Abstract: An airflow system for a waste conveyor, having a conveyor enclosure with a bottom side configured for being mounted above a conveyor surface. One or more air flow unit enclosures are mounted to the conveyor enclosure. Each air flow unit enclosure has a divergent channel with a channel intake end fluidly connected to the air exhaust and a channel discharge end configured for providing a stream of air (Q) toward the conveyor surface. The divergent channel has a widening cross section (Xd) in a downstream air direction (D) between the channel intake end and the channel discharge end of the divergent channel, and is arranged at an angle (?) larger than 0° and smaller than 45° degrees with respect to the bottom side of the conveyor enclosure.

Abstract: Item singulation systems and methods may include an input conveyor, a separation conveyor, and an output conveyor that is positioned orthogonally to the input conveyor. A vision system may determine individual columns of items from among a plurality of items on the input conveyor. Operations of the input conveyor, separation conveyor, and output conveyor may be controlled substantially as a pull system to transfer individual columns of items to the output conveyor, such that singulated items can be transferred by the output conveyor to downstream processes.

Abstract: A stabilizer can include an attachment surface and a non-stick surface. Multiple stabilizers can be arranged in a stack, e.g., such that the attachment surface of one stabilizer is engaged with the non-stick surface of another stabilizer. A stabilizer can be removed from the stack and attached to an item having a curved surface along the length of the item. The item, with the stabilizer attached, can be positioned on a conveyance surface, e.g., such that the stabilizer is between the conveyance surface and the item.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing an absorptive article are capable of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in a constituent element of the absorbing article when transferring the constituent element to a downstream conveying device. A main suction pad that moves along a cylindrical or conical first virtual path surface receives a constituent element from an upstream conveying device, changes the orientation by 90° and conveys the constituent element to a second position. Sub-suction surfaces of the first and second sub-suction pads move around a second reference center line along a cylindrical or conical second virtual path surface centered on the second reference center line, while being aligned with each other with a space therebetween, suction end portions of the constituent element at the second position, and transfer the constituent element to the downstream conveying device at a third position.

Abstract: A centrifugal dewatering conveyor system for removing liquid from a conveyed product comprises a modular conveyor belt designed to follow a path that includes both straight portions and helical portions. The modular conveyor belt comprises a plurality of hingedly connected modules having side walls and capable of shifting laterally relative to each other and curling up about the hinge rods to form the helical portions. In the helical portions, a centrifugal force imparted on conveyed product forces water through openings in the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A conveyor device for an automated production line, including at least one conveyor track along a course of the production line, at least one component carrier carriage for transporting components or component assemblies on the production line, wherein the production line includes transfer portions and workstations that are run through by the conveyor track along the course of the production line. The conveyor track is configured as a monorail which extends along a central longitudinal axis of the component carrier carriage. The conveyor track includes a plurality of rollers which are driven at least in part by means of drives and the component carrier carriage includes at least one friction surface, by means of which the component carrier carriage is drivable by the rollers of the conveyor track, in particular is movable dynamically along the conveyor track.

Abstract: Monitoring device (30) for monitoring a drive element (12) of a conveyor (1), in which the drive element (12) extends in a conveyance direction. The monitoring device (30) comprises a mechanism (39) attached to the drive element (12) and configured for mechanically monitoring a distance between two predetermined locations of the drive element (12) spaced apart in the conveyance direction. The monitoring device (30) is further configured for triggering an alarm signal in case the monitored distance exceeds a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A device for separating a conveying member from a support structure includes an elongated member for engaging a portion of the conveying member, and a lever. The elongated member includes a first end and a second end. The lever is coupled to at least one end of the elongated member, and the lever includes a base end and a distal end. The lever is pivotable between a first position in which the elongated member is lowered and a second position in which the elongated member is elevated.

Abstract: A linear motor conveyor system including: a track comprising a shaped guide rail; a plurality of moving elements, each moving element having: a body; at least two bearings supported by the body and configured to match with the shaped guide rail, wherein the bearings are mounted to the moving element such that the moving elements overlap along the direction of the track providing a reduced tooling pitch between the moving elements. A moving element for moving on a track of a conveyor system, the moving element including: a first set of bearings shaped to match with a first shaped guide rail; a second set of bearings configured to abut against a second guide rail; and a body supporting the first and the second bearing, wherein the body is shaped to allow the first bearing to at least partially overlap the body of an adjacent moving element.

Abstract: Automated control of a longwall stageloader bootend using a plurality of sensors. The sensors include lift sensors, side shift sensors, advance sensors, angle sensors, and conveyor belt sensors. Signals from the plurality of sensors are received by a controller and used to control the operation of the bootend. Controlling the operation of the bootend includes controlling, for example, one or more lift actuators, one or more side shift actuators, one or more advance actuators, and one or more belt actuators. These various actuators can be controlled to, for example, advance the bootend, level the bootend, or match the interfaces between the bootend and a stageloader or a conveyor structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for grouped take-up and feeding of a container-group of containers to a cyclical processing machine having a cyclical take-up device for taking up the group of containers includes an intake, a feed, and a transfer apparatus arranged in a transfer region between the intake and the take-up device. The intake forms a closed conveyor section that comprises a linear section, a conveyor, and carrying-and-holding elements that convey containers in a continuous container stream along the conveyor section. The feed uses mechanical propulsion to convey suspended containers to individually transfer the suspended containers to the carrying-and-holding elements. The transfer apparatus has rotatable grippers for taking up a container group from the container stream and after having taken up the group of containers, feeding the group of containers to the cyclical take-up device.

Abstract: A separating device for the separation of at least one load carrier from a further load carrier. The separating device comprises a driver element for arranging on a traction mechanism of a transport system, the driver element having a fastening section for fastening the driver element to the traction mechanism and a driving section for driving at least one load carrier. The driver element can be transferred at least in sections from a driving position into a release position. Furthermore, the invention relates to a traction mechanism with the separating device, to a transport system, and to a method for separating and driving at least one load carrier.

Abstract: An appliance for loading a suspended transport pocket from above with a transport item, in particular with a piece item, including a feed device for feeding the transport item into a transfer region of a suspended conveying device with a guide rail and with transport pockets that are movable along the guide rail. The course of the guide rail is designed such that the transport pocket is conveyed away upwards out of the transfer region in a suspended manner.

Abstract: A process for recognizing the orientation of a fruit, having a central axis of symmetry passing through the concave parts of the fruit. The process includes an initial measurement step in which the measuring instrument measures its distance from the sample fruit, an individual measurement step of each fruit to be treated travelling on the fruit multiple lanes tape, a comparison step in which the distance measured in the individual measurement step of each fruit to be treated is compared with the distances measured in the initial measurement step of the sample fruit to assess whether the distance measured in the individual measurement step is that one of a concave part of the fruit or that one of a convex part of the fruit, and a check step that determines that the fruit is correctly oriented or not. An apparatus that embodies this method is also described.

Abstract: A telescoping pole is provided with a device for attaching a series of removable grabber attachments at one end. One such attachment resembles the head of a hoe, where a flat blade member is attached to a shaft, so that the flat blade member is oriented in a generally perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis of the telescoping pole. The shaft of the hoe head includes complementary attachment devices that allows the hoe head to be attached to one end of the telescoping pole. Additionally, other attachments may be used interchangeably with the telescoping pole, including a removable hook member or a removable claw member. Further, an extension member may be added to the end of the telescoping pole to extend the range of the pole, and the hoe head attachment (and other attachments) may be attached at the end of the extension member.

Abstract: A rejector device for rejecting discrete products from a product stream includes a transporting means, a rejecting means, and at least two collection containers. The rejecting means can reject the products of the product stream either into one collection container or into the other. In the process, the products are rejected either towards one side of the transporting means or towards the other. The arrangement of the collection containers one above the other on one side of the transporting means makes it possible for the operator to remove products from both collection containers from one side of the rejector device.

Abstract: A conveying system and method including a conveying network and controller for transporting according to transport orders during a time-frame having a fixed duration. Each good has allocated one of different conveying criteria and one of the transport orders. The conveying network includes an entry station, an exit station, and transport paths therebetween. Each transport path is operable during each operation-mode phase in one of different operation modes, which are distinguished by constant transport-path velocities. Each operation mode has allocated, based on one of the conveying criteria, one of the transport-path velocities. The time-frame is defined by several subsequent operation-mode phases. The controller selects the operation modes for the transport paths based on the conveying criteria such that throughput of the convoying goods through the conveying network during the time-frame is optimized.

Abstract: A conveyor belt sanitization apparatus and method are provided for sanitizing a conveyor belt of the species commonly found at grocery stores and supermarkets using ultraviolet (UV) light. One or more UV light bulbs in the apparatus may be positioned to effectively sanitize a conveyor belt.

Abstract: A transport system includes: an image capturer included in a transport vehicle; a positional deviation detector that detects a positional deviation between a pre-correction position at a time when the article is placed on a reference transfer destination and a reference placement position; a corresponding relationship calculator that finds a pixel deviation between a pre-correction image and a post-correction image and calculates an actual deviation amount per unit pixel, the pre-correction image being captured at an initial position of the transport vehicle by the image capturer, and the post-correction image being captured by the image capturer at a position of the transport vehicle deviated by the positional deviation; and the correction amount calculator that finds a pixel deviation between the post-correction image and a transfer destination image captured of another transfer destination and calculates a correction amount from the pixel deviation and the actual deviation amount per unit pixel.

Abstract: A conveyor that includes a conveyor frame, a first guide rail assembly, a divert unit having a switch assembly, and an alignment key is described. In this regard, the first guide rail assembly is positioned on a first portion of the conveyor frame such that rails of the first guide rail assembly extends along a length of the conveyor. In some examples, the first guide rail includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail positioned parallel to the first guide rail. Further, the first guide rail defines a groove along a length of the first guide rail assembly. Furthermore, according to some examples, the switch assembly defines a key slot. The key slot is adapted to enable the alignment key to pass through the key slot and further into the groove of the first guide rail, thereby, aligning the switch assembly on the first guide rail.