A conveyor system that utilizes a curved, closed-loop pathway defined by a profiled track and a plurality of wheel cars movably contained within and guided by the profiled track. The wheel cars have an attachment side facing towards an open side of the profiled track, and the track is arranged such that its open side faces into a substantially horizontal direction and such that the attachment side of the cars is oriented substantially vertically in any position along the pathway. One or more carriers, each having a carrier rack adapted to support a food product to be transported, are mounted to the attachment side of a respective one of the wheel cars. The carriers can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the attachment side of the corresponding car so as to maintain the carrier rack in a horizontal position as the carrier travels along the pathway.

A conveyor system that utilizes a curved, closed-loop pathway defined by a profiled track and a plurality of wheel cars movably contained within and guided by the profiled track. The wheel cars have an attachment side facing towards an open side of the profiled track, and the track is arranged such that its open side faces into a substantially horizontal direction and such that the attachment side of the cars is oriented substantially vertically in any position along the pathway. One or more carriers, each having a carrier rack adapted to support a food product to be transported, are mounted to the attachment side of a respective one of the wheel cars. The carriers can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the attachment side of the corresponding car so as to maintain the carrier rack in a horizontal position as the carrier travels along the pathway.

In an article transfer facility, a drive portion includes a first Z-axis drive portion to move a holding portion in a Z direction, a first X-axis drive portion configured to move the holding portion in an X direction, a first Y-axis drive portion configured to move the holding portion in a Y direction, and a second X-axis drive portion configured to move a placement portion in the X direction. A control portion executes first control in which an article at a first position is placed on the placement portion, and second control in which the article placed on the placement portion is arranged at a second position. In the first control, the drive portion is controlled such that the holding portion picks up the article at the first position and moves to a position on an upper side of the placement portion, and thereafter releases the article to place the article on the placement portion.

A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.

A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.

A system and method for moving a plurality of eggs from a distal end of a feeder to a proximal end of a conveyor for loading the eggs onto the conveyor. The conveyor comprises a plurality of egg-receiving positions. The distal end of the feeder and the proximal end of the conveyor are aligned such that the plurality of egg-receiving positions accepts the plurality of eggs as the conveyor moves past the distal end of the feeder. A nozzle emitting a stream of fluid is positioned proximal to the distal end of the feeder so that the stream of fluid urges the plurality of eggs toward the distal end of the feeder.

A system and method for moving a plurality of eggs from a distal end of a feeder to a proximal end of a conveyor for loading the eggs onto the conveyor. The conveyor comprises a plurality of egg-receiving positions. The distal end of the feeder and the proximal end of the conveyor are aligned such that the plurality of egg-receiving positions accepts the plurality of eggs as the conveyor moves past the distal end of the feeder. A nozzle emitting a stream of fluid is positioned proximal to the distal end of the feeder so that the stream of fluid urges the plurality of eggs toward the distal end of the feeder.

A vertical transfer device for a conveying device, including a main rotor operable to rotate about a node point for a conveyed goods support about a main axis of rotation (HA) extending horizontally, the node point being at a first distance from the main axis of rotation (HA) and the vertical transfer device is operable to keep the conveyed goods support horizontal during the rotation about the main axis of rotation (HA). The conveyed goods support is coupled at the node point of the main rotor by a compensation rotor that is operable to rotate the conveyed goods support about a compensation axis of rotation (AA) extending in parallel to the main axis of rotation (HA) through the node point, and the conveyed goods support being at a second distance from the compensation axis of rotation (AA).

A vertical transfer device for a conveying device, including a main rotor operable to rotate about a node point for a conveyed goods support about a main axis of rotation (HA) extending horizontally, the node point being at a first distance from the main axis of rotation (HA) and the vertical transfer device is operable to keep the conveyed goods support horizontal during the rotation about the main axis of rotation (HA). The conveyed goods support is coupled at the node point of the main rotor by a compensation rotor that is operable to rotate the conveyed goods support about a compensation axis of rotation (AA) extending in parallel to the main axis of rotation (HA) through the node point, and the conveyed goods support being at a second distance from the compensation axis of rotation (AA).

Conveyance equipment includes a first conveyor that conveys a tray on which an article can be placed along a first conveyance path, and a second conveyor that conveys the article along a second conveyance path provided above the first conveyance path. The second conveyor loads the article onto the tray conveyed by the first conveyor. In at least a part of the first conveyor, an upward inclined portion is formed to incline upward in a conveyance direction of the article.