A system for managing parcel flow includes: an upstream conveyor for receiving and conveying a bulk flow of parcels; and a damming conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the upstream conveyor. The system may also include: a destacking conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the damming conveyor and configured to separate vertically stacked parcels; and a downstream conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the destacking conveyor. The damming conveyor can be selectively activated and deactivated to offload parcels in discrete batches, instead of a continuous flow. Selective activation and deactivation of the damming conveyor and/or destacking conveyor can be based on instructions communicated from a control subsystem in accordance in a prearranged sequence or based on data from one or more sensors configured to acquire data corresponding to the positioning of parcels within the system.

An object of the present invention is to develop a device and a method by which cargo handling is automatically performed to eliminate overlaps among articles. When loaded with a plurality of articles M, a cargo handling device eliminates overlaps among the articles M. The cargo handling device has an article placement surface on which the articles M are placed. The cargo handling device performs a cargo handling operation that turns and/or rotates the articles M on the article placement surface to eliminate the overlaps among the articles M.

Systems, devices, methods and computer program products for extendable conveyors are provided. A system includes an extendable conveyor and a separation module. The extendable conveyor is operable to convey items from an upstream side of the extendable conveyor to a downstream side of the extendable conveyor. Further, it is configured to increase the distance from the upstream side to the downstream side. The separation module is operable for conveying items towards the extendable conveyor and configured to decelerate the conveying of the items on the separation module.

A pipette tip supply mechanism includes: a pipette tip storage unit for storing a plurality of tapered shaped pipette tips; a belt for transporting a pipette tip supplied from an opening of the pipette tip storage unit; and a belt drive unit that drives the belt in a transport direction. The belt is inclined upwards toward the transport direction so that the pipette tip is rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the pipette tip on a surface of the belt and the pipette tip is rolled to orient the longitudinal axis of the pipette tip along the transport direction in conjunction with the drive of the belt in the transport direction.

A pipette tip supply mechanism includes: a pipette tip storage unit for storing a plurality of tapered shaped pipette tips; a belt for transporting a pipette tip supplied from an opening of the pipette tip storage unit; and a belt drive unit that drives the belt in a transport direction. The belt is inclined upwards toward the transport direction so that the pipette tip is rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the pipette tip on a surface of the belt and the pipette tip is rolled to orient the longitudinal axis of the pipette tip along the transport direction in conjunction with the drive of the belt in the transport direction.

A system for managing parcel flow includes: an upstream conveyor for receiving and conveying a bulk flow of parcels; and a damming conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the upstream conveyor. The system may also include: a destacking conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the damming conveyor and configured to separate vertically stacked parcels; and a downstream conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the destacking conveyor. The damming conveyor can be selectively activated and deactivated to offload parcels in discrete batches, instead of a continuous flow. Selective activation and deactivation of the damming conveyor and/or destacking conveyor can be based on instructions communicated from a control subsystem in accordance in a prearranged sequence or based on data from one or more sensors configured to acquire data corresponding to the positioning of parcels within the system.

A system for managing parcel flow includes: an upstream conveyor for receiving and conveying a bulk flow of parcels; and a damming conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the upstream conveyor. The system may also include: a destacking conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the damming conveyor and configured to separate vertically stacked parcels; and a downstream conveyor positioned to receive parcels offloaded from the destacking conveyor. The damming conveyor can be selectively activated and deactivated to offload parcels in discrete batches, instead of a continuous flow. Selective activation and deactivation of the damming conveyor and/or destacking conveyor can be based on instructions communicated from a control subsystem in accordance in a prearranged sequence or based on data from one or more sensors configured to acquire data corresponding to the positioning of parcels within the system.

A conveyor system for sorting articles being conveyed in a conveying direction. A first conveyor section includes a plurality of inclined conveyors for de-stacking articles. A second conveyor section includes at least one indexing conveyor for spacing a first group of articles from upstream articles. A third conveyor section includes a chicane conveying path for forming the first group of articles into a single row generally aligned with the conveying direction. Related methods are also disclosed.

A conveyor system for sorting articles being conveyed in a conveying direction. A first conveyor section includes a plurality of inclined conveyors for de-stacking articles. A second conveyor section includes at least one indexing conveyor for spacing a first group of articles from upstream articles. A third conveyor section includes a chicane conveying path for forming the first group of articles into a single row generally aligned with the conveying direction. Related methods are also disclosed.

A system (100) for delaminating a stream (110) of articles (A, B, C, D, E) includes a delamination unit (130) with a plurality of individually controlled rollers (134) configured to carry a stream (110) of articles (A, B, C, D, E), a detection unit (150) with a sensor (152), and a control unit (160) with a processor (162) and interfacing with the delamination unit (130) and the detection unit (150), wherein the detection unit (150) is configured to detect a position of each of the articles (A, B, C, D, E) and to transmit position data to the control unit (160), and wherein the control unit (160) is configured, through operation of the processor (162), to correlate positions of the articles (A, B, C, D, E) with the plurality of individually controlled rollers (134), and to individually control the rollers (134) based on the position data to delaminate the stream (110) of articles (A, B, C, D, E).