Abstract: A system for palletizing a multi-row pattern of articles includes a pattern-forming apparatus that includes a pair of fingers movable towards and away from each other to constrain rows of articles that impact one another to form a multi-row pattern of articles. The fingers can be either be fixed along the conveyor path or move with the containers along a portion of the conveyor path.

Abstract: The device for transferring items to a transport system or to a storage unit has a feed unit for conveying a plurality of items in three parallel feeding lines. Further, is has a transfer station for receiving the items from the feed unit and for transferring the items to the transport system or to the storage device. The transfer station includes three temporary storage lines arranged in parallel. The items are provided by the feed unit in a manner that the items in each of the temporary storage lines are arranged offset from the items in the other temporary storage lines with respect to a first direction. A pusher in the transfer station pushes the items in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to a single temporary storage line.

Abstract: A conveyor for moving objects along a path is comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart rollers that define the path of the conveyor. The upper edges of the rollers are aligned to define the surface of the path. Two spaced-apart side rails having inward-facing surfaces define two side boundaries of the path. A barrier assembly is disposed within a gap in one of the side rails for facilitating loading and unloading of objects onto the conveyor from one side of the conveyor. The barrier assembly is comprised of a mounting plate mounted to the conveyor and a barrier pivotally mounted to the mounting plate. The barrier has a wall section generally aligned with the inward-facing surface on one of the side rails. The barrier is movable between a first position wherein the wall section is elevated relative to the upper edges of the roller and a second position wherein the wall section is disposed below the upper edge of the rollers.

Abstract: In a packaging system for packing cases with product, a product metering system is provided. The product metering system includes a first product lane along which a first product travels and a second product lane along which a second product travels. The second product is different from the first product. A first movable barrier has a first position that obstructs progress of the first product along the first product lane and a second position that allows progress of the first product along the first product lane past the first movable barrier. The first product lane and second product lane merge into a first common lane downstream of the first movable barrier, wherein when the first movable barrier is in the first position only the second product is metered to the first common lane.

Abstract: A device for transferring items to a transport system or to a storage unit has a feed unit for conveying a plurality of items in at least one feeding line. Further, it has a transfer station for receiving the items from the feed unit and for transferring the items to the transport system or to the storage device. The transfer station includes two temporary storage lines arranged in parallel. The items are provided by the feed unit in a manner that the items in the first temporary storage line are arranged offset from the items in the second temporary storage line. The temporary storage surfaces in the first temporary storage line have at least one flap to be opened. A pusher in the transfer station is adapted to push the items from the second temporary storage line to the first temporary storage line.

Abstract: In laner apparatus for automatically arranging articles into lanes on a conveyor, for example for packaging or further processing, the articles are fed onto a conveyor upstream of a fence that extends at an acute angle to the direction of travel of the conveyor. The fence has gateways at intervals along its length and gates that control passage of the articles through the gateways and into lanes downstream of the fence. These downstream lanes may feed the articles onto slides for packaging or further processing. Articles that do not pass through a gateway move to the downstream end of the fence by the reaction forces resulting from motion of the conveyor and the angle of the fence. A control unit reads signals from sensors which are placed downstream of the fence, and preferably downstream of the laner apparatus, to determine whether each downstream lane is full and sends signals to selectively open and close the gates.

Abstract: A unit for conveying products and having a main conveying device; two secondary conveying devices for feeding respective streams of products to the main conveying device via respective inputs; and a distributing device for so controlling the two streams that the products in a first of the two streams, on reaching an output of the main conveying device, are offset with respect to the products in a second of the two streams, so as to form a single succession of products through the output.

Abstract: A conveying and feeding apparatus for conveying and constantly feeding a film cartridge one by one so as to feed the next process where a plurality of cartridges are conveyed continuously to a cartridge housing unit or a printing machine. A conveying portion comprises a conveyer belt and a guide board, and near its downstream end, a cartridge stopper mechanism is provided. This stopper mechanism comprises a first stopper member and a second stopper member. When the first stopper member stops a forefront cartridge T, the second stopper member is in a release position. Further, when the first stopper member is in a release position, the second stopper member is in a closed position so that the cartridge T can be constantly sent one by one.

Abstract: A combinational weighing system receives articles sequentially in a plurality of mutually parallel supply lines to be sequentially transported to weighing devices which are individually associated therewith and weigh batches of the articles received therefrom. Combinations of the measured weight values are combined and a particular combination of article batches is selected as having a total weight which satisfies a predefined condition. The article batches in the selected combination are transported in a general direction of flow from the weighing devices to an outlet in mutually different travel modes such that they are automatically aligned one behind another in the direction of flow as they are discharged together through the outlet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for depositing objects at separated locations on a movable belt. The device includes at least one channel through which objects enter the apparatus. Each channel includes a plurality of gates disposed along the channel. These gates operate sequentially to incrementally move the objects individually through the channel towards the movable belt. A sensor locates empty spaces along the movable belt, into which the objects are deposited. The movable belt is usually part of a conveyor system and may be a slotted belt or a smooth belt.

Abstract: Method for the multiple receipt and discharge of rolled sections onto a cooling plate, the method being suitable to handle simultaneously groups of two or more rolled sections (11) arriving simultaneously from an intake channel, whereby at least one multigroove equipped channel (10) receives the sections (11) simultaneously and discharges them while another group of sections (11) arrives in separate distinct grooves, such discharge taking place in cooperation with specific acceptance seatings (19) on the cooling plate (18), the cooling plate (18) advancing in each forward movement cycle by a number of acceptance seatings (19) equal to "n" times the pitch ("i") of the cooling plate (18), the number "n" being a function of the number of rolled sections arriving at the same time.

Abstract: A machine for aligning lumber received from a previous processing station into an orientation suited for a subsequent processing station. The machine has an infeed conveyor for receiving lumber from a previous processing station. Large rotating drums are positioned in the infeed conveyor adjacent to carriers of the infeed conveyor with a portion of the drum periphery extending above the infeed conveyor. An angled conveyor having multiple carriers, such as belts, is mounted strategic to the infeed conveyor and drums with the second conveyor extending upwardly at an angle to the infeed conveyor and drums. The drums are rotated such that the peripheral velocity of the drums is greater than the carriers of the infeed and angled conveyor. The drums elevate (lift) and accelerate the lumber from the infeed conveyor onto the angled conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for merging two or more parallel conveyor lanes of product into one final lane includes a pair of parallel conveyors, one disposed above and in spaced relationship over the other. A pivotally mounted slide at the discharge end of the first conveyor feeds product from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. A timing member is pivotally mounted above the second conveyor for engagement with product flowing along the second conveyor at a preselected position beneath the discharge end of the slide and upon engagement with product on the second conveyor simultaneously engages with the slide to force the slide out of a feeding position. The slide is provided with at least one lifting tab thereon for engaging with at least one arm of a pivotally attached stop member whereby engagement or disengagement of the tabs with the arm of the stop member determines the position of the stop member in relationship with product moving along the first conveyor.

Abstract: A device (10) for receiving bars (11) incoming along two parallel guides (12) in a siderurgical facility, in order to lay the bars onto a cooling bed (38) includes at least one first element (15) having, at its bottom portion, two channels (16) each of which displays a downwards orientated opening, the channels being lined up with the parallel guides (12), in order to constitute a substantial extension thereof. For each channel, shutters (23, 24) are provided in order to act as a closure for each of the openings of the channels, the shutters being supported by respective arms (17, 18) swinging arounds respective pivots (19, 20). Each of the arms (17, 18) is linked, through a respective tie-rod (27, 28), to an idle crank (29, 30) installed on a cam (31, 32) rotatably actuated by a ratiomotor (35) in order to reciprocate the shutters (23, 24) between a closed-channel position and an open-channel position.

Abstract: A belt transfer section for use in a right angle carton blank feeder. The belt transfer section nips the leading edge of articles leaving a feeding mechanism and moves them to another feeding mechanism operating at right angles to the first mechanism. The belt transfer section moves the articles along a diagonal path connecting the paths of movement on the other feeding mechanisms. Articles are moved by the belt transfer section at a speed greater than the speeds of the other feeding mechanisms according to the ratio of the length of the diagonal path, considered as the hypotenuse of an imaginary right triangle, to the other legs of the triangle.

Abstract: An intersection is provided for bottle conveyor lines having individual neck guide pairs. The intersection comprises a transfer plate and a pair of changing plates. The transfer plate includes a substantially Y-shaped opening extending to the edges thereof and comprising two arm members and a leg member defining a central plate portion and side plate portions. Each arm member when combined with the leg member forms a substantially continuously curving bottle path. The changing plates are movable, preferably vertically, between first positions in planar alignment with the transfer plate and second positions clear of bottles moving along the paths. The changing plates include an edge spanning one bottle path from opposite sides of the leg portion of the Y-shaped opening to the point of intersection of the converging edges of the central plate to complete the bottle supporting guides along the other bottle path.

Abstract: A combiner for a plurality of streams of articles, such as bottles, to be combined into a single stream (4) comprises a starwheel (16, 17) for each stream (1, 2), each starwheel having control fingers (20) spaced around its periphery, the starwheels being oppositely rotated at the same speed in a direction of movement with their control fingers (20) set out-of-phase so that articles are spaced alternately from the streams to enable them to merge. The drive for at least one of the starwheels (16) comprises meshing gears (32, 34) and an adjustment device comprising a plate (33) which has a drive pinion (32) mounted thereon, the plate being pivotal about the axis of the adjacent meshing gear (34) so that the meshing position can be adjusted, thereby causing consequential adjustment of the starwheel to fine tune the out-of-phase setting of its control fingers (20).

Abstract: The present invention represents a further extension of the automation of the various steps of the wood gluing process. This invention automatically selects and transmits to further work stations appropriately sized pieces of stock which, when glued together (utilizing various of the apparatus shown in the art for gluing such strips together), saves time in the formation of the end products. Information concerning the operation of the invention is recorded by customer number or other code to provide a permanent record of the results of the invention's operation.

Abstract: An electromechanical machine for the automatic production of portions, in any desired number, of toasted slices of bread, without human intervention includes a central body, shaped as a quarter-tronco-cone, provided with a set of guides (1) which stretch along the curved surface from the top to bottom and arrive near a horizontal metallic bay (N) which is fixed, and on which a belt conveyor moves, respectively constituted by a jointed structure (5) to which round and stiff elements (4) are fixed. The jointed structure is moved by a motor to which the structure is connected.

Abstract: A pair of superposed inclined feed tracks have slots along their upper and lower walls respectively. Elongate gates with inturned tips are disposed along the tracks and pivoted intermediate their ends on pins. A yoke having an axis intermediate the two pins has outward parallel fingers which are disposed outward of the pins, and as the yoke is turned by a rotary solenoid, first in one direction and then the other, the fingers engage the gates on opposite sides of their pivot pins oppositely and alternately to alternately open and close the respective tracks. A reciprocating pusher pushes the parts into the working ends of the upper and lower dies and a settable counter counts the strokes of the pusher. A circuit causes activation of the solenoid to shift the gates to switch the feed from one feed track to the other track when the counter registers up to the set number of strokes.

Abstract: A hinged channel for receiving steel bars (11, 12), cut to predetermined lengths and discharged from a rolling mill is described. The steel bars are slowed down during or at the end of entry into the hinged channel. After stopping or just before stopping, they are fed onto an underlying cooling bed by opening the hinged channel. The hinged channel has at least two parallel, randomly chargeable channels (5, 6) with different cross-sections. As a function of the cross-section or diameter of the discharged steel bar either the channel with the smaller diameter or that with the larger diameter is charged. A common pivotable cover (10) is provided for both channels, which closes the same in one position and releases the same in the other position so that the steel bar located in one of the channels can drop onto the cooling bed.

Abstract: A selector mechanism for controlling transfer of articles from a plurality of upstream feed lines to at least one downstream feed line (104) comprises a plurality of transfer passages (114) each provided with a gate (106) and at least one stop (108). The gates (106) are operable to block the leading article in the respective transfer passages while the stops (108) are operable to arrest movement of a trailing article and hence the articles that follow it. Operation of the gates (106) and stops (108) is co-ordinated so that the stops are operative when the gates are operated to unblock the leading article. In this way, the number of articles freed for onward movement each time the gates are operated to unblock the path of conveyance can be controlled.

Abstract: An apparatus for joining and folding container sections to form a hinged container. Two container sections are transported in end-to-end relation on a conveyor and the downstream section is engaged with a stop while a pusher member is pivoted into engagement with the trailing edge of the upstream section to force the sections together and engage snap fitted hinge elements on the two sections. The hinged container is then discharged from the first conveyor onto a second conveyor located at a level beneath the first conveyor and operating at a slower speed than the first conveyor. As the leading section of the hinged container falls from the upper conveyor onto the lower conveyor the increased speed of the upper conveyor will fold the trailing section over the leading section to provide a closed hinged container. The closed container then passes under a spring loaded pressure member which ensures that locking elements on the two container sections are fully engaged.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for storing tobacco or the like in high stacks and discharging the same, in which tobacco is charged into and stored in a plurality of vertically elongated storage chambers arranged side by side. The tobacco is discharged to fall onto a discharging conveyor arranged horizontally beneath the storage chambers, while changing the orientation of the tobacco layer from a horizontal to a vertical direction. The tobacco layer oriented in a vertical direction is transported by the discharging conveyor. Completion of the discharge is detected and then discharging the tobacco of the next chamber is started. Separating doffers are provided for cooperation with the discharging conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to rapidly and automatically scan the UPC, or bar code, from a series of containers and maintain tallies of the brands and types of containers processed. The containers are fed in end-to-end orientation onto the upper end of the trough between an inclined pair of parallel rollers. Both rollers are rotated in the same direction, causing each container to spin as it slides down the length of the rollers. The inclination of the rollers causes the containers to accelerate, increasing the spacing between containers as they reach the lower end of the rollers. A number of scanners are positioned above the lower end of the rollers to read the UPC from each container.

Abstract: A device for discharging rolled products onto a cooling plate. The device, which cooperates with a tail-brake for braking the discharging rolled products, includes two channels with movable vanes which are selectively opened and closed to selectively release rolled products from the channels. The vanes of both channels are opened and closed by a common actuator system. Closure of the vanes is achieved by positive actuation while opening of the vanes is effected by gravity upon release of the vanes by the actuation system.

Abstract: A mechanism for transferring chip components from a supply source onto a conveyor. A manifold of individual disc members receive the component from a supply and rotate to position the component onto a conveyor. A drive crank rotates the disc from the receiving to the release position and sensors tell a machine control the position of the component and the disc.

Abstract: A loading device for a horizontal continuous furnace for the heating of glass plates comprises a roller conveyer (6) as part of a continuous conveying system. Support strips (12-15, 32-35) can be lowered and are arranged between conveying rollers (7) of the roller conveyer at a feed station (A). The glass plates (2, 3, 4, 5) are placed on the raised support strips (12-15, 32-35) and are lowered onto the conveying rollers at a preset time by simultaneous lowering of all support strips. Each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is supported independently of the other support strips on separate lifting devices (16-19, 36-39). These lifting devices (16-19, 36-39) are controlled by reflecting photoelectric barriers (22-25, 42-45) respectively dedicated to each support strip such that each support strip (12-15, 32-35) is individually raised to an upper position as soon as a glass plate transferred to the conveying rollers (7) has left the area of that support strip.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling biscuits comprises a pair of identical devices for separating and holding back advanced supplies of the biscuits, which are arranged in rows, in contiguous, upright relationship, within laterally-spaced supply channels. The rows of biscuits are converted into a single row by a chute which is periodically movable sideways, to a position at the outlet end of one of the channels while the biscuit supply in the other channel is held back by a separating member comprising a "finger" movable towards and upwardly away from the path of the advanced supply of biscuits by a piston and cylinder assembly operable so that, only upward movement of a separating member takes place as positive motion, whereas the downward movement of the member is such that it is free, pausing in its movement if necessary, to make entry into the supply in a yieldable manner.

Abstract: A separating unit for book blocks processed in a book binding system and fed at a first travelling speed from a folding or glueing machine in two parallel horizontal stacks in which the blocks are fed one-by-one in an upright position on a first conveying means, comprises second conveying means cooperating with the latter and travelling at a higher speed, a stack support bridging the transfer area between the first and second conveying means and guiding the randomly separated book blocks on the second conveying means. In order to uniformly space apart the separated book blocks, a timing switch is provided at the end portion of the second conveying means and is controlled by two light barriers which during the passage of the leading book blocks arrest the successive book blocks and release the same upon the passage of the leading block past the first light barrier.

Abstract: In a fastener-attaching apparatus equipped with a feeder for selectively delivering two different component pieces of fasteners from two separate feed hoppers to an attaching point, the improvement in the feeder which comprises a pair of tracks having a pair of vertically parallel fastener-guiding T-grooves which extend from the delivery openings of the two feed hoppers and terminate in vertically juxtaposed fastener discharge outlets, a shifting mechanism for selectively closing and opening the T-grooves of the tracks, a guide having a guide groove provided at right angles to the T-grooves and extending to the fastener-attaching point, with the fastener discharge outlets open in the guide groove, a fastener limiter slide located opposite to the discharge outlets and urged by a spring slidably and partly into the guide groove, the limiter slide having separate fastener-piece-receiving recesses corresponding, respectively, to the upper and lower discharge outlets, and a pusher bar slidable in the guide groove

Abstract: There is described a rotary trough type cooling bed run-in apparatus for dropping the roll bars of a steel round bar mill onto a cooling bed in an aligned state at high speed and absent the warpage associated with similar devices. Several troughs each having a longitudinal opening and an axial opening are rotatably mounted. A roll bar is introduced axially into each of said troughs following which said opening is closed off by a cover to ensure that said bar will not be prematurely ejected. As said troughs move downwardly said covers are simultaneously removed to expose the enclosed bars and these are allowed to fall downwardly onto a cooling bed.

Abstract: A sequencing drop chute apparatus receives a batch of electrical components and feeds them one at a time to a single line conveyor. The sequencing drop chute apparatus includes a support frame with an inclined surface attached to the support frame. A plurality of walls extend upward from an upper portion of the inclined surface and divide the upper portion of the inclined surface into a plurality of chutes. There is at least one chute for each electrical component of a batch of electrical components. A camshaft is rotatingly mounted upon the frame and includes a plurality of eccentric cams one of which is operably associated with each of the chutes for periodically blocking and periodically opening each of the chutes. The cams are arranged so that the plurality of chutes are opened one at a time thereby permitting the batch of electrical components to pass one at a time through the drop chute apparatus to the conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling quantities of articles, such as containers, including an input conveyor having guides for channeling the articles into rows or files longitudinally of the conveyor, a gating station operable to open the channels for passing a transverse row or rank of articles and close the channels for stopping input feed of the articles, a transverse row or rank of articles being adapted to be operated upon when stopped, and an exiting or removal station downstream of the gating station for receiving from the latter a rank of articles when the gating station is open and removing the received rank of articles when the gating station is closed.

Abstract: Apparatus for turning bottles and the like during exposure to a jet of hot gas or other heat source. Bottles are individually passed by an air cylinder gate and travel to a drive wheel and a spring loaded idler, where they are trapped by a second air cylinder gate. The drive wheel turns the bottle over a predetermined revolution while the bottle face is exposed to heat. The bottle is then permitted to exit by retraction of the second air cylinder gate. A pneumatic assembly controls gate operation, along with mechanical actuation to prevent bottle entrapment in the heating area.

Abstract: Products, accumulated on a supply conveyor having low-friction belts, are transferred to a flight conveyor with an intervening single level infeed conveyor system which includes a high-friction belt squeezer conveyor that accepts products at its inlet end from the supply conveyor and releases them for synchronous arrival in the flight conveyor. Means are provided for keeping the squeezer conveyor filled with a column of abutting products at all times during a production run so there is no speed change and, hence, no abrasion of products as they advance from the low-friction supply conveyor to the squeezer conveyor inlet.

Abstract: Elongate workpieces with enlarged heads to be distributed in groups to different destinations, such as plastic parisons to be delivered to respective mold cavities of a four-cavity blow-molding unit, are fed--partly by gravity--over a pair of sloping, counterrotating spindles to a tilted turntable, the spindles being separated by a gap letting the bodies of the workpieces hang down between them. The workpieces are successively inserted into peripheral recesses of the turntable along a raised edge thereof for rotary entrainment to respective guide channels confronting its opposite, depressed peripheral edge. Four workpieces at a time are dislodged from their recesses, after retraction of a barrier, by air jets driving them into the guide channels assigned to them. Fresh workpieces are deposited upon the upstream end of the spindle track by an elevating conveyor controlled by a monitoring device such as a photosensor which stops the conveyor upon detecting a backup of workpieces along the track.

Abstract: An apparatus for collating cartons received from a plurality of sources in a tightly packed together relationship or randomly spaced apart relationship, and transferring these cartons in a substantially uniformly spaced apart relationship into a single stream of cartons for transport to another location.

Abstract: Automated apparatus and methods are provided for aging negative glow lamps.

Abstract: The gaps which develop at times in a file of cigarette packs moving from a packing machine to a processing machine are filled by spare packs stacked in an upright magazine which is adjacent to the conveyor for the file of packs. The lowermost pack of the stack is transferred into an oncoming gap by a pusher which moves the lowermost pack in as well as transversely of the direction of movement of packs in the file. The last stage of transfer includes gravitational descent of the spare pack into the corresponding gap.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the gating of piles of magazines from an input conveyor to a trimmer infeed conveyor. A pile is fed to a gating conveyor and blocked at the entrance thereto by a pair of gating pins. The gating pins and the gating conveyor are then driven together with the pins moving at a higher speed than the conveyor. This releases the pile and moves it toward the trimmer infeed conveyor. A second pair of gating pins behind the first pair and moving at the same speed overtakes the magazine pile from the rear and pushes it from the end of the gating conveyor onto the trimmer infeed conveyor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the controlled accumulating and feeding of piles of magazines from an input conveyor to a trimmer infeed conveyor. A flow director receives magazine piles and directs them to one of three parallel conveyor lanes, each lane including a series of independently driven conveyor sections. The leading pile in each lane is fed by a gate to the trimmer infeed conveyor while a restrictor restrains the succeeding piles from advancing. The procedure is repeated for each succeeding pile on each lane. Each section of each conveyor lane is provided with detectors for detecting stalled magazine piles. When stalled piles are detected at the downstream end of a conveyor section the adjacent downstream conveyor section is shut down. The traffic on the three lanes is compared and the flow director is instructed to not feed piles to a lane having an excessive backup of piles as compared to its neighbors.

Abstract: Apparatus whereby objects are pushed in a circular motion from one location to another by a rotatable cam. A guide is used to insure the delivery of the objects to a precise location and control means are employed to activate the movement of the cam.

Abstract: Collating apparatus for inserting cubes (C) into a moving row of cylindrical articles (A) for subsequent packaging of groups of the collated articles comprises a screw conveyor (1) having a thread pitch arranged to increase the spacing of cylindrical articles in the direction of movement, an auxiliary conveyor (5) arranged to feed a continuous supply of cubes to the screw conveyor so as to insert the cubes sequentially into the spaces (S) formed between predetermined cylindrical articles together with a rotatable cam (8) having a clearance passage (15) through which cubes from the auxiliary conveyor (5) may move into the line of cylindrical articles, the cam (8) being constructed with a holding portion (12) for preventing movement of a succeeding cube along the auxiliary conveyor during passage of a preceding article through the clearance passage (15) in the cam together with a guide portion (13) for guiding an article from the auxiliary conveyor into a space (S) formed between articles on the screw conveyor

Abstract: An article moulding and conveying method including alternately extruding parisons and alternately blow-moulding articles from the extruded parisons and thereafter delivering the blow-moulded articles alternately and at different times along parallel paths directly after being blow moulded to two stationary constantly spaced points of deposit along a predetermined path of article travel, the two constantly spaced points defining a first predetermined distance between each other, intermittently moving deposited articles as a constantly spaced group at a time between the alternate delivery of any two successively delivered blow-moulded articles, the intermittent movement being in a first direction along the predetermined path of article travel a second distance, and the first predetermined distance being an even numbered multiple of the second distance.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a coil spring feeding apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated magazines supported by a frame in parallel relation to each other and each including a bottom and a discharge end, a conveyor assembly extending transversely of and adjacent to the discharge ends of the magazines for receiving the endmost coil springs from the magazines and for transporting the coil springs transversely of and away from the magazine ends, which conveyor includes a pair of spaced, parallel endless belts each having a top surface and supported for intermittent travel transversely of the magazine ends, an elongated platform having and upper surface, a cylinder for locating the platform, during belt movements, in a lower position with the platform upper surface beneath the belt top surfaces, and for locating the platform between belt movements, in a raised position, and a transfer device for withdrawing the endmost coil springs from the magazines and for transferring the endmost coil springs onto the conveyor

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling articles, such as pieces of timber, of different types. The articles are conveyed by a suitable conveyer to a location situated at the discharge end of the conveyor. Over the conveyer there is a series of compartments distributed longitudinally along the conveyer and arranged in different groups with the compartments of each group arranged with one of the compartments thereof nearer to the discharge end of the conveyer than the next compartment of each group. Articles of different types are respectively situated in the different groups of compartments.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating a generally rectangular array of containers into a single file line of similarly oriented single file containers. The array is comprised of a plurality of rectangular containers, some having transverse orientations and some having longitudinal orientations. The method of the invention includes advancing all the containers of the array into a number of lines of advancing containers, turning the containers with transverse orientations to longitudinal orientations, and converging the various transversely spaced and longitudinally oriented containers into a single file line of longitudinally oriented containers. The apparatus for practicing the invention may include a number of successive conveyor stations each having various conveyor means such as belts or rollers which sequentially advance the containers generally in a longitudinal path of movement.