Abstract: An items handler for successively handling a horizontal row of items in an intermittent or indexing, controlled dimension motion. The handler includes structure defining a movement direction change station and receiving structure for receiving a horizontal row of items thereon and lengthwise advancing the row of items along a predetermined path toward the aforementioned station. Structure for successively engaging items advanced toward the station is provided and for laterally shifting the endmost item in the row of items advanced toward the station. Second receiving structure is provided for successively receiving and stationarily supporting items laterally shifted by the items engaging and shifting structure and discharge structure is provided for successively discharging items received by the second receiving structure. The discharge structure includes features thereof operative to downwardly discharge, by gravity, items from said second receiver structure.

Abstract: Apparatus for arraying randomly distributed ampoules, bottles or like objects has a longitudinally grooved vibratory conveyor which receives randomly distributed objects from a magazine and converts the objects into files of aligned objects. The discharge end of the vibratory conveyor, or an intermediate conveyor, delivers the objects into a vertical duct having several longitudinally extending sections one of which is adjustable horizontally toward or away from the other section or sections to define a passage of optimum width for the selected objects. The lower end of the duct delivers successive objects onto a platform, and such objects are transferred sideways out of register with the duct by a reciprocable pusher. If the objects are bottles or the like, an orienting device is placed adjacent to the upper end of the duct to insure that the orientation of each bottle which enters the duct is the same.

Abstract: Objects on a delivery conveyor are detected by a photo-detector connected to a multi-bit shift register which is clocked by a pulse generator connected to the delivery conveyor. A NOR gate is connected between two outputs of the shift register and the shift register resets to erase information relating to undersized objects. Another circuit having NAND gates connected to a series of shift register outputs and to a counter connected to the pulse generator determines the presence of objects over a base size. A comparator connected to the counter provides a signal to a microprocessor, connected to the shift register resets, to erase information relating to an oversize object. Another section connected to the intermediate output of the shift register detects the location and length of gaps between adjacent objects. This section provides information to the microprocessor which through its connections to the shift register erases information relating to the leading object if the gap is too small.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device for turning over and for transferring a glass bracket from a first conveyor line to a second conveyor line. An end of the first conveyor line is offset both lengthwise and laterally from the beginning of the second conveyor line. The device also provides a means for locating the glass bracket as it is being moved between the two conveyor lines so that it can be positioned in a precise location on the second conveyor line.

Abstract: A material handling device for aligning a stock of articles such as steel bars, pipe or tubing in open-ended trays or like containers for storage. The device supports a container filled with stock between a pair of squaring heads which are drawn together to contact the ends of the stock extending beyond the ends of the container. The stock is shifted in the container until the squaring heads squeeze the articles therebetween. The squaring heads are then returned to a rest position to await the next squaring cycle.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for squaring reams of paper as they are fed toward a wrapper, the squaring up being accomplished as the reams are moving forward toward the wrapper.

Abstract: A conveyor mechanism for automatically removing articles, such as cheeses, floating in a liquid includes a horizontal section adapted to be positioned below the surface of the liquid and an integral upwardly inclined section. Articles that float upon the horizontal section are moved to the inclined section which lifts them out of the liquid and delivers them to an elevated point. The articles are prevented from jamming the conveyor by moving stepped walls located on either side of the horizontal section at the location where jamming is likely to occur. The stepped walls move longitudinally back and forth 180.degree. out of phase with one another to gently bump and align the articles. In the preferred embodiment, a single motor drives the conveyor and rotates cam wheels which move the stepped walls.

Abstract: A bale wagon employing a stack side evener comprising, in its most simple form, a plurality of fixed, spaced apart parallel fins which passively direct a moving bale toward a predetermined position. Generally, the type of bale wagon given consideration in the instant application includes a bale-receiving area onto which bales are deposited, a bale:accumulating area upon which tiers of bales are assembled, and a load rack upon which multiple tiers of bales are deposited to accomplish the formation of a stack. The wagon further includes some mechanism for moving bales from the bale-receiving area to the bale-accumulating area. The stack side evener comprises a multiplicity of fixed fins which engage the bottom of the bale during the transfer step described, and guide it toward a stop member which serves to commonly orient one side of the tier being formed.

Abstract: An apparatus having a plurality of supports adapted to receive containers with portions of the containers spaced from their respective supports, an assembly mounting the supports in spaced relation to a first path of travel for movement along a second path of travel approaching the first path of travel, and a control system for individually detecting when the portions of the containers reach the first path of travel and thereupon terminating movement of their respective supports along the second path of travel.

Abstract: Method and installation for ordering groups of articles in stacks or rows, in which groups of articles are inserted between pressure members which are driven in displacement by means of an endless chain, the members being caused to move apart from one another while maintained the same overall speed in a so called "jogging zone" where the articles are made up into a group propelled toward a vertical abutment, the pressure members being closed up again in a dealing out zone, before reaching a dispensing device.

Abstract: A device for arranging ferromagnetic components a preset distance from one another including an electromagnet defining a pole gap wherein a nonuniform attractive magnetic field is formed with a gradient directed along its axis of symmetry. At least one of the pole pieces of the electromagnet is provided with a ferromagnetic rack adapted to move in the plane in which it lies. The plane of the rack is substantially normal to the direction of the magnetic field gradient. The rack includes teeth which are spaced apart in accordance with a desired preset distances between ferromagnetic componets. The device also comprises a means for feeding ferromagnetic components into the magnetic field, in the direction of its gradient.

Abstract: A pair of spaced and aligned driven bottle aligning belts is disposed to each side of a bottle feed path for coaction with bottles having necks, to facilitate movement of said bottles while on their sides and being fed along the feed path. The pairs of belts on each side of said feed path approach each other, in the direction of bottle feed, so as to narrow the feed path; and by doing so to align the bottles for subsequent processing. Pairs of spaced rails are disposed downstream in said feed path and to each side thereof to receive the aligned bottles as they exit the bottle aligning belts to maintain the bottles in aligned relationship until the bottles are fed into a twister which up-ends the bottles and directs them further along the feed path to work stations where they are cleaned, filled, capped, and otherwise processed. Suitable drive belts are provided for feeding the bottles along said feed path, with appropriate drives and controls to facilitate operation thereof.

Abstract: A conveyor structure of the roller type includes an alignment device for maintaining relatively flat objects in aligned positions with respect to each other. The device includes a plurality of second rollers disposed between the rollers of the conveyor, the second rollers being eccentrically rotatable about axes extending longitudinally or perpendicular to the axis of the first rollers. The second rollers move upwardly between the first rollers to engage the flat underneath surface of articles traveling on the conveyer to lift them up and to move them laterally into engagement with a positive stop position to one side of the conveyer, whereby the objects are then relatively aligned with respect to each other.

Abstract: During the manufacture of bricks, either before or after such bricks are introduced to the kiln for drying, selected brick from spaced positions in at least some of the rows are mechanically displaced to corresponding positions in upstream, downstream, or otherwise adjacent rows to effect an inter-row movement of some, but fewer than all of the bricks in any particular row. According to the invention, the selected bricks may be either pushed, lifted, lowered or combinations thereof from one row and transferred to a different row. One translating device designed for this technique is a snaggle-tooth pusher which engages and pushes some, but not all of the bricks in a row or rows. The selected bricks may be initially separated from the other bricks by means of either the snaggle-tooth puller, or by means of a vertically movable support plate which operates in conjunction with a slotted support plate immediately thereabove to remove and lower selected brick.

Abstract: A conveyor for separating and aligning glass sheets moving along a sheet movement path includes a plurality of cylindrical rolls skewed relative to the movement path to displace the advancing sheets toward a side of the conveyor. At the side of the conveyor the sheets are aligned by an endless belt rotating through a path parallel to the sheet movement path. Each successive roll in the direction of sheet advancement has increasing peripheral surface rotational speed to separate the advancing sheets.

Abstract: The form of a moving stack of cigarettes or other rod-like articles is improved (so that it more closely resembles a compact honeycomb formation) by subjecting the stack to transverse (periodic) displacement in a direction parallel to the lengths of the cigarettes. In order to displace the cigarettes without drag the surfaces which cause the displacement are moved at about the same velocity as the stack. In one arrangement these surfaces comprise bands alongside the stack and are displaced by reciprocating plungers. In another arrangement the bands are displaced by rotary cam surfaces.

Abstract: A coin sorting device has a coin passage with a floor and a lateral perimeter defining structure on one lateral side (or each of the lateral sides) of the passage, the floor having holes for successively larger coins disposed successively along the passage at positions respectively contiguous to the perimeter defining structure, and the lower span of an endless propelling belt for pressing on the upper faces of the coins and propelling the same is caused by the varying of the travel path of the coins by the perimeter defining structure to be elastically twisted or laterally deflected at parts thereof where the travel path is thus varied and thereby to acquire a reactive restoring force which urges the coins against the corresponding parts of the perimeter defining structure and thereby causes them to be accurately alined in a lateral direction for dropping into their respectively correct sorting holes.

Abstract: Method for positioning lumber being transported on a conveyor prior to sorting or other similar processing, comprises centering the lumber intermediate its ends on the conveyor, reducing the number of conveyor lines required. The apparatus includes a first displacement member, for laterally even ending the lumber in a first direction, and a sensing member, for sensing the length of the lumber relative to the plane of the even ending. The lumber then is displaced laterally in a second, 180.degree. opposed, direction by a second displacement member until lumber engagement members, upon signal of the sensing member, selectively stop each piece of lumber at a particular transverse position on the conveyor corresponding to the length of that piece of lumber. The lumber engagement members comprise continuous chains interposing the lines of the conveyor and having segmented stops pivotally mounted thereon.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling individual sliced stacks of a comestible product includes a first roller dropper unit which arranges the output of a slicer into adjacent stacks, and drops the stacks onto a weighing scale. Accepted pairs of stacks are carried by parallel transfer conveyors to second and third roller dropper units which each accumulate two stacks, and which then drop them simultaneously onto a channelizer assembly. The channelizer assembly includes a plurality of parallel, drivable rollers mounted in a frame which is selectively translatable laterally in the direction of the roller axes. The channelizer receives four stacks from the roller dropper units, indexes laterally and receives four more stacks to form a 2.times.4 matrix. The rollers are then driven to unload the stacks onto a ramp conveyor which leads to a vacuum packaging machine. The ramp conveyor includes momentarily actuable stop tabs which bring the rows into exact alignment before being wrapped simultaneously.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically constructing prefabricated wall sections of brick wall panels with a tile lining. A prefabricated brick wall panel has columns of mortar disposed in parallel strips thereon, a lining panel of unconnected tile members is assembled, proper spacing being introduced between each of the tile members, and the tile members are transferred in groups or en masse to a position over the wall panel. The lining panel members are then firmly pressed into engagement with the wall panel with mortar columns therealong, thereby forming a completed wall section. Preferred specific apparatus includes vacuum grippers, scissor-connected link spacing means, and flatbed cars movable on tracks to a position below automatic mortar applying means.

Abstract: An unscrambler for randomly arranged cartons includes a power driven conveyor bed having a plurality of separately driven roller sections. The sections are driven at progressively greater speeds from the receiving end to the discharge end. The interface between adjacent sections is along a split line extending at an acute angle relative to the sides of the conveyor bed. Each roller is skewed at an angle relative to the bed frame. A guard rail having a high friction surface extends parallel to the sides of the bed and includes an offset adjacent the last split line.

Abstract: A combined transfer table and article indexing apparatus comprises means for receiving and separating articles from an infeed conveyor and means for transferring the separated articles to an outfeed conveyor, in synchronous relation to movement of the outfeed conveyor. Means for automatically aligning the edges of stacked articles conveyed as a group, such as reams of paper, are also provided.

Abstract: A pair of pivoting, spring-loaded blades positioned in the path of travel of a series of electronic components on a continuous conveyor, center the components on the conveyor; and a plurality of free-moving fingers rest on the components in order to maintain a centered condition as the components are conveyed into the taping mechanism of a component taping machine.

Abstract: In an automatic carton closing machine, adjustable holding mechanism for a pair of elongated longitudinal clamping rails which converts them to laterally spaced side guide rails extending through the machine to define a path of carton forward travel therebetween and provides sliding clearance for all loaded cartons of a group intended to be of about the same size while accommodating small degrees of variances in widths thereof. For this purpose there are provided means to move at least one of the pair of side guide rails inward toward the other to cause them to be spaced apart with location thereof closely adjacent to opposite sides of a loaded carton of a single size group as it enters the machine for forward guided transport therebetween past flaps manipulating and anchoring mechanisms of the machine, and means to adjust such spacing between these rails to assure attainment of the desired relatively small degree of additive tolerance.

Abstract: A system for transferring articles from a conveyor into individually predetermined, mutually spaced positions comprises an elongate platform with means for receiving thereon a predetermined number of articles delivered by a conveyor as a row of articles in contact with one another. An elongate rod extends longitudinally of the elongate platform, laterally of and beyond the row of articles. Transfer blocks, correspondng to the predetermined number of articles, are disposed as a row wherein each transfer block is shiftably mounted on the elongate rod, each block having an article-engaging member to enable shifting of the articles, by the transfer blocks along the rod.