether or not each pocket of the second conveyor is occupied by a packet, and a placement mechanism, interlocked to the sensor, of which the function is to fill any empty pockets of the first conveyor with packets recycled from the cellophaner.