The present invention relates to a transfer arrangement for transferring sausage-shaped products, like sausages, to a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, provided in a loading position in a hanging line, each of the sausage-shaped products contain a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing provided with a suspension element, like a suspension loop, through which the sausage-shaped products can be suspended on the rod-like element. The transfer arrangement comprises an infeed device having an infeed conveyor and a guide bar along which the suspension elements of the sausage-shaped products are guided in an infeed direction to the rod-like element, a transport device which is arranged above the rod-like element and the guide bar and which has a conveyor device with transportation elements for transporting the sausage-shaped products along the guide bar towards the rod-like element, and a drive device for driving the conveyor device, and an indexing device for supporting the guide bar. The indexing device includes at least two pairs of indexing pins configured to be reversibly moved pairwise and alternately into an engagement position for engaging with the guide bar for supporting the guide bar and into a release position for disengaging with the guide bar for allowing the passage of a suspension element of a sausage-shaped product to be suspended on the rod-like element in the loading position, wherein the indexing pins of each pair of indexing pins are arranged on opposite sides of the guide bar and at least substantially opposite to each other, and a transmission arrangement for driving and controlling the movement of the indexing pins. The transmission arrangement is driven by the transport device.

The present invention relates to a transfer arrangement for transferring sausage-shaped products, like sausages, to a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, provided in a loading position in a hanging line, each of the sausage-shaped products contain a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing provided with a suspension element, like a suspension loop, through which the sausage-shaped products can be suspended on the rod-like element. The transfer arrangement comprises an infeed device having an infeed conveyor and a guide bar along which the suspension elements of the sausage-shaped products are guided in an infeed direction to the rod-like element, a transport device which is arranged above the rod-like element and the guide bar and which has a conveyor device with transportation elements for transporting the sausage-shaped products along the guide bar towards the rod-like element, and a drive device for driving the conveyor device, and an indexing device for supporting the guide bar. The indexing device includes at least two pairs of indexing pins configured to be reversibly moved pairwise and alternately into an engagement position for engaging with the guide bar for supporting the guide bar and into a release position for disengaging with the guide bar for allowing the passage of a suspension element of a sausage-shaped product to be suspended on the rod-like element in the loading position, wherein the indexing pins of each pair of indexing pins are arranged on opposite sides of the guide bar and at least substantially opposite to each other, and a transmission arrangement for driving and controlling the movement of the indexing pins. The transmission arrangement is driven by the transport device.

An automatic bag loading system includes a transfer arm configured to grab a bag and transfer the bag from a conveyor a bag gripper, which then rotates the bag to a filling station. The system further includes a detection device to detect a location of a leading edge of the bag between the conveyor and the bag gripper.

A bag capable of storing an article, the bag being conveyed while being suspended from a rail. The bag includes: a body that stores the article; a suspending member that suspends the body from the rail; and a reorienting member that reorients the body with respect to the suspending member. The body includes a bag having an internal storage space for the article, and the reorienting member is provided independently of the body, is supported pivotally with respect to the suspending member, has a free end in the body so as to pivot with respect to the suspending member, and pivots with respect to the suspending member so as to reorient the body.

A bag capable of storing an article, the bag being conveyed while being suspended from a rail. The bag includes: a body that stores the article; a suspending member that suspends the body from the rail; and a reorienting member that reorients the body with respect to the suspending member. The body includes a bag having an internal storage space for the article, and the reorienting member is provided independently of the body, is supported pivotally with respect to the suspending member, has a free end in the body so as to pivot with respect to the suspending member, and pivots with respect to the suspending member so as to reorient the body.

An article transport facility includes one or more rails which include one or more portions in which a travel path is curved, and an article transport vehicle configured to travel along the one or more rails to transport an article. The article transport vehicle includes a guided portion configured to be in contact with the one or more rails to be guided thereby, an obstacle detection sensor configured to detect an obstacle in a detection area which is set to be located ahead of the article transport vehicle, and a setting portion configured to changeably set the detection area. The setting portion is configured to change the detection area depending on an in-contact-rail shape which is a shape of one or more portions of the one or more rails that the guided portion is in contact with.

An article transport facility includes one or more rails which include one or more portions in which a travel path is curved, and an article transport vehicle configured to travel along the one or more rails to transport an article. The article transport vehicle includes a guided portion configured to be in contact with the one or more rails to be guided thereby, an obstacle detection sensor configured to detect an obstacle in a detection area which is set to be located ahead of the article transport vehicle, and a setting portion configured to changeably set the detection area. The setting portion is configured to change the detection area depending on an in-contact-rail shape which is a shape of one or more portions of the one or more rails that the guided portion is in contact with.

An automatically operating unloading system for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle from an assembly-line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier is provided. The vehicle carrier includes four hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from underneath, and ends of the hanger arms are pivotally articulated about a perpendicular axis in a lockable manner. The automatically operating unloading system includes at least one rail at a side of a flat conveying system and a front hanger arm manipulator and a rear hanger arm manipulator movably arrangeable on the at least one rail. Each of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators are equipped with at least one controllable actuator. The automatically operating unloading system further includes a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulators along the rails and an electronic control unit configured to control the actuators of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators.

An automatically operating unloading system for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle from an assembly-line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier is provided. The vehicle carrier includes four hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from underneath, and ends of the hanger arms are pivotally articulated about a perpendicular axis in a lockable manner. The automatically operating unloading system includes at least one rail at a side of a flat conveying system and a front hanger arm manipulator and a rear hanger arm manipulator movably arrangeable on the at least one rail. Each of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators are equipped with at least one controllable actuator. The automatically operating unloading system further includes a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulators along the rails and an electronic control unit configured to control the actuators of the front and rear hanger arm manipulators.

An order-picking installation for the order picking of items, in particular items transported in a hanging state, includes at least one supply station having a plurality of parallel supply locations, by which the items to be picked are supplied into the order-picking installation, and at least one dispatch station having a plurality of parallel dispatch locations, by which the picked items are discharged for dispatch, wherein at least one interim store is provided, for the order picking of the items, between the supply station and the dispatch station. The interim store includes a dynamic store for the interim storage of the items provided for order picking as well as a retrieval store, arranged downstream of the dynamic store, and intended for storing items which have been removed from the dynamic store and pre-sorted in the process, the dynamic store and the retrieval store arranged within a common circulatory conveyor.