Abstract: An upper conveyor deck includes a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley which belts are configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction. A first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the belts contacts the lower run of that belt, and a diversion guide outside the interior of the belt contacts the belt downstream from the first diversion pulley. A deflecting device at the first diversion pulley is configured to prevent scrap material from becoming pinched between the belt and the first diversion pulley.

Abstract: A load forming system includes a feed conveyor, a load former, a transfer platform and a shifter having a contact body and an actuator for moving the contact body toward and away from the load former to shift objects from the transfer platform onto the load former. The shifter has an enabled state in which the actuator can move the contact body, and a disabled state in which movement of the contact body is prevented. The transfer platform includes a first section and a second section hingedly connected to the first section. In an automated configuration the second section is raised and the shifter is enabled and a guard is mounted at the second edge of the second section, and in a worker-assisted configuration the second section is lowered and the shifter is disabled.

Abstract: A load former includes a frame, a loading zone and a horizontal cookie sheet supported by the frame and having a support portion shiftable between a first position in which the support portion is located on a first side of the vertical wall and forms a floor of the loading zone and a second position in which the first portion is located in a holding space on the second side of the vertical wall. A platform is located beneath the loading zone on a lift table. At least one cobot is supported by the frame or mounted in a fixed position relative to the frame and configured to lift a pallet and/or an auxiliary sheet of material and place it in at least one predetermined location on the load former or on at least one object supported by the load former. Also a method of operating the load former.

Abstract: A load forming system includes a feed conveyor, a load former, a transfer platform and a shifter having a contact body and an actuator for moving the contact body toward and away from the load former to shift objects from the transfer platform onto the load former. The shifter has an enabled state in which the actuator can move the contact body, and a disabled state in which movement of the contact body is prevented. The transfer platform includes a first section and a second section hingedly connected to the first section. In an automated configuration the second section is raised and the shifter is enabled and a guard is mounted at the second edge of the second section, and in a worker-assisted configuration the second section is lowered and the shifter is disabled.

Abstract: A frame system include first and second frame members and a locking system for locking the second member against movement in a first direction relative to the first member. The locking system includes a follower arm pivotably connected to the second member and a follower pin on the follower arm. The first member has guide surfaces configured to guide movement of the pin and a cradle for receiving the pin. The pin and the guide surfaces are configured such that moving the second frame member moves the follower pin along a predefined closed path that includes the cradle, and the cradle and follower arm are configured such that when the follower pin is in the cradle, movement of the second member in the first direction is prevented until the second member is moved in the second direction to remove the pin from the cradle.

Abstract: An auxiliary platen assembly configured to be mounted to a primary platen assembly of a bundle breaker includes an auxiliary platen having an upper surface configured to be frictionally engaged by a contact surface of a primary platen and having a lower surface configured to press against a top of a bundle when the auxiliary platen assembly is mounted to the primary platen assembly. First and second walls overlie first and second upper edge regions of the auxiliary platen. At least one first connector connects the first wall to the first edge region of the auxiliary platen in a manner that allows movement of the auxiliary platen toward and away from the first wall, and at least one second connector connects the second wall to the second edge region of the auxiliary platen in a manner that allows movement of the auxiliary platen toward and away from the second wall.

Abstract: A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck and an upper deck. The lower deck includes a plurality of sheet supports, and upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane. The upper deck includes a plurality of sheet guides, and the plurality of sheet supports and the plurality of sheet guides define therebetween a sheet transport path for moving sheets in a sheet transport direction toward the downstream end of the front end conveyor. A transverse scrap conveyor is mounted below the lower deck to carry scrap in a direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction. The transverse scrap conveyor is secured to and supported by the frame such that the transverse scrap conveyor is movable with the frame as a unit.

Abstract: A bundle breaker including first and second platen assemblies mounted above upstream and downstream breaking supports with first and second actuators for moving the platen assemblies toward and away from the breaking supports and a third actuator for moving the downstream breaking support to perform a breaking operation. The first platen assembly and/or the second platen assembly each includes an upper platen assembly and a lower platen assembly supported by the upper platen assembly, the upper platen assembly including an upper platen and a support for the upper platen and the lower platen assembly including a lower platen supported for movement relative to the upper platen in the vertical direction and relative to the upper platen in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A diverter conveyor includes a main conveyor having an upper deck and a lower deck, the upper deck including a plurality of belts, and the lower deck including a plurality of contact elements such as wheels. A plurality of paddles is mounted downstream of an entrance end of the conveyor and an actuator is configured to shift the plurality of paddles from a first position outside a sheet transport path to a second position extending into the sheet transport path such that the plurality of paddles in the second position diverts sheets from the main transport path into a diverted path and onto a rejection support.

Abstract: A conveyor includes a frame, a carriage supported by the frame for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction, a lower conveyor deck supported by the frame and an upper deck. The lower deck has a plurality of contact elements, which may be wheels, for supporting sheets of material moving through the conveyor. The upper deck includes a rear portion having a plurality of longitudinally extending transversely spaced first belts each supported by a plurality of first pulleys and a front portion including a plurality of longitudinally extending transversely spaced second belts each supported a plurality of second pulleys. The plurality of second pulleys includes a first second pulley and a second second pulley that are supported by the carriage for movement with the carriage relative to the frame.

Abstract: A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck and an upper deck. The lower deck includes a plurality of sheet supports, and upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane. The upper deck includes a plurality of sheet guides that define with the sheet supports a sheet transport path through the front end conveyor. A chad wall extends transversely to the sheet transport direction and has a top edge located below the sheet transport path and a front surface facing in the upstream direction and a plurality of fingers projecting from the front surface in the upstream direction. The top edge of the chad wall is positioned relative to the sheet transport path such that hanging chads depending from the sheets will impact the chad wall.

Abstract: A conveyor for transporting sheets along a path from an input end to a discharge end includes a main frame, an upper conveyor deck supported by the main frame and having a plurality of belts and a lower conveyor deck supported by the main frame and having a plurality of wheels supported by a plurality of shafts. The transport path is defined by the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts in the first contact region and the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels in the second contact region, and the conveyor is configured such that the sheets make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts and make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels when the sheets move along the transport path. The lower conveyor deck is shiftable laterally relative to the upper conveyor deck.

Abstract: An air knife includes a housing having a first end, a second end spaced from the first end in a longitudinal direction, a side wall extending from the first end to the second end, an interior, an entrance aperture configured to be connected to a source of pressurized air to increase a pressure of air inside the housing and an exit aperture. A nozzle is located at the exit aperture and has a nozzle inlet in fluid communication with the exit aperture and also has a nozzle outlet. A plurality of baffles are located in the interior of the nozzle, and each of the baffles is angled relative to the longitudinal direction. Also an assembly of a plurality of the air knives.

Abstract: A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck including a plurality of sheet supports and an upper deck including a plurality of sheet guides. Upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane, and the plurality of sheet supports and the plurality of sheet guides define therebetween a sheet transport path for moving sheets in a sheet transport direction toward the downstream end of the front end conveyor. At least one helical brush is positioned at the sheet transport path and is configured to engage scrap material on the plurality of sheets. The conveyor also includes a drive configured to rotate the helical brush.

Abstract: A front end conveyor has an upstream end and a downstream end, a lower deck including a plurality of primary sheet supports and an upper deck including a plurality of sheet guides. Upper portions of the primary sheet supports lie in a first plane and the sheet supports and sheet guides define a sheet transport path for moving sheets in a sheet transport direction. A pivotable sheet support extends from an upstream end of the lower deck and has at least one surface lying in a second plane. The pivotable sheet support is pivotable from a first position in which the second plane forms a first angle with the first plane and a second position in which the second plane forms a second angle with the first plane, the second angle being different than the first angle.

Abstract: A lockout device for selectively blocking linear movement of a movable frame member relative to a fixed frame member includes a lock tab pivotably mountable to the fixed frame member and having a contact surface configured to slidably engage a slide surface of the movable frame member when the lock tab has a first orientation, the movable frame member including a stop surface at one end of the slide surface, a holder for releasably holding the lock tab in a second orientation with the contact surface spaced from the slide surface, and a body mountable to the movable frame member and configured such that movement of the movable frame member in a first direction causes the body pivot the lock tab into the second orientation and movement of the movable member in a second direction causes the body to pivot the lock tab into the first orientation.

Abstract: A conveyor configured to transport sheets along a transport path from an input end to a discharge end includes a main frame, an upper conveyor deck supported by the main frame and having a plurality of belts and a lower conveyor deck supported by the main frame and having a plurality of wheels. The transport path is defined by the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts in the first contact region and the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels in the second contact region, and the conveyor is configured such that the sheets make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts and make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels when the sheets move along the transport path. The wheels are shiftable in the third direction relative to the belts and relative to the main frame.

Abstract: A bundle breaker has upstream and downstream breaking supports and first and second platens located above the breaking supports that are configured to be raised and lowered by actuators to selectively clamp a log between the platens and the breaking supports. A third actuator applies a shifting force to the downstream breaking support to shift an input end of the downstream breaking support relative to an output end of the upstream breaking support to break a second portion of the log from a first portion of the log. A controller controls the first actuator and the second actuator and the third actuator. Also, the controller is configured to stop or reduce the application of the shifting force in response to a determination that the second portion of the log has broken off the first portion of the log.

Abstract: A bundle breaker has upstream and downstream breaking supports and first and second platens located above the breaking supports that are configured to be raised and lowered by actuators to selectively clamp a log between the platens and the breaking supports. A third actuator applies a shifting force to the downstream breaking support to shift an input end of the downstream breaking support relative to an output end of the upstream breaking support to break a second portion of the log from a first portion of the log. A controller controls the first actuator and the second actuator and the third actuator. Also, the controller is configured to stop or reduce the application of the shifting force in response to a determination that the second portion of the log has broken off the first portion of the log.

Abstract: A front end conveyor include a lower deck having a plurality of lower sheet supports, an upstream upper deck having an upstream end at the upstream end of the front end conveyor, a downstream end and a plurality of first upper sheet guides and a downstream upper deck having an upstream end, a downstream end at the downstream end of the front end conveyor, and a plurality of second upper sheet guides. The lower sheet supports and the upper sheet guides define a sheet transport path for moving sheets of material though the conveyor. The downstream end of the upstream upper deck and the upstream end of the downstream upper deck are independently pivotably mounted to the frame such that the upstream end of the upstream upper deck and the downstream end of the downstream upper deck shiftable toward and away from the lower deck.