An apparatus and a method convey and sort articles. The apparatus contains a link conveyor, having link elements, pushing-off elements, drive elements, and a control device. The link conveyor runs along a belt-movement line and has along the belt-movement line the link elements which are arranged to follow one after the other and form a conveying surface for the articles. In each case one pushing-off element can be arranged on one of the link elements, above the conveying surface, and therefore the pushing-off element runs along the belt-movement line together with the link element, and the pushing-off element can be moved, and stopped, along a pushing-off-line, which is arranged transversely to the belt-movement line. The drive elements each drive one or more pushing-off elements individually, and therefore the operations of moving and stopping these pushing-off elements, which are arranged to follow one after the other, are independent of one another.

An apparatus that shapes a narrow container stream into a wider container stream includes a shaping region in which a deceleration segment follows the container inlet and a shaping segment, which forms the container outlet, follows the deceleration segment. Within the shaping region, laterally adjacent transport bands define a transport plane for moving containers. Container guides extend from the container inlet to the container outlet and delimit corresponding first and second sides of the shaping region between two limit curves. The container guides have inner sides that guide the containers. These sides are curved about axes perpendicular to the horizontal transport plane.

It is aimed to provide a conveying device for absorbent articles capable of precisely sorting an absorbent article between a main conveyance path and a branch path and a conveyance method using the same. A path switching means includes a belt conveying unit with a conveying belt arranged along an annular path and configured to circulate along the annular path to be able to convey an absorbent article and a path switching mechanism configured to switch a conveyance path specified by the conveying belt between a path along which the absorbent article is transferrable from an upstream conveying mechanism to a downstream conveying mechanism and a path along which the absorbent article is guided along a sampling path from the upstream conveying mechanism.

Apparatus for automatic adjustment of guide rails for guiding articles on a conveyor via lanes is provided. The apparatus includes spaced apart first and second tracks, a carriage for driven travel along the first track, and a guide rail hanger for select slaved travel along the second track by the carriage in furtherance of lane adjustment. The guide rail hanger is operatively linked with a guide rail hanger positioning bar for select reversible affixation with respect thereto in furtherance of establishing a fixed guide rail position relative to the conveyor. A latch assembly, supported by the carriage, has a latch selectively operable for captured carrying of the guide rail hanger along the second track during travel of said carriage, the latch effectuating release of an affixed guide rail hanger from the guide rail hanger positioning bar in furtherance of enabling relocating and re-affixing the guide rail hanger relative to the guide rail hanger positioning bar in advance of captured carrying thereof.

Apparatus for automatic adjustment of guide rails for guiding articles on a conveyor via lanes is provided. The apparatus includes spaced apart first and second tracks, a carriage for driven travel along the first track, and a guide rail hanger for select slaved travel along the second track by the carriage in furtherance of lane adjustment. The guide rail hanger is operatively linked with a guide rail hanger positioning bar for select reversible affixation with respect thereto in furtherance of establishing a fixed guide rail position relative to the conveyor. A latch assembly, supported by the carriage, has a latch selectively operable for captured carrying of the guide rail hanger along the second track during travel of said carriage, the latch effectuating release of an affixed guide rail hanger from the guide rail hanger positioning bar in furtherance of enabling relocating and re-affixing the guide rail hanger relative to the guide rail hanger positioning bar in advance of captured carrying thereof.

A camera based vision system that recognizes and maximizes belt area utilization. A plurality of cameras are positioned at flow entry points of feed conveyors and at the singulator. The control algorithm recognizes individual items area, the rate at which individual objects are passing, and the area utilization of the collector belt. The video camera and computer based conveyor package management system monitor and control the number and size of the packages present on the infeed conveyors, collector conveyor, singulator conveyor and sorting conveyor in a package handling system wherein the camera data is used to measure the available area or space on the conveyors to maintain a desired density of packages on selected conveyor(s). The conveyor speed is controlled as a function of occupancy on a collector or just prior to a singulator or receiver.

A modular transfer system with a primary flow system and a diverter system. The primary flow system includes a primary flow belt for conveying an article along a primary flow path from an infeed side of the modular transfer system to a pass-through side of the modular transfer system. The diverter system includes one or more diverter belts for diverting an article from the primary flow path towards a divert side of the modular transfer system. The primary flow belt includes multiple movable components contacting the diverter belt. The movable components can have one or more rotational degrees of freedom.

A method for combining multiple separate streams of packaged materials into a main stream is provided, in which each of the streams of packaged materials is conveyed on a feed conveyor, is combined with the main stream in the region of a feed opening of the feed conveyor and further transported on a main conveyor in the main stream and in which at least one lateral wall laterally delimits the main stream. In order to combine multiple separate streams of packaged materials into the main stream despite a narrowing of the conveyor width to counteract jamming, packaged materials from the main stream in the region between two feed openings of two feed conveyors are guided towards the lateral wall and then along the lateral wall, as a result of an alignment of the main conveyor relative to the lateral wall. A device for conveying packaged materials is also provided.

Device for distributing products to feed lines, comprising: a plurality of outfeed channels (1) each configured for feeding a succession of products (2) along a first feed direction (D1); the plurality of outfeed channels (1) is positioned at a first level (H1); a plurality of infeed channels (3), configured to receive single or lines of products (2) and feed products (2), along a second feed direction (D3); the plurality of infeed channels (3) is positioned at a higher second level (H3), a plurality of pairs of carriages (4) defining corresponding housing pockets (5); a track (6) configured in the form of a closed, ring-shaped path to define a lower operating section (6a) and an upper operating section (6b) and on which move the plurality of pairs of carriages (4) along a direction (D6) transversal to the first (D1) and second (D3) feed directions; the track (6) is interposed between the plurality of outfeed channels (1) and the plurality of infeed channels (3) in such a way as to position along a lower operating section (6a), and in predetermined sequences, a first number of pairs of carriages (4) which can be faced towards corresponding outfeed channels (3) for picking up at least one corresponding product (2) and, along an upper operating section (6b), a second number of pairs of carriages (4) which can be faced towards the plurality of infeed channels (3) for releasing at least one corresponding product (2).

An apparatus includes a linear feeding-unit having a first linear section and a transfer device that transfers containers, as a group, from the linear feeding-unit to a clocked processing-machine and an entry device having a main feeding-unit distribution-stars. The first distribution-star receives containers from the main feeding-unit at a first transfer-region and transfers and the second distribution-star receives containers from the main feeding-unit at a second transfer-region. A periphery of the first distribution-star comprises a receiving section that receives containers from the main feeding-unit and an empty section interrupts receiving of the containers. The empty section is devoid of supporting-and-retaining elements. However, the receiving section comprises as many supporting-and-retaining elements as there are containers in the container group.