A transport device includes: a device frame; a first stage unit placed in the device frame to be movable in a vertical direction; a second stage unit placed in the first stage unit to be movable in a vertical direction; and a pusher unit placed in the first stage unit, and provided to discharge a transport object outward, wherein the transport object includes a first transport object and a second transport object stacked on the first transport object, and wherein while the pusher unit discharges the first transport object, the second stage unit supports the second transport object, and after the pusher unit discharges the first transport object, the second stage unit causes the second transport object to be mounted on the pusher unit.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage array of storage locations for case units. An in-out case conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting case units to and from the storage array, and an in-out loaded pallet conveyor is capable of bi-directionally transporting loaded pallets towards and away from the storage array. A palletizer-depalletizer cell includes a bi-directional pallet transport system with more than one independently driven pallet transports, each with a different pallet holder independently movable relative to a cell frame. Placement of case units commissioning a pallet layer loading a pallet, and removal of case units decommissioning a pallet layer unloading another pallet are both effected at the common pallet layer interface at a predetermined level of the cell frame. The pallet transports independently index a first and a second of the different pallet holders, each independently holding the pallet loading at the common pallet layer interface.

The invention relates to a method for automated repalletizing of packaged goods, the method to be carried out with a conveyor table with devices for the omnidirectional movement of packaged goods from an original layer, formed by units of packaged goods to be reconfigured, to a target layer, formed by units of packaged goods, wherein the conveyor table has an area that is larger than the area that is occupied by an original layer of the units of packaged goods to be configured, having the following steps: providing an original layer of units of packaged goods on the conveyor table, automated separation of the units of packaged goods by the conveyor table such that manoeuvring distances are created between at least two of the units of packaged goods, moving the units of packaged goods to a predetermined position of the target layer, and optionally completing and optionally compressing the target layer of units of packaged goods,
wherein at least more than one of the units of packaged goods of the target layer are on the conveyor table during the entire process, as well as a programmed data processing device for controlling a method and a data carrier or data sequence having control instructions for programming such data processing devices.

Methods of confection mold conveying comprise translating, in a first direction, a first pusher bar having spaced apart first pusher fingers oriented to engage confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in the first direction; translating, in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first pusher bar, wherein the first pusher fingers are oriented to avoid engagement with the confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in the second direction, and wherein the first pusher bar is translated within a first conveyor segment of a confection mold conveyor; and rotating a first rotatable shaft with a first helical channel formed therein that is sized and configured to move the confection mold trays, wherein the first rotatable shaft is included within a second conveyor segment of the confection mold conveyor and is positioned to receive the confection mold trays from the first conveyor segment.

An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples includes a lift, a part take-out station and a rack recovery station. The lift is configured to raise and lower a plurality of stacked part racks to the part take-out station and to the rack recovery station while keeping the part racks together. The part take-out station comprises a first rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when the lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so that the uppermost rack is separated from the other part racks so as to remain in the part take-out station. The rack recovery station comprises a second rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when said lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so as to remain in the rack recovery station.

A raising/lowering conveyance device for a container for conveying an article has container supports that can move toward or away from a container in the horizontal direction and up and down with respect to the container. The container supports have a plurality of container support pins that can advance/retreat in the horizontal direction from the container and that are forcibly held at a position protruding from a front surface of the container support. The container supports are configured to lift the container by the container support pins which protrude under a downward step surface formed on the outside of the container. A pin main body of the container support pins protrudes from the front surface and has a flat tip perpendicular to the center axis of the pin main body, and has a tapered shape that increases in diameter toward the flat tip and is thicker toward the end.

A control unit performs first loading control that is to be performed when a target article that has been determined by a determination unit as being an article that is in an appropriate orientation is to be loaded onto a first supporting member in the appropriate orientation, and second loading control that is to be performed when a target article that has been determined by the determination unit as being an article that is in an inappropriate orientation is to be loaded onto the first supporting member in the appropriate orientation. The first loading control is performed to control a loading operation unit to suck and support a first sucking-target surface of a target article that is supported by the second supporting member, from above, then move a sucking portion, and thereafter release the target article from the state of being sucked by the sucking portion, and the second loading control is performed to control the loading operation unit to perform an orientation changing operation, and thereafter release the target article from the state of being sucked by the sucking portion when the target article is located immediately above the first supporting member and the first sucking-target surface faces upward.

A system for moving payloads is described. It uses one or more mobile robots. Each mobile robot comprises a payload bearing platform with a transfer mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom of movement. The system includes one or more stack exchangers having a set of alignment mechanisms, and at least one payload transfer ramp. The mobile robots pass through the stack exchanger and pick up a payload or drop off a payload.

A system for moving payloads is described. It uses one or more mobile robots. Each mobile robot comprises a payload bearing platform with a transfer mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom of movement. The system includes one or more stack exchangers having a set of alignment mechanisms, and at least one payload transfer ramp. The mobile robots pass through the stack exchanger and pick up a payload or drop off a payload.

A lumber transfer system includes an overhead track and a lower conveyor for retrieving and delivering boards from multiple racks of lumber to a platform leading to a saw. In some examples of operation, a board picker travels along the track to pick up a chosen board from one of the racks. The board picker then releases the board onto the conveyor. The conveyor conveys the board underneath the other racks and delivers the board to the saw feed platform. While the conveyor is conveying the board toward the saw feed platform, the board picker returns to the racks for another board. The board picker traveling along the track and handling boards while the conveyor delivers them to the saw saves production time and increases throughput.