By Distributing Items Onto Vertically Tiered Conveyor/receiver Patents (Class 198/435)
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Patent number: 11623365Abstract: The invention relates to a device for storing objects under defined temperature conditions and humidity conditions. In particular, the invention relates to a device for curing objects made of concrete. The device has a shelving system having a plurality of shelf supports and a plurality of bearing elements for supporting shelves supported on the shelf supports and arranged one above the other in a plurality of levels, on which shelves the objects are stored. According to the invention, a flow pipe system for distributing supply air provided in a climate system is at least partially integrated into the shelving system. A plurality of shelf supports in this case are at least in sections at the same time downward pipelines of the flow pipe system that the provided supply air is able to flow through. As a result, condensation at the foot of the shelving system and thus corrosion is counteracted at the shelf supports, thus increasing the service life of the shelving system.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: KRAFT CURING SYSTEMS GMBHInventors: Marius Boeckmann, Waldemar Ron
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Patent number: 11350794Abstract: A tray apparatus includes an elongated platform and a tray mechanism. The tray mechanism includes a plate disposed onto the platform and an arm assembly coupled to the plate and including a post and an arm. The post is coupled to the plate and extends upwardly therefrom. The arm is rotatably coupled to the post between a first position and a second position. The plate receives a box containing foodstuffs from a conveyance apparatus. The plate moves in a first direction when moving from a first state toward a second state. The arm is configured to contact the box and rotate from the first position toward the second position when the plate is moving in the first direction. The arm is configured to contact and move the box in a second direction opposite the first along the platform when the plate moves from the second state toward the first state.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: Noe Esparza, James Brinkman, Jaylyn Daugherty, Abigail Soong
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Patent number: 11167935Abstract: A transportation path diverter diverts the transportation path of a conveyed article. The transportation path diverter includes an upstream-side lower diverting conveyor, a downstream-side upper diverting conveyor, a downstream-side lower diverting conveyor, a height sensor, and an article sensor. The height sensor detects the article conveyed by the upstream-side lower diverting conveyor, the article having at least a predetermined height. The article sensor detects the article transferred from the upstream-side lower diverting conveyor to the downstream-side lower diverting conveyor. A swing of the downstream-side upper diverting conveyor by a first swinging device is controlled based on the detection of the article by the height sensor and the article sensor.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2020Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: DAIFUKU CO., LTD.Inventor: Yoshihiko Fujio
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Patent number: 11001454Abstract: A terminal device for a sorting and order-picking system, wherein the terminal device has at least one transport device having a charge side and a discharge side wherein on the charge side goods of a conveying means can be loaded and stored on the transport devices until the end of a loading cycle. The terminal device, can be integrated into existing sorting and picking systems without costly conversion measures and also enables the largest possible storage capacity for the goods, wherein at least the charge side of the transport device is lowered during the loading cycle from an upper position (Ho) to a lower position (Hu).Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2017Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Inventor: Hansueli Christen
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Patent number: 10807748Abstract: A conveyor device for conveying food products on a plurality of parallel conveyor tracks and for formatting the food products in a specific product format, especially for conveying and formatting stacks or interleaved units made of a plurality of slices of cheese or meat products is provided. The conveyor device fills a product gap on one of the conveyor tracks incoming on the input side with a food product so that on the output side all parallel conveyor tracks are supplied with the food products when a product gap is sensed. A corresponding method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Jürgen Bialy
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Patent number: 10640291Abstract: A control unit controls a sorting unit and a send-out unit to transport articles received by a receiving unit to an upstream accumulating unit so that articles that belong to the same article group are accumulated on the same upstream branch accumulating unit, and articles that belong to different article groups are accumulated on different upstream branch accumulating units, to transport articles accumulated in the upstream accumulating unit to a final accumulating unit so that articles that belong to the same article group are accumulated on different final branch accumulating units, and an article group with smaller designated sequence numbers is accumulated on a downstream side, in a transportation direction, of an article group with larger designated sequence numbers, and to send out articles accumulated in the final accumulating unit from the send-out unit in accordance with the designated sequence numbers.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2019Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: Daifuku Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masaru Iida
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Patent number: 10427887Abstract: In a belt buffer including a plurality of buffer belts arranged one above the other, receiving edges of the buffer belts at entry and delivery edges of the buffer belts at an exit of the belt buffer are height-adjustable. The buffer belts can include a plurality of belt modules arranged one after the other.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2016Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: ROTZINGER AGInventor: Kurt Philipp
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Patent number: 10093489Abstract: An infeed rollcase for transporting an infeed object. The rollcase uses a split drive system to move infeed objects at varying speeds in different infeed decks of the infeed rollcase. By detecting the position of each infeed object along a front portion of each infeed deck, the drive speed of the split drive system is varied such that the infeed objects maintain a predetermined position (e.g., overlapping) with respect to a preceding infeed object.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: SWEED MACHINERY, INC.Inventors: Tyler W. Casebeer, Chris J. Salyer, Burnell Wimer
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Patent number: 10065757Abstract: The invention relates to a conveyor device (10) for conveying food products on a plurality of parallel conveyor tracks and for formatting the food products in a specific product format, especially for conveying and formatting stacks or interleaved units made of a plurality of slices of cheese or meat products. It is proposed that the conveyor device (10) fills a product gap on one of the conveyor tracks incoming on the input side with a food product so that on the output side all parallel conveyor tracks are supplied with the food products. The invention also includes a corresponding method.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2015Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Jürgen Bialy
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Patent number: 10011439Abstract: According to one embodiment, a transporter includes a conveyor, a restrainer, and a restrainer moving unit. The conveyor conveys an object in a first direction. The conveyor is movable in a second direction. The restrainer is disposed corresponding to a downstream end of the conveyor in the first direction. The restrainer moving unit keeps, in a case where a position of the conveyor relative to an object-transporting destination is out of a preset range, the restrainer at a restraining position at which the restrainer restrains a movement of the object. The restrainer moving unit starts to move, in a case where the position of the conveyor relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, the restrainer toward a releasing position at which the restrainer allows the movement of the object.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Takafumi Sonoura, Akihito Ogawa, Hideichi Nakamoto, Haruna Eto, Junya Tanaka, Atsushi Sugahara
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Patent number: 9676562Abstract: The product flow regulator is used for decoupling an incoming flow of piece-goods from a downstream device for further processing. It comprises a stationary intermediate storage with a plurality of store levels, an infeed-side elevator with one or more transport levels for taking products arriving on conveyors to intermediate storage and a discharge-side elevator for removing the temporarily stored products and delivering them to forwarding conveyors. A buffer device is arranged upstream from these elevators on the infeed side and downstream from these elevators on the discharge side.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2013Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Rotzinger AGInventors: Kurt Philipp, Daniel Backhaus
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Patent number: 9517492Abstract: A transporting device transports objects in a transport direction from a loading region to an unloading region. The device includes a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit which are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction. Efficient unloading of the objects from the transporting device is achieved by providing a separating device between the first and second conveying units. The separating device is configured to separate the objects into at least two object groups dependent on at least one object property.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2014Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Michael Schwarzbauer, Rainer Vogel, Bertram Wanner, Rolf Wiehler
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Patent number: 9126756Abstract: In the case of a card mass storage device having a storage device and a card transfer, the storage device includes a main storage device and an interim storage device, which is disposed between the main storage device and the card transfer, to allow sorting processes that make implementing rapid access possible.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2013Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Boewe Systec GmbHInventors: Boris Flach, Helmut Koelle
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Patent number: 9022204Abstract: A manufacturing system includes a first conveyer apparatus, a second conveyer apparatus and a manufacturing apparatus. The first conveyer apparatus has a first conveyer unit and a first elevator unit. The first elevator unit is adapted to drive the first conveyer unit to move upward or downward between first and second positions. The second conveyer apparatus has a second conveyer unit and a second elevator unit. The second elevator unit is adapted to drive the second conveyer unit to move upward or downward between third and fourth positions. The manufacturing apparatus disposed between the first and second conveyer apparatuses has a manufacturing unit, a third conveyer unit and a fourth conveyer unit. A conveying path of the third conveyer unit passes through the manufacturing unit. The first and third positions are aligned to the third conveyer unit. The second and fourth positions are aligned to the third conveyer unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Wistron CorporationInventors: Chun-Kai Wang, Hsueh-Yen Lai, Xin-Hua Wang
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Patent number: 9021768Abstract: The invention relates to a method for conveying articles, in particular product slices produced by simultaneous slicing of a plurality of food products or respective portions including a plurality of product slices, wherein the articles are conveyed in a conveying direction on a main conveying path in multitracks in desired arrangements formed by articles from different tracks, in particular in rows extending transverse to the conveying direction, incomplete arrangements of articles having at least one deficient point are expelled onto a secondary conveying path and desired arrangements are formed from the articles forming the incomplete arrangements.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2011Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Weber Mashinenbau GmbH BreidenbachInventor: Günther Weber
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Patent number: 8925709Abstract: A carrier device and product handling system are described, in which product items are stored or transported through a product processing environment including such stages as portioning, packaging and labeling. The carrier device is designed such that product items can be loaded and unloaded automatically on trays. Traceability is provided by means of a machine-readable tag storing information relating to the contents of the carrier device's array of compartments. Examples of loading and unloading mechanisms are also described. The invention has particular application to the processing of meat products or other perishable goods.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: CSB International AGInventor: Max Studer
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Patent number: 8905221Abstract: An apparatus for stacking items (I) includes first and second pluralities of stacker shelves (22) extending towards each other in spaced and parallel operative sections and each moving along first and second endless paths. The stacker shelves (22) are switchable by a switch (350) between extended and retracted positions. The stacker shelves (22) in retracted positions in the operative sections are operatively spaced from the item (I) received on the corresponding stacker shelves (22) in extended positions. In preferred aspects, the stacker shelves (22) are slideable relative to first and second plurality of carriers (310) carried along the first and second endless paths by roller chains (304). The switch (350) switches a cam follower (328) on each of the stacker shelves (22) into one of first and second cam tracks (342, 344) as the stacker shelves (22) enter the operative sections of the endless paths.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Douglas Machine Inc.Inventor: Todd Young
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Patent number: 8851266Abstract: The present invention provides a material distribution system and method thereof, comprising first, second and third conveyors, first, second, third and fourth material distribution paths, first and second material distribution rockers, and a movable material-distributing guide plate. Material conveyed on the second conveyor is delivered to the first or second material distribution rocker by switching the movable material-distributing guide plate, material conveyed on the first or second conveyor is delivered to the first or second material distribution path by switching the first material distribution rocker, and material conveyed on the second or third conveyor is delivered to the third or fourth material distribution path by switching the second material distribution rocker.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Chan Li Machinery Co., Ltd.Inventor: Wen-Cheng Liu
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Patent number: 8813947Abstract: A wood veneer diverter system comprises a plurality of veneer diverters operable to divert veneer downwardly and away from a belt based on the category or grade of the veneer. These veneer diverters are desirably rotated so that they pass through a veneer flow path in the direction of veneer flow. The veneer diverters may be configured to enhance their effectiveness in diverting veneer away from belts that move the veneer.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Ventek, Inc.Inventors: Jason W. Tracy, Thomas B. Thompson
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Patent number: 8789681Abstract: An apparatus for conveying printed products, includes a first accumulating section and at least one second accumulating section to convey the printed products from at least one intake area to at least one discharge area. The apparatus includes a feeding device to supply the printed products to one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one intake area. The apparatus further includes a discharge device to remove the printed products from one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one discharge area.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2010Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Muller Martini Holding AGInventor: Guenther Silberbauer
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Patent number: 8752692Abstract: An apparatus for conveying printed products, includes a first accumulating section and at least one second accumulating section to convey the printed products from at least one intake area to at least one discharge area. The apparatus includes a feeding device to supply the printed products to one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one intake area. The apparatus further includes a discharge device to remove the printed products from one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one discharge area.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2010Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Muller Martini Holding AGInventor: Guenther Silberbauer
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Publication number: 20140131169Abstract: A drying device for bulk material, comprises a conveyor on which a first majority of perforated plates with location surfaces for the bulk material is guided along a rail comprising an upper rail section, a lower rail section and a first deflection rail section at an end, in which the perforated plates are deflected from the upper into the lower rail section, and a second deflection rail section at an opposite end in which the perforated plates are deflected from the lower into the upper rail section. A scraper device comprises one or more scraping elements arranged so that the location surface of a perforated plate moving along the first or second deflection rail section comes into contact with the scraping elements, and is cleaned by means of a relative movement between the scraping elements and the perforated plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2013Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: BIG DUTCHMAN INTERNATIONAL GMBHInventor: Ludger Themann
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Patent number: 8490772Abstract: A log accumulator comprising a plurality of buckets, a feed arrangement and a transport system and methods are provided. The feed arrangement loads logs onto the buckets. The transport system transports the buckets past the feed arrangement for loading of the buckets. The transport system and the feed arrangement are configured to maintain the feed arrangement in a fixed relative position with one of the buckets for an extended period of time while the feed arrangement loads the one of the buckets. The accumulator may include an unload arrangement that operates to unload logs in substantially the same manner as the feed arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2010Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.Inventors: James R. Michler, Thomas W. Schneider
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Patent number: 8403010Abstract: There is provided a tablet filling device, which can smoothly supply vials without any stop of the device even if the vials cause a jam within a stocker. The tablet filling device is related to removing a vial 9 from a stocker 21 accommodating a large number of vials 9 according to a prescription data, dispensing tablets into the vial 9 to fill the vial, and discharging the vial 9 filled with the tablets. The stocker 21 includes: a vial removing device 24 configured to scoop the vial 9 accommodated in the stocker 21 upward to remove the vial; and a vial conveying device 23 configured to convey the vial 9 toward the vial removing device 24. When a jam of the vial 9 occurs, the vial conveying device 23 is reversely driven.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Yuyama Mfg., Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Taniguchi, Minoru Tano, Yoshinori Maeji
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Patent number: 8397898Abstract: A scalable shipping buffer (22; 50; 88) with an integrated sorting function for preparing a consignment comprising a number of different products (42), wherein the products (42) can be loaded into a transporting vehicle (24) in an ordered sequence and wherein the products (42) are delivered to the shipping buffer (22; 50; 88) in a disordered sequence, comprising: a drawing-off path (30), in particular a central drawing-off path, for conveying the products (42) in a downstream direction to a transfer point (41), at which the products (42) are transferred in the direction of the transporting vehicle (24) according to the ordered sequence, wherein the drawing-off path (30) extends essentially in a longitudinal direction (31); a first buffer path (32; 34), which extends essentially parallel and adjacent to the drawing-off path (30) and has a first number of buffer locations (39); a multiplicity of transfer devices (38), wherein the transfer devices are arranged in such a way that each buffer location (39) of theType: GrantFiled: January 21, 2011Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Inventors: Rainer Buchmann, Heiko Suess, Max Winkler
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Patent number: 8348194Abstract: A device intended for a hold that can receive containers and luggage simultaneously. The hold includes a freight loading system including rollers defining a rolling surface on which a container can move with the movement of the rollers. The device includes a unit including conveyor belts disposed longitudinally in the hold one after the other such as to extend over at least part of the length of the hold. Each conveyor belt includes an upper section configured to receive an object to be moved and each conveyor belt can move between a first raised position in which the upper section of the belt is located above the rolling surface defined by the rollers of the freight loading system and a second position in which the upper section of the belt is located below the rolling surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.Inventor: Bernard Guering
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Patent number: 8342311Abstract: A store-feeding device including a feeding conveyer with a belt catch that can be positioned in an infinitely variable fashion in a horizontal and/or vertical direction. The belt catch can be controlled by a controller such that products can be conveyed from a production station directly to the packaging station by a conveyer. If the packaging station is fully utilized or stopped, the belt catch can be positioned such that the products can be placed in the store. A further conveyer can be loaded with rejected or faulty series of products. For this purpose, the belt catch can be retracted and lowered.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2009Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: Rotzinger AGInventor: Kurt Philipp
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Patent number: 8312983Abstract: An apparatus for stacking electrode plates includes a first and second transfer conveyor units, and an electrode plate support. The first transfer conveyor unit includes an addressing conveyor and a movable conveyor, and a power unit drives the movable conveyor upward and downward to vary the angle between the movable conveyor and the addressing conveyor. The second transfer conveyor unit has a plurality of conveyors located at different heights. The electrode plate support has a plurality of support plates which are placed vertically parallel to one another. The electrode plate support is moved upward and downward in a vertical direction via a conveyor device to move the support plates to positions adjacent to their own corresponding conveyors of the second transfer conveyor unit at different heights, and each of the support plates accepts an electrode plate from its own corresponding conveyor of the second transfer conveyor unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2011Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Inventors: Lung Kuo, Chia-Shou Kuo
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Patent number: 8157080Abstract: A product aggregating apparatus receives product with an in-feed conveyor assembly and provides the product in an aggregated, registered and/or organized form, such as to a product picking apparatus. The in-feed conveyor assembly includes at least one in-feed conveyor, each in-feed conveyor configured to deliver product to first and second locations. A product receiver assembly includes at least first and second product receiver carriages to receive product at the first and second locations, respectively. An aggregated product receiver assembly comprises a carriage configured for vertical movement to positions adjacent to each product receiver carriage. A pusher assembly, comprising a pusher carriage configured for vertical movement to positions adjacent to each product receiver carriage, contains pushers horizontally moveable to push product from the adjacent product receiver carriage and onto the carriage of the aggregated product receiver assembly for picking by an appropriate apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2009Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Pearson Packaging SystemsInventor: James A. Goodman
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Patent number: 8079457Abstract: A device for supplying boards to crosscut saws has a feeding device and a transverse transport unit arranged downstream of the feeding device. Several loading planes are arranged downstream of the transverse transport unit and positioned at different levels. The boards are supplied on the loading planes to a crosscut saw, respectively. The transverse transport unit is adjustable relative to the loading planes about an axis that is transverse to a transport direction of the boards on the transverse transport unit. A stop is adjustably arranged in the transport path of the boards on the transverse transport unit, wherein the stop, without sensing the boards, is adjustable exclusively by a control unit of the device. When the transverse transport unit is being adjusted into a new position relative to the loading planes, the stop prevents further transport of the boards to the loading planes, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2008Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: GreCon Dimter Holzoptimierung Süd GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Alois Heinz
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Patent number: 8074793Abstract: A conveyor system and method of assembling same in which parts are fastened without the use of welding, clamps, or threaded fasteners such as bolts and screws is provided. A bracket and slot mechanism is used to attach one conveyor component to another. The bracket and slot mechanism allows components to be easily attached/detached by merely applying force to slide the bracket into the slot. Moreover, when engaged, the bracket is held securely in the slot so that the components do not become detached during normal operation of the conveyor assembly.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Industrial Design Fabrication & Installation, Inc.Inventor: Todd Jager
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Patent number: 8047352Abstract: A vial supply device 11 having a receiving section with a large capacity and capable of reliably discharging the vials includes: a receiving section 101 for receiving many empty vials 4; a conveyance unit 105 having a horizontal endless member 104 located at a bottom wall of the receiving section 101 and being configured to be driven in a horizontal direction, the conveyance unit being further configured to convey the vials 4 in a horizontal direction by using the horizontal endless member 104; and a discharge unit 111 having a vertical endless member 109 located at a wall of the receiving section 101 and being configured to be driven in a vertical direction, the discharge unit being further configured to lift the vials 4 upward and discharge the same while allowing the vials 4 to be horizontally supported at support members 110 located at the vertical endless member 109 at predetermined intervals.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2007Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd.Inventor: Shoji Yuyama
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Publication number: 20110180371Abstract: Products (3) advancing in single file are divided into at least two files by a device comprising a main conveyor (10) from which the products (3) of the single file (7) pass onto a first outfeed conveyor (11) and onto a second outfeed conveyor (12) positioned with infeed ends at different heights, one above the other; the device also comprises a linking conveyor (26) between the main conveyor (10) and the outfeed conveyors (11, 12), consisting in a pair of looped belts (27, 28) presenting outer surfaces faced along a portion of predetermined length with a layer (35) of resilient material, thereby creating a channel (34) by which the main conveyor (10) is linked to the outfeed conveyor (11) positioned uppermost, and along which the products (3) are transferred cyclically to this same conveyor (11).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2009Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.AInventors: Marco Carrara, Daniele Civolani
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Patent number: 7946797Abstract: An egg transport system has an egg transport module (10) where eggs are stored on a plurality of shelves (20) on a transportable frame (30) with wheels (11). The module (10) is loaded or unloaded by a loader (50, 150) and unloader (70), both of which can be vertical aligned to enable loading/unloading of a selected one of the shelves (20).Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Inventor: Colin James Smith
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Publication number: 20100314218Abstract: An apparatus for conveying printed products, includes a first accumulating section and at least one second accumulating section to convey the printed products from at least one intake area to at least one discharge area. The apparatus includes a feeding device to supply the printed products to one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one intake area. The apparatus further includes a discharge device to remove the printed products from one of the first or second accumulating sections in the at least one discharge area.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: Mueller Martini Holding AGInventor: Guenther Silberbauer
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Patent number: 7798759Abstract: The present invention generally comprises an apparatus for transporting containers between a first transport system and a second transport system. In one embodiment, the first transport system comprises a ceiling-based conveyor and the second transport system comprises a floor-based conveyor. The present invention may further include storage shelves, preferably substantially horizontally aligned about a common vertical plane with a section of one of the transport systems. The transport system may be located either directly above the uppermost storage shelf or beneath the lowermost storage shelf in order to add storage capacity within the fab. A vertical module transports containers between the transport systems and the at least one storage shelf.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2006Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Muratec Automation Co., Ltd.Inventors: Anthony C. Bonora, Michael Krolak, Roger G. Hine
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Publication number: 20100108464Abstract: A device for the accumulation and release of products (P) arranged in ranks, comprising an accumulation buffer (2) with corresponding openings (4, 6) for receiving and delivering products, a plurality of container elements (7) guided so as to move within the buffer between the receiving and delivery openings, each container element being provided with a plurality of supporting planes (9) for containing ranks of products, means (10, 11, 42, 50) for driving the container elements (7) to control movement of the containers in the accumulation buffer so as to present each container element which has to be filled at the receiving opening (4) in sequence in order to load ranks of products arriving on the corresponding supporting planes (9) in the container and conveying containers previously filled with products to the delivery opening (6) for release of the corresponding ranks of products out of the accumulation buffer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2008Publication date: May 6, 2010Inventors: Daniele Davi, Rino Vitali
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Patent number: 7699158Abstract: A conveying device is provided in systems for safety checking items of luggage or cargo, comprising at least one baggage switch with at least two horizontal conveyors, which are parallelly arranged one above the other at a fixed distance and which can be vertically displaced with the aid of an elevator.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2007Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: Smiths Heimann GmbHInventors: Stefan Aust, Hans-Joachim Schoepe
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Patent number: 7559737Abstract: A new type of pallet stacking assembly line. Two pick-and-place robots are used. The first robot has a relatively low position. The second robot is in an elevated position. A pallet dispenser dispenses a first pallet onto a pallet conveyor. The pallet conveyor then moves the first pallet to a first build position in front of the first robot. The first robot then begins picking products from a first pick position and stacking them on the first pallet. Once the products on the first pallet reach approximately half the finished height, the pallet conveyor carries the first pallet over to a second build position in front of the second robot. At the same time, the pallet dispenser dispenses a second pallet which is carried to the first build position. The second robot picks products from a second pick position and places them on the upper portion of the first pallet in order to complete the stack. Meanwhile, the first robot is picking and placing products on the lower portion of the second pallet.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2005Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Sentry Equipment Erectors Inc.Inventors: Christopher A. Ray, David N. Cooley, Gary D. Hunt, J. Michael Connor, Gert B. Gast, Donald Peter Welch, Mark T. Brogan, John P. Choufani, Kevin F. Keyes
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Patent number: 7547184Abstract: In a station for forming a pile of layers of items, a surface receives layers of items to be transferred to a first support plane situated after the receiving surface. The items arranged in layers are moved along the receiving surfaces and the first support plane by driving chains connected by rods set crosswise to the receiving surface and support plane. The support plane is spaced apart from the receiving surface to define a window and a descending ramp is situated below the window. An additional conveyor formed by narrow slats or rolls, is situated at the window and is operated so that one flexible plate moves to cover and uncover the window, so that layers of items are alternately either carried from the receiving surface to the support plane or made to pass through the window and released on the descending ramp. The ramp can change inclination so as to connect the receiving surface to either one or the other of second and third support planes situated below the first support plane.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2006Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: Tissue Machinery Company S.p.A.Inventors: Davide Dall'Omo, Christian Zabnoni
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Patent number: 7325672Abstract: A device for stopping a continuous product stream of the products of a rotary press, with a height conveyor which has a lower loading region to which the products are supplied via a first conveying means, and an upper delivery region, from which the products are conveyed to a reception container via a second conveying means, wherein on the downstream side of the delivery region of the height conveyor a switch is assigned to the second conveying means, a third conveying device being connected to this switch, the lower end of which is assigned to the loading region of the height conveyor, so that the products are supplied to the second or third conveying means depending on the condition of the switchType: GrantFiled: December 21, 2006Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignee: Fette GmbHInventors: Detlef Nuppenau, Harald Romer, Sven Kolbe, Frank Schade
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Patent number: 7303059Abstract: A conveying apparatus for transport and placement of articles in single file order includes dual parallel infeed conveyors each having an elevating portion for discharging articles onto transverse conveyors whose discharge ends are disposed over elevated discharge conveyors traversing in the opposite direction from the direction of movement of the infeed conveyors. The discharge conveyors include horizontal conveyor runs over which are disposed elongated article guide fences operable to guide articles into single file order but to also force articles not in proper order off of the conveyors into bottomless bins which guide the articles onto the inlet portions of the infeed conveyors for recycling through the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2005Date of Patent: December 4, 2007Inventor: Roger D. Pugh
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Patent number: 7156607Abstract: An apparatus for stacking incoming items includes a receiving mechanism for receiving incoming items, a stacking mechanism for receiving items from the receiving mechanism and stacking the items in a stacking area, a buffering mechanism for receiving incoming items when the stacking mechanism is full, and a stack unloading mechanism. Methods of operation include receiving an item in an item receiving mechanism, moving the item receiving mechanism to track the motion of a stacking mechanism, transferring the item from the receiving mechanism to the stacking mechanism, stacking the item in a stacking area, and unloading the stacking area when the stacking area is full of items.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2003Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Douglas Machine, Inc.Inventors: David L. Anderson, Chad W. Hahn, Jason P. Lattimer
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Patent number: 7124877Abstract: For converting a stream of flat articles from transverse conveyance to parallel conveyance, two continuously operated conveyors are provided, a transverse conveyor having a direction (FQ) of transverse conveyance and serving as supplying conveyor and a parallel conveyor having a direction (FP) of parallel conveyance and serving as removing conveyor. The direction (FQ) of transverse conveyance and the direction (FP) of parallel conveyance encompass an angle. The articles are pushed one after the other out of an outlet of the supplying conveyor towards an entrance of the removing conveyor. Before a trailing zone of the article has left the supplying conveyor, a leading zone of the article is grasped by an alignment device and is conveyed onwards with the speed of the parallel conveyor in the direction (FP) of parallel conveyance and is thereby aligned to the entrance of the removing conveyor, while the trailing zone is bent between the alignment device and the outlet of the supplying conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2004Date of Patent: October 24, 2006Assignee: Ferag AGInventor: Werner Honegger
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Patent number: 6976573Abstract: A transport system for articles includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor, and an elevator having an elevator conveyor and movable in a vertical direction between a lower end position in which the elevator conveyor is in alignment with the lower conveyor, and an upper end position in which the elevator conveyor is in alignment with the upper conveyor. The transfer of the articles between the conveyors and the elevator conveyor is controlled by a control unit which cooperates with a signaling assembly including a first signaling member associated to one plane for indicating that the elevator has reached an upper trigger position during movement from the lower end position to the upper end position, and a second signaling member associated to the other plane for indicating that the elevator has reached a lower trigger position during movement from the upper end position to the lower end position.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2003Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Wolfgang Brixius, Dominik Gräfer, Albrecht Hoene
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Patent number: 6975998Abstract: A package delivery notification system reports impending package deliveries and precisely notifies recipients of when to expect the deliveries. The package delivery notification system utilizes memory, a communications device, and a system manager. Package data identifying a package that is to be delivered to a recipient is stored in the memory. The package data indicates that the recipient is to receive the package and indicates the expected time that the package is to be delivered. When the package is assigned to a vehicle that will deliver the package to a premises of the recipient, the system manager transmits, via the communications device, a notification message to the recipient. The notification message preferably indicates the approximate time that the package is expected to arrive.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2000Date of Patent: December 13, 2005Assignee: ArrivalStar, Inc.Inventor: Martin Kelly Jones
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Patent number: 6929115Abstract: In a system for adjusting the height of a station for feeding items in a packaging machine, in which the feeding station has an outlet conveyor for the articles being delivered to other working stations of the packaging machine, the working stations are adjusted in height with respect to a common zero reference plane by a control unit. A lower stationary framework carries the item feeding station, while an upper moving framework is interposed between the feeding station and the lower stationary framework. A driving belt is powered by a motor for moving the moving framework with respect to the stationary framework. The motor is connected to the control unit for receiving an activation command corresponding to a height for the outlet conveyor determined in dependence of the height imposed to the other working stations. The driving belt move the moving framework vertically with respect to the stationary framework to position the outlet conveyor at a selected height with respect to the reference plane.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2003Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignee: Marchesini GroupInventor: Giuseppe Monti
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Patent number: 6910570Abstract: A container transport system includes a first conveyor assembly at one transport plane, and a second conveyor assembly at another transport plane, and a transfer device for moving the containers between the conveyor assemblies. Each of the conveyor assemblies has a split conveyor to define a gap, and a further conveyor movable between a first position bridging the gap and a second position in which the further conveyor is moved outwardly transversely to the transport direction. The transfer device includes a convex portion disposed in proximity of one transport plane and a concave portion which can swing into the other transport plane. The container has a bottom underside formed in transport direction with at least one grooved recess which defines a leading edge and a trailing edge, as viewed in transport direction, with the convex and concave portions engaging only the leading and trailing edges of the container, as the container is moved between the transport planes.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2004Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Wolfgang Brixius, Dominik Gräfer, Albrecht Hoene
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Patent number: 6874615Abstract: A chute system for selectively moving articles with little to no damage to such articles from a supply source oriented at a first level to a transversely moving conveying system oriented at a second lower level. The chute system includes a powered conveyor belt adapted for advancement of the conveyor belt at a known velocity and a guide operatively associated with the conveyor belt and adapted to shape the conveyor belt in a selected arcuate configuration to accommodate and facilitate translation of motion of such an article on the belt from a substantially vertical direction to a substantially horizontal direction. In a preferred embodiment the chute system includes a stop member to provide a stop for such articles upon movement of such articles from the conveyor belt to such conveying system in order to accommodate selective lateral deposition of such articles onto such conveying system.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2003Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Inventor: David M Fallas
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Patent number: 6868958Abstract: The device for removing front and end trimmings in a series of aligned rolls comprises: at least one continuous flexible suction conveyor (13); a suction system (3) associated with the conveyor so as to generate a suction through openings (13A) in the conveyor; a device for eliminating trimmings along a roll transfer path; a device receiving rolls from the conveyor. The receiver comprises at least two alternate paths for the rolls, which are arranged in sequence along the conveyor (13) and onto which the rolls may be alternately sorted.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2001Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Fabio Perini, S.p.A.Inventors: Giulio Betti, Angelo Benvenuti, Mario Gioni Chiocchetti