A transmission and positioning mechanism includes a guiding assembly, a driving assembly and a positioning assembly. The guiding assembly includes two sliding rails, a transmission belt, a plurality of sliding members. The sliding members are slidably disposed on the sliding rails. The positioning assembly includes a transmission rod, a positioning rod connected to the transmission rod, a positioning block sleeved on the positioning rod, a driving rod sleeved on the transmission rod. The driving rod defines a spiral slots and at least one limiting slot. The driving assembly is connected to the positioning assembly and rotates the transmission rod, the positioning rod and the driving rod, the spiral slot engages one of the plurality of the sliding members to move other sliding members to the at least one limiting slot and the positioning blocks, and the at least one limiting slot and the positioning blocks latch the sliding members.

An article conveyance apparatus couples a plurality of conveyor carriages for conveying articles and enables the coupled conveyor carriages to travel along a conveyance path K. The conveyor carriage is coupled by a coupling part to another conveyor carriage placed in the longitudinal direction with respect to a traveling direction H of the conveyor carriage. The conveyor carriage includes a load cell that is provided in the coupling part and measures a force applied between the conveyor carriages, and a controller that calculates a force F applied to wheels of the conveyor carriage, based on a tension T between the conveyor carriages calculated according to the force applied between the conveyor carriages and measured by the load cell.

An article conveyance apparatus couples a plurality of conveyor carriages for conveying articles and enables the coupled conveyor carriages to travel along a conveyance path K. The conveyor carriage is coupled by a coupling part to another conveyor carriage placed in the longitudinal direction with respect to a traveling direction H of the conveyor carriage. The conveyor carriage includes a load cell that is provided in the coupling part and measures a force applied between the conveyor carriages, and a controller that calculates a force F applied to wheels of the conveyor carriage, based on a tension T between the conveyor carriages calculated according to the force applied between the conveyor carriages and measured by the load cell.

An automatic tensioning apparatus is provided that includes a tensioning drive unit having: a longitudinally extending stationary base frame with a plurality of guides extending between a lower portion and an upper portion, and a plurality of rotatable feed wheels axially secured at the lower portion, as well as a translatable drive frame slidably coupled to the plurality of guides with a drive assembly coupled to the drive frame, the drive assembly including a drive motor and a tensile member interface for engaging and rotationally translating a tensile member. The tensioning drive unit further including a plurality of drive frame actuators actuatable to move the drive frame between a bottom frame position and a top frame position, as well as a sensor for at least indirectly sensing the position of the drive frame along a longitudinal base frame axis.

An automatic tensioning apparatus is provided that includes a tensioning drive unit having: a longitudinally extending stationary base frame with a plurality of guides extending between a lower portion and an upper portion, and a plurality of rotatable feed wheels axially secured at the lower portion, as well as a translatable drive frame slidably coupled to the plurality of guides with a drive assembly coupled to the drive frame, the drive assembly including a drive motor and a tensile member interface for engaging and rotationally translating a tensile member. The tensioning drive unit further including a plurality of drive frame actuators actuatable to move the drive frame between a bottom frame position and a top frame position, as well as a sensor for at least indirectly sensing the position of the drive frame along a longitudinal base frame axis.

A linear motor conveyor system with alternate drive. The system includes: at least one linear motor track section; at least one alternate drive track section having the same configuration as the linear motor track section but incorporating an alternate drive mechanism; a plurality of moving elements configured to move along the linear motor track section and alternate drive track section; and a control system for controlling the moving elements to move on the linear motor track section and the alternative drive track section. The alternate drive track section may include: a belt drive including a belt, a belt drive motor and a friction element on the moving element to engage with the belt such that movement of the belt causes the moving element to move along the track section due to friction. The alternate drive track section may alternatively include a simplified linear motor track section.

A linear motor conveyor system with alternate drive. The system includes: at least one linear motor track section; at least one alternate drive track section having the same configuration as the linear motor track section but incorporating an alternate drive mechanism; a plurality of moving elements configured to move along the linear motor track section and alternate drive track section; and a control system for controlling the moving elements to move on the linear motor track section and the alternative drive track section. The alternate drive track section may include: a belt drive including a belt, a belt drive motor and a friction element on the moving element to engage with the belt such that movement of the belt causes the moving element to move along the track section due to friction. The alternate drive track section may alternatively include a simplified linear motor track section.

A conveyor device used in manufacturing equipment to convey various types of containers, such as an ampule, varying in diameter includes: a lower belt conveying element that supports a body on an upstream side and a bottom surface of the container to be conveyed; and an upper belt conveying element that supports the body on a downstream side of the container to be conveyed, wherein a distance between the lower belt conveying element and upper belt conveying element, which are respectively on a front side and a rear side of each of the containers, is adjusted to convey the containers varying in diameter.

A conveyor device used in manufacturing equipment to convey various types of containers, such as an ampule, varying in diameter includes: a lower belt conveying element that supports a body on an upstream side and a bottom surface of the container to be conveyed; and an upper belt conveying element that supports the body on a downstream side of the container to be conveyed, wherein a distance between the lower belt conveying element and upper belt conveying element, which are respectively on a front side and a rear side of each of the containers, is adjusted to convey the containers varying in diameter.

A linear motor conveyor system with alternate drive. The system includes: at least one linear motor track section; at least one alternate drive track section having the same configuration as the linear motor track section but incorporating an alternate drive mechanism; a plurality of moving elements configured to move along the linear motor track section and alternate drive track section; and a control system for controlling the moving elements to move on the linear motor track section and the alternative drive track section. The alternate drive track section may include: a belt drive including a belt, a belt drive motor and a friction element on the moving element to engage with the belt such that movement of the belt causes the moving element to move along the track section due to friction. The alternate drive track section may alternatively include a simplified linear motor track section.