Coordinated conveyors in an automated system. In an embodiment, the system comprises transport conveyor(s) and storage conveyors, wherein each storage conveyor comprises a plurality of segments configured to hold at least one item, and a portion that is aligned with a portion of a transport conveyor, such that items are moveable from the storage conveyor to the transport conveyor. Software module(s), executed by a processor, receive an instruction to collect item(s) at a single destination location, and, for each of the item(s), identify a segment on a storage conveyor on which the item is held, control that storage conveyor to align the segment with the transport conveyor, move the item from the segment onto the transport conveyor, control the transport conveyor to align the item with the destination location, and move the item from the transport conveyor to the destination location.

A motion conversion device is provided with a chain mechanism (10), a steel ball holding tube (5) having a holding space (5a) capable of holding a plurality of steel balls (1) in a vertical row, a steel ball insertion and holding mechanism (6) provided on a lower end of the steel ball holding tube (5), a balancer mechanism (30) capable of raising the steel ball holding tube (5) using air pressure, and a device for controlling the supply of air pressure to the balancer mechanism (30) according to the movement of the chain mechanism (10). A plurality of baskets (15) is attached to the chain (13) of the chain mechanism (10) at fixed intervals, the baskets (15) being capable of receiving and holding steel balls (1) spilling out of the upper end of the steel ball holding tube (5). The baskets (15) containing steel balls (1) move downward in response to the movement of the chain mechanism (10), and the steel balls (1) spill out at the lower end and roll to a position directly beneath the steel ball holding tube (5).

A dispenser (1) of pods (2) for the production of brewed beverages; the dispenser (1) is equipped with a magazine (4) for holding pods (2) arranged in random order, a belt conveyor (9) designed to extract the pods (2) one by one from the storage compartment (4) to feed then to an outlet (16) in a feed direction (15), and an agitator device (10), which cooperates with the conveyor (9) to move pods (2) away from the conveyor (9) and is defined by a rotor having a hub (24), which is rotationally mounted about an axis (25) transversal to the feed direction (15) to rotate in the opposite direction to the belt conveyor (9), and blades (26), which, during rotation, define with the belt conveyor (9) and upstream of the outlet (16), a gap (28) designed to allow pods (2) lying flat on the belt (11) of the conveyor (9) to reach the outlet (16).

A dispenser (1) of pods (2) for the production of brewed beverages; the dispenser (1) is equipped with a magazine (4) for holding pods (2) arranged in random order, a belt conveyor (9) designed to extract the pods (2) one by one from the storage compartment (4) to feed then to an outlet (16) in a feed direction (15), and an agitator device (10), which cooperates with the conveyor (9) to move pods (2) away from the conveyor (9) and is defined by a rotor having a hub (24), which is rotationally mounted about an axis (25) transversal to the feed direction (15) to rotate in the opposite direction to the belt conveyor (9), and blades (26), which, during rotation, define with the belt conveyor (9) and upstream of the outlet (16), a gap (28) designed to allow pods (2) lying flat on the belt (11) of the conveyor (9) to reach the outlet (16).

The invention relates to a foodstuff conveying and delivery apparatus having a housing in which foodstuffs are conveyed, in particular, to a discharging or output point in order to be removed by a person.

A system and method for vending digital video discs is provided. A request is received from a user to complete a rental transaction for a first digital video disc. A database is queried to determine whether a quantity of a set of second digital video discs in a vending inventory exceeds a predetermined threshold. A discount offer notification is presented to the user to rent one of the set of second digital video discs, upon determining that the quantity of the set of second digital video discs exceeds the predetermined threshold. A second request from the user to rent one of the second set of digital video discs is received, and one of the set of second digital video discs is vended to the user.

Disclosed is an automated pill dispenser, which provide a plurality of pill dispensing modules. The plurality of pill dispensing modules may have a first pill dispensing module and a second first pill dispensing module, and the first pill dispensing module has a first dispensing belt that dispenses a first individual pill and the second pill dispensing module having a second dispensing belt dispenses a second individual pill. One or more sensors may be used to monitor operation of the automated pill dispenser for dispensing medication by the plurality of pill dispensing modules. Also disclosed is a cloud-based resource and information tracking services for medical patients and healthcare providers and a hardware device that solves significant healthcare problems.

A medicine-dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a medicine storage unit for separately containing a plurality of medicines, and a medicine transfer unit for receiving the plurality of medicines moved from the medicine storage unit in a first direction and transferring the plurality of medicines in a second direction, wherein the medicine transfer unit includes a frame unit on which the plurality of medicines are placed and a medicine-pushing unit movably disposed in the frame unit so as to transfer the plurality of medicines placed on the frame unit in the second direction, and wherein the medicine-pushing unit is able to be projected from and retracted into an internal space of the frame unit so as to move the plurality of medicines placed on the frame unit in the second direction.

An apparatus for packaging dosed quantities of medicines and method for operating such apparatus. The apparatus includes multiple dosing stations for dispensing solid drug portions, and multiple collectors for collecting dosed quantities of solid drug portions and for forwarding the dosed quantities of solid drug portions to a packaging station. Each dosing station has an outlet and each collector has a unique collector identifier. A conveyor includes multiple mounting elements arranged in a chain, wherein each collector is detachably mounted to one of the mounting elements and moved by the conveyor along the dosing stations, so that the collector can receive the solid drug portions dispensed at the outlets of the dosing stations. A controller controls the operation of the dosing stations, the conveyor and the packaging station. Input means (80, 81) are coupled to the control means (19) for inputting the collecting means identifier. The controller maintains a mapping between identifiers assigned to each mounting element or mounting position and the unique collector identifiers of the collectors.

An apparatus for packaging dosed quantities of medicines and method for operating such apparatus. The apparatus includes multiple dosing stations for dispensing solid drug portions, and multiple collectors for collecting dosed quantities of solid drug portions and for forwarding the dosed quantities of solid drug portions to a packaging station. Each dosing station has an outlet and each collector has a unique collector identifier. A conveyor includes multiple mounting elements arranged in a chain, wherein each collector is detachably mounted to one of the mounting elements and moved by the conveyor along the dosing stations, so that the collector can receive the solid drug portions dispensed at the outlets of the dosing stations. A controller controls the operation of the dosing stations, the conveyor and the packaging station. Input means (80, 81) are coupled to the control means (19) for inputting the collecting means identifier. The controller maintains a mapping between identifiers assigned to each mounting element or mounting position and the unique collector identifiers of the collectors.