A gravity-feed dispensing system includes a hopper configured to hold a bulk material for dispense. A hopper identifier encodes an identification of the bulk material in the hopper. A valve of a gravity feed dispenser is operable by an actuator assembly between open and closed conditions to selectively permit bulk material to pass from the hopper into a consumer receptacle. A controller is configured to receive an indication of a dispense of bulk material from the hopper and to receive the identification of the bulk material in the hopper. A retail endpoint is configured to receive the indication of a dispense and the identification of the bulk material in the hopper and configured produce a sale indicator from the indication of the dispense and the identification of the bulk material in the hopper.

An automated pharmaceutical dispensing system includes: a tablet dispensing station comprising a plurality of cells for dispensing pills, each of the cells mounted in a dispensing location, each of the cells including a channel for dispensing pills into a container and an inlet configured to be adjustable so that pills in the cell are conveyed through the inlet and into the channel in single file; and an autocalibration station, the autocalibration station comprising a mechanism for automatically adjusting the inlet of a cell based on the dimensions of the pills to be contained in the cell. The autocalibration station is configured and located to also provide a dispensing location, such that a cell docked therein may function to dispense pills.

A loading system for an ammunition case gauge is provided. The system includes first and second movable support assemblies that are coupled between a base plate and an upper support plate. The system includes a feeder housing coupled to the upper support plate having an interior region communicating with a top open end thereof and a side opening thereof. The system includes a pusher plate having a bottom wall and a plurality of shafts that receives the case gauge thereon. The system includes a feeder plate that is disposed on the case gauge such that the case gauge is disposed between the pusher plate and the feeder plate. The side opening is sized to receive the pusher plate, the case gauge, and the feeder plate therethrough. The system includes a vibratory motor that vibrates the feeder plate, the case gauge, and the pusher plate.

An apparatus for transforming a bulk flow of produce into a flow of produce aligned in one or more lines, to allow inspection for grading purposes at high speed, in particular by camera technology. The apparatus has a hopper which has differently configured opposing end portions arranged to allow the flow of produce from one end portion to the other, and wherein the exit end portion has at least one channel for guiding the produce therealong, wherein the at least one channel has a v-shaped cross-section defined by a pair of walls inclined upwardly away from each other so as to form a valley in which the produce is transportable by mechanical agitation into and along the valley such that the produce exits the hopper in one or more lines, one line from each of the at least one channel.

A system enables management of dispensable units by supporting functions such as retrieval, scheduled distribution, analysis, and notifications. To this end, a dispensable retrieval mechanism may be programmed to carry out blind retrievals of dispensable units using a retrieval strategy with a predetermined sequence of retrieval attempts (e.g., fixed or varying two-dimensional retrieval patterns), which may be open loop or closed loop. Techniques may also include the identification of dispensable units through optical sensors and weight measurement devices that can detect, e.g., a texture, a shape, and a size of dispensable units. Such identification can be used to program retrieval attempts by a retrieval robot and in the formulation of the retrieval pattern. Additionally, networked notification systems for dispensable units can be used for updating rules or schedules related to the dispensable units, or alerting users and remote resources of any potential misuse or hazards of the dispensable units.

The apparatus is provided for separating bulk material, in particular in the form of packages, from a bulk material container. The apparatus has a first belt conveyor for conveying the bulk material from a bulk material container, and a downstream second belt conveyor, oriented at an angle about a vertical axis, relative to the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor, for conveying away the bulk material. The first belt conveyor has a plurality of separately actuatable discharging conveyor belts arranged parallel to one another. The apparatus has an electronic control device which is configured to drive the discharging conveyor belts in each case intermittently such that units of the bulk material are each transferred to the second belt conveyor at discrete time intervals and/or distances.

A vibrating screen feed conveying apparatus for conveying and separating sticky moisture laden bulk solids which are sticky and wet flowing onto a vibrating screening feeder and into a hopper. The apparatus includes a bed on which material is conveyed, a longitudinal counterbalance supported on a plurality of isolation springs, a plurality of inclined drive springs extending between the bed and the longitudinal counterbalance, and a plurality of stabilizers for controlling movement of the drive springs along their central axes. A plurality of vibratory motors, each having rotatable eccentric weights are attached to the rear end of the longitudinal counterbalance. The eccentric weights rotate in phase with one another to vibrate the bed at a vibration frequency.

A magazine (200) is described for portion-wise receiving individualized bulk electronic components (298). The magazine (200) comprises (a) a receiving structure (110) which comprises multiple closable receiving cavities (112, 112a), which are arranged along a longitudinal axis (100a) of the receiving structure (110); (b) a cover structure (120) which is arranged at an upper side of the receiving structure (110), displaceable along the longitudinal axis (100a), so that in a closed position of the cover structure (120) all receiving cavities (112, 112a) are covered and in one opening position of multiple opening positions at least one receiving cavity (112) is free; and (c) a closure foil (225) which encompasses the cover structure (120) along the longitudinal axis (100a) in the form of a closed tape, wherein at least a part of the closure foil (225) is releasably connected to the receiving structure (110). Further, a device (430) is described for portion-wise transferring components (298) from one such magazine (200) into a reservoir (490) for a component supply device. Further, a method is described for portion-wise transferring components from one such magazine (200) into the one such reservoir (490).

Various embodiments are directed to unloading system and methods of using the same. In various embodiments, an unloading system comprises a trailer bed configured to receive a container thereon, wherein the trailer bed comprises one or more joints configurable between a plurality of joint positions, wherein the trailer bed is configured to lift, tilt, and oscillate at least a portion of the container based on the joints; and an extendable conveyor configured to receive a box that has been released from the container and convey the box away from the trailer bed. Various embodiments are directed to a method comprising tilting the container such that an open end of the container is lower than a closed end of the container, wherein the open end of the container is proximate to an extendable conveyor; and oscillating the container to facilitate release of a box from the container onto the extendable conveyor.

The transport device, which serves for the transport of pulverous or granular process material, includes an open or in itself closed transport frame made of metal for transporting process material, is held by a support device and is connected to an ultrasonic device having an ultrasonic generator, an ultrasonic transducer connected to the ultrasonic generator and a coupling rod connected to the ultrasonic transducer and having front and rear end pieces. A flat distributor body made of metal has upper, lower, rear sides and peripherally at least one connection side. The rear end piece of the coupling rod is connected to the ultrasonic transducer. The front end piece of the coupling rod is welded to the rear, upper, or lower side of the distributor body. The at least one connection side of the distributor body is integrally connected with or welded to the at least one transport frame.