A drum loading and unloading system and method for loading and unloading a drum. The system includes a portable base unit having pedestals for holding a drum at a predetermined position for loading and unloading material from the drum; a pair of pneumatic cylinders attached to the portable base supporting a cross-beam; a pumping piston attached to the cross-beam for pumping material into and out of the drum; and a lifting device attached to the cross-beam for lifting the drum onto the pedestals of the portable base.

A cellular wheel sluice for granulate bulk product has a housing in which a cellular wheel is rotatably mounted. The housing has an inlet duct for the bulk product. At least two raised granulate roofs are arranged at the inlet duct. A granulate groove is arranged respectively at the transition between two granulate roofs and/or at the transition between one granulate roof and an inlet edge. The two granulate grooves in each case run together at an intersection point in the rotation direction of the cellular wheel.

A foldable conveyor system is disclosed appropriate for loading and unloading an airplane using two people. In one embodiment, the foldable conveyor system is formed of a plurality of foldable sections, where each section has a first half and a second half foldably connected to each other. Each first half and each second half has reversible tension-controlled conveyor belts for moving luggage into or out of an aircraft. When fully deployed, and thus operating flat along the interior of an aircraft, the foldable conveyor system operates to move luggage and other objects placed on the foldable conveyor system in a selected direction.

A temperature monitoring device provides an operator a visual indication of the temperature of a machine component reaching a predetermined threshold temperature. The device includes at least one region of thermochromic material which changes from an initial color to an activated color when the machine component reaches a threshold temperature.

Conveyor systems and assemblies for use in conveyor systems are provided. In some embodiments, a conveyor system comprises a mechanical chain and a chain adjustment assembly. In other embodiments, a conveyor system comprises a panel mount assembly, and in still other embodiments, a conveyor system comprises a support structure and a leveling assembly. In yet other embodiments, a conveyor system comprises a conveyor track assembly and a conveyor top protection assembly. Any embodiment of the conveyor system may also comprise a blocking bar configured to be positioned under a lower conveyor track assembly and/or a cap positioned between an end of a conveyor track assembly and a sprocket. Further, a cover assembly for a conveyor system may comprise a shield positioned over a sprocket assembly and/or an idler assembly of the conveyor system. A guard for positioning at an end of the conveyor system also may be provided.

An article conveying facility in which an article is conveyed by a conveyance carriage travelling on a pair of left and right rails provided along a conveyance path. The article conveying facility includes a carriage driving apparatus that drives the conveyance carriage by utilizing a frictional force generated by contact with the conveyance carriage, and sensors that detect floating of the conveyance carriage with respect to the rails. The conveyance carriage includes a fin that contacts the carriage driving apparatus. The fin is provided so as to extend along the travelling direction of the conveyance carriage, at a lower position than the position of an upper surface of the rails. The sensors detect floating of the conveyance carriage with respect to the rails by detecting the fin.

A storage system is described where goods are stored in containers and the containers are stored in stacks. Above the stacks runs a grid network of tracks on which load handling devices run. The load handling devices take containers from the stacks and deposit then at alternative locations in the stacks or deposit then at stations where goods may be picked out. The framework may be provided with one or more of the following services: power, power control, heating, lighting, cooling, sensing, and data logging. A method of partitioning the storage system prevents the spread of fire or prevent damage caused by sprinkler activation.

A collapsible hand rail system integrated with a conveyor for conveying materials from ground level to a roof top or to a level higher than ground level including a first and a second hand rail apparatus, one apparatus mountable to a left side of the conveyor and the other apparatus mountable to the right side of the conveyor, a plurality of post mounting brackets mounted in equal numbers to each side of the conveyor, a plurality of vertical support posts rotably connected to the hand rails and rotably anchored at the brackets, a pair of rear post mounting brackets, one at each side of the conveyor, and a pair of rear vertical support posts, one at each side of the conveyor wherein the first and second hand rail apparatus are collapsible from an erected position and erectable from a collapsed position.

An interlocking pallet rack foot plate preferably includes an attachment flange, a bottom flange and an offset junction. The bottom flange extends from one end of the offset junction flange. The attachment flange extends perpendicular from an opposing end of the offset junction, relative to the bottom flange. At least one pillar hole is formed through the attachment flange. At least one floor hole is formed through an end of the bottom flange. A first plurality of interlocking projections are formed on one edge of the bottom flange and a second plurality of interlocking projections are formed on an opposing edge of the bottom flange. Each projection includes a peak and a valley. Thus, two adjacent interlocking pallet rack foot plates will interlock. The alignment of adjacent bottom plates allows a plurality of vertical pillars of the plurality of pallet racks to contact each other when bundled.

A telescoping conveyor includes a base section and one or more boom sections mounted on the base section and operable to be telescopically extended and retracted in relation to the base section. Control switches are located at multiple locations to enable operator control to extend or retract the one or more boom sections. The telescoping conveyor is configured such that, during a retraction operation, when a predefined degree of retraction is reached, a change in operator control is imposed to enable an operator to continue retraction of the one or more boom sections. The changed operator control requires the operator to be positioned away from a location of a potential hazard during the continued retraction operation.