The invention concerns a conveyor system (2) for formatting slice-shaped food products in product stacks. The conveyor system (2) comprises an inlet (4), a lower product conveyor (8), an upper product conveyor (7, 9), a vertically swivelling distributor conveyor (6) for distributing the incoming food products selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9), an output conveyor (10) receiving the food products partially stacked from the lower prod-uct conveyor (8) and the upper product conveyor (7, 9), and an outlet (11) for outputting the stacked food products in product rows. The invention provides that the individual conveying tracks (6G, 6H) of the distributor conveyor (6) can be swivelled vertically independently of one another in order to forward the incoming food products individually for each conveying track selectively to the lower product conveyor (8) or to the upper product conveyor (7, 9). The invention also includes a corresponding operating method.

A method and a device for filling containers with products, in which the products are successively conveyed horizontally to a filling installation in which the products, while being combined to form individual product groups, are grouped, and an offered-up container, which is conveyed horizontally to the filling installation, is filled in a single track with one or a plurality of product groups, wherein the filled containers subsequently are in particular horizontally transported away. The method includes conveying the products in multiple tracks to the filling installation, grouping the products to form product groups, feeding the product groups in multiple tracks to a common revolving vertical conveyor of the filling installation, conveying the product groups to an ejection position from which the product groups are conveyed onward in a single track to an offered-up container, and filling the offered-up container with at least one of the product groups.

A subsystem for orienting articles, the subsystem comprising a tool assembly comprising a carriage. A tool head has a first and a second article gripper rotationally coupled thereto. A first drive mechanism is coupled to the first article gripper. A second drive mechanism is coupled to the second article gripper. A sensor is configured to observe two adjacent articles. A controller is provided in communication with the first and second drive mechanisms and the sensor. The controller is configured to determine the orientation of each of the two adjacent articles and to control the first and second drive mechanisms to rotate each of the two adjacent articles to a predefined orientation.

The disclosure relates to a diversion device for a transport device for transporting products. The diversion device comprises a first element mounted to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a second element mounted to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation, where the axes of rotation form an angle with one another and the first and the second elements overlap in a region so that the first and the second elements enclose a diversion region. A product supplied to the diversion region can be diverted in the diversion region by rotating the first and the second elements and can exit the diversion device after having passed the diversion region due to mass inertia.

A system for transferring a first group of components of electronic cigarettes from first to second operating stations includes a flat collecting surface extending from a feeding zone to a releasing zone. A feeding device receives the components and feeds them onto the collecting surface. A first abutment element abuts the first component of the first group. A second abutment element abuts the last component of the first group. A compacting and stabilizing device moves the components closer together and stabilizes their positions. A first movement device moves the first and second abutment elements along the collecting surface to transfer the first group to the releasing zone. A tray faces the releasing zone to receive the first group. A pushing device pushes the components from the releasing zone into the tray. A transferring device transfers the tray with the first group towards the second operating station.

Buffer device for buffering containers, with an inlet, an inlet manipulator, a first buffer system, a transposition device, a second buffer system, an outlet manipulator, and an outlet, where containers can be transferred by the inlet manipulator from the inlet to the first buffer system and can be transported along a first direction in the first buffer system, where the transposition device can transfer containers from the first buffer system to the second buffer system, and the containers can be transported in the second buffer system along a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and the containers can be removed from the second buffer system by the outlet manipulator and fed to the outlet, where the buffer capacity of the buffer device is adjustable.

Apparatuses and methods herein may be configured to utilize existing high speed assembly lines with dedicated packaging apparatuses to assemble various kinds of packages of absorbent articles. Absorbent articles advancing from an assembly line are diverted before reaching a dedicated packaging apparatus. The diverted absorbent articles are transported to a selectable packaging apparatus to be placed in containers containing desired quantities and/or types of absorbent articles to create select packages. Carriers are movably connected with a track, wherein a linear synchronous motor independently moves the carriers along the track. Diverted absorbent articles are transferred to a carrier in a receiving zone, and the diverted absorbent articles are moved along the track from the receiving zone to a drop off zone. The diverted absorbent articles are then transferred from the carrier in the drop off zone to a selectable packaging apparatus.

A solid object feeder according to the present invention includes a rotary disk including a plurality of storing holes of storing solid objects, a supporting member disposed below the rotary disk, and a guide member disposed above a peripheral portion of the rotary disk. The supporting member includes a step region continuing from an upstream side to a downstream side with respect to the guide member, and another region located upstream of the step region. A gap between the supporting member and a lower surface of the rotary disk in the step region is defined so that the solid object can move a space below the guide member from the upstream side to the downstream side. The gap is larger than a gap between the supporting member and the lower surface of the rotary disk in the other region.

A selective transplanter is provided for transplanting seedlings from a tray to seedling planting apparatus. The tray includes a plurality of cells for holding plugs of growing medium containing seedlings. The transplanter is arranged to eject plugs from the cells of the tray to a conveyor which conveys the plugs to the seedling planting apparatus. The transplanter is arranged to remove plugs that do not contain germinated seedlings from the conveyor at a removal position before they are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus. A seedling retention roller engages with plant material of the seedlings projecting from the plugs at the removal position before the plugs are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus, preventing removal of plugs containing seedlings with projecting plant material. The transplanter provides the advantage that the plugs containing seedlings can be planted in rows in a field without dud plugs being planted, leaving the rows substantially gap free.

A selective transplanter is provided for transplanting seedlings from a tray to seedling planting apparatus. The tray includes a plurality of cells for holding plugs of growing medium containing seedlings. The transplanter is arranged to eject plugs from the cells of the tray to a conveyor which conveys the plugs to the seedling planting apparatus. The transplanter is arranged to remove plugs that do not contain germinated seedlings from the conveyor at a removal position before they are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus. A seedling retention roller engages with plant material of the seedlings projecting from the plugs at the removal position before the plugs are transferred to the seedling planting apparatus, preventing removal of plugs containing seedlings with projecting plant material. The transplanter provides the advantage that the plugs containing seedlings can be planted in rows in a field without dud plugs being planted, leaving the rows substantially gap free.