Abstract: An apparatus for forming arrays of containers supplied by a feeder belt. Receiver supports are provided for receiving the containers, which are integral with associated support elements. The support elements displaced from a receiving zone to a zone for releasing the rows of containers by means of associated actuating devices.

Abstract: A needle sorting device including an infeed device which first singulates a bulk supply of surgical needles into single file with an intermittently driven vibratory feed bowl assembly, and then individually separates and deposits the needles on a first conveyor for transmission to a processing station with a linear slide discharge mechanism. The first conveyor is translucent and during transit, one or more cameras obtain an image of the individual deposited needles. The image is digitized and the digital signals are transmitted to a control system computer which evaluates the position and orientation for needles and processes the information to obtain data for communication to one or more robot assemblies having grippers. Utilizing the position and orientation data, the robot assembly grippers removes selected needles from the first conveyor and transfers each needle to an engagement device located upon a second precision conveyor.

Abstract: A moisture content measuring apparatus and method wherein a sensor station produces calibration data corresponding to measurements of light at two different wavelengths reflected from a material, and the calibration data is then transferred to a hand held computer. The moisture content of a sample of the material is measured and input to the hand held computer. The process is repeated after changing the wetness of the material, and the hand held computer creates a table correlating reflection data to moisture content. The table is transferred to the sensor station which then continuously generates signals representing moisture content in response to real time reflection data and the table. The cost effectiveness of the sensor stations readily facilitates the use of a dedicated sensor station at each of a plurality of conveyors carrying different materials to be combined into a composite of predetermined proportions by weight.

Abstract: A needle sorting device includes an infeed device which first singulates a bulk supply of surgical needles into single file with an intermittently driven vibratory feed bowl assembly, and then individually separates and deposits the needles on a first conveyor for transmission to a processing station with a linear slide discharge mechanism. The first conveyor is translucent and during transit, one or more cameras obtain an image of the individual deposited needles. The image is digitized and the digital signals are transmitted to a control system computer which evaluates the position and orientation for needles and processes the information to obtain data for communication to one or more robot assemblies having grippers. Utilizing the position and orientation data, the robot assembly grippers removes selected needles from the first conveyor and transfers each needle to an engagement device located upon a second precision conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor indexing mechanism for a bakery production line includes a variable speed motor, a conveyor, a number of baking pans, a dough packet drop mechanism, a sensor, and a timing generator. The conveyor moves the baking pans under the dough packet drop mechanism at a base speed and a ramp-up speed based on input from the sensor and timing generator. The sensor senses pan pockets in the baking pans which causes the motor to assume the base speed. The timing generator periodically causes the motor to assume the ramp-up speed. The indexing mechanism ensures that a row of pan pockets will be below the dough packet drop mechanism so that a row of dough packets will consistently fall therein with maximum throughput. The absence of any clutch or brake reduces wear, as does the continuous motion of the drive train, which prevents backlash in the gear components. A programmable controller receives system inputs and instructs an inverter to change the motor speed.

Abstract: A method for mounting food products or the like, has the steps of: (a) transferring food products on a continuously moving conveyor in a column; (b) detecting the food product by a food product detecting sensor attached to a predetermined position of the conveyor, wherein each food product is transferred with position data thereof given by a control unit; and (c) mounting each food product at a preset position on a receiving surface with a food product discharge end section of the conveyor being caused to withdraw at a speed corresponding to the position data thereof.

Abstract: A grouping and buffer apparatus for bringing together piece products in a feed region, for intermediatre storage of said products and for preparing a number of said products for removal in removal groups in a removal region, comprises a feed conveyor for the products, and at least first and second mutually parallel endless conveyors which extend in at least substantially mutually parallel relationship with at least one run. Each endless conveyor has at least one group of entrainment members thereon, for receiving the products from the feed conveyor and for transporting the products, and the endless conveyors are controllable independently of each other. The apparatus receives irregularly supplied products and temporarily stores same, and provides for group-wise discharge thereof.

Abstract: A product stacking apparatus, and a method of using it, is provided, where the apparatus is located inline with a product conveyor, and includes a frame having at least one spanner connecting plates which together straddle the product conveyor, a drive roller, an infeed system driven by the drive roller, having carriers which move upstream to downstream relative to motion of the product conveyor, a hopper which receives a product from the infeed system, an automatic detainer which automatically opens the hopper so that a predetermined number of the products exits the hopper on the conveyor, an automatic dropgate mechanism, located between the infeed system and the hopper, which automatically releases the product into the hopper, and sensors which count products, allows for their accumulation and release, and prevents jamming of the product on the apparatus.

Abstract: A palletizer comprises a lifting mechanism (1) and a stacking mechanism (2) including a carriage (28), a roller conveyer (33), an upper plate (39), a lower plate (40), and an abutment plate (53). The palletizer further comprises a moving table assembly (3) including a table (64) and a control unit (4). The lifting mechanism (1) vertically transfers a plurality of loads (W) delivered by an external conveyer (6). Then, the roller conveyer (33) of the stacking mechanism (2) horizontally transfers the loads (W) received from the lifting mechanism (1) onto the lower plate (40) in front of pallet (P), where the upper plate (39) and the abutment plate (53) hold a first load (W) therebetween and slide it over to a point over the stacking position. Then, the lower plate (40) is pulled out from under load (W) to place it on the pallet (P). In the same manner, the next load (W) is placed on the pallet (P) in front of the first load (W).

Abstract: A method and unit for forming and conveying groups of elongated products, whereby products, fed successively and continuously along a first path, are stacked along a guide by a stacking device to form a group, which is moved along the guide by a lifting device to the input of a second path, and is transferred, along the second path, into a conveying pocket moving along the second path; transfer into the conveying pocket being effected by means of a retaining pocket initially aligned with the guide and moving along the second path.

Abstract: A storage device for metal bar cropping lines, comprising: elements for forming a plurality of compartments parallel to each other and arranged side-by-side for storing cropped metal bars, said compartments being arranged longitudinally with respect to a cropping line; elements for conveying said cropped metal bars, fed by said cropping line, selectively to said storage compartments; and flexible elements for shifting said storage compartments transversely to said cropping line between a position for receiving said cropped metal bars and a position for unloading said cropped metal bars.

Abstract: Problems in counting and stacking fried food products such as tostadas are solved by an improved counter/stacker device in which tortilla food products ride a first moving belt through a photoelectric counting station. After being counted the product drops into a stack retainer shaped to hold the product. A series of stack retainers are arranged along the length of a flexible, intermittently moving, continuous belt. When the counting station signals that the required number of product have been counted and deposited into a stack, the flexible belt bearing the stack retainer is rapidly advanced to bring an empty stack retainer into position beneath the counting station. The stack retainers ensure that the product stacks do not shift and are stationary for a period of time, thereby facilitating manual or automatic packaging of the product.

Abstract: A needle sorting device includes an infeed device which singulates and randomly deposits surgical needles upon a first conveyor for transmission to a processing station. Upon transit, one or more cameras to obtain an image of the deposited needles. The image is digitized and the digital signals are transmitted to a control system computer which evaluates the position and orientation for randomly positioned needles and processes the information to obtain data for communication to one or more robot assemblies having grippers. Utilizing the position and orientation data, the robot assembly grippers removes selected needles from the first conveyor and transfers each needle to an engagement device located upon a second precision conveyor. This second precision conveyor is provided with additional devices to further orient the needle transferred thereto. Each oriented needle is conveyed by the second conveyor to an automatic swaging station where sutures are automatically attached.

Abstract: The present conveyor system includes a single loading or supply conveyor, plural feed conveyors, an alignment conveyor, a tray conveyor, and a return conveyor loop. The downwardly angled supply conveyor delivers randomly distributed articles to the feed conveyors, which carry the articles to the alignment conveyor. The feed conveyors are angled diagonally to the alignment conveyor and pass beneath the alignment conveyor, so that articles which do not enter the compartments at the first portion of the alignment conveyor are carried along with the movement of the diagonal feed conveyors along the path of the alignment conveyor and thereagainst, to enter the alignment conveyor at a later point. The articles aligned in the alignment conveyor compartments are then placed in registry with regularly positioned compartments in product trays carried on a tray conveyor, which passes beneath the alignment conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and transporting a stack of truss plates. The apparatus comprises a receiving unit including an accumulation chamber for receiving a substack of oriented and aligned truss plates, a substack conveying unit operatively connected with the receiving unit, and an accumulating unit operatively connected with the substack conveying unit. The apparatus preferably stacks oriented and aligned truss plates having a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof. Once stacked, the truss plates can be conveyed by a stack carrier unit to a bundling station.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying, grouping and storing flat articles includes a storing device which has a plurality of gondolas each having a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontally oriented, superposed storing shelves; a gondola support and conveying mechanism for carrying the gondolas and moving them in a predetermined travelling path; an input station situated along the travelling path for presenting the gondolas in succession to receive articles; and an output station situated along the travelling path for presenting the gondolas in succession to discharge articles. There are further provided a conveyor situated at the input station for advancing articles thereto and for placing articles on the storing shelves of the gondola dwelling in the input station; and a grouping device for removing articles from the superposed storing shelves of the gondola dwelling in the output station and for forming article stacks of the removed articles.

Abstract: An apparatus having a series of conveyor belts for flattening and stacking a plurality of flexible, generally planar articles, such as tortillas. The apparatus includes a first conveyor belt extending along first end, upper, second end and lower surfaces of a belt support. The conveyor belt is adapted to move the planar articles placed on the upper surface of the belt support from the first end to the second end. A second conveyor belt is biased against the first belt at the second end of the belt support for applying compressive and lateral forces to the planar articles as they are moved along the second end of the belt support. A third conveyor belt is located beneath the first and second conveyor belts for receiving the planar articles from the first belt, forming stacks of them, and then discharging the stacked planar articles. Motor assemblies drive the first, second, and third conveyor belts.

Abstract: A product transfer apparatus for transferring individual product from a rotary feeding station to downstream apparatus such as a cartoner conveyor in preselected count stacks for subsequent discharge at a cartoner machine. Stacks of product are formed by dropping the product into stacks on a transfer conveyor and from there dropping the stacks directly into buckets of a cartoner conveyor. A transfer bucket conveyor is disposed beneath and transverse to an axis of the rotary feeding station and includes an upper fill run and a lower discharge run of product transfer buckets. The cartoner conveyor is disposed beneath and aligned with the transfer bucket conveyor and includes a series of cartoner product buckets operating in speed register with the lower run of product transfer buckets for receiving the preselected count stacks from the lower discharge run.

Abstract: The advent of high-speed fabric cutters has made necessary the development of automated techniques for the collection and sorting of garment pieces into collated piles of pieces ready for assembly. The present invention enables a new method for such handling and sorting of garment parts, and to apparatus capable of carrying out this new method. The common thread is the application of computer-controlled shuttling bins, capable of picking up a desired piece of fabric and dropping it in collated order for assembly. Such apparatus with appropriate computer control relieves the bottleneck now presented by the sorting and collation procedure, thus greatly increasing the overall rate at which garments can be assembled.

Abstract: An article disposition apparatus capable of disposing articles such as ICs at any arbitrary disposition pitch by a simple arrangement in a time efficient manner. The article disposition apparatus according to the present invention comprises a stainless steel belt for transferring articles, a sensor for sensing the passing of the articles transferred by the stainless steel belt, a plurality of adsorption devices disposed each other at a predetermined pitch in the direction of transfer carried out by the stainless steel belt for holding the articles transferred by the stainless steel belt, respectively, and a control circuit for controlling a plurality of the adsorption devices so that the articles being transferred are held by a plurality of the adsorption devices in response to the passing of the articles sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: A plurality of sheet-bundle piling lanes are disposed in perpendicular relation with respect to a common sheet-bundle feed lane for gradually feeding sheet-bundles. At a communicating portion between the sheet-bundle feed lane and each sheet-bundle piling lane, a sheet-bundle take-in lever for taking the sheet-bundles from the former lane to the latter lane, is disposed. Blocks of bundles of sheet that are piled up are formed at each sheet-bundle piling lane.

Abstract: A plurality of sheet-bundle piling lanes are disposed in perpendicular relation with respect to a common sheet-bundle feed lane for gradually feeding sheet-bundles. At a communicating portion between the sheet-bundle feed lane and each sheet-bundle piling lane, a sheet-bundle take-in lever, for taking the sheet-bundles from the former lane to the latter lane, is disposed. Blocks of bundles of sheets that are piled up are formed at each sheet-bundle piling lane.

Abstract: A single layer of spaced-apart rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry is advanced sideways toward a transfer zone wherein successive groups of two or more neighboring articles are diverted along separate paths against a concave friction surface of an intercepting member. The friction surface directs at least some of the diverted articles into a chamber where the articles are gathered to form a supply of superimposed articles. A belt or chain conveyor is employed to draw a continuous homogeneous mass flow of articles from the chamber.

Abstract: A method for continuous transferring of hollow plastic articles from a first station to a second station, wherein articles at the first station are arranged in a first number of N.sub.1 columns and wherein articles at the second station are arranged in a second number of N.sub.2 columns, and wherein N.sub.2 differs from N.sub.1 and equals N.sub.1 times x, x being either an integer greater than 1 or a fraction, includes the steps of: transferring a first batch of articles on a carrying member from the first station to an array of N.sub.2 columns on the holding member at the second station; advancing at least a portion of the articles on a first number of holding members from the second station toward the blow molding station and replacing the advanced first number of holding members with a corresponding second number of holding members; transferring a second batch of articles on the carrying member from the first station to an array of N.sub.

Abstract: A device for supplying packets, in particular packets of cigarettes, wherein a conveyor feeds the packets successively and in steps into seats on a wheel by which the packets are transferred in steps to a cartoning machine for forming groups of "n" packets each; the packets being fed by the wheel through an exchange station where the wheel cooperates with a reintegrating store for supplying any empty seats with respective packets, and which is reloaded by receiving from the wheel the packets in a continuous sequence of "n" seats, so that the cartoning machine is fed with a gap which it absorbs by performing a no-load cycle.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward positioning tube (11) from a continuous supply of tube (11), into a preselected stacked configuration in a stack forming assembly (12) by movement of a fork member (22) positionable under selected of the tube (11). The invention includes moving the fork member (22) a preselected distance to position a preselected number of the tube (11) in the forming assembly (12) to form a row of preselected length, and then restraining the remainder of the supply of tube (11). The fork member (22) is then retracted a predetermined distance away from the forming assembly (12), and the forming assembly (12) is lowered so that additional tube (11) may be positioned on top of the tube (11) already positioned therein. The remainder of the tube (11) is then released while again moving the fork member (22) a preselected distance to position a preselected number of tube (11) on top of the tube (11) already positioned in the forming assembly (12).

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward positioning tube (11) from a continuous supply of tube (11), in a preselected stacked configuration in a stack forming assembly (12) by movement of a fork member (22) positionable under selected of the tube (11). The invention includes moving the fork member (22) a preselected distance to position a preselected number of the tube (11) in the forming assembly (12), and then restraining the remainder of the supply of tube (11). The fork member (22) is then retracted a predetermined distance away from the forming assembly (12), and the forming assembly (12) is lowered so that additional tube (11) may be positioned on top of the tube (11) already positioned therein. The remainder of the tube (11) is then released while again moving the fork member (22) a preselected distance to position a preselected number of tube (11) on top of the tube (11) already positioned in the forming assembly (12).

Abstract: Pouch transfer apparatus for positioning over and generally transverse to the upstream end of a multiple lane pouch conveyor. The apparatus includes a transfer wheel carrying a plurality of suction heads about its outer periphery for picking pouches off a cutting apparatus that has cut a pouch strip into individual pouches. The transfer wheel distributes the individual pouches at three predetermined angular drop-off positions during the rotation of the transfer wheel. The suction heads are divided into three series or flights, i.e., a first series for dropping pouches into a near lane of the pouch conveyor, a second series for dropping pouches into a middle lane of the pouch conveyor, and a third series for dropping pouches into a far lane of the pouch conveyor. Positive pressure is supplied to each suction head at its drop-off point to eject the pouch into the appropriate conveyor lane.

Abstract: A conveyor system for multiplying one or more input streams of product into two or more output streams of product is constituted by an input conveyor (4) for conveying the one or more input streams of product, a transfer conveyor (5) which is movable bodily in a direction transverse to its conveying direction and which is arranged to receive products from the input conveyor (4), and a multi-lane output conveyor (6) which carries multiple side-by-side streams of product and is arranged to receive products from the transfer conveyor (5). The conveyor system also includes apparatus to control the forward movement of the products in the one or more input streams of product, and the forward movement of the products in each stream on the output conveyor (6) to enable the products to be aligned with one another across the output conveyor. Preferably the control apparatus collects successive products into groups so that the products are transferred from the input conveyor (4) to the transfer conveyor (5) in groups.

Abstract: Articles aligned on a belt conveyor are transferred, without being clamped, to predetermined article delivery positions at the packaging machine. To this end, articles 1 are transferred onto a positioning conveyor 21 having comb-like interteeth clearances. Articles 1 are caused to dwell at a predetermined position on the positioning conveyor 21, and the conveyor 21 is stopped and then lowered to allow the upper surface 61a of holding bars 61 of a slide conveyor 22 to be exposed through the comb-like interteeth clearances, whereupon articles 1 transfer onto the upper surface 61a of the holding bars 61. The slide conveyor 22 is advanced to move the holding bars 61 to a location below pivot shutters 79 of an elevating frame 66 which is on standby at its most elevated position. The elevating frame 66 is then lowered to allow the articles 1 on the holding bars 61 to transfer onto the pivot shutters 79.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of sorting and bundling flowers, comprising hanging the flowers separately in individual flower supporting members circulating in a first closed path; as they are traversing the path, designating the flowers as to at least one characteristic, such as stem length; depending on the designated characteristic, transferring the flowers to second flower supporting members circulating in a second path; grouping the flowers into groups of a limited number of flowers; and collecting and bundling a series of groups into a bunch. The individual flower supporting members are moved adjacent a transfer point from a transport position into a transfer position in a tract substantially perpendicular to the first path, while during transfer the second flower supporting members are held stationary and oriented in the direction of movement of the individual flower supporting members. The invention further relates to apparatus for applying this method.

Abstract: Disclosed is a machine for advancing bakery pans in in step wise fashion along a production line. The machine includes an arm carrying spaced apart indexing fingers having rollers at their lower ends. The arm is mounted on an indexer carriage which may be raised or lowered so that the rollers will contact the trailing lip of an individual pan. The arm moves reciprocally with each cycle of the production line, raising the arm to allow the pan to be advanced one step or interval, which is equal to the distance between fingers, and then lowering the arm to bring the next in line finger into contact with the trailing lip of the pan.

Abstract: An indexing assembly designed for use in combination with a conveyor assembly which includes a feeding conveyor for pans, each of which has a plurality of receiving molds therein in which dough is delivered on a synchronized basis by a separate conveyor than the pan feeding conveyor. The subject indexing assembly is provided to properly orient and position the individual pans as well as the receiving molds therein into receiving relation to the quantities of dough, or other objects being delivered, in a predetermined and preferred indexed manner so as to eliminate waste of product or the delivery of the dough to a portion of the pan other than the receiving mold.

Abstract: Apparatus for "forming" (reshaping) plural dough balls on a conveyor including means for arranging the balls in a desired order on the conveyor. Included is a transfer conveyor with reciprocative end portion and funnel type means cooperating with ring means above a second conveyor for facilitating arranging the balls on the second conveyor and controls for the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting sliced food into a packing machine, comprises a driven, endless conveyor belt which conveys the food from a feeding location, over a surface directed obliquely downwards in the conveying direction, to a food depositing location whence the food is delivered to the packing machine by gravity. As a structurally simple way of obtaining high quality packing, the conveyor belt is guided over a slide which can be moved backwards and forwards in a controlled manner, in the region of the depositing location, a tension adjuster being provided for the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is intermittently driven, the food being delivered to the packing machine when the belt drive is stopped.

Abstract: A signature stacker has an infeed conveyor for conveying signatures in a stream to a reciprocating stacking blade, and a rotary intercept blade driven by a servomotor. The intercept blade intercepts a stream of signatures being delivered to a reciprocating stacking blade to facilitate forming the stream into batches and forming the batches into compensated bundles.

Abstract: A pellet escalator in a pellet loading apparatus for loading nuclear fuel pellets from a pellet press into a sintering boat includes a conveyor in the form of an elongated arm for moving pellets and being pivotable to vertically move its discharge end toward and away from a sintering boat. The arm has an elongated recessed channel through which travels the upper run of an endless flexible conveying belt for transporting pellets from a receiving end to the discharge end of the conveyor. A chute is mounted to the arm at its discharge end and extends therebelow such that the chute is carried by the arm at its discharge end for vertical movement therewith toward and away from the sintering boat. Resiliently-flexible, deflectable bristled brushes are attached to the chute in opposing vertical rows.

Abstract: Disclosed is a machine for advancing bakery pans in a step wise fashion along a production line. A rotary indexer having three radially extending arms mounted on a common shaft and spaced apart 120.degree. relative to adjacent arms is used to advance the pans step-wise one cup at a time. Each arm has distal ends at which rollers are mounted which engage the upper portion extending about the perimeter of each cup. A single stroke air cylinder has a wedge mounted to its piston. The wedge engages a cam assembly mounted on the shaft to which the rotary indexer is mounted. Retraction of the wedge allows the pans to push against the rotary indexer to rotate it. The wedge returns to a position to stop rotation of the shaft, only allowing the shaft to rotate through a 120.degree. turn. The pan moves step-wise along the assembly line path into a position to receive a dough packet from a conveyor that deposits dough packets into the cups.

Abstract: A self-adaptive stacker comprising infeed and stacking sections whose movement is coordinated to provide interception of the signature stream. A microprocessor utilizes a signal, representative of the infeed conveyor speed, together with a signal from a signature counter, to track the movement of each signature and thereby its arrival at the intercept position. Low armature inertia motors drive the three axes, (stacking section, the turntable, and the ejectors) to provide rapid starting, acceleration, deceleration, and stopping at selected positions. These motors are controlled to interact in real-time in order to adapt the three axes to the rate of the incoming signatures. The movement of the signature carriers is altered, when necessary, due to speed changes of the signature stream.

Abstract: A method for transferring articles from a conveyor to a rack or magazine. The articles are gripped one at a time by a gripping device and are moved from the conveyor while being brought to a correct position of alignment in relation to the rack, whereafter the article is placed in the rack. In accordance with the invention the article transfer is effected in at least two transfer stations which work in parallel and which are arranged one after the other along the conveyor path, each transfer station including an industrial robot. A plurality of racks are moved sequentially along a path which extends through all transfer stations. Only a given part of each rack is filled in each transfer station, such that the rack will be completely filled subsequent to passing through all the transfer stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a machine for moving bakery pans in a stepwise fashion to enable rows of cups in the pans to be filled with dough packets. The rows of cups are spaced apart a predetermined distance which will vary depending upon the type of bakery product being made. The pans are carried by a converter and an indexing device is used to prevent these pans from being moved by the conveyor until individual rows of cups are filled with dough packets. The indexing device includes a helical arm mounted on a shaft which is removably coupled to an indexing motor that revolves the shaft through a 360.degree. turn and then momentarily stops to enable the cups to be filled with dough packets. The flights of the arm are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing between rows of cups, with each flight having an edge which will engage a raised lip along the perimeter of the pan. The edge of the flight bearing against the lip of the pan prevents the pan from moving until the arm is rotated.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring selected numbers of garment hangers from a downwardly sloping rail onto horizontal rod- or bar-shaped carriers of trolleys which are suspended on and advance along an overhead track has a singularizing device which is adjacent the discharge end of the rail and is operable to permit a selected number of hangers to advance onto the adjacent carrier while the respective trolley is pushed or pulled through a hanger receiving station. The trolleys are advanced by a chain conveyor the motor of which is started in response to signals from sensors denoting that the front end of the trolley has assumed a predetermined position with reference to the receiving station as well as that the conveyor for the trolleys assumes a predetermined position.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which serves to insert and/or remove printed circuit boards into and out of slotted change pallets which are adapted to hold printed circuit boards in a generally vertical orientation and out of contact with each other. A roller conveyor is provided for conveying each printed circuit board in a horizontal orientation into a pivoted board holder or gripper, which is adapted to grip the printed circuit board preferably at its leading edge and to move the printed circuit board to a position in which the printed circuit board is substantially vertical and disposed over one of the slots formed in a change pallet that has been positioned below the board holder or gripper. The board holder or gripper is adapted to perform an outward pivotal movement from the bottom edge of the generally vertical board as the change pallet is advanced further.

Abstract: In an apparatus whereby spacer frames (1) for insulating glass being transported in an essentially vertical position and resting against a supporting wall (2, 6) to a receiving station, may be transferred on a carrier (20), in the area of the receiving station (5) in the supporting wall (6) a plurality of lifting elements (14) is provided, which may be moved upwards in slots (13) to raise the spacer frames (1). To be able to transfer a spacer frame (1) to the carrier (20) for spacer frames (1) located opposite the receiving station (5), the distance between the free ends (30) of the beams (21) of the carrier (20) facing the supporting wall (6) provided in the receiving station (5) and the supporting wall (6) may be reduced for example by the forward tilting of the supporting wall (6). When the supporting wall (6) is tilted forward, the free ends (30) of the beams (21) of the carrier (20) engage two openings (17) in the supporting wall (6) and one spacer frame (1) is transferred to the carrier 20.

Abstract: An unloading process and apparatus for a cable finishing system. The process is characterized in that finished cables are each picked up, during finishing, at a locally determined point of the cables by the controlled conveying operation and are pulled across a depository (10), whereafter the picked up cable point is released in a specific position.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for collating and stacking building components, such as roof tiles. The apparatus comprises pairs of shelves for receiving and supporting tiles which are fed into the shelves continuously by means of a conveyor arrangement. The shelves are moved downwards towards a stack support positioned beneath the shelves. As a pair of shelves becomes the lowermost pair, the two shelves move apart releasing the tile carried thereon onto the stack support to form part of a stack. When the stack is complete, the stack support is removed and the number of shelves between the uppermost and lowermost shelf increased to enable a predetermined number of tiles to be stored in the shelves while the stack support is being replaced.

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: Contact materials based on AgSnO.sub.2 and having Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 and CuO as further metal oxide additives were previously disclosed. In these materials the total content of all metal oxides was supposed to be between 10 and 25% by volume with the SnO.sub.2 share equal to or greater than 70% by volume of the total amount of oxide.According to this invention the quantity of SnO.sub.2 is kept smaller than 70% by volume; specifically at about 65%, but in any case equal to or greater than 50%. The SnO.sub.2 weight content is to be in the 4% to 8% range and the weight percentage ratio of SnO.sub.2 to CuO is to be between 8:1 and 12:1.In the associated production process, either Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder is purposely admixed to an internally oxidized alloy powder (IOAP) in an additional operation, a grain restructuring with locally different Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 concentrations occurring in the structure after sintering and compacting.

Abstract: A load accumulator for accumulating a load which consists of a plurality of items and transferring the accumulated load into a receptacle of a carton loading machine. The accumulator has a load accumulator spool which has a plurality of pockets formed therein at circumferentially spaced intervals about its perimeter. A transfer channel extends circumferentially of the spool from its perimeter to a radial depth which is greater than that of the inner end of each pocket. A load accumulating platform is provided which has a load arresting extension which extends into the transfer channel and serves to arrest the movement of the load articles which are carried by the spool such that the load items are discharged onto the platform in a side-by-side relationship. A backstop is slidably mounted on the platform for movement toward and away from the spool.

Abstract: A Multi-Purpose Conveyor System particularly designed for efficiently handling different types of dough products which conveyor system includes a plurality of coordinated and synchronized conveyor mechanisms, constructed and arranged to eliminate the necessity for manual handling of the dough during the cutting of the dough onto individual pieces, and assembling the desired number of pieces into a product carrier and delivering the product carrier to a transport conveyor system for final processing.