A conveyance apparatus which can suppress the occurrence of a defect on a work caused due to the entrance of a corner portion of the work into a hole portion formed on a conveyance surface of a base.

A system, and associated method, for launching and delivering separated food product in organized groups to a robotized packaging station for the product. The system initiates the delivery via a metered hopper of food product delivering the product to a launch V-belt that aligns the product end to end. A successive singulator belt, positioned adjacent to and receiving product from the launch belt, further organizes the product into a single file alignment. An optional separator belt may follow the singulator belt to create gaps between successive product units. The product is then delivered to a pick belt for product to be provided to the packaging robot. The system product information is from a single (per product delivery line) sensor, enabling intergrated end-to-end control from hopper to robot, and a nearly continuous motion of said pick belt.

A method for changing the alignment of articles in a conveying flow, wherein, by a rotary projection projecting into the conveying path of a conveyor of a material handling system, the alignment of the article is achieved via the force of the conveying flow, and the conveying flow runs obliquely in front of the rotary projection in relation to the direction thereof, in order to ensure the contacting of the article on the rotary projection. The rotary projection is configured such that it can move in a transverse manner in relation to the conveying flow, in such a way that the extension thereof into the conveying flow is variable, wherein the scale of the extension of the rotary projection into the conveying flow is determined based on the respective article.

Provided is a produce pack arrangement system. The produce pack arrangement system comprises a produce supply station, a produce orientation and assembly station, and a produce packaging delivery station. The produce orientation and assembly station is configured to receive produce from the produce supply station and orient a set group of produce according to a desired predetermined arrangement prior to release to the produce packing delivery station.

The present disclosure discloses an automatic leveling control method for a four-leg support working platform, which comprises the steps: determining the mass center position of the working platform, determining the main bearing quadrant and distinguishing active legs from the driven leg; adjusting the driven leg to weak state, controlling all legs to synchronously actuate for leveling; calculating the limit compensating actuation length of the driven leg, and performing compensating actuation until accomplishing the leveling process. The method is advantageous in: high speed, high robustness, no repeated oscillation. The mass center always stays within the bearing zone of the active legs, thus completely eliminating capsizing risk of the working platform. The compensating actuation of the driven leg ensures there is no weak leg, and hence high attitude and load-bearing stability of the working platform is achieved.

Various embodiments of aligning wafers are described herein. In one embodiment, a photolithography system aligns a wafer by averaging individual via locations. In particular, some embodiments of the present technology determine the center locations of individual vias on a wafer and average them together to obtain an average center location of the set of vias. Based on a comparison of the average center location to a desired center location, the present technology adjusts the wafer position. Additionally, in some embodiments, the present technology compares wafer via patterns to a template and adjusts the position of the wafer based on the comparison.

Embodiments provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for loading workpieces in a flow direction into the spaced apart lugs on a lugged conveyor with the workpieces oriented transverse to the flow direction. The lug loader includes an array of pairs of endless conveyors configured to convey workpieces toward a lugged conveyor. The first and second endless conveyors of each pair are spaced laterally apart across the flow direction and aligned substantially in the flow direction. The array can form a continuous or discontinuous transport surface. Some pairs of endless conveyors in the array may overlap one or more other pairs of endless conveyors in the array. At least one pair of endless conveyors in the array may include two or more endless conveyors that are independently driven at different speeds and/or in different directions to de-skew a workpiece.

There is disclosed a separator drum (13) for tobacco industry product assembly apparatus. The separator drum has a plurality of segments (29, 30) arranged to form at least a part of a peripheral surface of the separator drum. Each segment has at least one flute (31) and at most four flutes (31). Each flute (31) is adapted to carry a rod of aerosolisable material (2) as the separator drum rotates during use. Each segment (29, 30) is slidably mounted to the separator drum (13) for axial movement.

A method for reorienting products includes providing one or more products in a first orientation on a surface; advancing the one or more products in the machine direction at a nominal advance rate; and retracting an end of the surface in a reverse machine direction at a nominal retract rate, such that the one or more products are advanced beyond said end into a landing region. Said end is disposed at a first elevation. The method further comprises deflecting a leading end of at least one product, such that the at least one product lands in a second orientation on a landing surface disposed in the landing region at a second elevation. The first orientation is different than the second orientation, and the first elevation is higher than the second elevation.

Embodiments provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for loading workpieces in a flow direction into the spaced apart lugs on a lugged conveyor with the workpieces oriented transverse to the flow direction. The lug loader includes an array of pairs of endless conveyors configured to convey workpieces toward a lugged conveyor. The first and second endless conveyors of each pair are spaced laterally apart across the flow direction and aligned substantially in the flow direction. The array can form a continuous or discontinuous transport surface. Some pairs of endless conveyors in the array may overlap one or more other pairs of endless conveyors in the array. At least one pair of endless conveyors in the array may include two or more endless conveyors that are independently driven at different speeds and/or in different directions to de-skew a workpiece.