Abstract: An object-sorting system has a conveyor having a horizontally extending stretch, a plurality of pushers fixed on and spaced along the conveyor and extending upward from the stretch thereof, and an upright chute adapted to hold a stack of objects and having a downwardly open outlet spaced above an upstream end of the conveyor stretch. An elongated support surface extends horizontally above the stretch and has an upstream end below the outlet port. A drive advances the stretch and thereby displaces the pushers downstream past the outlet so that the pushers engage at least a lowermost object of the stack in the chute and move the engaged object(s) downstream along the support surface. The support surface can pivot about an axis at the support-surface downstream end and thereby change a vertical spacing between the support surface upstream end and the outlet port.

Abstract: An object-sorting system has a conveyor having a horizontally extending stretch, a plurality of pushers fixed on and spaced along the conveyor and extending upward from the stretch thereof, and an upright chute adapted to hold a stack of objects and having a downwardly open outlet spaced above an upstream end of the conveyor stretch. An elongated support surface extends horizontally above the stretch and has an upstream end below the outlet port. A drive advances the stretch and thereby displaces the pushers downstream past the outlet so that the pushers engage at least a lowermost object of the stack in the chute and move the engaged object(s) downstream along the support surface. The support surface can pivot about an axis at the support-surface downstream end and thereby change a vertical spacing between the support surface upstream end and the outlet port.

Abstract: The instant invention is used to feed a stack of flattened cartons in which the cartons extend in respective parallel planes and where the stack has an end formed by a frontmost carton. A device for picking the cartons off the stack starting with the frontmost carton includes a grab displaceable along a path passing through a pickup point and operable when at the point to engage and grip the frontmost carton, and a system for displacing the path and thereby moving the location along a generally straight line for setting the picker for cartons of different height.

Abstract: An apparatus for the insertion of products of various sizes from a product conveyor into containers on a container conveyor has an insertion chain of carriages whose rams are controlled by endless cams along the carriage travel path. The hold-down tongues on hold-down rods are mounted on slides which are guided on posts of the carriages and controlled by a slide cam and a rod cam on a cam carrier which is split for size adjustment upon movement of a moveable carrier to vary the positions of these cams at the insertion region of the chains when products of different sizes are to be inserted in the boxes.

Abstract: A conveyor has a pair of outer and a pair of inner endless conveyor elements having parallel conveying stretches extending in a transport direction, and respective rows of holders on the conveyor elements with the holders of the outer elements offset in the direction from the holders of the inner elements and the holder element of each inner and outer element aligned transversely with the respective holder of the other inner and outer element. A main shaft journaled at one end of the stretches defines a main axis and respective pairs of inner and outer sprockets on the main shaft guide the respective conveyor elements around the main shaft. One of the inner sprockets and one of the outer sprockets are axially fixed on the main shaft and the other inner sprocket and the other outer sprocket are displaceable axially along the main shaft. Only one of the pairs of sprockets is rotationally coupled to the main shaft. A secondary shaft is spaced from and parallel to the main shaft.

Abstract: A system for erecting boxes has a magazine holding supply of flattened boxes having panels separated at respective fold lines, a support wheel generally continuously rotating about an axis adjacent the supply, a grab on the support wheel, an unfolder on the wheel adjacent the grab, and a conveyor adjacent the wheel. The grab and the unfolder are pivotal on the wheel about a grab axis parallel to the wheel axis and defining thereabout an orbit and the conveyor has upper and lower elements defining parallel and vertically spaced upper and lower conveyor planes, and front and rear elements displaceable parallel to the planes therebetween and defining respective conveyor calls. The upper plane is generally tangent to the orbit of the grab axis.