An apparatus 10 for removing the skin of poultry pieces at a skinning station 12 includes an infeed conveyor 14 for transporting or feeding poultry pieces to the skinning station 12. The infeed conveyor 14 includes an endless belt 16 that is trained around an end roller 18 at the downstream end of the infeed conveyor. A pinch block 20 is configured with a concave pinch surface 22 having curvature closely following the curvature of the endless belt 16 trained around the end roller 18 to define a narrow gap 24 therebetween for capturing the skin of the poultry piece and forcing the skin through the gap 24, thereby pulling the skin away from the underlying flesh of the poultry piece. A transfer roller 26 assists in transferring the skinned poultry piece to an outfeed conveyor 28. A hold down structure 30 is provided for applying downward pressure on the poultry piece as the poultry piece is carried by the infeed conveyor 14 towards the skinning station 12, while the poultry skin is being removed, and also while the skinned poultry piece is being transferred to the outfeed conveyor 28.

A transport system for cylindrical products to be labelled includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The first conveyor has pairs of support members for supporting the cylindrical products, which are predisposed parallel to one another and mutually distanced so as to identify a free space between them. The second conveyor is a looped conveyor having an upper branch and arranged with the free space present between the pairs of support members and comprises pairs of idle rollers which, when moving along the upper branch, are interposed with each support member pair. The upper branch has an ascending portion so that the rollers can abut the products transported by the support member pairs and raise the products from the housings so that the products are supported only by idle rollers when they transit at an abutting means of a label applicator.

A transport system for cylindrical products to be labelled includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The first conveyor has pairs of support members for supporting the cylindrical products, which are predisposed parallel to one another and mutually distanced so as to identify a free space between them. The second conveyor is a looped conveyor having an upper branch and arranged with the free space present between the pairs of support members and comprises pairs of idle rollers which, when moving along the upper branch, are interposed with each support member pair. The upper branch has an ascending portion so that the rollers can abut the products transported by the support member pairs and raise the products from the housings so that the products are supported only by idle rollers when they transit at an abutting means of a label applicator.

An electrode plate stacking apparatus for a prismatic secondary battery is provided. The present invention provides an electrode plate stacking apparatus for a prismatic secondary battery, wherein a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are supplied alternately on a stack base and a separator is provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, the apparatus comprising, a vacuum belt conveyor for moving electrode plates along a transfer line, a first swing unit capable of performing a swing motion about an axis parallel to a horizontal plane, configured to unload an electrode plate from the vacuum belt conveyor and load it onto the stack base, wherein one of the vacuum belt conveyor and the stack base is configured to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane to allow the first swing unit to load or unload the electrode plate at both ends of the swing motion, and an electrode plate alignment unit configured to align an electrode plate on the vacuum belt conveyor by adjusting position of the vacuum belt conveyor.

An electrode plate stacking apparatus for a prismatic secondary battery is provided. The present invention provides an electrode plate stacking apparatus for a prismatic secondary battery, wherein a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are supplied alternately on a stack base and a separator is provided between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, the apparatus comprising, a vacuum belt conveyor for moving electrode plates along a transfer line, a first swing unit capable of performing a swing motion about an axis parallel to a horizontal plane, configured to unload an electrode plate from the vacuum belt conveyor and load it onto the stack base, wherein one of the vacuum belt conveyor and the stack base is configured to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane to allow the first swing unit to load or unload the electrode plate at both ends of the swing motion, and an electrode plate alignment unit configured to align an electrode plate on the vacuum belt conveyor by adjusting position of the vacuum belt conveyor.

A container transport device (100) including: a container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) provided along periphery thereof with plural holders (5) configured to hold containers (101); a container loading mechanism (10) configured to load the containers (101) to the holders (5); an inspection rotor (20) configured to inspect whether the containers (101) have a defect or not while conveying the containers (101) in a circumferential direction; a star wheel (30) configured to transfer the containers (101) from the container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) to the inspection rotor (20); a container sorting mechanism (40) configured to sort the containers (101) based on inspection results. The container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) is arranged to enter an inside of the inspection rotor (20).

A container transport device (100) including: a container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) provided along periphery thereof with plural holders (5) configured to hold containers (101); a container loading mechanism (10) configured to load the containers (101) to the holders (5); an inspection rotor (20) configured to inspect whether the containers (101) have a defect or not while conveying the containers (101) in a circumferential direction; a star wheel (30) configured to transfer the containers (101) from the container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) to the inspection rotor (20); a container sorting mechanism (40) configured to sort the containers (101) based on inspection results. The container holder equipped conveyor belt (1) is arranged to enter an inside of the inspection rotor (20).

Apparatus for varying a pitch between moving articles includes a phaser conveyor having a closed-loop central belt and two closed-loop side belts including respective rows of stop elements configured to engage side portions of articles projecting laterally outside the central belt. As compared to rotary repitching devices, the apparatus according to the invention is much simpler and more energy-efficient, which has a positive impact on sustainability.

A bag bundle conveyance apparatus which conveys a bag bundle including a plurality of bags, includes: a support body which supports the bag bundle from below; a holding unit which holds the bag bundle; and a transfer drive unit which moves the holding unit in a conveyance direction, wherein the transfer drive unit moves the holding unit in the conveyance direction in a state where the bag bundle is supported from below by the support body and is held by the holding unit, in such a manner that the bag bundle is conveyed in the conveyance direction.

A bag bundle conveyance apparatus which conveys a bag bundle including a plurality of bags, includes: a support body which supports the bag bundle from below; a holding unit which holds the bag bundle; and a transfer drive unit which moves the holding unit in a conveyance direction, wherein the transfer drive unit moves the holding unit in the conveyance direction in a state where the bag bundle is supported from below by the support body and is held by the holding unit, in such a manner that the bag bundle is conveyed in the conveyance direction.