A magnetic conveyor belt module integrates a magnetic element into the body of the module to attract conveyed articles to the body. A magnet seat below the top surface of the body seats the magnetic element, so that the magnetic element is between the top surface and bottom surface of the module body. A retainer engages the magnet seat to retain the magnetic element in the seat.

A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor. The sorting conveyor includes a conveyor track and a train of conveyor carts connected end-to-end. At least one of the conveyor carts may include a frame base for engaging the conveyer track; a conveyor surface for holding the objects; and a conveyor support for supporting the conveyor surface above the frame base. A wear guard associated with the axle support prevents track wear. A track wear prevention system includes a wear guard and a height detection module. Systems and methods for track wear prevention are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a conveying device for the transport of workpiece carriers from and to one or more machining stations, wherein the conveying device has a stationary conveyor track having at least one guide rail for the workpiece carrier, wherein at least one stopping device is provided for stopping the workpiece carrier. In accordance with the invention, the stopping device is formed as a pivot lever that is integrated in the at least one guide rail and that is pivotable for stopping the workpiece carrier from a neutral position in which it is aligned with the guide rail in a position pivoted outwardly out of the guide rail. The invention further relates to a method of stopping a workpiece carrier.

An exemplary method may comprise: ascertaining an original distance between a first tooth face and a second tooth face of a sprocket tooth, wherein the sprocket tooth comprises two tooth faces extending from a sprocket core and terminating in a top of the sprocket tooth, wherein an original distance separates the two tooth faces, placing a sprocket gauge on the sprocket tooth, wherein the sprocket gauge comprises: a bottom, and two gauge faces extending from the bottom of the sprocket gauge, wherein the bottom of the sprocket gauge is disposed upon the top of the sprocket tooth and the first gauge face is disposed adjacently on the first tooth; and comparing the original distance defined by the sprocket gauge with an actual distance between the first tooth face and the second tooth face.

According to the invention, there is provided a magnetic wear liner (10) for protecting an underlying metallic surface (12) of a materials handling device from wear or damage during use. The magnetic wear liner includes a substantially rigid base (16) and one or more wear lining tiles (18) disposed on one side of the rigid base. The magnetic wear liner further includes one or more magnet devices (26) engageable with the rigid base such that a selective portion of the wear liner (10) is magnetically attracted to the underlying metallic surface.

A container handling arrangement for handling beverage containers, including glass beverage bottles. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

A protection system including: a mount (20) adapted to be fixed to a wear panel (11); a wear pad (16); and a locking member; said mount (20) and said wear pad (16) having complementary engagement means (27 to 31 and 68 to 73) adapted to allow relative sliding movement between said mount (20) and said wear pad (11) from a release position to an engaged position; said mount (20) and said wear pad (11) each having an opening or recess (48, 86) therein adapted to receive said locking member, said locking member prevents sliding movement of said wear pad relative to said mount (20); and said mount further and said locking member each having at least one passage (51) adapted to receive therein a bolt (101); and whereby one or more bolts (101) extending through each said at least one passage secure said locking member to said mount.

A conveyor or drive chain wear monitor includes two sensors spaced apart from one another a predetermined distance which is less than the distance between the adjacent measuring points on a chain. Two timers are provided, one of which is a chain speed timer and the other of which is the chain wear timer. The two timers are both controlled by the spaced sensors. The upstream sensor, as determined by the direction of travel of the chain, turns the speed timer on and the wear timer off. The downstream sensor turns the speed timer off and the wear timer on. Thus, when a measuring point passes the upstream sensor, the speed timer is turned on, and is not turned off again until the same measuring point passes the downstream timer. Knowing the distance between the upstream and downstream sensors, the computing module determines the speed at which the chain is moving as a function of the length of time, as determined by the speed timer, it took a measuring point on the chain to pass from the upstream sensor to the downstream sensor. When a measuring point passes the downstream sensor, it turns on the wear timer. The wear timer then remains on until a measuring point on the chain passes the upstream sensor. The wear timer will thus be turned on by a downstream measuring point, and turned off by the following upstream measuring point. Knowing the speed of the chain, the computing module can now determine the degree of wear on the chain as a function of the speed of the chain and the wear time which the wear timer is on, as compared to the baseline value for the same function when the chain is new.

Trough belt conveyor having a flexible conveyor belt loop (6) tensioned around end pulleys (3, 4). Trough forming surfaces (12) are provided under opposite side edge portions (11) of a transport section (7) of the belt (6) and are inclined upward from the transport deck (9) in a laterally outward direction transverse to the transport path (8). The transport section (7) of the belt (6) rests on the transport deck (9) and on the trough forming guide surfaces (12) so as to form a trough extending along the transport path (8). Passages (14) are provided at least in the trough forming guide surfaces (12) or in zones of the transport deck (9) along the trough forming guide surfaces (12), for allowing material caught between the conveyor belt (6) and the trough forming guide surfaces (12) to drop through the guide surfaces (12) or the transport deck (9).

A method and system of fault prediction in a packaging machine is disclosed. The method comprises registering data values associated with the motion of independently movable objects along a track in the packaging machine; determining a distribution of the data values; calculating a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution; calculating a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution; associating the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure of the shape as a coupled set of condition parameters; determining a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects; and comparing the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determining a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for said fault prediction.