Abstract: A container rotating-transporting device for transporting a plurality of containers while rotating same, which comprises a transport device for transporting the containers straightly, a plurality of container stands each provided rotatably on the transport device to hold a container thereon and having a roller or pulley and a rotation imparting member for rotating each container stand when the roller or pulley contacts the rotation imparting member. This device is used for a container inspecting device.

Abstract: A device (10) for metering containers (14) for use in packaging machines is disclosed as including a pin system (11) which is pivotally mounted about its drive shaft (22) relative to a conveyor (54). Pin system (11) includes a driven flexible member in the form of cross bars (16) mounted to a roller chain (18) in a generally elliptically shaped endless loop, with the pins (12) extending form the cross bars (16) and being operatively attached to cam followers (20) thereby. The elliptically shaped endless loop is supported by a cam support (24) extending between drive and idler sprockets (28, 32) for continuously changing the pitch angles of the pins (12) along a portion of the endless loop.

Abstract: A conveyor belt system having an improved pulley is disclosed in which the improved pulley includes a roller having grooves of varying width machined into the cylindrical surface of the roller to form raised guides or lands of equal width therebetween which spiral outward relative to the center of the roller with decreasing pitch. The contacting surface of the guides is operative to engage a conveyor belt or webbing passing over the pulley and the varying pitch of the guides allows for the quick centering of unaligned belts or webs. The roller may be machined to have more than one helical guide spiralling outward from the center of the cylindrical surface of the roller at one time. The guides may be squared, chamfered or rounded and may optionally contain serrations. The roller may additionally be machined to taper slightly from its center to the respective ends thereof.

Abstract: A roller conveyor comprises rollers (10) journalled on through shafts (13), which are linked together by means of alternatingly arranged links (11, 11a). Links (11a) mounted between adjacent rollers (10) on a mutual shaft (13) have support surfaces (12) on one side of the plane of the conveyor. These links (11a) are placed separately, so that links on each side of one roller (10) are linked to different adjacent shafts (13) and are pivotable at least 135.degree. to each side of the conveyor plane.

Abstract: An article inspection system is described wherein articles are fed to a working flight of a conveyor moving at high velocity. The articles are delivered through a stabilizer to an article inspection device. The articles are fed to the working flight of the conveyor in a laterally spaced relationship and at a velocity different than the high forward velocity of the continuously moving working flight. The stabilizer is utilized to adjust the velocity of the individual articles to match that of the working flight, and to stabilize the articles individually in laterally spaced orientations across the working flight. The stabilizer includes a flexible, open mesh surface that is mounted by a resilient core to a rotatable shaft. A drive wheel is mounted to the shaft and engages the working flight to rotate the open mesh surface at a velocity matching that of the working flight.

Abstract: A sheet stacker in which sheets are compiled in a tray (71) against registration (74) and a completed set is ejected, the registration members (74) being retracted, by an eject mechanism comprising a continuously rotating drive roller (80) projecting through the base (72) of the tray and a coacting idler roller (81) mounted on a spring arm (82) which is retracted during stacking and then pressed against the top of the completed set to effect ejection. Preferably the roller (80) is a deformable roller having a low coefficient of friction surface.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing samples from a single-layer stream of cigarettes which move sideways in the peripheral flutes of hollow rotary first and second drum-shaped conveyors has two valving elements which are disposed in the interior of the respective conveyors and establish or terminate connections between certain suction ports of the two conveyors and a suction generating device in such a way that a desired number of samples can remain on the first conveyor and advance therewith beyond a transfer zone between the two conveyors when the operator depresses a pushbutton, or at regular intervals. In normal operation, all of the cigarettes which are supplied to the flutes of the first conveyor upstream of the transfer zone are delivered to the flutes of the second conveyor.

Abstract: A chain conveyor which moves along a curved path comprises a conveyor chain (1) formed of plate links (3), which are hinged to each other, and a track (2) on which the links (3) slide. The track (2) is made of plastics material in which a magnetic strip (6) is embedded. The strip (6) is made of magnetic powder bonded with plastics material and the remainder of the track (2) has ferromagnetic powder incorporated in it. The links (3) are ferromagnetic and thus a magnetic field passes through the track (2) and the link (3) to hold the conveyor chain (1) in contact with the track (2) especially where the track is curved. Where the track is curved the magnetic strip (6) is preferably at the outside of the curve.

Abstract: Apparatus including a pair of transfer bars, extending horizontally in spaced parallelism, for transporting work through successive processing stations as in a three-dimensional transfer press system for the fabrication of various panel products. The transfer bars are cam operated to move back and forth, up and down, and toward and away from each other, thereby three-dimensionally transferring work. For the up-and-down motion of the transfer bars a lift cam mechanism is coupled via a rack-and-pinion linkage to lift carriers carrying the transfer bars so as to allow them to reciprocate longitudinally and move toward and away from each other. Interposed between the lift cam mechanism and the rack-and-pinion linkage is a height adjustment mechanism providing a variable length of connection therebetween to make it possible to adjust the lowermost position of the transfer bars to the height of the lower press dies in use.

Abstract: The present invention consists in employing conveyors and/or pushers in order to permit movable planes (7,110) to be advanced along bearing guides (1, 102) showing a quadrilateral shape. The advancing motion of the movable planes (7, 110) is caused by several devices which are housed in seats, suitably profiled, of the guides (1, 102). These devices are mounted on a peripheral chain line (3, 104). According to a first embodiment, the aforesaid devices are provided with a series of small bars (5) which are mounted on the chain (3) and supports magnetic elements (4) dragging metallic discs (6) applied under sliding planes (7). According to a second embodiment, the chain line (104) supports a series of plates (106) which are provided with pushers (108) working in contrast with a spring and pushing vertical stirrups (111) which are provided under the sliding planes (110).

Abstract: A belt scraper assembly for cleaning material from a conveyor belt (2). The scraper assembly (1) includes scraper elements (6) that are slidably secured to a mounting plate (7). An element may be replaced, without stopping the conveyor or the cleaning action, by inserting a new element (6) while pushing an old one out. The scraper element has a curved shape such that the belt continually sharpens the scraping edge (22) as it travels, rather than rounding it.

Abstract: The weighing machine comprises a number of aligned weighing receptacles which receive the irregular elongate articles in spaced-apart relationship from a supply apron supplied by a vibrating device from a receiving hopper, and a return device to the receiving hopper for recycling the irregular elongate articles not supplied to the weighing receptacles. The weighings of the weighing receptacles are computerized and the optimal weighing combination is selected within a predetermined margin among the weighings of an arbitrary number of a group of weighing receptacles associated with one weighing machine or with two weighing machines disposed one opposite another, as the case may be.

Abstract: A scraper device having a number of identical scraper elements that extend one beside another substantially over the width of a conveyer belt. Each scraper element basically comprises: a metal scraper or doctor blade that is in resilient engagement with the conveyer belt; an arm that supports the scraper blade; and a resilient articulation that is disposed at the free end of the support arm. The stationary part of the articulation is releasably secured to a common support tube that extends transverse to the direction of conveyance and parallel to the conveyer belt. The point where the scraper edge engages the belt in relation to the pivot axis of the resilient articulation is such that the base of a perpendicular line from such axis to the belt lies on the approach side of the belt at a slight distance ahead of the point of engagement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vibrating conveyor in which the frame (1) and the trough (2) of the vibrating device are attached to each other by rigid bars (6). At the attachment points of the bars (6) to the trough (2) and to the frame (1) there are resilient components such as rubber discs (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d), axially fitted to the bars (6).

Abstract: An apparatus for handling a plurality of flat, collapsed, folded paper boxes which have been produced on a high speed, folder-gluer, delivered in shingled formation onto the advancing apron of a stacker, counted into slugs of about fifty each and must be packed into cases for shipment. To enable an operator to grasp individual and successive lifts of the flats between her hands and remove them for packing, the apparatus includes a secondary apron traveling at less speed than the stacker apron to raise the shingled flats upstanding on edge, hold down belts to prevent misalignment and a transversely movable segregation rod mounted on a carriage movable horizontally alongside the path of the flats. The carriage has one-way clutch rollers so that the rod will hold back the leading flat but the carriage will roll freely back to the next slug. Speed reduction mechanism may be used to advance the carriage at less speed than the apron to compress the line of flats when edge stacking is desirable or necessary.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chain link for use with a fingered transfer plate. The link comprises a base portion and a raised portion integral with and supported by the base portion. The raised portion includes a plurality of coplanar fork-shaped members, each of the fork-shaped members comprising two prongs and a stem, wherein the prongs of each fork-shaped member are parallel to each other and the width of the stem is less than the distance between the prongs, the fork-shaped members being arranged in a regularly spaced row.

Abstract: Empty boxes for packing articles thereinto, typically fruit, are packed by handpackers, for example, stationed along a plurality of fruit packing lines, each line provided with an empty box accumulation station. As soon as a box is packed and conveyed to a palletizer, an empty box is conveyed to the accumulation station on conveyor belt means from a box buffer station in closest proximity thereto and immediately upstream thereof to stack up against the last, or most upstream of the accumulated boxes, causing each box in each upstream buffer station to be conveyed downstream to thereby maintain each buffer station satisfied, the last box of the most upstream buffer station being supplied from a main box holding station. Box movement is controlled by photocell switches inputting signals to a microprocessor indicating the absence or presence of a box at a predetermined location.

Abstract: A support and enclosure system for a hinged belt conveyor includes a frame truss enclosing loaded and unloaded belt flights. The frame truss includes a plurality of vertical risers. The loaded flight rides between a plurality of troughing roll sets and top idler roll sets. The unloaded flight is supported and guided by return idler roll sets. Each of the roll sets is connected distally by a clevis to mounting shafts. The mounting shafts are accepted into mounting brackets. The mounting brackets for the troughing rolls and return idler rolls include a locking bolt for fixing the position of the shafts in the bracket. The bracket for the top idler rolls includes a spring for biasing the top idler mounting shafts outward so as to bias the top idler rolls downward onto the loaded flight. Each mounting bracket incorporates a recess for accepting a first portion of a riser and a pivoting leg for engaging an opposed section of the riser.

Abstract: This invention provides a drive system for moving wheeled structures longitudinally along a supporting track. The drive system includes an element extending longitudinally below the track and having an upwardly inclined ramp portion, a main portion extending in parallel with the track and leading from the ramp portion, and a downwardly extending portion leading from the main portion. A drive system is adapted to drive the element such that the main portion moves at a speed equal to that at which the wheeled structure is intended to move and a gripper mechanism is provided for attachment to the wheeled structure to engage with the element.

Abstract: A product supply system for an accumulation packaging machine which may permit a high speed operation of a product discharge section and smoothly supply a product to the accumulation packaging device with a row arrangement of the product retained. The product supply system comprises a push conveyance line provided between the product discharge section and the accumulation packaging machine through an acceleration feeding device, and a product separating device and a product retaining device each provided in the push conveyance line and adapted to be interlocked with the accumulation packaging machine, wherein a product feed velocity of the acceleration feeding device is higher than that of the product discharge section.