Load-receiving device (1) for storing a cuboidal load (2) in a rack and for retrieving it therefrom, comprising two extendable telescopic arms (3, 4) which are spaced apart in parallel and on which there are arranged drivers (30, 40, 31, 41, 32, 42) situated opposite one another in pairs, which drivers can be pivoted into a swung-up position and into a position projecting at a right angle thereto, wherein the distance (d) between the telescopic arms (3, 4) is fixed or can be set in dependence on the width of the load. There is provision that each of the drivers (30, 40) situated opposite one another in pairs can be pivoted independently of the respective opposite driver, and/or that at least one of the drivers (30, 40) can be pivoted into at least one oblique intermediate position, that at least two mutually opposite edge detectors (300, 400, 302, 402) are arranged on the telescopic arms (3, 4) and are assigned to two mutually opposite drivers (30, 40, 32, 42), and that the drivers (30, 40) can be pivoted independently of one another in dependence on the output signal from the edge detectors (300, 400, 302, 402).

A control unit controls a transfer machine to execute: a first article delivery operation to store a target article in a first placement region as a first article; and a second article position adjustment operation of moving a second locking member disposed between the first article and a second article in a depth direction toward a depth-direction far side to a position corresponding to a position of a front surface portion of the second article located at a second article proper position, and the control unit is configured to, after the target article has been stored in the first placement region as the first article, cause the transfer machine to execute the second article position adjustment operation, and, upon end of the second article position adjustment operation, cause a first locking member be restored to a position corresponding to a holding region to end the first article delivery operation.

The present disclosure is directed to devices for manipulating meat pieces and methods therefore. In one form, a device comprises a chute, a conveyor, a backstop, and a paddle wheel. The chute is configured to hold pieces of a food product, and the conveyor is configured to receive pieces of the food product released from the chute. The first backstop is positioned above the conveyor and comprises a plate that is configured to align pieces of food product received at the conveyor into a single row. The paddle wheel is positioned above the conveyor downstream from the first backstop and is configured to manipulate the single row of pieces of food product traveling along the conveyor and cause only a single layer of pieces of food product to discharge from the conveyor.

Method and system for inspecting a manufactured part supported on an optically-transparent window of a rotary actuator at an inspection station are provided. The window rotatably supports the part in a generally vertical orientation at which a bottom end surface of the part has a position and orientation for optical inspection. An illuminator is configured to illuminate the bottom end surface of the part through the window with radiant energy to obtain reflected radiation signals which are reflected off the bottom end surface of the part. The reflected radiation signals travel through the window. A lens and detector assembly is configured to form a bottom image from the reflected radiation signals at a bottom imaging location below the window and is configured to detect the bottom image. The window is made of a material which is substantially transparent to the radiant energy and the reflected radiation signals.

Various embodiments are directed to predicting and mapping a location of an object transported by a conveyor system with respect to a sequence of zones of the conveyor system. An example method includes detecting the presence of the object in a first zone using a first photo-eye. The first zone is controlled with a first roller rotational speed. The method further includes generating a virtual map to describe a location of the object. The location of the object is dynamically determined at least by predicting the object's presence in a given zone using a roller rotational speed of one or more preceding zones and configuring a roller rotational speed of the given zone in accordance with the object predicted to be present in the given zone. The method further includes evaluating the virtual map's accuracy with detecting the object in a final zone using a second photo-eye.

A cargo handling apparatus includes a first conveyor portion, a first detection portion, a second conveyor portion, a gripping portion, a second detection portion, and a controller. The first conveyor portion is configured to convey an article to be handled in a first direction. The first detection portion is configured to detect article information. The second conveyor portion is configured to convey the article in a second direction. The gripping portion is configured to arrange the article in an accumulating portion. The second detection portion is configured to detect stacking information. The controller is configured to control operation of the gripping portion based on the article information and the stacking information.

The invention relates to a device for providing stopper elements that are sorted in order to feed a downstream workstation. The devices comprising a lifting means; a means or referencing said stopper elements one by one, located downstream from the lifting means; a conveyor for bringing the referenced elements to said workstation, positioned at the outlet of said referencing means; a vision means for verifying the conformance of said elements in an inspection zone extending at the level of the referencing means and/or of the conveyor; and a means for expelling those elements that do not conform located downstream of said vision means. The inspection zone comprises at least two successive sections each including a distinct color. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Telescopic conveyor with integrated indexing and measuring conveyor is described, the telescopic conveyor having a frame, at least one telescopic segment mounted so as to be extendable with respect to the frame and a transport conveyor, the transport conveyor is driven at a first conveying speed (v.sub.1) and is supported on the at least one telescopic segment and on the frame and wherein the indexing and measuring conveyor is arranged on a delivery side of the transport conveyor. The telescopic conveyor enables the packet items located thereon to be automatically separated while taking up as little space as possible. The indexing and measuring conveyor is mounted on the same frame and is driven at a second conveying speed (v.sub.2), the second conveying speed (v.sub.2) being greater than the first conveying speed (v.sub.1).

In a method of operating a dimensioning system with a plurality of laser scanners, a processor controls the operations of the scanners and processes the scanner signals, and further with memory for storing data delivered by the processor, the data acquired by the dimensioning system in its regular mode of operation are used to construct a three-dimensional model of surface points of the object including spatial coordinates and image intensity for each surface point. The three-dimensional model is stored in the memory. Based on the three-dimensional model, two-dimensional images from any desired viewing angle that was exposed to the scanner rays can be produced on demand to document the appearance of the object at the time the scan was taken.

An object sorting system includes: a storage device configured to drive an object to be sorted in the storage device to move after an object moving-out instruction is received; a transport device configured to transport the object to be sorted; and a dispatching system configured to enable the transport device to move to the storage device where the object to be sorted is located according to a storage position of the object to be sorted in the storage device, so that the object to be sorted is driven to depart from the storage device and then falls to the transport device.