A brake mechanism for a brake caster is disclosed. In various embodiments, the brake mechanism includes a roller cylinder having a hollow interior and an inner cylindrical surface; a brake shaft disposed within the hollow interior of the roller cylinder and having an outer cylindrical surface; a piezoelectric disk disposed within the hollow interior of the roller cylinder; and a rotor disk disposed adjacent the piezoelectric disk.

Diverting equipment for conveying an article on a conveyance path to a branching path formed so as to branch from the conveyance path. In the conveyance path, a branching section to the branching path has a plurality of conveyance rollers disposed in a conveyance direction H of the article in the conveyance path and a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction H of the article in the conveyance path, the conveyance rollers forming the conveyance surface of the conveyance path and being rotatable around the axes of vertical shafts. Between the adjacent conveyance rollers disposed in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction H of the article, a gap is formed along the conveyance direction H of the article. In the gap, a rail capable of supporting the article is extended along the conveyance direction H of the article.

Diverting equipment for conveying an article on a conveyance path to a branching path formed so as to branch from the conveyance path. In the conveyance path, a branching section to the branching path has a plurality of conveyance rollers disposed in a conveyance direction H of the article in the conveyance path and a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction H of the article in the conveyance path, the conveyance rollers forming the conveyance surface of the conveyance path and being rotatable around the axes of vertical shafts. Between the adjacent conveyance rollers disposed in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction H of the article, a gap is formed along the conveyance direction H of the article. In the gap, a rail capable of supporting the article is extended along the conveyance direction H of the article.

A modular transfer system with a primary flow system and a diverter system. The primary flow system includes a primary flow belt for conveying an article along a primary flow path from an infeed side of the modular transfer system to a pass-through side of the modular transfer system. The diverter system includes one or more diverter belts for diverting an article from the primary flow path towards a divert side of the modular transfer system. The primary flow belt includes multiple movable components contacting the diverter belt. The movable components can have one or more rotational degrees of freedom.

A modular transfer system with a primary flow system and a diverter system. The primary flow system includes a primary flow belt for conveying an article along a primary flow path from an infeed side of the modular transfer system to a pass-through side of the modular transfer system. The diverter system includes one or more diverter belts for diverting an article from the primary flow path towards a divert side of the modular transfer system. The primary flow belt includes multiple movable components contacting the diverter belt. The movable components can have one or more rotational degrees of freedom.

A method of processing objects using a programmable motion device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing an input conveyance system by which input bins of objects may be provided to a processing station that includes the programmable motion device that includes an end effector, perceiving at the processing station identifying indicia representative of an identity of a plurality of objects at an input area of the input conveyance system, grasping the an acquired object using the end effector, moving the acquired object toward an identified processing container using the programmable motion device, the identified processing container being associated with the identifying indicia and said identified processing container being provided as one of a plurality of processing containers at the processing station, and providing an output conveyance system in communication with the processing station, by which processing containers that contain processed objects may be provided.

A storage conveyor mounted on a vehicle and configured to convey a cargo includes a right angle turn unit configured to change a traveling direction of the cargo from a first direction to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction at a right angle. When the traveling direction of the cargo is changed in the right angle turn unit, the cargo is pulled to a corner portion, which is a downstream end in the first direction and an upstream end in the second direction of the right angle turn unit, and then the cargo is conveyed to a downstream side in the second direction.

A storage conveyor mounted on a vehicle and configured to convey a cargo includes a right angle turn unit configured to change a traveling direction of the cargo from a first direction to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction at a right angle. When the traveling direction of the cargo is changed in the right angle turn unit, the cargo is pulled to a corner portion, which is a downstream end in the first direction and an upstream end in the second direction of the right angle turn unit, and then the cargo is conveyed to a downstream side in the second direction.

A box handling system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The box handling system includes a box tray including a recessed area for receiving a box, and the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box that contains objects to be processed.

A grid sorter for discharging articles received from many inputs to selected discharge destinations. The grid sorter comprises a rectangular grid of parallel conveyor lines. Each line has a series of bidirectional conveyors fed articles by infeed conveyors at each end of the line. Omnidirectional-roller sorters, at the intersections of the conveyor lines, can pass articles received from one line in multiple directions: along that same line; in either direction to an intersecting line; or obliquely to a selected discharge between lines. Omnidirectional rollers in the omnidirectional-roller sorters are controlled by a controller to push articles in selected directions to predetermined discharge destinations.