Moving an article after a material, such as a hot-melt adhesive, has been applied to a surface of the article is accomplished with an article transfer apparatus. The apparatus is comprised of a belt having a plurality of apertures extending there through that are effective to communicate a vacuum pressure from an inner surface of the belt to a contacting surface of the belt. The vacuum pressure secures and adheres the article to the contacting surface of the belt as the belt conveys the article. The vacuum pressure is distributed along the inner surface of the belt by a vacuum chamber, which is between a compression roller and a second roller.

A closed-loop vacuum conveyor controlling the pressure in a plenum. Pressure sensors in the plenum send pressure signals to a processor that controls the speed of a blower motor sucking air from the plenum and through openings in a foraminous conveyor belt against which conveyed aluminum cans are held by air pressure. The processor controls the blower speed with a variable-frequency drive to adjust the pressure in the plenum to accommodate a varying product density or the shape. size. or weight of conveyed products on the outer surface of the conveyor belt. The plenum may be divided into separate chambers by partitions or adjustable dampers. The pressure in the chambers can be controlled by adjusting each chamber's blower speed or the opening of its dampers.

A vacuum holder for articles, a combination of a vacuum holder and an article, a system for holding and conveying articles, and a method for holding and conveying articles are disclosed. The vacuum holder includes a main body having a surface and an air passageway leading to the surface, and a valve joined to the main body and in fluid communication with the air passageway. The vacuum holder includes an extensible skirt gasket with an opening therein. An article can be placed adjacent to the surface of the main body, and a vacuum can be drawn through the air passageway to hold the article to the vacuum holder. The valve maintains the vacuum between the article and the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, until it is desired to release the article from the vacuum holder.

A vacuum holder for articles, a combination of a vacuum holder and an article, a system for holding and conveying articles, and a method for holding and conveying articles are disclosed. The vacuum holder includes a main body having a surface and an air passageway leading to the surface, and a valve joined to the main body and in fluid communication with the air passageway. An article can be placed adjacent to the surface of the main body, and a vacuum can be drawn through the air passageway to hold the article to the vacuum holder. The valve maintains the vacuum between the article and the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, until it is desired to release the article from the vacuum holder.

A cell electrode plate feeding device includes a conveying device and a vacuum suction device. The conveying device is configured to convey an electrode plate to be wound and comprises a support base and a conveying body, the support base comprising an accommodating cavity, the conveying body being mounted on the support base, and the conveying body being provided with a communicating portion, by means of which a space of the conveying body on a side away from the accommodating cavity is in communication with the accommodating cavity. The vacuum suction device is in communication with the accommodating cavity, and the vacuum suction device is configured to suck air between a conveying surface of the conveying body and the electrode plate, so as to enable the electrode plate to be attached to the conveying surface of the conveying body.

A distribution system for use in an induction system with an object processing system. The distribution system provides dissimilar objects into one of a plurality of receiving units. The distribution system includes an air intake system with an opening that is a fixed distance from a conveyor section, said air intake system aiding in moving an object on the conveyor section from the conveyor section to one of a plurality of adjacent transport units.

A vacuum port assembly is provided for a press system including a die assembly and a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly includes a conveyor belt, a vacuum manifold coupled to the die assembly, and an airflow generator. The conveyor belt includes a plurality of holes for receiving and moving shells in a plane with respect to the die assembly. The vacuum port assembly includes at least one port member including inlet and outlet ends. The inlet end has amounting portion for removably coupling the port member to the vacuum manifold. The outlet end is in fluid communication with the airflow generator, thereby establishing fluid communication between the airflow generator and the vacuum manifold. The inlet end extends outwardly from the vacuum manifold generally perpendicular with respect to the plane of the conveyor belt.

A method and device useful for material removal from large plate-shaped materials, for example machining and polishing of glass and stone. The invention includes a workstation having arrays of roller and suction cups which are selectively used to transport and secure a plate positioned in the workstation. An imaging device collects data on a true position of the plate in the workstation and compares the real position to a design or ideal position to determine a difference of position. An electronic control system calculates the difference and modifies the processing program to adjust for the difference eliminating the need to further reposition the plate to the ideal design position for processing.

A conveyor for conveying good. According to one embodiment the conveyor includes a holding unit for holding or releasing the goods with respect to a conveyor belt. The holding unit includes vacuum holding means and magnetic holding means. The magnetic holding means includes at least one movable element that comprises at least one magnet or has a magnet attached thereto. The movable element is able to deactivate the magnetic holding means by distancing the magnet from the conveyor belt, and is also able to be arrange in a closed position in which the movable element blocks a vacuum conduit extending through the conveyor belt.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for rejecting defective absorbent articles from a converting line. At a downstream portion of a converting process, a continuous length of absorbent articles may be subjected to a final knife and cut to create discrete absorbent articles advancing on a first carrier. From the first carrier, the discrete absorbent articles may be transferred to a transfer apparatus, which in turn, transfers the discrete absorbent articles to a second carrier. The transfer apparatus may include carrier members that orbit around an axis of rotation and may be adapted to receive the absorbent articles from the first carrier and transfer the absorbent articles to the second carrier. Defective absorbent articles may be detected by an inspection system, which may be operably connected with the transfer apparatus and/or the first carrier to remove the defective absorbent articles from the converting process.