Abstract: A dual-layer linear sorter includes a delivery mechanism, a first feeding mechanism, a second uploading mechanism, a slewing mechanism, and a driving mechanism, the delivery mechanism is ring-shaped and includes upper and lower layers; the running direction of the upper layer is a first direction, the running direction of the lower layer is a second direction; the second direction is opposite to the first direction; the first feeding mechanism is close to the upper layer, and is docked with one end of the delivery mechanism; the second feeding mechanism is close to the lower layer and is docked with the other end of the delivery mechanism; the driving mechanism can drive the delivery mechanism to run; a part of the goods can be delivered to the upper layer via the first uploading mechanism; another part of goods can be delivered to the lower layer via the second uploading mechanism.

Abstract: A suspension and transmission device for use with an elevator system comprises one or more strips that provide load carrying, transmission or traction, and load carrying redundancy or safety functions for the elevator system. In one version a single strip comprised of polymer and composite materials provides these functions. In another version multiple strips comprised of polymer and composite materials provide these functions. In another version, a strip comprises a hollow interior portion. In another version one or more strips incorporate materials that can be detected when using the strip to monitor the condition of the one or more strips.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods of providing a large-scale farming apparatus that utilizes a helical design for continuous crop production and cultivation. The invention generally embodies a planting material suspended between two material transport assemblies, configured to move down a helical path. In some embodiments, a depositor may deposit soil, seeds, fertilizer, etc. onto the planting material at the top of the helical path. In some embodiments, a harvester may harvest the crops at the bottom of the helical path and discard the soil into a compost housing. The material transport assemblies may travel back to the top of the helical path, creating a continuous path upon which the planting material may travel. A compost transport system may receive the compost from the compost housing, transport the compost upwards to the depositor, and deliver the compost, as fertile soil, back to the depositor.

Abstract: An adjustable carriage for receiving and moving articles on a manufacturing line is provided that includes a first base portion and a second base. A first support member is connected with and extends substantially orthogonal to the first base portion and a second support member is connected with and extending substantially orthogonal to the second base portion. The first and second support members and the base combine to define an article receiving compartment having a compartment width. The base is positionable in a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the first base portion is positioned relative to the second base portion such that the compartment width is defined by a first length. In the second configuration the first base portion is positioned relative to the second base portion such that the compartment width is defined by a second length that is different from the second length.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a product holder (1) for holding food products to be transported through a processing room comprising: a carrier frame (2) having at least a longitudinal support structure and coupling ends connected to opposite sites of the longitudinal support structure; and a container formed by at least one curved contact segment (3a, 3b) for contacting the food products, wherein the at least one curved contact segment is detachably connectable to the carrier frame. The invention further relates to a transporting device comprising the product holder of the present invention and methods for assembling and disassembling the product holder of the present invention.

Abstract: An improved flight assembly for an elevator used with a wheel tractor scraper is provided. The flight assembly comprises a support member made of one type of material and an edge plate made of a second type of material that is harder and less flexible than the support member material. The edge plate is mounted to the support member and includes the cutting/digging edge of the flight assembly. In one embodiment the support member is made of a rolled steel material having a hardness of about 205 BHN and the edge plate is made of a hardened, heat treated steel material having a hardness of between about 360 BHN and about 440 BHN.

Abstract: An asymmetric article-carrying puck is driven by a linear star conveyor through an angular rotation orienting section to orient the pucks and articles therein irrespective of random initial orientation. In one embodiment, an upper puck plate carries the article while a separated lower puck plate defines a rotational orienting circular gear rack with a rotation-stopping bridge, separating ends of the rack and inclined from a base of one end tooth in the rack to a crest of another end tooth in the rack. The lower puck plate can be a combination of two circular plates with the circular gear rack interposed therebetween and within the periphery of the circular plates. Pucks can be accumulated in mutual engaged positions and separated by the linear star into preselected pitch while transported and turned. Integral pucks can be used. The structural details and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: An improved flight assembly for an elevator used with a wheel tractor scraper is provided. The flight assembly comprises a support member made of one type of material and an edge plate made of a second type of material that is harder and less flexible than the support member material. The edge plate is mounted to the support member and includes the cutting/digging edge of the flight assembly. In one embodiment the support member is made of a rolled steel material having a hardness of about 205 BHN and the edge plate is made of a hardened, heat treated steel material having a hardness of between about 360 BHN and about 440 BHN.

Abstract: A downloader conveyor is described and claimed. The downloader conveyor comprises an endless belt to which a plurality of cups is pivotally attached. The cups are adapted to receive apples or like relatively delicate objects. As the cups containing the apples descend into the bin, the cups rotate so as to permit the apples or other objects to roll out of or exit from the cups and to retard the cup acceleration. Each apple engages a skirt, which breaks the fall of the exiting apple. A distal end of the skirt can be arranged to scrape over the bin floor or scrape over the top of apples or other objects already placed in the bin, so as to again break the fall of the apple so that the apple is placed in the bin without substantial freefall.

Abstract: Molded polymer elevator buckets are reinforced by tapering the thickness of front and sidewalls and integral arcuate corner parts to improve bucket life without significant weight increase or reduced bucket capacity. Front lip wear indicators may be molded into the front wall section delimited by the lip and/or on the arcuate corner parts.

Abstract: A scoop includes a molded one-piece plastic scoop body having a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion that extends from the bottom wall portion and that cooperates with the bottom wall portion to confine a material-holding space for holding granular material to be transferred. A metal reinforcing member is provided on the bottom wall portion of the scoop body for strengthening the scoop body.

Abstract: A molded proofer tray (10) for use in commercial bakeries, includes threaded inserts (28) molded directly into the outer end (14) walls for removably receiving mounting pins (30) to facilitate repair if damaged. A female embodiment (40) is also provided.

Abstract: Proposed is a bucket mechanism, particularly a ship unloader, which includes at least one rotating traction member with receiving elements fastened thereto. The receiving elements are formed of a stiff supporting member, with an elastically yielding material receiving region disposed therebelow which is preferably composed of an elastically deformable supporting frame of steel leaf springs and a rubber bucket inserted therein.

Abstract: In order to improve the accuracy of spacing, direction and velocity, a feeder for feeding discrete objects one by one has a belt which circulates at a controlled speed. The belt carries a series of buckets formed by four flaps which are normally closed but can be opened by a cam adjacent the path of the buckets. The objects are inserted one by one in the buckets adjacent the top of their vertical descent, and are discharged when the flaps are opened. In this way, the buckets define the spacing and velocity of the objects.

Abstract: A sorting machine with trays which are moved in an endless path extending in a vertical plane in such a manner that the trays face upwardly both in the lower and upper run of the path, the trays being pivotally suspended between two synchronously driven conveyors. Also provided are a plurality of stationary chutes between one run of the path or both of the runs, and selectively controllable, pivotable levers are provided for each chute, which are caused, in an activated state, to engage a passing tray which is thereby pivoted so as to deposit its contents onto a predetermined one of the chutes. At least one side of each tray carries at least two wheels which are placed above and below the pivot axis, respectively, in the tray equilibrium position, so that each tray can actually emptied forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the direction of motion, the direction of emptying depending upon whether it is the upper or the lower wheel which is caused to engage and activated lever.

Abstract: A belt-type bucket elevator in which each bucket is connected to the belt by two movable fastenings arranged one behind the other in conveying direction. Each bucket is divided into front and rear bucket portions along a dividing plane extending between the fastening joints perpendicularly or approximately perpendicularly to the plane of the belt. The two bucket portions are connected to each other by connecting joints mounted coaxially on the side walls of the two bucket portions.

Abstract: A material handling device for transferring a formed good from an injection molding machine includes a pair of spaced tracks. Inner ends of the tracks are positioned below a mold carried by the machine with the track positioned transversely to opening and closing movement of the mold by the machine. On the track is a slidable basket which may be moved from the track inner end to an outer end away from the machine. Basket movement may be effected by activation of a pneumatic drive formed as part of the track and attached to the basket. During forming of a good, the basket is moved under the mold. When forming is complete, the mold opens and the good ejected. The good falls into the basket which has a cushion-like surface to inhibit damage. Opening of the mold starts a first timing period which lapses to activate the pneumatic drive to move the basket and good to the track outer end for good removal. During this first timing period the mold closes to begin a next forming cycle.

Abstract: A proofer container for use in the baking industry fabricated of high-density material exhibiting substantial imperviousness to environmental contaminants. A unitary structure is provided with a suitably shaped dough-receiving receptacle and is configured to receive and contain a quantity of dough to be proofed, or raised in an intermediate step in the production of baked products. The unitary structure may be provided by use of a typical rotomolding process that is further enhanced by the insertion of a pin extending through an end wall of the mold and extending into the mold cavity to an adjacent section to a location so that the interior of the pin is spaced from the adjacent section by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the walls of the tray to be fabricated.

Abstract: A filtration apparatus comprised of a rotary drum having a plurality of internal vanes for conveying slag material is presented. The slag is conveyed upwardly by the vanes, after which is falls freely onto a conveyer belt passing longitudinally through the drum. Deflectors guide the slag during its fall onto the belt. The deflectors are divergent and inclined relative to the direction of movement of the conveyer belt. The rotatable drum is axially subdivided into a plurality of sections, the vanes of each section being angularly offset in relation to the vanes of adjacent sections. The filtering apparatus herein effects uniform charging of slag material onto the conveyer belt.

Abstract: A bulk material handling and reclaiming device of a nature that can be added to or substituted in known reclaiming installations. Bulk material such as coal delivered by a conveyor from a mine normally is delivered by a conveyor in large quantities during the period of mine operation to storage areas where it is stacked in mounds covering circular or rectangular storage areas. The new reclaimer has a cage on which a plurality of sets of buckets are moved in either direction by chains to which the buckets are pivoted, the chains endlessly surrounding the cage. The chains are driven to move in either direction in channel tracks. The cage is nonrotatably supported and bodily moved in straight or arcuate paths in either direction toward one or another end of stacked bulk material in storage areas.

Abstract: A stockpile drum reclaiming machine is operable in either direction has a twelve faced drum carried on a gantry provided with wheeled bogies running on rails over the length of the stockpile. The faces are arranged in pairs each pair with an interior angle of 165.degree. and a T-section member positioned externally along the arris to form opposed blind pockets during reclaiming, the drum may be rotated and moved in either direction and alternative transfer conveyors carried on an arcuate beam rotatable through a restricted arc are positionable to receive reclaimed material thrown clear of the drum after having been carried over in the appropriate pockets. Oscillatable luffable harrows are provided to each side of the drum and are positionable to engage the stockpile being reclaimed.

Abstract: The load-bearing components of an endless conveyor band are of composite construction, each component comprising two or more moulded plastics modules assembled together. The modules may be attached together by releasable connections. Where there are three or more modules comprising two end modules and one or more intermediate modules connected between the end modules, the or each intermediate module may be removable for varying the length of the load-bearing component.