Device for conveying piece goods along a conveying path includes a sorting device for sorting piece goods, track profile members extending transversely to a track conveying direction and connected together to form an endless conveyor track with an upper and a lower run. The upper run has a conveyor surface for conveying the piece goods in the track conveying direction. Push shoes are successive along the conveying path and each is displaceable along at least one track profile member of the track profile members so as to constrainedly displace the piece goods laterally on the conveyor surface transversely to the track conveying direction of the endless conveyor track. A drive drives the endless conveyor track in the track conveying direction. Each push shoe includes a guide roller, which is arranged below the upper run and mounted to be rotatable about an axis of rotation extending transversely to the conveyor surface.

In an illustrative embodiment, a system for identifying products on a production line includes image capturing devices that acquire images of containers moving along a production line at an inspection location. The system also includes a rejection device and a controller that configures the image capturing devices for image acquisition based on properties of the containers, identifies a product associated with each of the containers based on a portion of a product identification code and a portion of additional features detected in the images, and determines whether the identified product matches predetermined properties or characteristics, resulting in a pass result, otherwise a non-pass result occurs. When a non-pass result occurs, the controller outputs a signal to actuate the rejection device that removes the container from the production line.

A device for transporting containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading Abstract of the Disclosure. The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

A device for transporting containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading Abstract of the Disclosure. The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

An automatic distribution wall is provided, comprising: at least one sorting and conveying assembly which is arranged linearly, wherein the sorting and conveying assembly comprises a carrying part and a rotating part, the carrying part is used for carrying and conveying articles, and the rotating part is connected to a base of the carrying part to drive the carrying part to rotate about a vertical direction so as to adjust the direction of conveyance of articles by the carrying part to a storage position facing the articles.

A supply apparatus (10) includes: a blocker (13) disposed at a fork (12) between a main conveyance path (11), a first conveyance path (12A), and a second conveyance path (12B), the blocker (13) making a switch between a first state where supply of articles from the main conveyance path (11) to the first conveyance path (12A) is blocked and a second state where supply of the articles from the main conveyance path (11) to the second conveyance path (12B) is blocked; and a controller (20) that transitions, based on respective conditions of supply of the articles to two adjacent combination weighing mechanisms (1A, 1B), the blocker (13) into at least either the first state or the second state to switch a route of conveyance of the articles.

A supply apparatus (10) includes: a blocker (13) disposed at a fork (12) between a main conveyance path (11), a first conveyance path (12A), and a second conveyance path (12B), the blocker (13) making a switch between a first state where supply of articles from the main conveyance path (11) to the first conveyance path (12A) is blocked and a second state where supply of the articles from the main conveyance path (11) to the second conveyance path (12B) is blocked; and a controller (20) that transitions, based on respective conditions of supply of the articles to two adjacent combination weighing mechanisms (1A, 1B), the blocker (13) into at least either the first state or the second state to switch a route of conveyance of the articles.

A material handling system includes a belted conveyor that longitudinally transports low profile articles. An actuating mechanism selectively positions a counter rotating cylindrical roller brush diagonal across the conveyor surface to divert the low profile articles to a lateral destination off a side of the belted conveyor and can position the cylindrical roller brush away the belted conveyor to allow the low profile articles to transport to a longitudinal destination at a terminal end of the belted conveyor.

A material handling system includes a belted conveyor that longitudinally transports low profile articles. An actuating mechanism selectively positions a counter rotating cylindrical roller brush diagonal across the conveyor surface to divert the low profile articles to a lateral destination off a side of the belted conveyor and can position the cylindrical roller brush away the belted conveyor to allow the low profile articles to transport to a longitudinal destination at a terminal end of the belted conveyor.

A Knuckle Jointed Lance (KJL), comprising a segmented lance including a plurality of elongate and hollow KJL segments in a concatenated string thereof. The first segment end of one KJL segment is rotatably connected to the second segment end of a neighboring KJL segment via a pinned connection. Neighboring pairs of KJL segments together provide an interlocking toothed connection such that each interlocking toothed connection restrains relative torsional displacement between the neighboring pair of KJL segments. In other embodiments, pinned connections also provide ears, each with cooperating ear ledges and ear ledge recesses to strengthen the pinned connection.