Abstract: A conveyor system lifts advancing signatures from a conventional conveyor, conveys the lifted signatures along an upright path of travel, turns the advancing signatures from the upright path of travel to a downward path of travel, deposits the advancing signatures from the downward path of travel back onto the conventional conveyor, and rotates the advancing signatures 180° about an axis which is parallel to their path of travel during either their upward path of travel or their downward path of travel so that the signatures are turned over when deposited back onto the conventional conveyor.

Abstract: A work conveying apparatus is comprised of a conveying rail for moving carriages with works and a returning rail for returning the carriages without works to the conveying rail. The returning rail is disposed along the conveying rail while being perpendicularly inclined from the conveying rail. Selector rails are disposed at both ends of the conveying rail, respectively. The selector rails are swingable between a horizontal position extending from the conveying rails and a vertical position extending from the returning rail. The selector rails are swung to transfer the carriages between the conveying rail and the returning rail.

Abstract: A strand guide, in particular for a continuous slab-casting plant for steel, with supporting segments in which frames are arranged that have rows of guide rollers and driving rollers arranged opposite one another, wherein the frames are held opposite one another by tie rods. Two guide members are provided at one end of a frame at equal distance from the center axis. The guide members are fastened to at least one fixed point via holding elements and are arranged conically at an opening angle relative to one another.

Abstract: A machine including a single power source for asynchronously operating dual indexing conveyors. The single power source is a reversible servo unit operatively connected to gear sets and one-way clutches to drive the conveyors. Alternately, the power source is a uni-directional rotating driver with linkage means to reciprocally move a rack operatively connected to gear sets with one-way clutches or ratchets and pawls.

Abstract: A bottle conveyor to maintain positive control over the orientation of bottles includes guides above and below a collar around the neck of the bottles on either side of the neck. The guides may be endless belts and/or fixed guides. Endless belts may also advance the bottles and may be driven at the same or different speeds to prevent or induce rotation in the bottles as desired. The distance between guides may be adjusted to adapt the conveying system to bottles having various collar thicknesses and neck diameters and to regulate the amount of allowable swing.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for wet/dry and other processing of manufactured articles. Belts mounted on pulleys provide support while minimally contacting article surfaces for maximum exposure to chemical, radiation, or other wet/dry processing treatments.

Abstract: A banknote validator comprises a banknote transport path divided in multiple transport sub-systems. Each sub-system is easy to maintain because the axes of a sub-system are in reduced number, and easily removable for maintenance of the sub-system. The validator allows continuous frictional engagement of a banknote in the transport path, including between sub-systems.

Abstract: A drive transmission for the feed rolls of a forage harvester includes a planetary gear set arranged such that an input shaft drives the sun gear while a further input shaft is provided by a reversible, variable speed motor that is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear set so as to effect speed and direction changes in the output of the planetary gear set that is defined by the planet carrier. Thus, the length of cut of crop products fed to the cutterhead by the feed rolls is controlled by varying the speed of the motor in order to vary the delivery speed of the feed rolls.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for storing a stream of a plurality of thin flexible objects, such as newspapers or similar printed materials, which is constructed from a number of generally parallel conveyor sections arranged in a number of vertical columns. The conveyor sections in each column are connected to one another by diverter belts located at the ends of the columns and the last conveyor section in one column is connected to the first conveyor section in an adjacent column by an offset transfer conveyor. In operation, a lapped stream of objects is fed into the input of the storage device travels in a serpentine manner along all of the interconnected conveyor sections in a first column, across the transfer conveyor to a second column where the process is repeated. The remaining columns are traversed in the same manner until the stream reaches the end of the last conveyor.

Abstract: A universal automatic long sleeve folding device (10) has a forming plate (20) for carrying a garment (12) spaced vertically above a movable lower product conveyer (54). A movable fold drive belt (34) is vertically displaced above the forming plate to move the garment across the forming plate. The fold drive belt and the lower product conveyor rotate at the same speed. Tucker arm assemblies (88) are disposed on opposite sides of the forming plate to engage the long sleeves (14) of the garment and tuck the long sleeves into a space between the forming plate and the lower product conveyor as the garment moves across the forming plate. The tucked long sleeves are carried by the lower product conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for wet/dry and other processing of manufactured articles. Belts mounted on pulleys provide support while minimally contacting article surfaces for maximum exposure to chemical, radiation, or other wet/dry processing treatments.

Abstract: A system for rapidly receiving and storing a quantity of loose copy, for example newspapers, from a high speed printing press and dispensing them to the point-of-use without having to undergo the traditional operation of bundling the newspapers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a newspaper delivery system comprising a conveyor system for receiving a continuous stream of loose, unbound, newspapers directly from a high speed printing operation, an over-the-road vehicle having a cargo area equipped with a loose copy storage unit for receiving the loose newspapers supplied by the conveyor system and storing the newspapers during transport; and means for dispensing a selected quantity of newspapers once the truck arrives at a delivery destination.

Abstract: A device for transporting flat articles with a cover belt system consisting of a lower and an upper belt, between which the articles are transported, and a deflection mechanism for deflecting the cover belt run. The deflection mechanism has one or more main cylinder rollers and one or more secondary rollers and the upper belt is guided around the main cylinder roller and the lower belt over the secondary cylinder roller, such that the lower belt is guided past the main cylinder roller in such a way that the articles are transported in the deflection mechanism between the upper belt and the main cylinder roller. A short guide belt may be provided around the main cylinder roller and an additional secondary cylinder roller disposed between the main cylinder roller and the secondary cylinder roller guiding the lower belt at the output of the deflection mechanism.

Abstract: An arrangement for feeding transport containers of a sorting conveyor with flat mailed items includes a linear conveyor, having a direction of conveyance and a rearward end, for engaging one surface of the respective mailed items in a planar frictional lock and transferring the mailed items in the direction of conveyance to the transport containers at the rearward end of the linear conveyor. A rotary body having a cylindrical surface including a contact region and being rotatable around an axis extending perpendicularly to the direction of conveyance of the linear conveyor is arranged at the rearward end of the linear conveyor for contacting an opposite surface of the respective mailed item in a frictionally locked manner with the contact region of its cylindrical surface during transfer of the mailed items to the transport vehicles.

Abstract: A conveying device is formed by two conveying sections which are arranged one behind the other and run in the form of a spiral. The first conveying section runs from an exterior inlet towards a center, whereas the other conveying section leads from the center to an exterior outlet. The conveying sections have opposite run-through directions. The windings of one conveying section run in each case between the windings of the other conveying section. In order to convey the conveyable articles, a conveying arrangement is used which serves jointly for the two conveying sections and comprises an endless, driven conveying belt and a stationary roller path located opposite the conveying belt. This design of the conveying device with two conveying sections, which are in the form of a spiral, engage one another, and have opposite conveying directions, provides an extremely compact arrangement.

Abstract: An object stabilizing device for use with a continuous moving surface is disclosed and which includes a drive roller disposed in spaced relation relative to a continuous moving surface; and a flexible continuous belt having a proximal end driven by the drive roller and an unentrained distal end which is disposed in rested relation on the continuous moving surface.

Abstract: The conveying apparatus is formed by two conveying sections which are arranged one behind the other, and are in the form of spirals that wind around a center such that the windings of the two conveying sections are nested one inside the other. Each spiral conveying section has a stationary guide surface which supports the articles to be conveyed on a surface that faces outwardly away from the center. Each spiral conveying section also includes a conveying system, that has at least one endless, flexible conveying element which is driven such that it circulates around the conveying section. The conveying element acts on the outer side of the articles to be conveyed. There is also an endless flexible support member between the articles to be conveyed and the guide surface, that circulates around the spiral conveying section, and is in the form of a band that overlays the guide surface. The support member is carried along by the articles being conveyed.

Abstract: Container handling apparatus includes container speed adjusting apparatus which cooperates with drive apparatus to sequentially deliver a plurality of containers into contact with the container speed adjusting apparatus. The container speed adjusting apparatus has one or more resiliently compressible components which facilitate alteration of the translational speed of the container, as well as alteration of the rotation thereof. Among the preferred approaches to providing such resiliently compressible means are to have endless belts supported and driven by primary pulleys with secondary resiliently compressible pulleys in engagement with said belt and disposed between the primary pulleys. The endless belts may be provided with specifically configurated resiliently deformable portions, such as weakened portions in the belt, openings in the belt, or radially outwardly projecting elements.

Abstract: Particles of comminuted smokable material are loosened in a downwardly converging compartment defined by a funnel-shaped array of intermittently driven endless flexible belts. The outlet at the lower end of the compartment delivers flows of loosened material into a receptacle wherein the level of the material is monitored and a motor for the belts is started to admit additional material into the receptacle when the level of material descends below a predetermined minimum level. The bottom portion of the reservoir can be expanded and contracted to convert the lowermost part of material in the receptacle into a succession of properly compacted batches each of which can constitute a rod-like filler, and such batches are thereupon evacuated longitudinally of the bottom portion of the receptacle into successive empty tubular envelopes which can be made of cigarette paper or other wrapping material for rod-shaped smokers' products.

Abstract: An automatic sheet loader for automatically transferring sheets to a cardboard packer. The sheet loader includes at least a pair of chains disposed between upper sprockets and lower sprockets so that the pair of chains face each other to form a sheet transfer path therebetween, brackets mounted on the chains at predetermined intervals and projecting toward the sheet transfer path for supporting a group of sheets from both sides thereof, and a drive motor for driving the chains so as to move the brackets along the sheet transfer path for transferring the group of sheets. When the dimension of each packaging container, the number of packaging containers in each group, or the manner of packaging is changed, a different type of sheet is set. Since each group of sheets is moved and transferred from the upper side to the lower side by the chains, it is easy to distinguish the new group of sheets from the previous group of sheets during the exchange operation.

Abstract: There is provided a spacing conveyor mechanism 10 having a pair of spaced, identical drive chains 13, 14. A number of conveyors 20 are attached to the chains, each conveyor having a leading carriage 21 pivotally attached to one chain 13 and a trailing carriage 22 pivotally attached to the other chain 14. Connecting the each pair of leading/trailing carriages is a pair of rod 23 extending rearwardly from the leading carriage through corresponding holes in the trailing carriage. The carriages remain parallel throughout their path and the position of the carriages relative to each other are easily adjusted.

Abstract: A spacing conveyor mechanism (10) for conveying cans (11) along an article feed path (12) in a packaging machine for forming the cans into groups of cans is disclosed. The spacing conveyor mechanism has a pair of spaced drive sprockets (15) positioned along the article feed path, and over which an endless drive chain (14) is passed. A spaced series of carriages (17) are pivotally attached to the drive chain. Each of the carriages includes a conveyor (18), the conveyor having a plurality of recessed pockets (19) sized and shaped to engage one each of the cans therein.

Abstract: There is provided an article conveyor mechanism comprising a drive chain 13 on which is pivotally mounted a number of carriages 16 each having a conveyor 17 secured thereto. Each conveyor 17 has a plurality of pockets 18. Each conveyor 16 has two pins 19, 20 for engaging in respective grooves 21, 22 which are identical to each other in shape, but which are offset. When the chain 13 is driven, the conveyors remain parallel to each other throughout their endless paths.

Abstract: Masa handling methods for the continuous processing of masa type dough in conjunction with commonly available feed processing equipment, such as a masa extruder, an oven, or cooling apparatus. One masa handling method includes a masa separator having a pair of opposed, endless belt conveyors having facing surfaces spaced apart to receive a generally continuous masa stream output from a nozzle on the masa extruder. When the masa stream moves between the conveyors, it is gripped by their facing surfaces and moved away from the nozzle, causing the masa to be separated into individual pieces, or logs. The masa handling method can also include feeding the masa to masa hoppers fed by at least two endless belt conveyors arranged in upstream and downstream positions relative to each other.

Abstract: A pivoting transfer means for a jet of bulk material between a first cover belt conveyor and a second cover belt conveyor. The bulk material leaves the cover belt conveyor in the area of the tail pulleys and enters the receiving mouth of a second cover belt conveyor as a free jet of bulk material. Both cover belt conveyors are arranged pivotably in relation to one another around a pivot axis. The receiving mouth of the cover belt conveyor is limited by the bottom belt, the cover belt and the side walls. The jet of bulk material is deflected from the vertical into the horizontal direction of delivery within the receiving mouth. The first belt conveyor may be arranged at a higher level with the second cover belt conveyor arranged thereunder. However, the second cover belt conveyor may also be arranged at a higher level with the first cover belt conveyor arranged thereunder wherein the transfer is still from the first cover belt conveyor to the second cover belt conveyor.

Abstract: Container handling apparatus includes container speed adjusting apparatus which cooperates with drive apparatus to sequentially deliver a plurality of containers into contact with the container speed adjusting apparatus. The container speed adjusting apparatus has one or more resiliently compressible components which facilitate alteration of the translational speed of the container, as well as alteration of the rotation thereof. Among the preferred approaches to providing such resiliently compressible means are to have endless belts supported and driven by primary pulleys with secondary resiliently compressible pulleys in engagement with the belt and disposed between the primary pulleys. The endless belts may be provided with specifically configurated resiliently deformable portions, such as weakened portions in the belt, openings in the belt, or radially outwardly projecting elements.

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

Abstract: Container handling apparatus includes container speed adjusting apparatus which cooperates with drive apparatus to sequentially deliver a plurality of containers into contact with the container speed adjusting apparatus. The container speed adjusting apparatus has one or more resiliently compressible components which facilitate alteration of the translational speed of the container, as well as alteration of the rotation thereof. Among the preferred approaches to providing such resiliently compressible components are to have endless belts supported and driven by primary pulleys with secondary resiliently compressible pulleys in engagement with the belt and disposed between the primary pulleys. The endless belts may be provided with specifically configurated resiliently deformable portions, such as weakened portions in the belt, openings in the belt, or radially outwardly projecting elements.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying a pushing force on a plurality of circular container ends to move them over a trough shape tray wherein two spaced apart rollers are each mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis and each roller has a surface contour in the longitudinal direction comprising a central arcuate section having a radius smaller than the radius of each of the circular container ends and spaced apart linearly extending sections extending from each end of the central arcuate section and cylindrical sections extending from each of the linearly extending sections.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-wire feeding apparatus comprising a plurality of wire feeding units arranged side by side in parallel. Each unit uses an endless belt having projections thereon and a gear wheel having projections to engage those of the endless belt for driving the endless belt and feeding a length of wire thereon. Transmission axles for transmitting driving power to associated gear wheels are arranged so that these gear wheels do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: A method is provided for temporarily storing a series of successive textile sheets having a length L in an overlapping relationship in a collecting apparatus, including the successive steps of conveying the textile sheets one after another to an inlet of a carrier mechanism, while preventing an uncontrolled relative movement with a neighboring sheet in an overlapping contact area, clamping each textile sheet between the carrier mechanism and cooperating clamping means and conveying the clamped textile sheets along a path to an outlet of the carrier mechanism in successive steps having an adjustable step length d, removing the textile sheets from the collection apparatus at the outlet without disturbing a position of a neighboring sheets and displacing the carrier mechanism by one of translation, rotation and translation combined with rotation around one of a vertical axis and at least one horizontal axis.

Abstract: An abutment area is formed in which two belts 5, 6 are in contact with and confront each other. Link chains 23 carrying carrier rollers 24 are arranged in such a manner that carrier rollers 24 are disposed alternately on the back face of belt 5 and the back face of belt 6, in zigzags. The upper end is connected to winch 25, while the lower end is connected to weight 29. Link chains 23 are wound by winch 25, and link chains 23 are connected to the upper frame 17. When link chains 23 are stretched by weight 29, a force is given to respective belts 5, 6 through carrier rollers 24. Link chains 23 are released from upper frame 17, then link chains 23 are lowered and folded so that carrier rollers are positioned to be convenient for maintenance. Corridor for maintenance is unnecessary, and so cost is reduced.

Abstract: An auxiliary drive apparatus is provided for a motorized feeder device for propelling a flow of articles such as can ends in a facewise nested condition from a first location to a second location. The feeder device includes belts engaging the articles and a drive for driving the belts to propel the articles. The auxiliary drive apparatus comprises a power take-off coupled to the drive, an article propelling assembly located and configured for engaging and propelling the articles in a direction from the first location to the second location, and a power transmitting assembly operatively coupled intermediate the power take-off and the article propelling assembly for driving the article propelling assembly in a manner for cooperating with the belts for propelling the articles from the first location to the second location.

Abstract: A packaging machine having a working reach interconnected with a return reach over which flight bars are movable is provided with a ramp formed with a long radius for interconnecting the working reach with the return reach. This long radius ramp eliminates the tendency for flight bars to accelerate at an unacceptable velocity and can lead to damage to adjacent cartons. The long radius together with a sprocket of increased diameter avoids exposure to the risk of damage to and breakage of cartons. This increased radius also tends to provide a gap between the working reach and an outfeed conveyor which is longer than that normally employed with conventional structures. This gap is bridged by rotatable support wheels having cutaway radial areas which afford clearance for flight bars on their way from the working reach to the return reach.

Abstract: A picker bar assembly for a defoliating tobacco harvester is configured to receive tobacco stalks and strip them on both its descending and ascending runs without damaging the stalks. An improved conveyor has a leaf deflector to prevent carryover and bunching of the leaves.

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 apparatus for doffing textile bobbin tubes from tube support members having posts projecting therefrom for supporting tubes thereon as the tube support members are conveyed along a transport path by a transport device with the tube support members being slidably supported on the transport device to allow stoppage of a tube support member as a tube is doffed without deactivating the transport device is disclosed. The tube doffing apparatus comprises a pair of opposed tube engaging and doffing devices having tube engaging surfaces which may be conveyor belts with guide and support rollers straddling the path of posts of support members traveling along the transport path and extending away from the transport path in the general direction of projection of the support member posts. These devices are disposed for engaging a tube on a post of a support member supported on the transport path and thereby stopping the support member while removing the tube from the post.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for quantitatively dividing bread dough. The apparatus includes a hopper having vertical side walls. The internal space surrounded by the walls has the same horizontal sectional area at any position along the vertical walls. The apparatus also includes a pair of vertical conveyors extending along the side walls. A dough outlet is formed in the bottom wall of the hopper. A dividing device is located in close proximity to the dough outlet. When the dough is continuously and quantitatively divided by the dividing device into small pieces, the vertical conveyors are driven at a speed of X m/min. in line with the speed of the dough flowing downward on its same level. Each of the dough pieces is then conveyed toward the shaping station. Thus the dough can be quantitatively divided so that a high quality dough is obtained without the gel structure of the gluten being destroyed.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding honeycomb core parts down on a conveyor while dust is being cleaned from the cells of the honeycomb by an upper air knife blowing a narrow jet of air down through the honeycomb cells as the part is being carried on a conveyor belt through an exhaust hood, and a pair of upwardly aimed air knives below the conveyor belt blowing two narrow jets of air on both sides of the first air knife through the honeycomb cells. The part is held down on the conveyor belt against the lifting force of the two air jets from the two lower air knives by a floating hold-down mechanism, which is adjustably counterbalanced to control the amount of hold-down force it exerts on the honeycomb part. The upper air knife is mounted on a counterbalance system that enables it to ride above and blow down through the hold-down mechanism without exerting significant force on the honeycomb part.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing objects, such as potatoes, with a rotatably mounted knife assembly. Objects (such as potatoes) to be sliced are conveyed downward toward the knife assembly between a gripper chain and a feed chain. A pair of springs provide a biasing force which urges the chains together, thereby ensuring that the conveyed potatoes are fed positively and uniformly toward the knife assembly. Preferably, two feed rolls having teeth are mounted between the lower ends of the chains and the knife assembly (each feed roll at the end of a rotating, slidable shaft). The teeth of the rotating feed rolls grip each potato conveyed against them by the chains, and force each such potato downward against the rotating knife assembly. Preferably, a support and retaining plate is fixedly mounted to the feed mechanism to constrain vertical movement of the feed rolls as they rotate with a potato gripped between them.

Abstract: Supplying material to high-performance packaging machines is difficult, above all during the processing of blanks (20) consisting of thin cardboard for hinge-lid packs. The arrangement of the blanks (20) within a continuous material web (23), the blanks (20) being connected to one another by means of easily severable material webs (33), allows a continuous conveyance in the region of the packaging machine. For the continuous transport of the blanks (20), the material web (23) is folded in a zigzag-shaped manner to form a blank strand (24) consisting of blanks (20) lying against one another. The blank strand can be conveyed in space by being deflected in all directions. For transporting the blank strand (24) and for fixing the zigzag folding there are conveyor bands (39, 40, 41, etc) which bear against the blanks (20) in the region of longitudinal edges (21, 22) and/or transverse edges (25, 26).

Abstract: A process for making synthetic wood products from waste wood fiber and recycled plastic material by mixing waste wood fiber having a moisture content of less than about 15% with dry waste plastic material, including low density and/or high density polyethylene; heating and kneading the mixture to form a homogeneous mass; sizing the mass into discrete chunks suitable for use as an extruder feed material; extruding the material to form products having predetermined cross sections; and rolling and cooling the product to prevent deformation of the product shape.

Abstract: An improved gripper unit for use in an injector for handling coil tubing, pipe, rod, cable, or similar elongate objects, this gripper unit being provided with gripping surfaces which contact the coil tubing in V-block fashion and thus will grip such tubing of differing diameters. This gripper unit will enable the injector to support a given load while applying less squeeze. In the case of handling coil tubing or pipe, the stresses induced by these improved gripper blocks are very considerably reduced as compared with conventional gripper blocks.

Abstract: A filing system which prevents the contamination of a container's sealing surface during the system's filling procedure is disclosed. A first endless belt is used to convey a succession of containers below a second endless belt. The first and second endless belts travel synronously and in the same direction. A similar succession of shields is attached to the second endless belt. As the two belts converge, the shields separately protrude into and extend over the open end of the laterally traveling containers. The shields prevent product or other contaminants from depositing on the containers' sealing surfaces as the containers are filled. Drip guards positioned on the downstream portion of the second endless belt collect drippage from each shield as it is removed from its seal protecting position within each container. The first and second endless belts are sanitized on every revolution to further prevent container contamination.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for separating and feeding a preformed container fron a nested stack, said apparatus adapted for accepting a nested stack of containers in a vertical array, tilting the nested stack to a horizontal array by means of a tilting carriage assembly (34), advancing the horizontal stack (170) on an advancing portion (36), stopping the nested stack at a preferred position and immediately lifing the nested stack from the advancing portion (36) by means of an elongated rail assembly 96. A separating assembly (38) separates a first container from the nested stack, said first container advances to a pivoting hook assembly (40) where the first container is oriented from a substantially horizontal array to a substantially vertical array, and a stabilizer assembly (42) steadies the horizontal container for transfer to subsequent machinery.

Abstract: An airlock for the continuously feeding through of a material while obstructing the free flow of a gas is provided. The airlock comprises a first continuous belt having a plurality of nonporous flaps projecting out from it. Each flap has a free edge located outwardly from the belt. A second belt runs parallel to the first and has elements to seal against the free edges of the flaps of the first belt. A motor moves the belts so that their transport sides move together. Particulates are transported in the chambers formed by belts and flaps while the flow of air between and past the belts is inhibited.

Abstract: The invention relates of a conveying and treatment apparatus for double moulds for making hollow bodies of a castable, solidifying substance, such as chocolate mass. The double moulds consist of two plate-shaped mould halves which have corresponding mould cavities and are laid one above the other to close the cavities. The apparatus comprises a conveying path via which the double moulds filled with the mass can be fed to a transfer device which takes over the double moulds after the fashion of continuous lift and supplies the moulds to an endless conveyor. During conveying in the transfer device (7), the double moulds are conveyed in parallel and synchronously with supporting and retaining elements of the endless conveyor, being transferred in synchronism by means of a pushing device from the transfer device to the chain conveyor.

Abstract: An elevator comprising a rotating cylinder having a resilient surface, and an endless belt that engages a circumferential segment of the cylinder. Articles are captured between the resilient surface and the belt as they come into contact and are released when they separate at an elevated position.One use envisaged for the invention is an elevator for a potato harvester for elevating potatoes from the digging bed to a height suitable for loading onto a vehicle.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first elongated drive belt assembly (52) which is driven by, and is pivotable about the axis of, a first drive shaft (86) mounted adjacent one end of this assembly (52), and a second elongated drive belt assembly (50) which is mounted in coopertive relationship with respect to the first belt assembly (52) and which is driven by, and pivotable about the axis of, a second drive shaft (72) spaced inwardly from both ends of the second belt assembly (52). The two belt assemblies (50, 52) are pivotally movable under the control of a single solenoid between closed positions in which the belt assemblies are in cooperative relationship with respect to each other for feeding a sheet therebetween towards an exit solt (26), and open positions in which the cooperating surfaces of the belt assemblies (50, 52) are spaced apart to facilitate the entry of a sheet between the belt assemblies (50, 52) at an entry location (169).

Abstract: Masa handling methods for the continuous processing of masa type dough in conjunction with commonly available feed processing equipment, such as a masa extruder, an oven, or cooling apparatus. One masa handling method includes a masa separator having a pair of opposed, endless belt conveyors having facing surfaces spaced apart to receive a generally continuous masa stream output from a nozzle on the masa extruder. When the masa stream moves between the conveyors, it is gripped by their facing surfaces and moved away from the nozzle, causing the masa to be separated into individual pieces, or logs. The masa handling method can also include feeding the masa to masa hoppers fed by at least two endless belt conveyors arranged in upstream and downstream positions relative to each other.