This apparatus supports gripping, manipulation and/or insertion or removal of a planar workpiece from a receptacle into which it fits tightly. The apparatus has two substantially identical rigid arms attached to one another at a single pivot point near their longitudinal center. One end of each arm forms a handle; pressing or releasing these two handles actuates the gripper. The other end of each arm has attached on its inside surface a rigid plate. Together these two substantially parallel plates form jaws to grip the planar workpiece. A spring attached to the two handles biases the jaws toward the closed position. An optional adjustable stop mechanism supports setting the gap between jaws when the apparatus is in the closed position. An alternative embodiment utilizes step-shaped jaws for applications where flat jaws are difficult to utilize.

Provided is a double-station cleaning system comprising a cleaning machine, wherein workpieces are placed into the feeding frames, the feeding frames are placed into trays, the bracket assembly is pushed to drive the trays to move along the guide rail assembly, the feeding frame in one of the trays is conveyed to a feeding inlet of the cleaning machine, the feeding frame is pushed to move along two rows of nylon wheels and linear guide rails inside the cleaning machine, and the feeding frame and the workpieces in the feeding frame are pushed into the cleaning machine so as to be cleaned. The double stations work alternately, so that the work time is saved, and the work efficiency is increased.

A support frame for a conveyor system, the support frame comprising: an upright longitudinally extending between an operative lower end and an operative upper end; a cross member extending outwardly from the upright between an upright end and a trolley end, the cross member including a trolley located towards the trolley end of the cross member and which trolley is operatively adapted to suspend the upright from an overhead rail; and an idler assembly attached to the upright and operatively adapted to support a carry belt portion and a return belt portion of a conveyor belt.

A carriage for a rail-guided conveying system includes a carriage body, which is designed for embracing a runner rail and which includes a first and a second limb. The limbs are connected to one another by way of a transversely extending connecting section. The first limb has a first roller pair and the second limb has a second roller pair. The first and the second roller pair of the two limbs are arranged crosswise equal and offset to one another. In each case a first runner roller of the first and of the second roller pair is designed as a support roller, via which the load of the carriage can be transmitted onto the runner rail, and a second roller of the first and second roller pair is designed as a guide roller for guiding the carriage along the runner rail.

A conveyor system for conveying goods having a lying conveyor for conveying the goods horizontally, where the lying conveyor includes a sorting device with multiple delivery points, and having an overhead conveyor, by way of which the goods are conveyed in a suspended manner on a goods carrier, where the overhead conveyor is connected to at least one of the delivery points for delivering the goods.

A load lifting device for lifting a load. The load lifting device includes a primary plate, a lifting attachment that receives a hook of an overhead suspender, and a clamping system that can clamp a load onto the lifting device between two jaws. The clamping system can have a coarse adjustment and a fine adjustment. The coarse adjustment selectively connects a jaw to the primary plate at a plurality of discrete connection points, and the fine adjustment mechanism selectively moves a contact point of the first jaw toward a first end portion of the load. A method for lifting a load includes positioning the load lifting device horizontally above a load, clamping the load with a clamping system, and imparting a vertical force on an end portion of the load lifting device to rotate it from horizontal to vertical.

A conveyor system (4, 5) moves vertical poles (2) in an agricultural facility between a growing area (20) and a workstation (W). Each pole carries plant growing containers (3) at multiple levels (H1-H9). An irrigation reservoir (30) may be mounted atop each pole. Irrigation lines (31-33) from the reservoir may be individually metered (35) at each level to compensate for differing water pressure with height. Sensors (40) in the reservoir and at each level of the poles may provide a controller (36) with data input. The controller may impose different growing conditions in different areas of the facility, including vertically different grow areas (20A, 20B), and controls pole movements and locations selectively to provide a sequence of poles at the workstation ready to harvest on a demand schedule. The workstation may have multiple heights (W1, W2, W3) for tall poles that increase plant density per facility footprint.

A method of transporting a vehicle engine wire harness from a component preparation location to a component pick location is provided. The method includes placing the vehicle engine wire harness on a hook of a component hanger. The component hanger with vehicle engine wire harness is directed along a supply track assembly through a heated enclosure to the component pick location at a vehicle assembly line.

The invention relates to an unloading station (4) for automated unloading of an article container (2), which comprises an overhead conveying device (1) for transporting the article container (2) into the unloading station and for transporting the article container out of the unloading station, an opening and closing device (40) for adjusting a bag body between the closed position and the opened position and an unloading device (39) for unloading the bag body. The unloading device comprises an actuation device (56), by means of which the article container with the bag body can be tilted about a tilting axis (57) extending essentially in parallel to the longitudinal extension of the overhead conveying device between a provisioning position (58) and an unloading position (59), wherein in the unloading position an article (28) can be discharged from the article container through the unloading opening (29). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for the automated unloading of an article container.

A transport apparatus includes a transport rail extending along a predetermined path, a transport vehicle configured to be movable along the transport rail to transport a material, and a brake unit mounted on the transport vehicle to be adjacent to the transport rail and configured to apply an eddy current braking force to the transport vehicle.