A control system for an automated singulation system is provided. The control system detects a presence of a first item on a first conveyor and detects a presence of a second item on a second conveyor while the first item is present on the first conveyor. The second conveyor transfers items onto the first conveyor and is at a lower height than the second conveyor. The first conveyor is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the second conveyor. In response to detecting the presence of the second item, a location of the first item along a length of the first conveyor is determined. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are controlled based at least on the location of the first item.

A method of changing article pitch. The method can comprise receiving a series of articles arranged at a first pitch, engaging the articles of the series of articles sequentially with a gripper wheel, moving the articles along a path of travel with the gripper wheel, and moving the articles relative to one another from the first pitch to a second pitch during the moving the articles along the path of travel with the gripper wheel.

The temporary store for buffering and feeding piece-goods-like foods from production to packaging by means of peripherally-circulating product carrier baskets (1) consists of an inlet area (3) and an outlet area (4) for loading and unloading the product carrier baskets, as well as accumulation sections (2) connected therebetween for filled and emptied product carrier baskets. The accumulation sections are arranged one above the other and overhead.

A control device (10) of an article transfer facility (100) determines the size of a first dead space surrounded by a set article (Wd) and a target article (Wc) located at a first candidate position (P1). If the size of the first dead space is smaller than a first threshold (TH1), the control device (10) sets the first candidate position (P1) as the arrangement position of the target article (Wc). If the size of the first dead space is greater than or equal to the first threshold (TH1), the control device (10) determines the size of a second dead space surrounded by the set article (Wd) and the target article (Wc) located at a second candidate position (P2). If the size of the second dead space is smaller than a second threshold (TH2), the control device (10) sets the second candidate position (P2) as the arrangement position of the target article (Wc).

An apparatus for processing food products comprises a product conveyor having a frame and a conveyor unit for conveying products along a conveying direction, wherein the conveyor unit is arranged laterally projecting at the frame with respect to the conveying direction and comprises a work unit which is associated with the processing of the conveyed products and which is arranged at least partly beneath the projecting conveyor unit of the product conveyor.

Provision is made that the frame of the product conveyor is supported or held at the work unit via a mechanical connection or extends into a free space defined by the work unit.

An apparatus for processing food products comprises a product conveyor having a frame and a conveyor unit for conveying products along a conveying direction, wherein the conveyor unit is arranged laterally projecting at the frame with respect to the conveying direction and comprises a work unit which is associated with the processing of the conveyed products and which is arranged at least partly beneath the projecting conveyor unit of the product conveyor.

Provision is made that the frame of the product conveyor is supported or held at the work unit via a mechanical connection or extends into a free space defined by the work unit.

System and method are provided where parcels or packages are associated or grouped, into logical group or logical containerization of parcels or packages, without need for physical container, such that parcels or packages can be tracked as a group, for example with a unique group ID. Logical group may be tracked within specified logical zone on conveyor, transported, sorted and/or otherwise processed as unique logical group without need to be contained in physical container. System and method for automated sortation can accumulate set number or set volume of packages, and then process the accumulated set number or volume of packages.

A system is provided comprising a carton conveyor and a bypass carton accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the carton conveyor. The bypass carton accumulator may comprise: a carton pick apparatus comprising a carton pick head; at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position; and a storage apparatus. When in the first position, the stopper does not interfere with the flow of cartons along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a carton to stop a flow of cartons along the conveyor. The carton pick apparatus may be configured to pick up via the carton pick head a set of cartons from a pick-up zone of the carton conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of cartons in the storage apparatus.

In order to be able to shingle articles individual slices or partial portions of slices shingled in a longitudinal direction in a transverse direction relative to the running direction of conveyor units on which these articles are transported, the two conveyor units, on each of which one of the two articles is fully supported, are not brought to overlap in order to achieve the transverse shingling, but one of the articles is transported on its conveyor unit with a lateral overhang to the other conveyor unit, and the other article placed there on the edge side with such a height difference that the two articles can finally overlap and be placed on top of each other. However, the two conveyor units only have to be guided closely next to each other for this purpose without overlapping themselves. This simplifies the design of the overlapping unit and reduces its overall height.

A storage apparatus for transport goods includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a deflecting mechanism for deflecting transport goods conveyed by the first conveyor onto the second conveyor. A motor configuration is provided for motorized driving of the first conveyor and/or the second conveyor. A step is provided over which the transport goods are conveyed. The storage apparatus is configured to vertically compress the transport goods with the aid of the step. A method for storing transport goods, in particular packages, is also provided.