An inverted carrier lift and method is disclosed. The inverted carrier lift includes a trolley movable along an overhead conveyor and a carrier for supporting a workpiece to undergo an assembly or manufacturing process. The carrier is movable relative to the trolley from a raised position to a lowered position by a motor mounted engaged with a lifting mechanism onboard the trolley. On rotation of the motor, the carrier and supported workpiece is lowered or raised to position the workpiece in the workstation for processing. The workpiece may be disengaged by the carrier for support of the workpiece by one of many different fixtures depending on the processing. Following processing, the workpiece is re-engaged by the carrier, moved to a raised position and the trolley is transferred to a subsequent workstation.

An illustrative embodiment of a storage and retrieval system may include a storage assembly supported by a plurality of frame members. The storage assembly may include a plurality of storage members that may be engaged with one another such that each storage member may selectively move along a predetermined path. The exterior of the storage and retrieval system may include a front exterior panel that may be configured with an access port therein for interacting with items positioned on the storage members. The exterior may also include a first and/or second display, scanner, and one or more door flaps to allow/prevent access to the interior of the storage and retrieval system through the access port.

A support for a vessel such as a kayak or canoe comprises a support structure such as a kayak rack supported by the ground, the support structure comprising a beam for supporting the vessel, the beam generally parallel to the ground. A sliding structure is on the beam. The sliding structure comprises a bracket having an upwardly facing surface; and roller bearings on the upwardly facing surface of the bracket for ease in slidingly placing and removing the vessel from the support structure. A fastener fastens the sliding structure to the beam.

Systems and methods for sorting delivery items are disclosed. The system may include an intake area, a sorting area operably coupled with the intake area, and a computing system operably coupled with the intake area and the sorting area. The intake area may include a source of delivery items having a plurality of delivery items, and a scanner for scanning respective indicia of each of the plurality of delivery items. The sorting area may include a conveyor having a respective sensor disposed at opposing end portions thereof, one or more sort locations disposed about the conveyor, and one or more indicators configured to indicate a proper sort location for the delivery items. The computing system may receive data corresponding to a delivery item from the scanner, determine the proper sort location for the delivery item, and send a signal to the indicator to indicate the proper sort location.

A contactless order dispensing system is provided for dispensing e-commerce orders to customers at a store without a person-to-person interaction. The dispensing system includes a customer access portal for presenting orders to the customer, preferably at an exterior location. A transportation system (e.g. conveyer system) transports orders from a storage buffer system to the customer access portal. The storage buffer holds customer orders until the customer arrives to retrieve them and may store portions of orders at different temperatures. The dispensing system includes a confirmation sensor system to verify whether a customer has retrieved their entire order or whether the customer has rejected one or more of the order items. The dispensing system provides the order to the customer within about two minutes of the customer indicating that they are at the access portal and ready for their order.

A plate delivery system provides storage for plates in a first-in, last-out configuration. As the kitchen staff completes a meal (plated), the plate holding the meal is presented to the plate delivery system and the plate moves into the plate delivery system to be ready for the next plate. After a number of plates are stored in the plate delivery system, the plate delivery system is transported from the kitchen to the eating area (e.g., restaurant table or banquet table) and each plate is sequentially presented to a delivery mechanism (e.g., a robot or a waitperson) for final delivery to the table. In some embodiments, the plate delivery system is enclosed and has a cover mechanism to prevent food contamination by foreign matter and in some embodiments, the plate delivery system has heating/cooling mechanisms to help keep warm food warm or cool food cool.

A conveyor system includes a conveyor frame having a frame base and a pair of parallel frame sidewalls. Each sidewall extend from a top side of the base to a distal end defining a plurality of sockets. The sockets include a socket bearing configured to support a corresponding roller shaft and a lip element extending across the opening at the distal end. In some examples, the conveyor frame includes at least one end coupler attached at an end of the conveyor frame. In some configurations, the conveyor frame includes a plurality of frame segments each defining a portion of a length of the conveyor frame.

The present disclosure provides a buffer device for temporarily storing an article container for containing an article to be picked up, including: a placing unit on which the article container is placed and which is configured to transport the placed article container in a direction away from a pick-up area; a supply unit which supplies the article container from the pick-up area to an end area on a side of the placing unit close to the pick-up area; a movable carriage unit which is configured to travel in a transport direction of the article container in the placing unit and which allows the article container to be placed; and a transfer device which transfers the article container at least between the placing unit and the movable carriage unit.

A stacker crane that prevents an increase in facility cost while lightening a mast and transfers an article to a target position, includes a traveling carriage including a carriage driver and traveling on a track provided on a ceiling of a facility, a mast suspended from the traveling carriage, an elevating platform vertically movable and guided along the mast, a transfer conveyor to transfer an article, a stopper to fix the mast, a switch to switch a state of the mast between a fixed and released states by the stopper, in which the switch releases the fixing of the stopper to allow a lower portion of the mast to follow an upper portion of the mast in the traveling direction when the carriage driver drives the traveler, the stopper fixes the mast when the carriage driver stops the traveling carriage.

A delivery shelf system includes a shelf extending from an exterior to an interior of a building, and a returnable box (RB) stored and slidably supported in the shelf. A first recessed part (FRP) is provided in an indoor-side end part of RB and a second recessed part (SRP) is provided in an outdoor-side end part thereof; a locking mechanism including a projecting part configured to be pressed and inserted into FRP or into SRP is provided at the indoor-side end part of the shelf; the projecting part is inserted into FRP while RB is stored in the shelf, so that RB is locked to the shelf; and when the projecting part is retracted from FRP by releasing the locking and RB is pulled out from the shelf into inside the building, the projecting part is inserted into SRP and the pulled-out RB is thereby stopped.