A material handling system includes a conveyor, an actuation unit, and a chute. The chute is mechanically coupled to the conveyor at a defined angle with respect to a surface of the conveyor. The chute includes an inlet defining a first end and a second end, where the first end of the inlet is mechanically coupled to the surface of the conveyor. Further, the chute includes at least one tube configured to be rotated by the actuation unit at a defined rotational speed. The chute also includes an outlet mechanically coupled to the at least one tube. In this aspect, the defined angle and the defined rotational speed is based on at least one of: physical characteristic of an item to be passed through the chute, a rate of inflow of the item through the inlet, and a rate of outflow of the item through the outlet.

An object orientation device includes a shaking stand and a slide provided on the shaking stand; the slide includes a sliding groove and a retaining member on the sliding groove. A retaining member is parallel to and extends along a sliding direction, and has a retaining surface parallel to a side wall of the sliding groove. The retaining surface and the side wall form an orientation space which is parallel to the sliding direction. After asymmetric objects are on the slide and shaken by the shaking stand, each object has a first end restricted into the orientation space, and has a seat orientation and moves towards a predetermined direction. Such object orientation device allows objects to be aligned in the slide and have consistent seat orientations; a printing equipment can print on the same position of each object. Additionally, a system and a method of orientation and printing are provided.

In a dispensing system for utensils and cutlery, a housing with a cutlery distribution area has one or more openings for exposing a handle end of a presenting utensil for removal by a user. The system has one or more stack chambers, each configured to hold a vertical stack of utensils. A trigger assembly within the housing is actuated by the user removing a single presenting utensil out of an opening, causing the release of a single lowest utensil from the vertical stack, for presentation as the next presenting utensil for removal by a next user. A chute delivers each released single lowest utensil of a vertical stack to its opening for removal by the next user, and causes the released utensil to rotate about its axis from entry into the chute to exit at the opening.

A gravity conveyor guide including: a frame; a conveyor track attached to the frame at a downwardly angle for guiding a plurality of moving containers down the conveyor track along a travel path; a pair of opposing struts attached on either side of the conveyor track; a rail assembly attached to the pair of opposing struts above the conveyor track; a linear shuttle carriage slidingly attached to the rail assembly, the linear shuttle carriage having a bank of at least two container rotating devices disposed; wherein the linear shuttle carriage slides on the rail assembly to move from a first position in which one of the at least two container rotating devices is aligned with the travel path to a second position in which a second one of the at least two container rotating devices is aligned with the travel path.

A waste disposal system for the disposal of consumables through a waste chute into a waste container includes a waste chute having a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening is situated outside the waste container and the second opening opens toward the waste container. The first opening and the second opening are arranged at a first distance from one another, wherein the waste chute includes a plurality of self-resetting lamellae for the partial or complete closure of the openings. The lamellae form at least two lamella annuli arranged at a second distance above one another, wherein at least one first lamella annulus closes the first opening and at least one second lamella annulus closes the second opening, and the second distance between the lamella annuli is at least one third, preferably at least half and particularly preferably at least three quarters of the first distance.

A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a manual pick/pack device and method. The system may include a rotation assembly, a left door and a right door, both positioned below the rotation assembly, a left divider positioned below the left door, and a right divider positioned below the right door, and a left gathering table positioned below the left divider, and a right gathering table positioned below the right divider. The system may also include a control device in electronic communication with the rotation assembly, the doors and the dividers for control of same.

A sanitary napkin disposal device. The sanitary napkin disposal device includes a housing. The housing is defined by a base, where a plurality of sidewalls extends upward from the base towards a top wall. This housing defines an interior volume. An opening extends through a sidewall of the housing and provides access to the interior volume of the housing. The opening feeds into a chute, such that items placed through the opening will fall into the chute. A door is placed over the opening, the door is movable between an open position and a closed position. The door is spring-biased in a closed position.

The invention relates to a hopper (10) for rod shaped articles (100) defining a longitudinal axis, the hopper (10) including: a chamber (20) to hold the rod shaped articles (100); a distributor device (30) to align the rod shaped articles (100) with substantially parallel longitudinal axes, the distributor device (30) including a plurality of walls (50) defining adjacent channels (40), at least one of said walls (50) including a stationary part (51) and a movable part (52) connected to the stationary part (51); and a vibrating device (70) adapted to oscillate the movable part (52) with respect to the stationary part (51).

An adaptive roller conveyor for conveying objects, comprises a plurality of rollers and a control device, wherein the control device is connected with a sensor for detecting at least one parameter of an object, wherein at least one roller is connected with an adjustable brake device, wherein the brake device is connected with the control device, and wherein the control device is configured to control the brake device in dependence on the detected parameter to change the braking effect of the roller.

A transporter system is provided for transporting a stream of substantially cylindrical objects, the transporter system comprising an intermediate orientation changing transporter section arranged between the first and second transporter section, the intermediate orientation changing transporter section comprising a plurality of stationary guide rails arranged to delimit at least part of an orientation changing passage through which the stream of substantially cylindrical object is guided and a rotatable frame comprising a first movable guide rail configured to delimit the remaining part of the orientation changing passage when the rotatable frame is in a first rotational position and a second movable guide rail configured to delimit the remaining part of the orientation changing passage when the rotatable frame is the second rotational position.