Abstract: With an article-transfer apparatus as disclosed herein, aligning articles is not hindered even when supply intervals of the articles change. Specifically, in cases where time intervals of bags supplied from upstream to an article-introduction conveyor become short and a control unit judges that the bags will not be able to be aligned (e.g., for packaging) even if they reach an alignment conveyor, an air nozzle of an article-sorting unit sorts the bags off the article-introduction conveyor.

Abstract: An article-transfer apparatus as disclosed herein can maintain the processing capacity of a transport mechanism at a fixed capacity regardless of the capacity at which articles are supplied to the apparatus from upstream thereof. An article-transfer apparatus includes an infeed conveyor, an alignment conveyor, and an article transport unit. The infeed conveyor conveys bags in a first direction. The alignment conveyor lines up in a predetermined state a plurality of the bags fed thereto from the infeed conveyor to form an article group, and simultaneously conveys them in a second direction. The article transport unit transports the article group to a container. A plurality of the article groups are formed on the alignment conveyor.

Abstract: The article discharge system includes plural grippers, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The grippers grip the articles. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the plural grippers grips. The control unit causes the plural grippers to grip the some articles from the article group disposed in the placement unit and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the plural grippers grips, causes a predetermined combination of the grippers to release and discharge the articles. During the period after the control unit has caused the grippers to release the articles and before the control unit next causes the grippers to grip the articles, the control unit implements a zero correction process on the weight acquisition units corresponding to the grippers that were caused to release the articles.

Abstract: To provide an article gripping system that reduces the installation area of the apparatus and further shortens the amount of time from when it grips to when it feeds articles. An article gripping system (110) switches between a first positional relationship in which a container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by a first gripping unit (15A) but does not obstruct discharge of articles by a second gripping unit (15B) and a second positional relationship in which the container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by the second gripping unit (15B) but does not obstruct discharge of articles gripped by the first gripping unit (15A), so the gripping units do not move while they are holding the articles, and the articles can be prevented from falling out of the gripping units (15).

Abstract: An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

Abstract: To provide an article gripping system that reduces the installation area of the apparatus and further shortens the amount of time from when it grips to when it feeds articles. An article gripping system (110) switches between a first positional relationship in which a container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by a first gripping unit (15A) but does not obstruct discharge of articles by a second gripping unit (15B) and a second positional relationship in which the container (50) obstructs discharge of articles gripped by the second gripping unit (15B) but does not obstruct discharge of articles gripped by the first gripping unit (15A), so the gripping units do not move while they are holding the articles, and the articles can be prevented from falling out of the gripping units (15).

Abstract: An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a weighing device in which dropping of articles from gripping means and reductions in weighing precision are suppressed. In a weighing device (100), when at least one of an operation state of grippers (30) and weighing results from weighing units (40) fulfills any condition from among “a weight value of articles (A) weighed by the weighing units (40) not being a preset target weight value,” “an operating distance in an operation in which the articles (A) are held by gripping members (32) being greater than a prescribed range,” and “the operating distance in the operation in which the articles (A) are held by the gripping members (32) being less than the prescribed range,” the articles (A) gripped by the grippers (30) are returned to an article group accommodation container (52) by a control unit (70) without said articles (A) being discharged to a discharge chute.

Abstract: An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

Abstract: Problem It is an object of the present invention to provide an article discharge system that can efficiently perform the operation of discharging articles. Solution An article discharge system 100 pulls out and discharges some articles A from an article group A1 disposed in a placement unit 50. The article discharge system includes plural grippers 30, weight acquisition units 40, and a control unit 70. The grippers grip the articles. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the plural grippers grips. The control unit causes the plural grippers to grip the some articles from the article group disposed in the placement unit and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the plural grippers grips, causes a predetermined combination of the grippers to release and discharge the articles.

Abstract: Providing an article discharge system that can be made compact. The article discharge system pulls out some articles from an article group and discharges them. The article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers 30, a movable member 20, a robot 10 that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units 40, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip, with gripping member 32, the articles. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips.