The present invention provides devices, systems and methods for reliably inserting packing trays into packing crates. Thus, the present invention solves the problems of conventional packaging lines by providing a positioning device for depositing packing trays into packing crates. Particularly, the present invention can be incorporated into existing fruit and vegetable packing lines.

A system and a method for gently loading, transporting and unloading frangible products using totes is provided. The system includes a loading station at a first location, an unloading station at a second location and a plurality of totes for use in storing the frangible products for transportation from the first location to the second location. The totes include an interior space that is upwardly curved for gently receiving the frangible products therein as they are laterally discharged off of a lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor. Two or more totes can be sequentially loaded along the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor using backpressure caused by accumulation of frangible product along the edge of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor to redirect incoming frangible products towards a downstream section of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor.

A diversion assembly for use with a feed material. The diversion assembly includes a plurality of movable gate chutes, a first conveyor, and a second conveyor. The plurality of movable gate chutes are each positionable in a retracted position and an extended position. The first conveyor is configured to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable gate chutes in the retracted position, a first portion of the feed material to a first area. The second conveyor is configured to carry, for each of any of the plurality of movable gate chutes in the extended position, a second portion of the feed material to a second area. The second area is spaced apart from the first area.

A flume for supplying vegetable pieces in a supply of liquid, the flume extending between a flume inlet and a flume outlet, the flume comprising: a gulley section having an upstream inlet end at the flume inlet and a downstream outlet end, the gulley section having opposed sidewalls and a gulley floor therebetween, and a spreader section having opposed first and second lateral walls and a spreader floor therebetween, the spreader section having an upstream end connected to the downstream outlet end of the gulley section, the spreader section progressively increasing in width between the opposed first and second lateral walls in a downstream direction from the upstream end to a downstream end of the spreader section, wherein the opposed first and second lateral walls are each outwardly inclined away from a longitudinal axis of the spreader section by a respective angle α° for the first lateral wall and β° for the second lateral wall, in respective opposite directions, which extends from the upstream end of the spreader section to the downstream end of the spreader section, wherein the gulley section has a width of the gulley floor at the downstream outlet end of W1, the length of the spreader section between the upstream and downstream ends of the spreader section is N, and the dimensionless ratio N/W1 is within the range of from 2 to 15, and wherein the sum of α° and β° is from 10 to 25°.

A loading device for loading a container with packages, comprising a transport channel for transport of the packages in the direction of the container. The transport channel has an upper inlet to supply packages into the transport channel and a lower outlet to supply packages into the container. At least one upper, and at least one lower, finger position each with at least one finger element are provided in the transport channel. The at least one of the finger elements of the upper and lower finger positions in each case have at least two flexible flank elements extending from one end to the opposing end of the finger element. In each case, the at least two flexible flank elements are flexibly connected via a plurality of webs. The finger elements in each case may be adjusted from at least one curved position into at least one extended position and back.

A glassware manufacturing system, waste handling system, and method are disclosed. The glassware manufacturing system, in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, comprises an architectural installation having a forming floor and no basement beneath the forming floor; a glassware forming machine carried on the forming floor; a molten glass feeder configured to provide molten glass to the glassware forming machine; and a glassware manufacturing waste handling system including a sump pit in the forming floor, and a waste liquid trench substantially surrounding the glassware forming machine and flowing to the sump pit. Also, a cullet material handler and/or a molten waste glass sluice may be configured to receive molten glass and unused molten glass streams from the molten glass feeder and hot glassware rejects from the glassware forming machine.

An automated kiosk includes a front panel positioned in front of a conveyor with conveyor slots sized to receive clothing hangers. Dividers separate each conveyor slot from the adjacent conveyor slots, forming a compartment for each conveyor slot. Two doors are positioned in the front panel. An electronic controller moves a conveyor in order to reposition a desired compartment in front of the doors. The doors open inwardly, and are of sufficient length that the extended edge of the doors engages with and overlaps the outer edge of each of the dividers. With each door engaging the divider on each side of the compartment, a user is blocked from being able to access items that are in adjacent compartments.

Disclosed is a device for distributing capsules, including a container apt to receive in bulk a plurality of capsules and an ordering assembly placed inside the container, apt to arrange the capsules vertically for subsequent distribution; wherein the ordering assembly includes a rotating helical screw for mixing capsules, mounted on a basket rotating together with it, the basket having an inclined upper wall or slide, such that its height varies gradually from a minimum to a maximum along its periphery, and an open vertical seat apt to accommodate a capsule placed vertically and to distribute it through an opening formed on the bottom wall of the container.

A transfer or distribution chute for conveying bulk material by gravity flow includes an elongated chute casing defining a flow path for bulk material and a wear-resistant lining arrangement covering at least part of a flow path facing an upper side of the elongated chute casing. The wear-resistant lining arrangement includes a perforated plate affixed to the chute casing and has a plurality of perforations through which wear-resistant inserts having a body and an enlarged base are fitted in the perforations from a side opposite the flow path, such that their body protrudes through the perforation within the flow path, and their enlarged base abuts the borders of the perforation from the side opposite the flow path on one side and is held in place by the chute casing on the other side.

A directed delivery system for drone delivery of an item to a location. The directed delivery system includes a receptacle to receive the item at the location, a container to receive the delivered item spaced some distance from the container in the vertical plane. A conduit lies between the receptacle and the containers that directs the item from one to the other minimizing the risk of damage during travel. Drone delivery of the item to the location is so that the item is received in the receptacle, and directed by the conduit to the container at the desired delivery point with minimal impact.