A product discharging device includes: a lower pedal swingably arranged with a base in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from a product storage passage storing therein, along an up-and-down direction, products that are input thereto; an upper pedal swingably arranged with the base in a region above the lower pedal, in such a manner that a distal end thereof advances into and retreats from the product storage passage; and a sold-out detection switch configured to detect whether there is any product in the product storage passage by going into an ON state or an OFF state when the lower pedal is in a first standby posture and going into the OFF state or the ON state when the lower pedal is in a second standby posture.

Gradual-release dosing device for at least one substance in a domestic-use apparatus comprises the presence of a water based work fluid, characterized in that it comprises a casing (2) within which a plurality of doses of said substances (3) is contained, necessary for the corresponding plurality of operation cycles of said apparatus. Said casing (2) being at least partly defined by a material perrreable to said work fluid and capable of releasing at least a dose of said substance (3) at each operation cycle of the apparatus. The substance comprises at least one washing-active, dishwashing-active or cleaning-active preparation from the group consisting of surfactants, builders, water softening agents, zeolites, silicates, polymers, carbonates, carboxylates, sulphonates, bleaching agents, bleach activators, bleach stabilizers, bleach catalysts, cobuilders, alkalizing agents, acidifying agents, redeposition inhibitors, dyes, fragrances, optical is brighteners, UV filters, fabric softeners, and rinse agents.

An automated vending or merchandizing machine includes an elevator sub-assembly which moves a dispensing bin or elevator tray vertically along the fronts of plural vertical levels of product dispensers in the vending machine. A controller tracks the vertical position of the elevator tray. This allows the controller to send the elevator tray to the vertical level of the dispenser of the product selected by a customer, at that level receive and confirm dispensing of the selected product into the elevator tray, and return the elevator tray holding the dispensed product down to a customer delivery or access door or opening in the vending machine that can below the vertical levels of dispensers. Features can include coordination of locking and unlocking of a customer access door and actuating an anti-cheat security baffle with the position of the elevator tray.

The disclosed pill bottle allows for timed dispensing of medicine, as programmed by a physician, pharmacist, or caregiver. The device has a slot for pill entry in any one of the walls, the slot being sealable and lockable. In an unlocked and open condition, the slot is a portal from the outside of the bottle into an inner cavity, the cavity being adapted for pill storage and extending between the slot/opening for pill entry and an exit tube. The exit tube is sized for single-file passage of a plurality of pills. A button or blocking device (defined as a mechanical and/or physical object which prevents movement of a pill out of the device) is movable only at pre-programmed intervals of time, allowing the exit of a pill or dosage of pills.

A method and apparatus for separating a stack of trays, each tray being comprised of a plurality of spaced apart containers arranged in rows and columns and interconnected by webs located at their upper, open ends, the containers of each tray in the stack being nested within the containers of an adjacent tray, the space between the tops of adjacent containers in a row or column and the space between adjacent webs forming linear pathways through the stack. The apparatus includes a magazine for holding a stack of the trays. The magazine includes a plurality of first and second support fingers located at the first and second ends of the stack. First and second support linear actuators cause the support fingers to be extended to a stack support location during a non-separation mode of operation, and cause the support fingers to retract to a non-stack support location during the separation mode of operation. A plurality of separator fingers are positioned in alignment with opposing linear pathways formed between the lowermost tray in the stack and the tray adjacent thereto. A separator linear actuator cause the separator fingers to retract to a location out of contact with the stack during a non-separation mode of operation, and to cause the separator fingers to be substantially fully inserted into the linear pathways during a separation mode of operation. The separator fingers are configured to expand the distance between adjacent webs during insertion to cause the lowermost tray to detach from the tray adjacent thereto.

A system for storing and retrieving containers (108) comprises a first conveying means (1) operable to move stacks of containers between a loading position (2) and a discharge position (4), a container store (5), a container store dispatch conveyor (28) and a container store delivery conveyor (26). A first transfer means transfers containers from the container store dispatch conveyor (28) to the first conveying means (1) and a second transfer means transfers containers from the first conveying means (1) to the container store delivery conveyor (26). A container store storage/retrieval means (9) moves containers from the container store (5) to the container store dispatch conveyor (28) and from the container store delivery conveyor (26) to the container store (5). The system has stack destacking means (30) which are capable of destacking full stacks into at least two partial stacks, the stack destacking means positioned to allow containers which have passed through the destacking means to be delivered to the container store (5) by the container store delivery conveyor (26).

A system of mitigating force in a mechanical system, the system comprising a frame member, a first rail connected to the frame member, a second rail connected to the frame member and extending along the frame member in parallel to the first rail, an assembly movably engaging the first and second rails, and a first bracket located between the first and second rails, with at least one first bracket attachment secured to the frame member, the first bracket sharing an upper edge with a lower edge of the first rail, such that a downward force applied on the first rail is distributed to the first bracket and the frame member via the at least one first bracket attachment.

An apparatus for unloading load items, comprising a receiving conveyor having a freely projecting receiving end and a rear delivery end, a removal conveyor and a transfer conveyor arranged therebetween which has a front takeover end adjoining the delivery end of the receiving conveyor and a rear handover end adjoining a head end of the removal conveyor, wherein the transfer conveyor is mounted so as to be pivotable in height about a first swivelling axis arranged at the handover end, and the receiving conveyor is mounted so as to be pivotable in height about a second swivelling axis arranged at the delivery end, wherein the receiving conveyor and the transfer conveyor can be moved, by being swivelled about the first and second swivelling axes, into at least one upper unloading position, in which the transfer conveyor is substantially horizontal before the first swivelling axis, the receiving conveyor is substantially vertical below the second swivelling axis and the receiving end of the receiving conveyor is on the floor of the loading space, or into at least one lower unloading position, in which the receiving conveyor and the transfer conveyor are at an angle of no more than 10, 20, 30 or 40 to the horizontal and the receiving end of the receiving conveyor is located on the floor of the loading space, and unloading processes using the apparatus.

Inventory management systems and related methods employ a catching member to selectively catch items dropped by a robotic manipulator. A related method includes controlling a robotic manipulator to move an inventory item from a first location to a second location. A catching member is selectively positioned to catch the inventory item if dropped by the robotic manipulator prior to the item reaching the second location. The catching member is moved to a suitable location for subsequent processing of one or more items dropped by the first robotic manipulator into the catching member.

Inventory management systems and related methods employ a catching member to selectively catch items dropped by a robotic manipulator. A related method includes controlling a robotic manipulator to move an inventory item from a first location to a second location. A catching member is selectively positioned to catch the inventory item if dropped by the robotic manipulator prior to the item reaching the second location. The catching member is moved to a suitable location for subsequent processing of one or more items dropped by the first robotic manipulator into the catching member.