Apparatus for automatically unstacking a pallet on which at least two stacks of blanks are arranged. The apparatus comprises an unstacking station which is configured for receiving a pallet on which are arranged at least two stacks of blanks in collapsed condition. The unstacking station is further configured for taking off one by one individual blanks from the at least two stacks of blanks which are on a pallet received in the unstacking station. The apparatus further includes a feed track for conveying pallets. The feed track links up by a discharge end with the unstacking station for the purpose of feeding a pallet with stacks of blanks to be unstacked to the unstacking station. Further, the apparatus includes a blank main discharge assembly for discharging individual blanks to a further processing station.

A cartridge for receiving a plurality of adjacent, aligned, disposable gloves is described, the cartridge comprising a base; and a first element being arranged in use for alignment of the finger portions of the plurality of gloves. Furthermore, a machine arranged for dispensing a disposable glove is described, the machine comprising: an articulated arm arranged in use for contacting and retaining a first part of the glove and for moving said glove from a first position in which the glove is located in a cartridge containing one or more gloves, to a second position in which a second part of the said glove is able to be contacted with and retained by an anchoring means to open the cuff to allow a user to don the glove.

Provided are systems and methods for identifying, isolating, and/or aligning sheets. An identification system can facilitate accurate identification of a sheet by (i) vacating one or more components of the system that are not the sheet from a zone of detection, and/or (ii) determining a reference axis of the sheet. An isolation system can facilitate accurate isolation of a sheet by (i) providing targeted air flow, and/or (ii) introducing a wave into the sheet. Identification systems and/or isolation systems described herein may facilitate isolation of sheets that were previously fastened together by one or more fasteners. An alignment system can facilitate accurate alignment of a first sheet at an upstream location relative to a second sheet at a downstream location via machine learning.

A method for loading blanks from a stack of blanks to a head press of a stamping press line is provided. The method may include: providing a loading robot; providing one or more separating robots configured to separate one blank at the top of a stack of blanks from the underlying blanks; providing a stack of blanks and applying separating robots to at least one side of the stack; recognizing the position of the stack of blanks using the position of the separating robots; picking up the blank located at the top of the stack of blanks with the loading robot, using the recognized position of the stack; loading the blank to the head press of the stamping press line using the loading robot. Furthermore disclosed is a system for loading blanks to a head press of a stamping press line.

A system for robotic sorting includes a bin system comprising a plurality of bins for holding items to be sorted, where each bin is configured to hold more than one of the items. The system further includes an item handling system configured to travel to each of the plurality of bins. The item handling system utilizes a vacuum force to remove an item held in one of the plurality of bins. The item handling system further utilizes one or more curvature generation devices to enable card manipulation. Additionally, the system includes a drive system coupled to the item handling system. The drive system is configured to move and position the item handling system over each of the plurality of bins. The system also includes a control system coupled to the drive system and the item handling system. The control system controls movement of the item handling system and the drive system.

A sheet transfer apparatus and a method for transferring a sheet using a sheet transfer apparatus are provided. A sheet transfer apparatus includes: a table on which two or more sheets, which are continuously laminated, are configured to be seated; a sheet adsorbing part on the table to adsorb a first sheet, which is at an uppermost portion, of the two or more laminated sheets at a pressure; and an air discharge part on the table and adjacent to the sheet adsorbing part, and the air discharge part is configured to discharge air to a surface of the first sheet adsorbed to the sheet adsorbing part.

An apparatus for supplying food ingredients according to the present disclosure includes a food ingredient lifting part configured to separate and move upward a food ingredient stack from a food ingredient cassette on which food ingredients including a plurality of stacked food ingredients are seated, a food ingredient separation part configured to suck and move upward a single sheet of a food ingredient from the food ingredient stack moved upward by the food ingredient lifting part, and a horizontal movement part configured to transfer forward the single sheet of the food ingredient moved upward by the food ingredient separation part.

An object pickup system includes an object pickup device and a calculation device. The object pickup device includes a first bracket, a suction cup installed on the first bracket and adapted to be affixed to a top surface of an object, and a distance sensor installed on the first bracket and adapted to rotate with the first bracket to scan the top surface of the object. The calculation device is operatively connected to the distance sensor. The calculation device is adapted to calculate a distance from the top surface of the object to the distance sensor and a position of an edge of an opening on the top surface of the object based on the distance data collected by the distance sensor during a scanning operation.

A vacuum plate which may be used in a system in which sheet material articles are handled by a vacuum plate. The vacuum plate comprises a first wall, a plurality of bores in the first wall, and at least one air outlet for connection to a source of vacuum pressure for applying a vacuum pressure to the bores. The first wall provides, in use, a vacuum lifting surface for pulling and holding the sheet material article to the vacuum surface when vacuum pressure is applied to the bores. Each bore comprises a flared opening terminating at the vacuum surface for admitting air pulled through the bore by the applied vacuum pressure, and opposite this opening, an exit for the air pulled through the bore, this exit being surrounded by a rim that extends above a surrounding surface of the second side of the first wall.

A workpiece transfer apparatus includes a mounting surface, a non-contact chuck, and an extracting mechanism. The mounting surface receives workpieces stacked one above the other. The non-contact chuck is located above the workpieces to draw the uppermost workpiece. The extracting mechanism extracts the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece in a predetermined extracting direction.