Abstract: Bottom opening pockets in a newspaper stuffing machine sequentially move newspapers to a transfer station at a first speed with closed edge portions of the newspapers downward and major sides of the newspapers on which headlines are printed facing in the direction of movement of the pockets. The pockets are sequentially opened and the closed or folded edge portion of each of the newspapers in turn moves into engagement with a receiving conveyor. The receiving conveyor accelerates the closed edge portion of a newspaper while the open or cut edge portion of the newspaper remains in a pocket and travels at a slower speed. This results in deflecting or bending of the newspaper. As the closed or folded edge portion of the newspaper is accelerated, the paper is moved into an underlapped relationship with an immediately preceding newspaper. The underlapped newspapers are moved into an overlapped relationship by an inverter.

Abstract: A magazine which contains a supply of parallel filter rod sections has an outlet which discharges a multi-layer stream of sections onto a receiving conveyor which delivers the sections into a gap between two parallel belt conveyors wherein the sections form a single layer and are positively advanced into successive flutes of a rotary drum-shaped withdrawing conveyor. The speed of the receiving conveyor equals or exceeds the speed of the flutes, and the speed of the belt conveyors exceeds the speed of the receiving conveyor. This ensures that the gap invariably contains a layer of parallel sections so that the belt conveyors can admit a section into each oncoming flute of the withdrawing conveyor. The sections which issue from the outlet and are about to enter the gap accumulate in a pileup zone which is disposed above the receiving conveyor and from which the receiving conveyor accepts sections in the absence of adequate delivery via outlet of the magazine.

Abstract: A method of transporting can bodies for a fully automated resistance welding machine comprising a roll former station for rolling the bodies, two successively arranged driven transport systems, and a pair of welding electrodes. The transport systems comprise endless, revolving chains equipped with fixed catches or cams and defining first and second chains. The first chain passes through the roll former station where, during rolling of the blanks into the can bodies, it cyclically and periodically remains at least approximately stationary, whereas the second chain has a sinusoidal velocity course. The can bodies exposed to the intermittent non-continuous mode of operation of the first chain, necessitated by the roll forming operation, are transferred to the second chain and experience a movement which is stabilizing for the can bodies.

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: A paperboard web is severed transversely between the double facer machine and the slitter-scorer after the completion of a production order. The speed of the double facer machine is maintained constant while the severed web section is accelerated to a speed substantially above the speed of the double facer machine to create a gap. Adjustments to one or more of the slitter-scorer and cut-off for the next production order are made while the same are in the gap. Sheets cut from the web section are shingled on a shingling conveyor. The speed of the shingling conveyor is accelerated prior to the arrival of the last sheet of the web section and decelerated while the gap is on the shingling conveyor.

Abstract: A pan inverting apparatus comprises an input endless belt and an output endless belt, between which a revolving pan wheel is positioned. The pan wheel includes a plurality of transverse pan receivers opening radially outward to define the circumference thereof. Each pan to be inverted is guided into engagement with the input endless belt and against a movable stop. The stop is synchronized with rotation of the pan wheel to selectively release each pan for chambering into one of the pan receivers for rotation by the pan wheel. After approximately one-half revolution of the pan wheel, the inverted pans are individually engaged by the output endless belt for advancement out of the pan receivers. In the preferred embodiment, cushioning within the pan receivers helps to secure the pans and reduce noise. Preferably, magnets are located subjacent to the input and output endless belts to promote positive frictional engagement with the pans.

Abstract: Feeding apparatus comprising an elevator, with a general structure similar to that of an escalator, having shelves of size proportioned for receiving articles; the shelves move continuously along an ascending active run of the elevator between fixed lower and upper platforms; a feed belt feeds the articles onto the lower platform and ejection means operate in synchronism with the elevator to eject the articles from the upper platform and feed them to the packaging machine, spaced apart axially at intervals by a predetermined spacing.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting eggs from a number of poultry cages is disclosed. The apparatus includes a collector conveyor belt for receiving the eggs from egg cages, and a ramp conveyor belt for de-escalating the eggs from the collector conveyor. The cage bottoms are extended to provide a trough in which the collector conveyor belt is carried. Opposite the cages, strips of low-friction material act as bumpers to maintain without damage eggs upon the collector conveyor. A diagonal fence is provided above the collector-ramp belt conveyor junction point to encourage easy, undamaged egg transfer action from the collector to the ramp conveyor. Resilient fingers mounted in rows upon the ramp conveyor encourage undamaged egg de-escalation. An accumulator belt conveyor receives the eggs from the ramp conveyor and carries the eggs to an accumulation point.

Abstract: A reservoir system for cigarettes and other similar rod-shaped articles comprises a delivery conveyor arranged to convey the articles horizontally towards an inlet to the reservoir; a reservoir conveyor which lies below the delivery conveyor and is arranged to receive a stack of the articles delivered through the inlet and to run, when necessary, in a direction opposite to that of the delivery conveyor; a horizontally movable carriage carrying a movable end wall defining an end of the stack of articles on the reservoir conveyor adjacent to the inlet, and carrying also a sensor adjacent to the inlet which controls the direction (and possibly also the speed) of movement of the carriage; and an outlet for articles at the end of the reservoir conveyor towards which the latter moves.

Abstract: In an installation for distributing food products such as sweets from a primary conveyor line to respective transverse conveyors leading to packaging machines. A secondary conveyor line having two successive bunching conveyors is arranged to receive intermittently rows of products from the primary conveyor line, through the operation of a deflecting device, and to bunch and align the products prior to transferring them in rows to the transverse conveyor, at a conveying speed which can be matched to the demand of the packaging machines, even though this may differ from the speed of the primary conveyor line.

Abstract: An induction system for a sortation conveyor includes a single infeed conveyor adapted to supply two separate loading stations. In a preferred embodiment, the infeed conveyor is operatively connected with a reversible turn conveyor interposed between the infeed conveyor and the two separate loading stations, one loading station receiving articles from one end of the reversible turn conveyor and the other loading station receiving articles from the other end of the reversible turn conveyor. The reversible turn conveyor may be automatically or manually controlled to operate in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction as required to supply articles from the infeed conveyor to both loading stations.

Abstract: A receiver member guide mechanism for a receiver member bearing a toned image, the mechanism including an open-wound helical spring wrapped tightly in a second helix around a support shaft. The shaft is positioned to locate the spring beneath the receiver member travel path. The shaft is rotated at a high rate of speed so that if a receiver member drops below the normal travel path, the lead edge of the member will be struck by the convolutions of the spring and redirected back into the travel path. The orientation of the convolutions of the spring is selected such that the peripheral surface of the convolutions provide only point contact with a receiver member so as to prevent smearing of the toned image.

Abstract: A conveyor system wherein randomly spaced articles are advanced on a conveyor at a predetermined rate of speed, and means made effective by the presence of an article in a predetermined position on said conveyor, to lift the article therefrom and advance it a predetermined distance at a greater speed than that of the conveyor so as to locate each article in uniform spaced relation to an article in advance thereof and reposition it on the conveyor.

Abstract: A system for conveying a series of glass sheets at a non-uniform speed through sheet treatment apparatus comprising a plurality of treatment stations. Longitudinally spaced conveyor rolls are rotated at a first speed at a first sheet treatment station where each sheet in turn is oriented and aligned properly relative to said conveying system and other rolls are rotated at a greater speed at a second sheet treatment station where the properly oriented and aligned sheet is treated.