Abstract: A conveyor construction including a frame having a pair of side rails with each side rail having a longitudinal T-shaped slot. A plurality of cross members are connected between the side rails and support a bed plate. An endless belt rides on the bed plate and is trained over an adjustable spindle assembly which is located at an end of the conveyor. The spindle assembly includes a spindle journalled between a pair of side members that are mounted for sliding movement in the T-slots of the respective side rails. A ratchet and pinion mechanism interconnects the conveyor frame with the spindle assembly and acts to move the spindle assembly longitudinally of the frame to tension the belt. A belt tracking mechanism is associated with each side of the spindle assembly and includes a cam member which is engaged with the respective side member of the spindle assembly. Individual rotation of the cam members serve to properly track the belt on the bed plate.

Abstract: A conveyor constructing having a pair of spaced parallel side rails that support a conveyor belt, each of the side rails is provided with a pair of vertically spaced, parallel, longitudinal slots. Each slot is generally T-shaped in cross section and has an open side facing laterally outward of the side rail. The open side of the lower slot is offset laterally outward from the open side of the upper slot of the side rail. End units are associated with each end of the conveyor and each end unit includes a pair of spaced side plates having a belt supporting spindle journalled between the side plates. Slide blocks are mounted in the ends of the slots in the side rail and the side plates are disposed outward of the respective side rails and are connected to the slide blocks. Slide blocks can also be mounted in the slots and serve to connect auxiliary equipment at selected positions to the conveyor.

Abstract: A high speed apparatus for selectively discharging articles from a conveyor system, including a conveyor to convey the articles in a path of travel. A rotatable discharge member is mounted for rotation above the conveyor and includes a plurality of parallel grooves that extend longitudinally of the path of travel. Each article, as it moves along the conveyor, enters and is stopped within one of the grooves, and the discharge member is then rotated by a pair of cooperating drive units to discharge the article laterally from the conveyor. A first of the drive units includes a fluid cylinder that operates to rotate the discharge member through an arc that is less than the arc between adjacent grooves, and the second drive unit includes a cam mechanism which completes the indexing of the discharge member while the first drive unit is returned to its original position. A locking mechanism can be incorporated with the second drive unit to lock the discharge member in the indexed position.

Abstract: An apparatus for assembling containers from a pair of open faced container sections or halves comprising a frame having a first receiving station and a second receiving station straddling an assembly station. A plurality of first container sections are deposited on a supporting surface at the first receiving station and a plurality of second container sections are deposited on a supporting surface at the second receiving station. A transfer mechanism initially moves from a position above the assembly station to a position above the second receiving station, and an inverting unit moves the first container sections from the first receiving station to the assembly station and inverts the sections, and the transfer mechanism then transfers the second container sections from the second receiving station to the assembly station.

Abstract: A method for stacking small articles in a side-by-side stack and feeding the stacks to a discharge conveyor. A plurality of articles, such as small video cassette containers, are conveyed in an upright end-to-end relation on a first conveyor. As each article approaches the downstream end of the conveyor, it is pushed laterally across a platform against a movable backstop to form a side-by-side stack of articles. The stack is then transferred into a movable carriage and the carriage is moved to a position over a discharge conveyor. The end of the carriage facing downstream in the direction of movement of the discharge conveyor is provided with a movable gate and after the carriage is in position over the discharge conveyor the gate is opened to release the stack for movement on the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking small articles in a side-by-side stack and feeding the stacks to a discharge conveyor. A plurality of articles, such as small video cassette containers, are conveyed in an upright end-to-end relation on a first conveyor. As each article approaches the downstream end of the conveyor, it is pushed laterally across a platform against a movable backstop to form a side-by-side stack of articles. The stack is then transferred into a movable carriage and the carriage is moved to a position over a discharge conveyor. The end of the carriage facing downstream in the direction of movement of the discharge conveyor is provided with a movable gate and after the carriage is in position over the discharge conveyor the gate is opened to release the stack for movement on the discharge conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking a plurality of articles in a side-to-side relation. The articles are conveyed in an upright end-to-end relation on a conveyor and a bin or article receiving member is positioned adjacent the downstream end of the conveyor and individually receives each article discharged from the conveyor. The bin includes a bottom wall and a rear wall and the bin is movable between a receiving position where the bottom wall extends downwardly and outwardly from the downstream end of the conveyor, to a discharge position where the bottom wall is disposed substantially horizontal. Each article being received within the bin is held in an upright position and is transferred laterally within the bin against a movable support plate, and each succeeding article received in the bin is transferred in a similar manner against the preceding article to form a stack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading articles into a container. The articles, in the form of a side-by-side stack of small trays or boxes, are conveyed along a conveyor and are discharged into a bin, which is mounted for pivoting movement between an article receiving position, in which the base of the bin is located at an acute angle to the horizontal, to a discharge position where the base is disposed generally vertical. The stack of articles received within the bin is supported against a movable end wall, and clamping means is provided to clamp the stack laterally against a side wall of the bin, as well as clamping the stack against the base. With the stack clamped in the bin, the bin is then rotated to the discharge position and the movable end wall is moved to a release position. The bin is then lowered to lower the stack into a container, and on release of the clamping mechanism the stack is discharged into the container.