An apparatus for conveying articles comprising: a conveying surface comprising a plurality of electrically magnetizable elements; a plurality of units for conveying articles, movable on said conveying surface, each conveying unit being defined by a first transport element and a second transport element configured to be coupled with each other and to define together a seat for housing articles, the first and the second transport element comprising each at least one magnetic element; a control unit, connected to said electrically magnetizable elements of the conveying surface to activate and deactivate them, so as to generate a variable predetermined magnetic field on said conveying surface and to allow consequently the movement of said first transport element and second transport element above said conveying surface.

Buffer device for buffering containers, with an inlet, an inlet manipulator, a first buffer system, a transposition device, a second buffer system, an outlet manipulator, and an outlet, where containers can be transferred by the inlet manipulator from the inlet to the first buffer system and can be transported along a first direction in the first buffer system, where the transposition device can transfer containers from the first buffer system to the second buffer system, and the containers can be transported in the second buffer system along a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and the containers can be removed from the second buffer system by the outlet manipulator and fed to the outlet, where the buffer capacity of the buffer device is adjustable.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be sorted from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for removal from the conveying system, and a removal system for removing the certain selected objects from the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be sorted from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for removal from the conveying system, and a removal system for removing the certain selected objects from the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be sorted from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for removal from the conveying system, and a removal system for removing the certain selected objects from the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be sorted from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for removal from the conveying system, and a removal system for removing the certain selected objects from the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects.

A system for removing unstable articles from an automated processing stream includes an automated processing stream with a plurality of processing units including a flow diverter and configured to carry a stream of articles, a vision system, and a control system interfacing with the automated processing stream and the vision system, wherein the vision system is configured to detect positions of an article and to transmit position data to the control system, and wherein the control system is configured, through operation of a processor, to determine an expected position of the article based on a first detected position, compare the expected position to a second detected position of the article, determine a deviation of the second detected position from the expected position, and control the flow diverter to divert the article based on the deviation.

A system for removing unstable articles from an automated processing stream includes an automated processing stream with a plurality of processing units including a flow diverter and configured to carry a stream of articles, a vision system, and a control system interfacing with the automated processing stream and the vision system, wherein the vision system is configured to detect positions of an article and to transmit position data to the control system, and wherein the control system is configured, through operation of a processor, to determine an expected position of the article based on a first detected position, compare the expected position to a second detected position of the article, determine a deviation of the second detected position from the expected position, and control the flow diverter to divert the article based on the deviation.

A grouping station for grouping pallets includes an inbound conveyor, which is a gravity conveyor. The grouping station includes a fixed-height pairing conveyor and a grouping conveyor with three height positions for different grouping functions.

A belt conveyor is configured for conveying products in a conveying direction and defines a width extending in a transverse direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and a height direction orthogonal to the conveying and transverse directions. An ejector is fixed to the belt conveyor and acts in the transverse direction for sorting out/discharging products. The ejector has an end region which faces the product to be sorted out, and has a base body mounted in a base position on the belt conveyor by means of a holder. The basic position of the base body can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device of the holder in the transverse direction within an adjustment path so that the end area of the non-actuated ejector in the transverse direction can protrude across the belt conveyor width by at least half of that width, or more.