A conveyor system includes a transport chain with a sequence of interconnected chain links, a guide structure for slidingly supporting the transport chain so that chain links of the transport chain define a substantially flat support surface for supporting articles to be transported, and a motor means for causing the transport chain to move with respect to the guide structure along a first direction parallel to the support surface. The motor means comprises an electric linear motor including a plurality of magnets, each one located in a respective chain link, and a plurality of propulsion electromagnets located on the guide structure.

A transport device includes a carriage that travels along a traveling path that is predetermined; a transfer mechanism provided on the carriage and transfers an article in a transfer space set in the traveling path; a first movable element that is a rod shaped component attached to the carriage, extends in a traveling direction of the carriage, and operates by magnetism to drive the transfer mechanism; and a first stator fixedly disposed with respect to the traveling path, has a partially cutout ring shape, and causes the first movable element to operate by magnetism when part of the carriage is positioned outside the transfer space.

In order to provide a transport unit for a long stator linear motor, wherein the orientation thereof can be easily determined on the long stator linear motor during operational use, according to the invention, the transport unit (1) has a first guide side (FS1) on which a first guide group (G1) is arranged and a second guide side (FS2) on which a second guide group (G2) is arranged. A first magnetic side (S1) positioned laterally relative to the longitudinal direction (x) is opposite a second magnetic side (S2), wherein the first magnetic side (S1) has a magnetic variable with a first value (w1) at a first test distance (a1) from the center of the first longitudinal extension (I1) in the direction of the first end (I1e), and on the first magnetic side (S1), a magnetic variable with a second value (w2), corresponding to the first value (w1), at the first test distance (a1) from the center of the first longitudinal extension (I1) in the direction of the first start (I1a). On the second magnetic side (S2), the transport unit (1) has a magnetic variable with a third value (w3) at a second test distance (a2) from the center of the second longitudinal extension (I2) in the direction of the second end (I2e), and a magnetic variable with a fourth value (w4), corresponding to the third value (w3), at the second test distance (a2) from the center of the second longitudinal extension (I2) in the direction of the second start (I2a), wherein the first and second values (w1, w2) differ from the third and fourth values (w3, w4).

Can conveyors using various stator coil configurations to spread, gap, align, lane, reject, singulate, and rotate aluminum cans as they are propelled along the length of the conveyor. The electrically conductive cans acting as rotors form linear-induction motors (LIMs) with the stators to move the cans.

A control device, linear drive, production- or packaging machine, computer program product and method for controlling movement of at least one rotor in the linear drive, wherein a user or a machine station specifies the movement pattern to the control device to specify the movement, where the specified movement pattern is associated with virtual axes, particularly via the computer program product, the movement pattern is advantageously automatically associated with virtual axes subsequently associated with real axes, a control unit, i.e., a converter, controls movement of the rotor on the segment of the linear drive and the control unit supplies at least one segment with electrical voltage or current, where the segments as part of the linear drive therefore move the rotors in accordance with the specifications of the movement pattern, where such an association occurs automatically, and the user is relieved of this task during specification of the movement pattern.

A control device, linear drive, production- or packaging machine, computer program product and method for controlling movement of at least one rotor in the linear drive, wherein a user or a machine station specifies the movement pattern to the control device to specify the movement, where the specified movement pattern is associated with virtual axes, particularly via the computer program product, the movement pattern is advantageously automatically associated with virtual axes subsequently associated with real axes, a control unit, i.e., a converter, controls movement of the rotor on the segment of the linear drive and the control unit supplies at least one segment with electrical voltage or current, where the segments as part of the linear drive therefore move the rotors in accordance with the specifications of the movement pattern, where such an association occurs automatically, and the user is relieved of this task during specification of the movement pattern.

A weigh-in-motion scale system for a linear synchronous motor conveyor and a method for weighing objects on a linear synchronous motor conveyor are described herein. In one embodiment, the weigh-in-motion scale system includes a support structure for supporting the following: a weigh cell, a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track, a vehicle for transporting an object, and an object; and a weigh cell on the support structure on which a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track rests directly or indirectly. In one embodiment, the method includes transporting a vehicle with an object thereon along a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track; and at a weighing station while the vehicle with the object thereon is being transported, weighing the section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track, vehicle, and object to determine the weight of the object.

A weigh-in-motion scale system for a linear synchronous motor conveyor and a method for weighing objects on a linear synchronous motor conveyor are described herein. In one embodiment, the weigh-in-motion scale system includes a support structure for supporting the following: a weigh cell, a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track, a vehicle for transporting an object, and an object; and a weigh cell on the support structure on which a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track rests directly or indirectly. In one embodiment, the method includes transporting a vehicle with an object thereon along a section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track; and at a weighing station while the vehicle with the object thereon is being transported, weighing the section of a linear synchronous motor conveyor track, vehicle, and object to determine the weight of the object.

Can conveyors using various stator coil configurations to spread, gap, align, lane, reject, singulate, and rotate aluminum cans as they are propelled along the length of the conveyor. The electrically conductive cans acting as rotors form linear-induction motors (LIMs) with the stators to move the cans.

A method for moving a rotor onto a segment, a linear drive, a production machine, a machine tool, and a packaging machine comprising such a linear drive, wherein the actual speed of the rotor is ascertained using a sensor paired with the segment when the rotor is moved onto the segment, where the actual speed is selected by a control unit as the first target speed for the rotor, and after the target speed has been determined for the rotor, the regulation of the actual speed is activated for the rotor, and where the actual speed of the rotor is then regulated in accordance with a conventional rule, wherein a rule variable is the ascertained actual speed and/or the position of the rotor such that jerking or an undesired acceleration is prevented during transition of the rotor onto the segment.