Abstract: A material handling apparatus for reorienting and transferring inventory items to a packaging device includes a support member and a packaging conveyor. The support member receives an inventory item and reorients the item to a rejection orientation or a packaging orientation. The item is moved onto the packaging conveyor in the packaging orientation and is transported to the packaging device.

Abstract: A singulating system for parcels comprises: an inner wall; a first section comprised of a series of driven rollers, which are skewed relative to a longitudinal direction of travel, so that the parcels are conveyed not only in the longitudinal direction of travel, but also toward the inner wall; a second section for receiving the parcels from the first section, and then identifying and moving parcels in a side-by-side arrangement and/or parcels with an irregular shape; and a third section for receiving the parcels from the second section. In some embodiments, the singulating system also includes a visioning subsystem, including a camera for acquiring image data of the parcels as the parcels move toward or into the second section, and a computer to receive and analyze the image data from the camera to identify parcels in a side-by-side arrangement and/or parcels with an irregular shape.

Abstract: An automatic supply apparatus for an elongate supply target member having elasticity and including both end portions includes a stock mechanism wherein a plurality of supply target members are stocked such that the plurality of supply target members are suspended in an inverted U shape and top portions of the plurality of supply target members are arranged side by side in a row direction, and an extraction mechanism to operate the top portions of the supply target members to extract one supply target member from the plurality of supply target members stocked in the stock mechanism.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for stocking semifinished products for manufacturing tyres for vehicle wheels, wherein a semifinished product is supplied on a roller conveyor along a supplying direction. Between the rollers of the conveyor at an unloading station, there are arranged arms of a lift. When the semifinished product reaches the unloading station, the arms are rotated around an axis parallel to the supplying direction in such a way as to lift the arms and slide the semifinished product by gravity on the arms along an unloading direction that is perpendicular to the supplying direction and to first ends of these arms. The semifinished product drops through gravity from the first ends onto a resting plane of a supporting bench positioned below the first ends and spaced apart therefrom.

Abstract: The invention recites a gate that is selectively operable to pass a stream of printed products to one of a first path and a second path. The waste gate includes a frame and a first roller member supported by the frame for rotation about a first axis. The first axis is fixed with respect to the frame. A second roller member is supported by the frame for rotation about a second axis. The second roller is movable with respect to the first roller between a first position and a second position. A conveyor belt is supported by the first roller and the second roller such that when the second roller is in the first position, the stream of printed products pass along the first path and when the second roller is in the second position, the stream of printed products pass along the second path.

Abstract: A mobile unloading apparatus for unloading items from a variety of heights is disclosed wherein the apparatus has a frame supporting a ramp for movement between a first position spaced above a conveyor for permitting items to be placed directly on the conveyor and a second, downwardly sloping ramp position for moving items down the ramp to the conveyor. The apparatus includes a first walkway section supported by the frame on a first conveyor side above a supporting surface, a second walkway section supported by the frame on a second conveyor side above the supporting surface and a third walkway section. The third walkway section can be moved from a first, use position bridging the first and second walkway sections to a second, storage position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a switch for transport system, in particular for a gravity roller table, for deflecting of transport goods in a plane from a main conveyor to a lateral conveyor branching from the main conveyor, wherein the switch comprises a group of co-operating and in particular individually driven modules. Each module comprises a bearing block, a fork received in the bearing block rotatable around the vertical axis as well as a roller body, wherein the roller body is supported in the fork and rotatable around a horizontal axis and wherein the roller body co-forms the support for the transport goods. The switch can be transposed from the straight out position into the deflection post ion and vice versa by a corresponding swiveling of the forks and thereby also of the roller bodies, wherein the forks and therewith also the roller bodies are lifted by way of a lift mechanism into the deflection position relative to the straight out position.

Abstract: A mobile unloading apparatus for unloading items from a variety of heights is disclosed wherein the apparatus has a frame supporting a ramp for movement between a first position spaced above a conveyor for permitting items to be placed directly on the conveyor and a second, downwardly sloping ramp position for moving items down the ramp to the conveyor. The apparatus includes a first walkway section supported by the frame on a first conveyor side above a supporting surface, a second walkway section supported by the frame on a second conveyor side above the supporting surface and a third walkway section. The third walkway section can be moved from a first, use position bridging the first and second walkway sections to a second, storage position.

Abstract: A mobile unloading apparatus for unloading items from a variety of heights is disclosed wherein the apparatus has a frame supporting a ramp for movement between a first position spaced above a conveyor for permitting items to be placed directly on the conveyor and a second, downwardly sloping ramp position for moving items down the ramp to the conveyor. The apparatus includes a first walkway section supported by the frame on a first conveyor side above a supporting surface, a second walkway section supported by the frame on a second conveyor side above the supporting surface and a third walkway section. The third walkway section can be moved from a first, use position bridging the first and second walkway sections to a second, storage position.

Abstract: An automated work center for use in materials handling operations is disclosed. The work center includes a randomly accessible vertically moving temporary storage queue 11 for receiving containers 25 that hold material goods. A fixed loading ramp 20 is arranged to receive containers 20 from an external system and to load the received containers onto the storage queue 11. A work area 5 having a plurality of rotatable work tables 7 provides an gives the operator access to the containers. A delivery system 14 transfers containers between the storage queue 11 and the work tables 7 and a takeaway system 16 transfers containers between the work area and the conveyor network. An automated control system 17 coordinates the delivery of containers between the temporary storage queue 11 and the work area 5. A consolidation queue 18 having a multiplicity of vertically spaced shelfs may be disposed opposite the work tables 7 to facilitate the consolidation of ordered goods.

Abstract: An apparatus for classifying photographic films in which cartridges are classified according to a customer's order information, each cartridge storing a photographic film having a recording portion on which a customer's order information is magnetically recorded. The apparatus includes a plurality of classifying portions, a selector unit for selecting one of the plurality of classifying portions based on the customer order information read from the recording portion of the film, and a transfer unit for moving the cartridge into the selected classifying portion. In consequence, the cartridge can be automatically classified.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automated integrated work station for handling goods within distribution and production environments. In one of the preferred embodiments the work station is specifically adapted for consolidating goods.

Abstract: A sorting installation for piece goods to be stored in warehouses in which a large number of different types of goods have to be continuously conveyed to their assigned storage place. The goods which arrive in non-sorted condition must be controlled, sorted, registered and further conveyed to their ultimate destination in the warehouse. The sorting installation includes a main conveyor, a sorting station, and a delivery conveyor which are connected with each other by intermediate tracks in such a manner that the intermediate tracks upstream and downstream of the sorting station are constructed as gravity-roller-tracks while at least one distributor constructed as gravity-roller-track and adapted to be inclined in the transporting direction is arranged between the main conveyor and the sorting station.

Abstract: A junction diverter with a supporting surface disposed below a main conveyor path when in an inoperative position can be lifted above the main conveyor path to an inclined position in which it is flush with one or the other of a pair of lateral conveyor paths. The supporting surface consists of wheels or rollers extending upward from an inner carrier frame which at one end is pivotally connected to an outer carrier frame which at its opposite end from its connection to the inner frame is pivotally connected to a main support frame of the main conveyor path, with a jack connected to raise the outer frame from the main support frame and a second jack to raise the inner frame from the outer frame, thus tilting the supporting surface toward one or the other of the lateral conveyor paths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring containers having projections horizontally extending from a pair of opposite sides thereof between a vertically moving tray and a pair of generally horizontally disposed transfer tracks which can be moved between (a) an inner position in vertical alignment with the container projections for transferring a container to or from an upwardly or downwardly moving tray, respectively, and (b) an outer position in which the transfer tracks are displaced outwardly and laterally of the container projections, to allow a container on an upwardly or downwardly moving tray to pass unimpeded past the transfer tracks when transfer thereof from the tray is not desired.

Abstract: A divider switch for a roller conveyor selectively switches or displaces the lateral position of objects being conveyed to either separate or merge the objects. The switching apparatus is interposed in a live conveyor system. The divider switch includes a framework of longitudinal and transverse members; a plurality of transverse rollers at either end of the switch; a set of angularly movable rollers centrally located in the switch, the angularly movable rollers being of shorter length than the transverse rollers and switchable between at least two angular positions which define opposite acute angles relative to the transverse rollers; and two additional sets of rollers disposed on opposite sides of the angularly movable rollers, the additional sets of rollers being fixedly mounted to define opposite acute angles relative to the transverse rollers.

Abstract: A workpiece handling device including a rotatable ring-like member having a series of workpiece holders spaced thereabout. Upon one partial rotation of the ring one workpiece is transferred from a receiving location to a work station while simultaneously a second workpiece is transferred from the work station to a discharge location.