A machine for orienting and aligning items supplied in bulk, comprising a first conveyor (10) having a feeder section (11), a collection section (12) and a return section (13); a second conveyor (20); a detection system (30); and a plurality of transfer robots (40) for transferring items from the first conveyor onto the second conveyor, modifying the orientation thereof, where the feeder section is supplied with objects by a feeder device for items in bulk, including a circular centrifugal disc (50) that rotates around an inclined axis (E), with an upper peripheral area (51) adjacent to and substantially at the same level as the feeder section (11), and where the return section (13) is adjacent to the receptacle (50, 53) of the feeder of items in bulk.

The invention relates to a transport device (1) and a method for distributing a plurality of similarly shaped and dimensioned articles (10).

The transport device (1) comprises an infeed (2) for conveying a plurality of similarly shaped and dimensioned articles (10) in a mass flow; a distribution section (3) downstream of the infeed (2), which distribution section (3), in the conveying direction (FR) of the articles (10), leads into a row transport (4), in which distribution section (3) the articles (10) are conveyed onwards or transported away in at least two separate parallel rows (5).

The transport device (1) also comprises at least one sensor device (6, 8, 11) for detecting and monitoring the mass flow within the infeed (2), within the distribution section (3) or within the rows (5), which at least one sensor device (6, 8, 11) is signal-coupled to a motor-driven actuator (14), which actuator (14) is assigned to the distribution section (3) for influencing a transverse distribution of the articles (10); wherein, in the event of detected gaps, interruptions or in the event of a detected termination of the article flow within the infeed (2) or within the distribution section (3) or within the rows (5), the actuator (14) moves a movable steering device (16), which steering device (16) is adjoining the article flow at least on one side.

A rubber plug supply apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a supply device 20, a sensor 32, an orientation correction device 40, and an accommodation assistance device 107. The supply device 20 includes an accommodation portion 21 accommodating a rubber plug 5 and a discharge port 22b, from which the rubber plug 5 is discharged. The sensor 32 detects the orientation of the rubber plug 5 supplied by the supply device 20. The orientation correction device 40 includes an accommodation hole 51 accommodating the rubber plug 5, and changes the orientation of the rubber plug 5 to a predetermined orientation in the case where the orientation of the rubber plug 5 detected by the sensor 32 is different from the predetermined orientation. The accommodation assistance device 107 moves one of, or both of, the accommodation hole 51 and the discharge port 22b to move the position of the accommodation hole 51 with respect to the discharge port 22b at least between a first position P1 directly facing the discharge port 22b and a second position P2 shifted from the first position P1 and facing a part of the discharge port 22b.

A rubber plug supply apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a supply device 20, a sensor 32, an orientation correction device 40, and an accommodation assistance device 107. The supply device 20 includes an accommodation portion 21 accommodating a rubber plug 5 and a discharge port 22b, from which the rubber plug 5 is discharged. The sensor 32 detects the orientation of the rubber plug 5 supplied by the supply device 20. The orientation correction device 40 includes an accommodation hole 51 accommodating the rubber plug 5, and changes the orientation of the rubber plug 5 to a predetermined orientation in the case where the orientation of the rubber plug 5 detected by the sensor 32 is different from the predetermined orientation. The accommodation assistance device 107 moves one of, or both of, the accommodation hole 51 and the discharge port 22b to move the position of the accommodation hole 51 with respect to the discharge port 22b at least between a first position P1 directly facing the discharge port 22b and a second position P2 shifted from the first position P1 and facing a part of the discharge port 22b.

The present application discloses a method, system, and computer system for controlling a gating structure to mediate a flow of items an input source to a pick area. The system includes: (i) the gating structure, which is configured to use a plurality of gate elements to mediate a flow of items from the input source to the pick area, (ii) a sensor configured to provide a sensor output associated with the pick area, and (iii) a processor configured to provide a control input to the gating structure to adjust a configuration of one or more of the plurality of gating elements based at least in part on the sensor output. The sensor output comprises the sensor output comprises one or more of a flow rate, a number, and an orientation of objects in an area associated with picking of objects by one or more robots. The control input is determined based at least in part on one or more of the flow rate, the number, and the orientation of objects in the area associated with picking of objects by one or more robots.

According to one method, bulk materials are conveyed in a metered quantity on at least one plate element and are lifted up from the plate element in order to organize the bulk materials by a movement oriented approximately perpendicularly to the plate element. The plate element is moved up and down at least transversely to the plate element support surface by at least one pulse, preferably two successive pulses, such that the bulk materials located on the plate element are lifted up from the plate element for a short time during each pulse, thus allowing an efficient and highly productive conveyance of the bulk materials.

According to one method, bulk materials are conveyed in a metered quantity on at least one plate element and are lifted up from the plate element in order to organize the bulk materials by a movement oriented approximately perpendicularly to the plate element. The plate element is moved up and down at least transversely to the plate element support surface by at least one pulse, preferably two successive pulses, such that the bulk materials located on the plate element are lifted up from the plate element for a short time during each pulse, thus allowing an efficient and highly productive conveyance of the bulk materials.

The invention relates to a container-positioning device and a positioning machine supporting same. The device can be used with containers that have a neck and a mouth. It comprises a funnel (4) whose edges are made up of: A first curved, stationary plate (5), the center of which is oriented towards the inside of the funnel (4). A second plate (6), opposite the former and movable in the horizontal direction, and which has an upper section (61), with a retractable orienting device (11). The upper section (61) is movable relative to a lower section (62), between: a first end at which it is aligned with the lower section (62) or closer to the first plate (5) than the lower section (62); and a second end at which the upper section (61) is farther from the first plate (5); a third flat plate (9) movable in a direction perpendicular to the opening (1).

Objects in a stream in a duct are singulated and oriented by rotating at least some so that the orientations of all aligned. In one arrangement a slot is provided in the singulation duct into which the shank falls while the head remains in the singulation duct. In another arrangement there is provided a buffering device and a transfer member for transferring the singulated oriented objects from the buffering device to an operating location. In another arrangement a first path changes the orientation of relative to the second path. The objects can be fed from a singulation duct to a supply duct having an exit mouth lying on a rotation axis of the singulation duct.

A molding system includes a frame device, a scooping device, a demolding device, a cutting device, an inspection device, a packaging device, and a conveying device. The frame device defines a scooping zone, a hot pressing zone, a cutting zone, an inspection zone, and a packaging zone. The scooping device includes a pulp tank that is adapted to contain a slurry, and a scooping mold that is adapted to scoop the slurry such that the slurry forms a blank unit thereon. The cutting device is adapted to cut the blank unit into a plurality of blank bodies. The conveying device is adapted to convey the blank bodies from the cutting zone to the packaging zone through the inspection zone.