Abstract: A belt conveyor having upper article-supporting belt rollers that are rotated rearward by rotating lower belt rollers only when the articles are slowed or stopped from advancing with the belt. As the belt advances in a direction of travel, the lower rollers rotate by contact with a bearing surface underlying the belt. The upper rollers have axles whose ends are retained in slots that slope downward in the belt's direction of travel. The slots provide the upper rollers a range of positions between a forward position out of contact with the rotating lower roller and a rearward position contacting the lower roller, which rotates the upper roller rearward relieving back line pressure on accumulated articles.

Abstract: A conveyor belt module, a conveyor belt, a weighing system, and a method for weighing articles conveyed on a conveyor belt. A conveyor belt includes an array of load cells embedded in belt modules to measure forces normal to the belt's conveying surface. The measurements are transmitted from the belt to a remote controller as part of a vision system that identifies individual articles conveyed on the belt and pressing down on underlying load cells. The vision system determines which load cells underlie the individual articles and combines their measurements to compute the weights of the articles on the fly.

Abstract: A multi-directional roller assembly for directing articles in a conveying system. The multi-directional roller assembly has a rotatable roller frame housing at least one set of mutually-actuating rollers. The multi-directional roller assembly directs an article supported by the assembly along a trajectory determined by the orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly relative to an input force. The orientation of the multi-directional roller assembly may be changed to change the trajectory. A conveyor system may include an array of multi-directional roller assemblies. An actuator controls the orientation of the multi-directional roller assemblies individually and may also control an array of multi-directional roller assemblies as a group.

Abstract: A sorting conveyor employs suction to stabilize products on a conveyor belt. The sorting conveyor comprises a conveyor belt including a plurality of embedded rollers for moving conveyed objects relative to the conveyor belt. A vacuum chamber below the conveyor belt houses activators for the rollers and selectively creates a vacuum zone above the conveyor belt for pulling objects on the conveyor belt.

Abstract: Method and a conveyor for registering articles on a conveyor belt. The conveyor includes a registration belt having retractable flights regularly spaced along the length of the belt and article-propelling rollers between consecutive flights. The flights are raised in an upstream portion of the conveyor, and the rollers rotated to propel articles forward against the raised flights. In a downstream portion of the conveyor, a flat-top belt under the conveyor belt runs faster than the conveyor belt and causes the flights to lower and the rollers behind the lowering flights to rotate in reverse to urge the articles away from interfering with the lowering flights.

Abstract: A conveyor system having a roller-engagement mechanism and a method for conveying articles. The conveyor system includes an infeed conveyor feeding articles to a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. The conveyor belt comprises obliquely rotatable rollers—single rollers or stacked sets of rollers—selectively activated by the roller-engagement mechanism. The roller-engagement mechanism has a rack supporting a plurality of flat belts. The flat belts advance in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The rack is movable between a first position in which the flat belts advancing with the conveyor belt contact the belt rollers to inhibit their rotation and carry articles atop the belt in the direction of belt travel and a second position in which the flat belts are out of contact with the belt rollers.

Abstract: A conveying system employs independently controlled flights. The flights are controlled separately from a conveying surface. The conveying system includes a dynamic gapping conveyor for spacing conveyed objects in a selected manner. The dynamic gapping conveyor uses flexible flights independently driven by drivers to control the spacing between conveyed objects. The independent drivers allow the position of the flights to be controlled based on the length of a conveyed object.

Abstract: Method and a conveyor for registering articles on a conveyor belt. The conveyor includes a registration belt having retractable flights regularly spaced along the length of the belt and article-propelling rollers between consecutive flights. The flights are raised in an upstream portion of the conveyor, and the rollers rotated to propel articles forward against the raised flights. In a downstream portion of the conveyor, a flat-top belt under the conveyor belt runs faster than the conveyor belt and causes the flights to lower and the rollers behind the lowering flights to rotate in reverse to urge the articles away from interfering with the lowering flights.

Abstract: A conveyor belt module, a conveyor belt, a weighing system, and a method for weighing articles conveyed on a conveyor belt. A conveyor belt includes an array of load cells embedded in belt modules to measure forces normal to the belt's conveying surface. The measurements are transmitted from the belt to a remote controller as part of a vision system that identifies individual articles conveyed on the belt and pressing down on underlying load cells. The vision system determines which load cells underlie the individual articles and combines their measurements to compute the weights of the articles on the fly.

Abstract: A belt conveyor having snagless retractable flights. The flights rotate from a retracted position generally parallel to a top conveying surface on the conveyor belt to an extended position standing up and away from the top surface. In one version of the flight, a distal edge of the flight is bent downward into a cavity in the top surface of the belt when the flight is retracted. In another version, rollers at the distal end of the flight extend upstream of the distal edge of the flight. The flight rollers are rotated when the flight is retraced to lift and propel conveyed articles over the edges of the flight. Thus, both flights avoid snagging articles with discontinuous bottoms.

Abstract: A conveyor belt and a belt module having multiple roller sets, each roller set including a bottom roller in contact with an axially elongated top roller. Driving the bottom roller in a first direction causes rotation of the top roller in an opposite angular direction. The bottom rollers in first longitudinal lanes are arranged to rotate obliquely toward one side of the belt, and the bottom rollers in second lanes are arranged to rotate toward the other side of the belt. Either the first lanes of roller sets or the second lanes can be selectively actuated to direct articles conveyed atop the top rollers rearward and toward one side of the belt or the other or to receive articles fed onto the belt from either side.

Abstract: A checkpoint system, wheeled bins for a checkpoint system, and methods for conveying articles in wheeled bins through a checkpoint system. Each bin has four wheels that do not extend below the bin's flat bottom. In this way, the bin can be slid on its bottom along a shallow, troughed divesting table while it is being filled and conveyed on its bottom through a checkpoint and rolled on its wheels along a deeper troughed discharge lane. A bin return beneath the discharge lane returns bins to a bin storage queue beneath the divesting table. A sorter at the output of the checkpoint selectively diverts bins to one or more discharge lanes, such as individual lanes for cleared and for suspect bin contents.

Abstract: A conveyor system having a roller-engagement mechanism and a method for conveying articles. The conveyor system includes an infeed conveyor feeding articles to a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. The conveyor belt comprises obliquely rotatable rollers—single rollers or stacked sets of rollers—selectively activated by the roller-engagement mechanism. The roller-engagement mechanism has a rack supporting a plurality of flat belts. The flat belts advance in the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. The rack is movable between a first position in which the flat belts advancing with the conveyor belt contact the belt rollers to inhibit their rotation and carry articles atop the belt in the direction of belt travel and a second position in which the flat belts are out of contact with the belt rollers.

Abstract: A belt conveyor having upper article-supporting belt rollers that are rotated rearward by rotating lower belt rollers only when the articles are slowed or stopped from advancing with the belt. As the belt advances in a direction of travel, the lower rollers rotate by contact with a bearing surface underlying the belt. The upper rollers have axles whose ends are retained in slots that slope downward in the belt's direction of travel. The slots provide the upper rollers a range of positions between a forward position out of contact with the rotating lower roller and a rearward position contacting the lower roller, which rotates the upper roller rearward relieving back line pressure on accumulated articles.

Abstract: A conveyor system and methods for conveying and unstacking flat and non-flat packages. The conveyor system includes an inclined conveyor belt delivering packages to a tilted conveyor belt that conveys flat packages along its length while non-flat packages tumble off its lower side edge to initially cull flat packages from a bulk flow of packages. Retention means, such as a high-friction outer conveying surface or a raised barrier along the length of the outer conveying surface of the tilted conveyor belt, holds flat packages on the tilted conveyor belt. The inclined conveyor belt has stop elements spaced apart along the belt's length and is advanced in stop-and-go fashion to help unstack piggy-backed packages as they are conveyed up the incline.

Abstract: A conveyor and a method for metering articles on a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. Article-supporting rollers in the belt are actuated by a stationary bearing surface defining an upstream acceleration zone to accelerate articles forward along the conveyor belt. An activation belt advancing in the direction of belt travel at a speed faster than the conveyor belt provides a mobile bearing surface that actuates the belt rollers to rotate opposite to the direction of belt travel in a downstream deceleration zone. The conveyor belt also has regularly spaced retractable flights, which are retracted by contact with the stationary bearing surface in the acceleration zone and extended into a blocking position by contact with the mobile bearing surface in the deceleration zone. Articles in the deceleration zone are pushed rearward atop the rollers into metered positions against the leading faces of the flights.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for translating articles. The apparatus has a rectangular work area defined by the upper run of a positioning conveyor having an oblique-roller conveyor belt selectively driven forward or reverse in coordination with the actuation and deactuation of the obliquely rotatable belt rollers. Tools, such as cutting tools or inspection stools, along the sides of the work area interact with the sides of the articles as they are translated without rotation in a rectangular path against guide surfaces on the periphery of the work area by the sequential reversing of the conveyor belt direction and the actuation and deactuation of the article-supporting rollers.

Abstract: An accumulation-and-release conveyor using a roller belt with rollers arranged to rotate in the direction of belt travel. The rollers extend through the thickness of the belt. A movable stop is positioned along the carryway just downstream of a bearing surface that is movable into and out of contact with the rollers. When the bearing surface is out of contact with the rollers, they are freely rotatable; when the bearing surface contacts the rollers, they roll on the bearing surface to propel articles in the direction of belt travel. The stop is selectively moved between a blocking position preventing articles from passing and accumulating them with low back line pressure on the freely rotatable rollers and a release position allowing articles to pass to the accumulation zone where they are propelled forward and separated from each other by the rotation of the rollers rolling on the bearing surface.

Abstract: A case turner constructed of parallel lanes of powered multiwheel rollers rotating at different tangential speeds. Rotatable wheels mounted on the peripheries of each multiwheel roller are arranged to rotate freely on axes perpendicular to the main axis of the powered multiwheel roller. An article straddling the gap between both lanes is rotated as it is conveyed along the case turner.

Abstract: A conveyor and a method for metering articles on a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. Article-supporting rollers in the belt are actuated by a stationary bearing surface defining an upstream acceleration zone to accelerate articles forward along the conveyor belt. An activation belt advancing in the direction of belt travel at a speed faster than the conveyor belt provides a mobile bearing surface that actuates the belt rollers to rotate opposite to the direction of belt travel in a downstream deceleration zone. The conveyor belt also has regularly spaced retractable flights, which are retracted by contact with the stationary bearing surface in the acceleration zone and extended into a blocking position by contact with the mobile bearing surface in the deceleration zone. Articles in the deceleration zone are pushed rearward atop the rollers into metered positions against the leading faces of the flights.