The invention relates to a transfer device (20) apparatus (100) for continuously conveying items. The apparatus (100) has a store (10) having storage tracks (11), and a downstream conveyor track (30), wherein the transfer device (20) is arranged between the store (10) and the conveyor track (30) and is designed to transfer conveyable items from a storage track (11) to the downstream conveyor track (30). The transfer device (20) has: a feed component (21) to receive conveyable items from the selected storage track (11); a discharging component (23) to discharge the conveyable items onto the downstream conveyor track (30); and a transfer track (22) to transfer the conveyable items from the feed component (21) to the discharging component (23). The discharging component (23) is designed to be moved relative to the downstream conveyor track (30) so that continuous operation is possible when the storage track (11) is being changed over.

An article sorting control apparatus includes a memory, a processor, and a communication interface. The memory stores sorting destination management information including reference conveyance route information, fixed sorting destination information, and dynamic sorting destination information. The processor selects a first diverging control signal or a second diverging control signal. The communication interface transmits the first or the second diverging control signal to an article sorting apparatus.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

An article conveying equipment includes: a carrying apparatus (1), configured to carry one or more articles to be transported; a communication apparatus (3), configured to learn a height of a receiving end of a transferring apparatus matched with the article conveying equipment; and a height adjusting apparatus (2), when the article conveying equipment approaches the transferring apparatus, the height adjusting apparatus is configured to adjust the height of the carrying apparatus to the height matched with receiving end of the transferring apparatus.

The temporary store has circulating continuous chains on both sides of the product conveyor section, said continuous chains running through vertical chain loops via upper and lower deflections. Product carrier gondolas with product carriers are suspended on the chains, said product carriers being used to receive incoming products and convey the products to a product outlet. Each chain runs through an inlet-side and an outlet-side vertical loop. The upper deflections of the chain loops can be moved vertically in opposite directions.

Container treatment system for containers, with a transport device for transporting the containers, at least one treatment assembly for treating the containers at a first transport section of the transport device, at least one robot unit for channeling individual treated containers out and/or in at a second transport section of the transport device downstream of the first transport section, and with at least one inspection device for inspecting the individual treated containers, where the second transport section is configured to transport a container flow that is widened as compared to the first transport section so that the individual treated containers can be transported there at reduced speed and/or with reduced dynamic pressure when channeled out and/or in.

The present invention relates to a method for transferring products (1) between a main conveyor (2) which is configured to convey products in a longitudinal direction and an accumulation surface (3) using an intermediate conveyor (4) and a pushing means (5). The method comprises acceleration of the intermediate conveyor (4) and transfer of products (1) between the intermediate conveyor (4) and the main conveyor (2) via the action of the pushing means (5), and deceleration of the intermediate conveyor (4) and transfer of products (1) between the intermediate conveyor (4) and the accumulation surface (3). The present invention also relates to a device for transferring products (1) between a main conveyor (2) which is configured to convey products in a longitudinal direction and an accumulation surface (3), enabling in particular the method according to the invention to be carried out.

The present disclosure relates to a cassette for storing a tubular storage assembly, the tubular storage assembly having a plurality of elongated guiding elements onto which containers can be carried, wherein the elongated guiding elements are configured to be maintained in a tubular arrangement, the cassette includes a cassette housing configured to accommodate the tubular storage assembly, the elongated guiding elements of the tubular storage assembly extending in an axial direction of the cassette housing; and a carrier arranged to be movable inside the cassette housing and configured to carry the tubular storage assembly; wherein the cassette housing comprises at least one stop element for stopping movement of the carrier in the axial direction and wherein the carrier and cassette housing are configured to allow the carrier to be essentially freely movable in transverse directions; and wherein the carrier comprises at least one alignment element.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Device for temporarily storing plate-shaped workpieces (W.sub.i) having a receiving magazine (1) for the plate-shaped workpieces (W.sub.i), which magazine is formed by storage compartments arranged one above the other, for which it is proposed that the storage compartments have storage surfaces (7) which can each be extended in a first horizontal direction into a storage region and in a second horizontal direction into a removal region and can be retracted into the receiving magazine (1), wherein a receiving device (2) with a receiver (6) for the plate-shaped workpieces (W.sub.i) is arranged in each case in the storage and removal region, which receiving device (2) is movable in the storage or removal region in a plane parallel to the storage surface (7) and in a direction perpendicular to the storage surface (7), and a control and storage unit (9) is provided for controlling the storage and removal movement of the receiver (6) and the movement of the storage surfaces (7) and for storing the storage location of plate-shaped workpieces (W.sub.i) on the storage surfaces (7).