A stocker system includes an operation controller to control operation of stacker cranes in a plurality of stockers, a maintenance room provided between adjacent stockers to allow entry of both stacker cranes in the adjacent stockers and capable of accommodating at least one of the stacker cranes, and an identifier to identify which of the stacker cranes in the adjacent stockers is the stacker crane accommodated in the maintenance room. The operation controller restricts operation of the stacker crane identified by the identifier.

Disclosed is a taping apparatus including: a tray storage device supplying a designated one of plural kinds of trays on which respective different kinds of parts are scattered; a carrier tape feed device intermittently moving a designated one of plural kinds of carrier tapes which correspond to the respective different kinds of parts; a first camera capturing an image of the scattered parts on the designated tray; a first image recognizing device recognizing respective centers of the scattered parts; a rotary head individually sucking the scattered parts to rotatable suction nozzles; a second camera capturing an image of the parts sucked to the suction nozzles; a second image recognizing device recognizing respective orientations of the sucked parts; and a part inserting device adjusting the orientations of the sucked parts to orientations insertable into part storage recesses defined in the designated carrier tape and then inserting the parts into the part storage recesses, respectively.

A method of arranging articles can comprise moving a first article and a second article along a respective first lane and second lane toward a respective first output end of the first lane and second output end of the second lane, and guiding the first article from the first output end onto a stacking conveyor. The guiding the first article can comprise engaging the first article with first guide features. The method further can comprise moving the first article on the stacking conveyor past the second output end, and forming a stack by guiding the second article from the second output end onto the first article on the stacking conveyor as the stacking conveyor moves the first article past the second output end. The guiding the second article can comprise engaging the second article with second guide features. The method also can comprise moving the stack on the stacking conveyor.

A pouch feeding assembly includes a conveyor lane having a load end and a transfer end, wherein the conveyor lane includes a conveyor operable to move pouches in a conveyance direction from the load end to the transfer end, wherein the transfer end of the conveyor lane includes a downwardly facing pouch transfer window over which pouches at the transfer end are positioned. A transfer subassembly including a first transfer mechanism and a second transfer mechanism, the first transfer mechanism configured to engage a lower face of a pouch, pull at least part of the pouch down through the pouch transfer window and transfer the pouch to an infeed point of the second transfer mechanism.

The invention relates to a conveying device (1) having an accumulation area (SB) for accumulating objects (O, O1 . . . O2, Oa . . . Oj), and to an operating method for the conveying device (1). By means of a measuring device (L1), the object rear edge (K.sub.HO1) of a first object (O1) and the object front edge (K.sub.VO2) of a second object (O2) which follows the first object (O1) are detected. The position of the objects (O1, O2) is determined by means of rotation signals from the drives (M) of conveyor elements (2, 2.sub.M, 2.sub.L). For the second object (O2), a continuous curve of a speed reduction of a target speed (v.sub.Soll) is calculated, wherein the calculated stop position (P.sub.Stop) of the object front edge (K.sub.VO2) of the second object (O2) is located at the position of the object rear edge (K.sub.HO1) of the stopped first object (O1), or between the object front edge (K.sub.VO1) of the stopped first object (O1) and the object rear edge (K.sub.HO1) of the stopped first object (O1). Subsequently, the second object (O2) is moved and stopped by means of the conveyor elements (2, 2.sub.M, 2.sub.L) on the basis of the calculated speed reduction.

A method and system for picking up painted panels of different dimensions and finishes includes inserting the painted panels into a selective sorting system having two superimposed mobile conveyor sectors of a predefined length and with a driving motor for the alternate advancement in one of two directions. The two mobile conveyor sectors move vertically synchronously and are arranged alternately and in series with a fixed conveyor sector. After uploading in the selective sorting system, the painted panels are kept inside the selective sorting system for a time sufficient for drying, and are withdrawn through an upload and download system, which includes software memorizing the position of the uploaded panels, actuating the lifting and/or lowering motors of the mobile conveyor sectors, and advancing the mobile conveyor sectors and the fixed conveyor sector so as to move the panels due for a customer order, temporarily storing undesired panels in a buffer.

An article conveying equipment includes: a carrying apparatus (1), configured to carry one or more articles to be transported; a communication apparatus (3), configured to learn a height of a receiving end of a transferring apparatus matched with the article conveying equipment; and a height adjusting apparatus (2), when the article conveying equipment approaches the transferring apparatus, the height adjusting apparatus is configured to adjust the height of the carrying apparatus to the height matched with receiving end of the transferring apparatus.

A swing arm changes a position of a placement surface of a placement body between a horizontal position and a tilted position by swinging between a reference position at which the swing arm extends along an opposing surface facing a lower surface of the placement body and a standing position at which the swing arm is tilted relative to the opposing surface. The opposing surface is provided with a guide member configured to guide swinging movement of the swing arm, and the guide member is configured to support the swing arm by sandwiching the swing arm from both sides in an axial direction within a prescribed guide range including the reference position in a total swing range of the swing arm.

A control unit executes first loading control if it is determined that a loaded article is not present above a loading surface region based on captured image information, and second loading control if it is determined that it is uncertain whether the loaded article is not present above the loading surface region based on the captured image information. The first loading control causing a holding unit to release a target article when the target article is directly above the loading surface region and the lower surface of the target article is higher than the upper surface of the loading surface region by a first specified distance, and the second loading control causing the holding unit to release the target article when the target article is directly above the loading surface region and the lower surface of the target article is higher, by a second specified distance, than a specified height.

An enclosure includes a furnace 1 and plates 7A to 7D arranged in the furnace 1 and used for placement of articles 5. Each of the plates 7A to 7D is movable vertically in the furnace 1. The enclosure further includes guide members 60A and 60B, each of which is disposed adjacent to a side of one plate of the plates 7A to 7D that is disposed at a loading/unloading position where the articles 5 are allowed to be loaded into or unloaded from the furnace 1. The guide members 60A and 60B guide the articles 5 and are rotatable with vertical movement of the plate.