A system and a method for gently loading, transporting and unloading frangible products using totes is provided. The system includes a loading station at a first location, an unloading station at a second location and a plurality of totes for use in storing the frangible products for transportation from the first location to the second location. The totes include an interior space that is upwardly curved and concave for gently receiving the frangible products therein as they are laterally discharged off of a lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor. Two or more totes can be sequentially loaded along the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor using backpressure caused by accumulation of frangible product along the edge of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor to redirect incoming frangible products towards a downstream section of the lateral discharge portion of the reciprocating conveyor.

Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which aligns tie plates for dispensing based on rail base rather than outer edges of tie plate. Thus tie plates are aligned and located in a differing manner than prior art systems. Further, the tie plate dispenser includes an opening over which a magnet is disposed to retain a tie plate over the opening. The tie plate over the opening may be selectively released by disengaging the tie plate from the magnet.

A loading apparatus for loading food products onto and/or into a slicing apparatus, in particular a high-speed slicer, comprises at least one magazine unit that includes a conveying means that endlessly circulates along a running direction. The conveying means is configured to lift the products to a transferring height at which the products can be transferred to the slicing apparatus and includes several product support surfaces, the product support surfaces being oriented essentially perpendicular to the running direction and positioned subsequently along the running direction with a space between each other. At least one product is loadable onto a respective product support surface for lifting the product to the transferring height.

Embodiments herein provide automated bin packing of heterogeneous objects to fill maximum number of objects in an available bin space in an efficient manner. Conventional methods are less efficient in packing heterogeneous objects in a space and time efficient manner. The apparatus receives a plurality of 3D objects through a primary conveyor and diverts each of the plurality of 3D objects to an identified cuboidal bin through a corresponding secondary conveyor. Each of the plurality of 3D objects are diverted based on a tracking code associated with each of the plurality of 3D objects and a computed available bin space of the identified cuboidal bin corresponding to each of the plurality of 3D objects. Here the available bin space is computed based on a bin space information received from a corresponding bin vision sensor and a corresponding state space of the identified cuboidal bin.

An illustrative example tube handling machine includes a lifter configured to receive a plurality of tubes when at least a portion of the lifter is at a first position. The lifter is configured to lift the plurality of tubes to a second, higher vertical position. A plurality of cells are respectively configured for at least temporarily holding the plurality of tubes. A first one of the cells is situated to receive the plurality of tubes from the lifter at the second vertical position. The cells are situated relative to each other such that the plurality of tubes can be sequentially transferred among the cells from the first one of the cells to a last one of the cells that releases the plurality of tubes to a delivery location.

A packaged integrated circuit transfer track with a stopper arm that is constrained to vertical motion. A packaged integrated circuit transfer track with a cam follower that engages a cam causing a stopper arm to raise or lower vertically. A packaged integrated circuit transfer track with an actuator that engages a switch causing a motor or solenoid to raise or lower the stopper arm vertically.

The technology described herein generally relates to an automated packaging apparatus and system that packages loose particles into a conical container as well as the final folded packages. More specifically, loose plant matter, such as crumbled dried leaves, are supplied to successive paper cones. The apparatus packs the crumbled leaves into the cones, closes the wide top portion of the cone into a precise shape, and then runs a quality control check to ensure that the final filled cone meets preset specifications.

Aspects of a turn conveyor system are described. In one embodiment, the system includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor, where the first conveyor includes a lateral displacement mechanism configured to displace an article laterally between the first conveyor and the second conveyor. The system also includes a lateral conveyor extending between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, a sensor configured to sense a position of an article on the first conveyor, an arm positioner configured to position a turn arm to one of a plurality of locations, and control logic. The control arm can be configured to control an operation of the arm positioner to position the turn arm for rotation of the article, and control an operation of the lateral displacement mechanism based in part on the position of the article to displace the article onto the lateral conveyor and into the turn arm.

Aspects of a turn conveyor system are described. In one embodiment, the system includes a first conveyor and a second conveyor, where the first conveyor includes a lateral displacement mechanism configured to displace an article laterally between the first conveyor and the second conveyor. The system also includes a lateral conveyor extending between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, a sensor configured to sense a position of an article on the first conveyor, an arm positioner configured to position a turn arm to one of a plurality of locations, and control logic. The control arm can be configured to control an operation of the arm positioner to position the turn arm for rotation of the article, and control an operation of the lateral displacement mechanism based in part on the position of the article to displace the article onto the lateral conveyor and into the turn arm.

A conveyance device includes a pair of first and second support frames provided so as to be parallel to each other, and configured to define a conveyance track of a pallet; a driving unit provided on the first support frame and configured to apply a conveyance force to the pallet; a driven unit as a unit forming the pallet, configured to travel along a first guide portion of the first support frame by the driving unit; an auxiliary unit as a unit forming the pallet, connected to the driven unit via a placement member of the pallet and capable of freely traveling along a second guide portion of the second support frame, and a stopping unit including an engaging portion that engages with a portion of the driven unit, and configured to temporarily stop a movement of the pallet.