A bolt escapement device includes holding rails, a blade disposed downstream of the holding rails, and a chute disposed downstream of the blade. The blade includes: a blade body configured to reciprocate in a direction intersecting the holding rails to pass through a first position and a second position; a bolt passageway extending in the blade body in a direction acute to a moving direction of the blade body; and a closure portion provided on a side surface of the blade body. At least one of the holding rails and the chute is provided with bolt guides. When the blade body moves from the first position to the second position, a corner portion of the bolt passageway that is closer to the holding rails is inserted between a bolt having entered the bolt passageway and a subsequent bolt and the rail gap is closed by the closure portion.

A bolt escapement device includes holding rails, a blade disposed downstream of the holding rails, and a chute disposed downstream of the blade. The blade includes: a blade body configured to reciprocate in a direction intersecting the holding rails to pass through a first position and a second position; a bolt passageway extending in the blade body in a direction acute to a moving direction of the blade body; and a closure portion provided on a side surface of the blade body. At least one of the holding rails and the chute is provided with bolt guides. When the blade body moves from the first position to the second position, a corner portion of the bolt passageway that is closer to the holding rails is inserted between a bolt having entered the bolt passageway and a subsequent bolt and the rail gap is closed by the closure portion.

A method for handling malfunctioning vehicles (240,340) on a rail system (108,308) constituting part of a storage and retrieval system (1) configured to store a plurality of stacks (107) of storage containers (106), wherein the storage and retrieval system (1) comprisesa plurality of remotely operated vehicles (230,330,240,340,250,350) configured to move laterally on the rail system (108,308) anda control system (109) for monitoring and controlling wirelessly movements of the plurality of vehicles (230,330,240,340,250,350), the control system (109) forms by wireless data communication at least the following steps: A. registering an anomaly in an operational condition of a vehicle (this 240,340) on the rail system (108,308), B. registering the vehicle with the anomalous operational condition as a malfunctioning vehicle (240,340), C. bringing the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) to a halt, D. registering a halt position of the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) relative to the supporting rail system (108,308), E. setting up a two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) within the rail system (108,308) into which the malfunctioning vehicle (240,340) is halted and F. updating movement pattern of the plurality of remotely operated vehicles (230,330, 250,350) outside the two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) such that entrance into the two-dimensional shutdown zone (225) is avoided.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for transferring specimen containers between detection instruments. The method may include transporting a specimen container in a locator well to a container transfer station in a first automated detection apparatus; sensing the specimen container at the container transfer station using a first sensor; transferring the specimen container from the container transfer station of the first automated microbial detection apparatus to an automated loading mechanism of a second automated microbial detection apparatus; detecting that the specimen container is positioned over the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus using a second sensor; and releasing the specimen container onto the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for transferring specimen containers between detection instruments. The method may include transporting a specimen container in a locator well to a container transfer station in a first automated detection apparatus; sensing the specimen container at the container transfer station using a first sensor; transferring the specimen container from the container transfer station of the first automated microbial detection apparatus to an automated loading mechanism of a second automated microbial detection apparatus; detecting that the specimen container is positioned over the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus using a second sensor; and releasing the specimen container onto the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus.

A lift system for an automated storage system of the type where storage containers are stacked in storage columns arranged in a grid, and where automated container handling vehicles retrieve and replace containers from a top level of the grid. The lift system has a platform vertically movable adjacent to a face of the grid, arranged for receiving and transporting one or more containers. A dedicated mechanical device is arranged for grabbing, lifting and moving the storage containers from a staging area at the top of the grid and placing containers on the platform and vice versa.

A parcel or packet sorting installation comprising a bin conveyor having bins (4) that are designed to convey the parcels in series in a certain conveying direction over a plurality of sorting outlets, and a parcel injector designed to inject one parcel per bin, said sorting conveyor being designed to sort the parcels into the sorting outlets from the bins as a function of sorting information affixed to each of the parcels. Each bin comprises two side walls (9) and a floor (10) mounted to pivot between the two side walls, and a flap (11) mounted to pivot at an upstream end of the floor relative to the conveying direction.

A parcel or packet sorting installation comprising a bin conveyor having bins (4) that are designed to convey the parcels in series in a certain conveying direction over a plurality of sorting outlets, and a parcel injector designed to inject one parcel per bin, said sorting conveyor being designed to sort the parcels into the sorting outlets from the bins as a function of sorting information affixed to each of the parcels. Each bin comprises two side walls (9) and a floor (10) mounted to pivot between the two side walls, and a flap (11) mounted to pivot at an upstream end of the floor relative to the conveying direction.

A device (30, 40) for the transfer of a plurality of watch components (2) arranged on a first support (10) to their arrangement on a second support (20), wherein it comprises an inlet surface (31, 41) comprising inlet orifices (33, 43) so arranged as to correspond to a first arrangement of the watch components (2) on a first support (10), an outlet surface (32, 42) comprising outlet orifices (34, 44) so arranged as to correspond to a second arrangement of the watch components (2) on a second support (20), and guide elements (35, 45) adapted to guide the watch components (2) automatically from the inlet orifices (33, 43) to the outlet orifices (34, 44).

A device (30, 40) for the transfer of a plurality of watch components (2) arranged on a first support (10) to their arrangement on a second support (20), wherein it comprises an inlet surface (31, 41) comprising inlet orifices (33, 43) so arranged as to correspond to a first arrangement of the watch components (2) on a first support (10), an outlet surface (32, 42) comprising outlet orifices (34, 44) so arranged as to correspond to a second arrangement of the watch components (2) on a second support (20), and guide elements (35, 45) adapted to guide the watch components (2) automatically from the inlet orifices (33, 43) to the outlet orifices (34, 44).