A vertical sorter having a track with at least two straight portions and at least two curved portions is disclosed. A linear motor primary coil is mounted on the at least two straight portions, and two adjacent straight potions are connected by at least one curved portion. Supply tables are disposed at ends of the at least two straight portions respectively and used for providing goods to each straight portion; chutes are disposed along two sides of the at least two straight portions and used for transporting the goods on each straight portion to corresponding areas; a sorting trolley is used for conveying the goods on the supply table to a corresponding chute; and a secondary magnet is mounted on the sorting trolley, wherein the linear motor primary coil and the secondary magnet cooperate to drive the sorting trolley to move along the track.

A material processing system includes an oven that cooks or bakes, with electrical resistance, dough contained within containers. The oven can include a frame defining, devices mounted, in a preselected pattern, on the frame for a reciprocal movement in a vertical direction during use of the system, each device configured to connect voltage to a respective container so as to cook or bake the dough with the electrical resistance, and one or more powered members configured to move the devices in the vertical direction. Conveyors are also provided to convey a plurality of rows of containers with a plurality of containers in each row along a material conveyance path, the conveyors disposed in a series with each other and with the oven along the material conveyance path, one of the conveyors disposed within the oven so as to position a batch of the containers in an alignment with the devices.

A material processing system includes an oven that cooks or bakes, with electrical resistance, dough contained within containers. The oven can include a frame defining, devices mounted, in a preselected pattern, on the frame for a reciprocal movement in a vertical direction during use of the system, each device configured to connect voltage to a respective container so as to cook or bake the dough with the electrical resistance, and one or more powered members configured to move the devices in the vertical direction. Conveyors are also provided to convey a plurality of rows of containers with a plurality of containers in each row along a material conveyance path, the conveyors disposed in a series with each other and with the oven along the material conveyance path, one of the conveyors disposed within the oven so as to position a batch of the containers in an alignment with the devices.

The present invention includes conveying and sorting systems utilizing a plurality of continuous rails which support a plurality of sliding pucks that are urged forward using a plurality of sprocket wheels, and which utilize magnetically operated activation components for causing produce to be selectively dropped from cups carried by the pucks into sorting bins. The structures for the conveying and actuating components of the systems have smooth external surfaces reducing potential contamination by bacteria, contaminants and debris, thereby making them easily accessible for cleaning, and allowing for longer continuous operation times and higher efficiency.

A linear motor conveyor system including: a track comprising a shaped guide rail; a plurality of moving elements, each moving element having: a body; at least two bearings supported by the body and configured to match with the shaped guide rail, wherein the bearings are mounted to the moving element such that the moving elements overlap along the direction of the track providing a reduced tooling pitch between the moving elements. A moving element for moving on a track of a conveyor system, the moving element including: a first set of bearings shaped to match with a first shaped guide rail; a second set of bearings configured to abut against a second guide rail; and a body supporting the first and the second bearing, wherein the body is shaped to allow the first bearing to at least partially overlap the body of an adjacent moving element.

A linear motor conveyor system including: a track comprising a shaped guide rail; a plurality of moving elements, each moving element having: a body; at least two bearings supported by the body and configured to match with the shaped guide rail, wherein the bearings are mounted to the moving element such that the moving elements overlap along the direction of the track providing a reduced tooling pitch between the moving elements. A moving element for moving on a track of a conveyor system, the moving element including: a first set of bearings shaped to match with a first shaped guide rail; a second set of bearings configured to abut against a second guide rail; and a body supporting the first and the second bearing, wherein the body is shaped to allow the first bearing to at least partially overlap the body of an adjacent moving element.

An apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers fed randomly to an inlet of the apparatus, includes a transport system for transporting the articles fed to the inlet, devices for picking and releasing the articles configured to pick up the articles arranged randomly on the transport system and release them to an extraction system with a predefined orientation and/or position, a detection system designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles in transit on the transport system and to provide the information for controlling the pick and release devices, and a unit for processing and controlling the components and the drives of the apparatus. The extraction system includes a plane for supporting the containers being extracted and means for extracting the articles, designed to pick up the articles released by the pick and release devices and transport them on the plane towards the outlet of the apparatus.

An apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers fed randomly to an inlet of the apparatus, includes a transport system for transporting the articles fed to the inlet, devices for picking and releasing the articles configured to pick up the articles arranged randomly on the transport system and release them to an extraction system with a predefined orientation and/or position, a detection system designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles in transit on the transport system and to provide the information for controlling the pick and release devices, and a unit for processing and controlling the components and the drives of the apparatus. The extraction system includes a plane for supporting the containers being extracted and means for extracting the articles, designed to pick up the articles released by the pick and release devices and transport them on the plane towards the outlet of the apparatus.

A vertical sorter, comprising: a track, the track comprising at least two straight portions (10) and at least two curved portions (11); a linear motor primary coil (101) is mounted on the at least two straight portions (10), and two adjacent straight portions (10) are connected by means of at least one curved portion (11); supply tables (13), the supply tables (13) being disposed at ends of the at least two straight portions (10) respectively and being used for providing goods to each straight portion (10); chutes (14), the chutes (14) being disposed along two sides of the at least two straight portions (10) and being used for transporting the goods on each straight portion (10) to corresponding areas; a sorting trolley (12), the sorting trolley (12) being used for conveying the goods on the supply table (13) to a corresponding chute (14); a secondary magnet (121) is mounted on the sorting trolley (12), the linear motor primary coil (101) and the secondary magnet (121) cooperating so as to drive the sorting trolley (12) to move along the track. The vertical sorter achieves the simultaneous multi-layer sorting of goods by means of providing a plurality of straight portions (10), which reduces the planar space which the sorter occupies, and which may also improve sorting efficiency.

A vertical sorter, comprising: a track, the track comprising at least two straight portions (10) and at least two curved portions (11); a linear motor primary coil (101) is mounted on the at least two straight portions (10), and two adjacent straight portions (10) are connected by means of at least one curved portion (11); supply tables (13), the supply tables (13) being disposed at ends of the at least two straight portions (10) respectively and being used for providing goods to each straight portion (10); chutes (14), the chutes (14) being disposed along two sides of the at least two straight portions (10) and being used for transporting the goods on each straight portion (10) to corresponding areas; a sorting trolley (12), the sorting trolley (12) being used for conveying the goods on the supply table (13) to a corresponding chute (14); a secondary magnet (121) is mounted on the sorting trolley (12), the linear motor primary coil (101) and the secondary magnet (121) cooperating so as to drive the sorting trolley (12) to move along the track. The vertical sorter achieves the simultaneous multi-layer sorting of goods by means of providing a plurality of straight portions (10), which reduces the planar space which the sorter occupies, and which may also improve sorting efficiency.