A tray conveyor with trays driven by a linear synchronous motor. The trays are supported on a pair of guide rails in a conveyor frame. The trays include a permanent-magnet array whose magnetic field interacts with a traveling electromagnetic wave produced by a linear-motor stator extending along the conveyor between the guide rails to propel the tray in a conveying direction.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for helical container conveyance. In one embodiment, an example container conveyance system may include a set of rails having a first rail and a second rail, the set of rails configured to guide a container from an upright position at a first point along the set of rails to an inverted position at a second point along the set of rails. The system may include a drive mechanism configured to propel the container along the set of rails, and a conveyor disposed under a portion of the set of rails corresponding to the second point.

A retaining unit (1) for retaining a container (4), comprising a supporting body (7), mountable on a movement unit (5), a gripping element (8) and a resting element (9) mounted on the supporting body (7), The gripping element (8) comprises a first arm (10) and a second arm (11), comprising respective gripping portions delimiting a housing (14) for the container (4), having a vertical main line of extension (15). The first arm (10) is movable between a first returned position and a first opened wide position. The resting element (9) has a resting portion (35), delimiting the housing (14), in part, and configured to make contact with a lateral surface of the container (4), is rotatably mounted on the supporting body (7) according to an axis of oscillation (36) transversal to the main line of extension (15), and can oscillate around this between multiple operating positions at each of which the resting portion (35) is positioned differently and delimits the housing (14) differently.

A guide rail device mountable to a container sealing line for guiding moving containers. The guide rail device includes a base mountable to the container sealing line, and a guide rail assembly having a first guide surface adapted to guide containers along a portion of the can sealing line. The guide rail assembly includes a first member, and a second member, wherein the first and second members are adjustably attached to one another. The guide rail assembly is securable to the base after the base is mounted to the container sealing line such that the guide rail assembly and base are self-aligning with respect to one another.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for restricting access to articles on a conveyor. The apparatus includes a locking mechanism configured to move via a plurality of actuators, wherein at least two of the actuators move the locking mechanism in differing directions, and also configured to prevent removal of at least one article from the conveyor while in a locking position against the conveyor, wherein at least one of the actuators is configured to move the locking mechanism into the locking position.

A conveyor system includes a belt wound around a roller assembly along a belt axis. The belt is configured to convey objects along the roller assembly in a direction of conveyance. The belt includes a primary belt portion that is in contact with rollers of the roller assembly and defines the belt axis. The conveyor includes an actuator configured to cause the belt to selectively define at least one belt peak that protrudes from the primary belt portion at a peak height measured orthogonally from the belt axis.

Automated container provisioning systems described herein may include one or more pairs of transport belts, one or more guide surfaces, and one or more sensors. The transport belts may engage flaps or other portions of containers, and the guide surfaces may support surfaces or other portions of containers, in order to transport containers to downstream stations within a facility. In addition, the sensors may detect containers during transport, responsive to which various additional operations may be performed with respect to containers, such as sortation, printing, labeling, tracking, packing, accumulation, or others.

A retaining unit (1) for retaining a container (4), comprising a supporting body (7), mountable on a movement unit (5), a gripping element (8) and a resting element (9) mounted on the supporting body (7), The gripping element (8) comprises a first arm (10) and a second arm (11), comprising respective gripping portions delimiting a housing (14) for the container (4), having a vertical main line of extension (15). The first arm (10) is movable between a first returned position and a first opened wide position. The resting element (9) has a resting portion (35), delimiting the housing (14), in part, and configured to make contact with a lateral surface of the container (4), is rotatably mounted on the supporting body (7) according to an axis of oscillation (36) transversal to the main line of extension (15), and can oscillate around this between multiple operating positions at each of which the resting portion (35) is positioned differently and delimits the housing (14) differently.

A guide rail device mountable to a container sealing line for guiding moving containers. The guide rail device includes a base mountable to the container sealing line, and a guide rail assembly having a first guide surface adapted to guide containers along a portion of the can sealing line. The guide rail assembly includes a first member, and a second member, wherein the first and second members are adjustably attached to one another. The guide rail assembly is securable to the base after the base is mounted to the container sealing line such that the guide rail assembly and base are self-aligning with respect to one another.

The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus, and the transfer apparatus includes: a first transfer module holding an object to be transferred on the top thereof and transferring the object to be transferred at a first speed in a longitudinal direction; a second transfer module disposed in parallel with the first transfer module and holding the object to be transferred on the top thereof and transferring the object to be transferred at a second speed in the longitudinal direction; and a blowing module causing air to flow upward/downward below at least one of the first transfer module and the second transfer module.