Systems, methods, and machine-executable coded instruction sets are disclosed for fully- and/or partly automated handling of goods. For example, the disclosure provides improvements in storage and retrieval of containers in systems such as order processing systems.

A destacking device comprising at least two destacking screws for singulating and destacking trays from a tray stack. Each destacking screw comprises a helix that may be a helical recess in an outer surface of the screw. The two destacking screws may have an identical direction of rotation. In one embodiment, the helix of each of the at least two destacking screws may grip and guide a respective side of a tray flange of the tray at a first contact point at the outer edge of the helix's upper side, and a second contact point at the outer edge of the helix's lower side. The destacking device may include guiding devices positioned on opposing the non-gripped and/or the gripped sides of the tray to guide the path of the tray in a vertical direction.

When taking out flattened tube fins that have been stacked in a stacker apparatus from the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state, an apparatus is provided for taking out the stacked flattened tube fins from the stacker apparatus that stacks the flattened tube fins having cutaway portions into which flattened tubes are inserted. The apparatus includes a first member including a base plate and an erected portion, a second member that is disposed at a position facing the first member and together with the first member clamps the flattened tube fins, and a moving mechanism that causes the first member and the second member to move toward and away from the flattened tube fins on the stacker apparatus and moves the flattened tube fins and the stacker apparatus apart while the flattened tube fins of the stacker apparatus are clamped by the first member and the second member.

When taking out flattened tube fins that have been stacked in a stacker apparatus from the stacker apparatus while maintaining the stacked state, an apparatus is provided for taking out the stacked flattened tube fins from the stacker apparatus that stacks the flattened tube fins having cutaway portions into which flattened tubes are inserted. The apparatus includes a first member including a base plate and an erected portion, a second member that is disposed at a position facing the first member and together with the first member clamps the flattened tube fins, and a moving mechanism that causes the first member and the second member to move toward and away from the flattened tube fins on the stacker apparatus and moves the flattened tube fins and the stacker apparatus apart while the flattened tube fins of the stacker apparatus are clamped by the first member and the second member.

A multiple disk loader apparatus includes a plurality of rods. Each rod has a pair of pins extending radially from a side of the rod. The pair of pins are spaced circumferentially around the rod with respect to each other. Each pin has a top surface wherein the top surface of a first pin is longitudinally separated from the top surface of a second pin by a predetermined gap. A rotation device is coupled to the plurality of rods. The rotation device rotates the plurality of rods individually through a respective predetermined arc and in a respective rotational direction in order to extract a disk stack from storage and to separate a disk from the stack to load into a drive.

PA system (20) for removing pallets (22) from carriers (24) may include an infeed conveyor (30) configured for conveying carriers with pallets, a pallet takeaway conveyor (34) configured for conveying pallets, and a removal conveyor (32) between the infeed conveyor and the pallet takeaway conveyor. The removal conveyor is configured for removing the pallets from the carrier, the removal conveyor driven in synchronicity with the infeed conveyor so as to remove the pallets with continuous motion.

A system for assembling and dispensing an order made up of one or more individually packaged items from a plurality of different individually packaged items includes a storage module containing one or more packages of each of the items, and a conveyor having selectively assignable spaces configured to receive the packaged items associated with a particular order and to transport the packaged items to a processing location. A pick device is movable relative to the storage module and is configured to retrieve a package from the storage module. A transfer station adjacent the conveyor receives one or more of the packaged items from the pick device and an actuator associated with the transfer station moves the packaged items from the transfer station to the conveyor when the assigned space associated with the order is in registration with the transfer station.

A device and method for delivering a laboratory sample carrier from a stack of sample carriers includes providing a retaining mechanism that retains the stack of laboratory sample carriers, and an ejector mechanism including a displaceable mechanism comprising a carrier support portion and a carrier transporting portion which are hingeably interconnected. The stack is supported by the carrier transporting portion and the carrier transporting portion is supported by a carrier transporting portion support of the ejector mechanism when the displaceable mechanism is in a first carrier receiving position and configuration. The displaceable mechanism is displaced from the first carrier receiving position and configuration to a second carrier release position and configuration by a further displacement mechanism of the ejector mechanism. This involves moving a lowermost carrier from the bottom of the stack in a carrier accommodating region of the carrier transporting portion as the displaceable mechanism is displaced from the first carrier receiving position and configuration. The displaceable mechanism is displaced such that the carrier transporting portion moves past the carrier transporting portion support and drops so that the displaceable mechanism adopts the second carrier release position and configuration and the carrier in the carrier accommodating region is released. The stack is supported with the carrier support portion when the displaceable mechanism is in the second carrier release position and configuration.

An apparatus and method for filling containers with value documents and to a system for processing value documents, wherein the apparatus has: a container receiving device which is adapted to receive a container stack having two or several containers for receiving value documents, a lid receiving device which is adapted to receive a lid stack having two or several lids for closing the containers, a container removal device which is adapted to remove, preferably, the respectively lowermost container from the container stack, a closing device and a transport device which is adapted to convey the container removed from the container stack to a filling station, in which the container can be filled with value documents, and to convey the container filled with value documents to the closing device which is adapted to remove a lid from the lid stack and close the filled container with the removed lid.

A stacker includes a base and a vertical structure supported by the base. A lift unit includes a support surface for engaging and lifting a tray from a stack of trays. The lift unit is mounted to the vertical structure and movable vertically relative to the vertical structure. A lifting mechanism selectively raises and lowers the lift unit relative to the vertical structure. The support surface may be formed on first and second projections configured to engage first and second handle openings of a tray. The stacker facilitates several stacking/destacking methods for more easily converting a stack of trays at a first height to a stack of trays at a second height. For example, the first height may be more convenient or appropriate for use in a bakery, while the second height may be more efficient for loading in a truck.