An improved container transportation and filling system and method is provided. The system can deliver cartridges and other containers, such as tubes, in a horizontal orientation. The containers can have a closed bottom end and an open top end. A screw conveyor(s) is used to engage the containers and urge them forward and into rotation around the axis of the screw conveyor, from horizontal to vertical. A guide engages an end of the containers. The guide acts as a camming surface and guides the end of the container downward as it is advanced by the screw conveyor, to orient the container vertically for filling, capping and sealing. A second mirror image downstream screw conveyor and guide can reorient the container from vertical to horizontal.

A workpiece conveyance jig, which is formed of a threaded shaft made of a ceramic, includes an inner member, which is formed of a solid shaft having a constant diameter, and is configured to receive a rotational driving force, and an outer member, which has a hollow shaft-like shape, has a helical protrusion, and is mounted on an outer periphery of the inner member so as to be rotatable integrally with the inner member. The outer member includes a plurality of cylindrical bodies arranged in a row in an axial direction of the workpiece conveyance jig, and has a convex and concave fitting portion formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of cylindrical bodies, which is configured to engage the two adjacent cylindrical bodies with each other in a direction of rotation of the inner member.

A workpiece conveyance jig, which is formed of a threaded shaft made of a ceramic, includes an inner member, which is formed of a solid shaft having a constant diameter, and is configured to receive a rotational driving force, and an outer member, which has a hollow shaft-like shape, has a helical protrusion, and is mounted on an outer periphery of the inner member so as to be rotatable integrally with the inner member. The outer member includes a plurality of cylindrical bodies arranged in a row in an axial direction of the workpiece conveyance jig, and has a convex and concave fitting portion formed between two adjacent ones of the plurality of cylindrical bodies, which is configured to engage the two adjacent cylindrical bodies with each other in a direction of rotation of the inner member.

A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum section capable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section. Associated methods are also provided, including method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively with a radial profile flight.

A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum section capable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section. Associated methods are also provided, including method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively with a radial profile flight.

A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum section capable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section. Associated methods are also provided, including method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively with a radial profile flight.

A spiral conveyor having a novel structure that is adapted to handle any chip while having a simple structure and is capable of achieving low vibration and low noise is provided. A tray for a spiral conveyor is configured from an outer tray, an inner tray which is placed over the inside of the outer tray, and a vibration damping material which is interposed between the outer tray and the inner tray. The tray has a fixing means for detachably fixing the inner tray and the vibration damping material to the outer tray on the outside of a conveyance spiral casing. The vibration damping material may be a single vibration damping material which is continuous over substantially all of the area between the outer tray and the inner tray, or may alternatively be arranged so as to be separated into a lower vibration damping material that is provided in a noise generation area with which a conveyance spiral is brought into contact and upper vibration damping materials that are provided in a noise propagation area including the fixed portion.

A spiral conveyor having a novel structure that is adapted to handle any chip while having a simple structure and is capable of achieving low vibration and low noise is provided. A tray for a spiral conveyor is configured from an outer tray, an inner tray which is placed over the inside of the outer tray, and a vibration damping material which is interposed between the outer tray and the inner tray. The tray has a fixing means for detachably fixing the inner tray and the vibration damping material to the outer tray on the outside of a conveyance spiral casing. The vibration damping material may be a single vibration damping material which is continuous over substantially all of the area between the outer tray and the inner tray, or may alternatively be arranged so as to be separated into a lower vibration damping material that is provided in a noise generation area with which a conveyance spiral is brought into contact and upper vibration damping materials that are provided in a noise propagation area including the fixed portion.

A machine produces twisted paper for loose file packaging. The machine includes at least one auger to reduce a dimension, such as diameter, of paper as it is pulled from a roll. The material moves past the auger into a twisting assembly wherein the paper is twisted or rotated about a longitudinal axis of the machine inside a pipe or tube. The pipe or tube includes a cutout or interruption in the sidewall within which a wheel resides. The wheel grasps and advances the paper through the twisting assembly as it rotates. As the paper leaves the twisting assembly it is pulled or otherwise fed through an exist region and is cut into segments of small twisted pieces of paper. The twisted segments of paper are of suitable size for use as loose fill packaging.

Systems, methods, and devices are described herein for managing item storage using rotating platforms. In some examples, an item can be loaded on to a material conveyance device. The item then can be unloaded from the material conveyance device to a rotating platform. The rotating platform can include a sloped surface. Sensor data that identifies the item can be received. A robotic manipulator can be used to manipulate the item based at least in part on the sensor data.