A confection mold conveying system and methods for manufacturing of confection products, the system including a first conveyor segment and a second conveyor segment. The first conveyor segment has a first pusher bar and a series of spaced apart first pusher fingers extending therefrom. The first pusher fingers are oriented to engage confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in a first direction. The first pusher fingers are re-oriented to avoid engagement with the confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in a second direction opposite the first direction. The second conveyor segment receives the confection mold trays from the first conveyor segment and can include a first rotatable shaft with a first helical channel to receive a first tab of one of the confection mold trays. Rotation of the rotatable shaft thereby continuously advances the respective confection mold tray in the first direction.

A transport trolley for transporting objects for a rail system having at least one rail that has at least three running surfaces, said transport trolley comprising: a base body having an object carrier for receiving at least one object; a roller support which is rotatably supported at the base body and at which at least a first, a second, and a third roller are rotatably supported; and an alignment system having a roller support alignment device for aligning the roller support relative to the base body and having a roller alignment device for a relative alignment of the rollers with respect to one another and/or to the base body.

The invention relates to a container conveyor device (10) in a packaging machine having a container carrier (13) with a plurality of container receptacles (15). At least two rotary-driven linear conveyors (11, 28) are provided, and the container carrier (13) has at least one engagement part (14) which can be brought into engagement with the linear conveyors (11, 28). Two curved conveyors (20, 34) each have a curved guide track (21, 35) with which at least one projection of the container carrier (13) can be brought into engagement. A plurality of container carriers (13) can be transported along the upper linear conveyor (11) in a row with a mutual first spacing of less than 30 mm and at an average speed V0. The container carriers can be transported along the lower linear conveyor (28) with a mutual second spacing which is greater than the first spacing and at an average speed Vu, where V.sub.u≥1.5 V.sub.0.

A transport system for transporting and/or positioning objects along a transport section, wherein the transport system includes at least one rotatable transport body having at least one curved transport path which is delimited by at least one curve flank pair and, as seen in the linear transport direction, has at least one positive curved transport path pitch throughout and into which there can engage or there engages at least one pusher dog of a carrier that is movable along the transport section, wherein the at least one transport body has at least one entry region for the entry of the at least one pusher dog into the curved transport path. A transport body for a transport system, wherein the transport body has an entry end and an exit end, at least one ascending curved transport path which is delimited by at least one curve flank pair and has at least one positive curved transport path pitch, and at least one entry region for the entry of at least one pusher dog of a carrier of the transport system into the curved transport path.

The horizontal-type automatic packaging machine comprises a conveyor moving a plurality of gripper-holding carriages (4) in an advancing direction (D) along a closed path. Each gripper-holding carriage (4) comprises a base structure (7) connected to the conveyor (2) and two parallel gripper arms (8a, 8b) carrying two or more pairs of grippers (47a, 47b) for holding two or more flexible packages (50) arranged in parallel. The gripper arms (8a, 8b) are guided for moving parallel to the advancing direction (D), moving one closer to the other for opening the packages and moving one away from the other for closing the packages due to the action of a driving mechanism connected to proximal ends (17a, 17b) of the gripper arms. A mechanical transmission transmits the movement of the proximal ends (17a, 17b) to distal ends (18a, 18b) of the gripper arms (8a, 8b).

The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting objects along a transport track having a rail defining the transport track; at least one slide that is travelably guided at the rail; a coupling element which is provided at the slide and via which the slide can be driven; a first drive unit having a first drive means for driving the slid along a first transport section of the transport track; and a second drive having a second drive means for driving the slide along a second transport section of the transport track. The coupling element is configured to be in engagement in a shape fitting manner with the first drive means and to be in engagement in a force-fitting manner with the second drive means in the region of the second transport section.

Methods of confection mold conveying comprise translating, in a first direction, a first pusher bar having spaced apart first pusher fingers oriented to engage confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in the first direction; translating, in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first pusher bar, wherein the first pusher fingers are oriented to avoid engagement with the confection mold trays while the first pusher bar is translated in the second direction, and wherein the first pusher bar is translated within a first conveyor segment of a confection mold conveyor; and rotating a first rotatable shaft with a first helical channel formed therein that is sized and configured to move the confection mold trays, wherein the first rotatable shaft is included within a second conveyor segment of the confection mold conveyor and is positioned to receive the confection mold trays from the first conveyor segment.

The invention relates to a container conveyor device (10) in a packaging machine having a container carrier (13) with a plurality of container receptacles (15). At least two rotary-driven linear conveyors (11, 28) are provided, and the container carrier (13) has at least one engagement part (14) which can be brought into engagement with the linear conveyors (11, 28). Two curved conveyors (20, 34) each have a curved guide track (21, 35) with which at least one projection of the container carrier (13) can be brought into engagement. A plurality of container carriers (13) can be transported along the upper linear conveyor (11) in a row with a mutual first spacing of less than 30 mm and at an average speed V0. The container carriers can be transported along the lower linear conveyor (28) with a mutual second spacing which is greater than the first spacing and at an average speed Vu, where V.sub.u1.5 V.sub.0.

A conveyance method of conveying a conveyance target object by loading the conveyance target object on a slider, wherein the slider is connected to a ball nut threadably engaged with a ball screw shaft, includes a step of rotating the ball screw shaft by an electric motor, a step of applying a braking force which is a rotation resistance to the ball screw shaft by a non-electric resistance changing unit, and a step of setting at least one of a driving force of the electric motor and the braking force of the resistance changing unit so that the slider will stop when a predetermined external force acts on the slider during conveyance and changes the slider to an overload state regardless of the presence/absence of the conveyance target object loaded on the slider and a weight of the conveyance target object.

A system for part transfer and transport, the system including: a first conveyor system for transporting a plurality of trays containing a two-dimensional grid of parts; a second conveyor system for transporting the parts to a predetermined destination in a linear arrangement; and a selection apparatus for transferring a linear array of parts selected from the grid of the first conveyor system to the linear arrangement of the second conveyor system, the selection apparatus comprising: a pick and place apparatus which may be cam driven for moving the parts; and a feed screw defining a plurality of singulated part spaces separated by a part pitch along the second conveyor to facilitate insertion of the linear array of parts into the linear arrangement.