A device and a method for infeeding products (10), wherein the device comprises at least one infeed (12) which infeeds products (10) to a transportation system (20), and comprises at least one sensor (28) for identifying products (10) which are backed up, wherein at least one ejection means (14, 16) for removing at least one product (10) which is located and backed up on the infeed (12) is provided.

Disclosed are various embodiments for a singulator that has a port for diverting items. An item is received on at least one conveyor segment of a singulator. The item is transported using at least one conveyor segment to a side wall of the singulator. The item is transported using at least one conveyor segment through a port in the side wall of the singulator.

An inventory transfer station is provided in connection with a workspace of an inventory management system. At the inventory transfer station, items are transferred from container holders to empty containers thereby generating containers that may fulfill orders for items. The inventory transfer station may be semi-automatically configured to transfer items from the container holders to the empty containers utilizing a vertical reciprocating conveyor that feeds empty containers to the inventory transfer station via an inbound conveyor lane associated with the inventory management system. Containers that have received items from the container holder may be transferred to an outbound conveyor lane that may, via the vertical reciprocating conveyor, feed fulfilled containers to a shipping area of the workspace.

A grouping device includes a feeding device with a plurality of elongated transport elements to support at least one of discrete rows of articles to be grouped and defining a respective seat in which an open or openable longitudinal end is defined. The grouping device further includes a pusher device to contact a discrete row of articles so that the discrete row slides out of one of the elongated transport elements, and an unloading device to receive, through an interchange zone, the discrete row unloaded through a longitudinal end. The feeding device is configured to position, in sequence, each elongated transport element at the interchange zone.

A grouping device includes a feeding device with a plurality of elongated transport elements to support at least one of discrete rows of articles to be grouped and defining a respective seat in which an open or openable longitudinal end is defined. The grouping device further includes a pusher device to contact a discrete row of articles so that the discrete row slides out of one of the elongated transport elements, and an unloading device to receive, through an interchange zone, the discrete row unloaded through a longitudinal end. The feeding device is configured to position, in sequence, each elongated transport element at the interchange zone.

There is provided a device, system, and method for flexible feeding capable of being integrated into an assembly system. The device includes a disperser, a part retainer, a vibrator, an excess part removal device, a pick-and-placer, carriers, a transporter, a carrier inspection disc, a part remover, a gate, a transfer station, and re-entry tracks. The method includes dispersing parts, agitating parts, removing excess parts, picking captured parts, placing the captured parts into carriers, inspecting the carriers, positioning the carriers at a transfer station, and transferring the parts to a downstream processor. The system includes a flexible feeding device configured to perform flexible feeding operations, a data processor, and a medium having machine-readable instructions executable by the data processor and configured to cause the data processor to generate signals useful in the synchronization of two or more flexible feeding operations.

There is provided a device, system, and method for flexible feeding capable of being integrated into an assembly system. The device includes a disperser, a part retainer, a vibrator, an excess part removal device, a pick-and-placer, carriers, a transporter, a carrier inspection disc, a part remover, a gate, a transfer station, and re-entry tracks. The method includes dispersing parts, agitating parts, removing excess parts, picking captured parts, placing the captured parts into carriers, inspecting the carriers, positioning the carriers at a transfer station, and transferring the parts to a downstream processor. The system includes a flexible feeding device configured to perform flexible feeding operations, a data processor, and a medium having machine-readable instructions executable by the data processor and configured to cause the data processor to generate signals useful in the synchronization of two or more flexible feeding operations.

A transport device for transporting pharmaceutical containers has a transporting path with first and second lateral boundaries, between which containers are conveyable. A blocking element is transferable between a release position and a blocking position. In the release position, the transporting path is released so that containers pass in a transporting direction. In the blocking position, the blocking element is within the transporting path and contactable by containers. An edge element is preferably arranged level with the blocking element relative to the transporting direction. The edge element is transferable relative to the transporting path between a neutral position and an open position. In the neutral position, the edge element forms a section of the second lateral boundary and, in the open position, releases a discharging opening at the second lateral boundary. The containers blocked by the blocking element are dischargeable out of the transporting path via the discharging opening.

A transport device for transporting pharmaceutical containers has a transporting path with first and second lateral boundaries, between which containers are conveyable. A blocking element is transferable between a release position and a blocking position. In the release position, the transporting path is released so that containers pass in a transporting direction. In the blocking position, the blocking element is within the transporting path and contactable by containers. An edge element is preferably arranged level with the blocking element relative to the transporting direction. The edge element is transferable relative to the transporting path between a neutral position and an open position. In the neutral position, the edge element forms a section of the second lateral boundary and, in the open position, releases a discharging opening at the second lateral boundary. The containers blocked by the blocking element are dischargeable out of the transporting path via the discharging opening.

A sorting device for sorting book blocks is described, the sorting device having a filling station for sorting one or more book blocks into receptacles, a first input conveyor configured to feed book blocks to the filling station, a second input conveyor configured to feed empty receptacles to the filling station, a first output conveyor configured to transfer full receptacles away from the filling station, the filling station comprising a plurality of inserting devices configured to insert the one or more book blocks into the receptacles, wherein the sorting device further includes a control device configured to receive sorting information of the one or more book blocks and to control the inserting devices to sort the one or more book blocks into the receptacles using the sorting information.