An autonomously operated system is configured to load at least one unbound deformable article into a container. The system includes a refillable cartridge configured to receive therein the article, at least one extendable conveyor being configured to extend into the refillable cartridge and deposit the article within the refillable cartridge, a driven lifter configured to selectively lower and raise the refillable cartridge relative to the at least one extendable conveyor, one or more sensors configured output a signal indicative of a fill height of the refillable cartridge, and at least one controller configured to, in response a received signal form the one or more sensors, instruct the driven lifter to at least one of raise and lower the refillable cartridge to at least one of one or more loading heights for receiving the article, and lower the refillable cartridge to an unloading position within the container.

An apparatus that conveys pellet-shaped articles may include a hopper that receives a quantity of the pellet-shaped articles. The hopper may include one or more openings to direct a flow of air into the hopper to dislodge jamming or bridging of pellet-shaped articles within the hopper.

A trapdoor rejection subsystem includes one or more trapdoor rejection mechanisms. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism is configured to be selectively transitioned between a closed position to support parcels and an open position to allow parcels identified as unconveyable to pass through the trapdoor rejection mechanism. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism includes a first door, a second door, and one or more actuators which can be selectively actuated to rotate the first door and the second door and transition the trapdoor rejection mechanism between the closed position and the open position. The trapdoor rejection subsystem can be utilized in a conveyor system in combination with one or more robot singulators, an upstream conveyor, a place conveyor, and a vision and control subsystem. Detection of unconveyable parcels and the transition of each trapdoor rejection mechanism of the trapdoor rejection subsystem is controlled by the vision and control subsystem.

A carrier is configured to hold a product carried on a material strip during horizontal conveying of the material strip. The carrier comprises a first holding member positioned on the upper or lower side of the product on the material strip during the horizontal conveying of the material strip and extending along a conveying direction of the material strip. A first contact surface is formed on the side of the first holding member facing the product, the first contact surface is configured to contact the product during the horizontal conveying of the material strip to limit the up and down bouncing movement of the product.

A typing off-loading and article sorting system to automatically separate different parcel types includes an feed conveyor, receiving conveyor, sorting conveyor, cameras and photoelectric eye. The overhead cameras detect the item size and whether it is cubic in nature and type and size of its footprint. An in-line slide sorter having alternating conveyor rollers and pop-up belts pass through to, or divert articles from, a downstream conveyor. The vision based system may also be used to detect space between articles and insert articles in the unoccupied space.

Methods for operating a picking devices for medicaments are provided. An image of a movement space detectable by an optical detection device is created with an optical detection device inside the picking device after a predetermined event. Predetermined areas of the image of the movement space are compared with corresponding areas of a reference image, and based on the comparison it is determined whether an obstacle is present in the detected portion of the movement space. Based on the determination of the presence of an obstacle, corresponding signals are provided to prevent a movement of the operating device and/or request a removal of the obstacle by a user. Picking devices for medicaments are also provided.

Drugs can be sorted irrespective of whether or not drug data is registered. A drug sorting device includes a conveying/sorting unit configured to: accommodate drugs determined to have drug data corresponding to image data into a confirmed area of a second accommodating portion for each type; and accommodate drugs determined to have no drug data corresponding to the image data into a temporarily determined area.

Actuating an air conveyor device is disclosed, including: causing an airflow to be generated by an airflow generator of an air conveyor device, wherein the airflow generator is configured to cause the airflow to enter an intake port of the air conveyor device and exit from an outlet port of the air conveyor device in response to receiving air at an air input port of the air conveyor device; causing a target object to be captured by the air conveyor device using the airflow; activating a positioning actuator mechanism to position the air conveyor device; and causing the target object to be ejected from the air conveyor device.

Technology for optimizing carton induction in an order fulfillment picking system is described. In an example embodiment, a method, implemented using one or more computing devices, may include receiving scan data reflecting status of cartons being conveyed by a conveying system, receiving confirmatory input reflecting pick completion for a subset of the cartons being conveyed by the conveying system, and generating an estimated time of arrival for one or more cartons not yet inducted into the conveying system based on the scan data and the confirmatory input. The method may further include generating a load forecast based on the estimated time of arrival and inducting one or more of the one or more cartons into the conveying system based on the load forecast.

A controller of a material handling system performs a method of dynamic spacing on a sortation conveyor by predicting fullness of divert destinations. Required tray spacing between inducted articles destined for the same divert destination can be reduced when the divert destination is calculated to have sufficient capacity. Fewer discharge commands need to be ignored due to insufficient tray spacing. The material handling systems can achieve higher throughput by having fewer articles that cannot be discharged to an assigned destination.