A robotic material handling system has a controller that positions a nose conveyor surface proximate to an article pile, uses a robotic manipulator to robotically move one or more articles per operation onto the nose conveyor from the article pile, and receives a scan of the nose conveyor surface to detect respective locations of any articles received on the nose conveyor surface. The controller determines whether the respective locations of any scanned articles prevent immediate rearward conveyance by the two or more parallel conveyors at a first speed. If so detected, the controller causes at least one of the two or more parallel conveyors to operate at the first speed and at least another one of two or more parallel conveyors to operate at a second speed that is not equal to the first speed so that cartons do not jam or overwhelm a narrower rearward conveyor.

A conveying system transports items, such as postal items, along a main conveying direction. A conveying route includes segments that are arranged one behind the other along the main conveying direction. The segments have conveyors arranged parallel to one another and the segments are offset relative to one another in a transverse direction. The conveyors are driven and activated individually by a control unit. The items are conveyed along the main conveying direction by transferring an item from a preceding segment to a following segment that is offset relative to the preceding segment and then transporting the item on the following segment. Items with small dimensions, which rest on just one conveyor can also be manipulated during the transportation.

An infeed apparatus includes an item manipulator that orients items such as cases in a desired orientation as determined by a build menu, and a row build apparatus that is synchronized with the manipulator to space items pursuant to the build menu. The manipulator uses a pusher to push items across a friction belt to thereby orient the items, and includes sensors for determining when an item is in an incorrect orientation. The row build receives items from the pusher and is selectively advanced to locate items in a desired relative orientation so that rows of items are built correctly.

A carousel for processing containers includes a base structure that can rotate about the rotation axis of the carousel and supports a plurality of supporting elements. A detection device is provided having at least one sensor that can move about the rotation axis of the carousel. The carousel further includes a plurality of kinematic connection elements arranged between the base structure and the sensor or sensors, which are adapted to couple integrally in rotation the sensor or sensors and the base structure during the movement of the sensor or sensors. The kinematic connection elements are associated with motor elements adapted to return on command the sensor or sensors from a final angular position to the initial angular position by way of an angular movement of the sensor or sensors in the opposite direction with respect to the rotation of the base structure.

A magnetic lifting device for bodies (Z) comprises an input transport device (10) for transporting lying bodies (4), a transport device (12) for transporting lifted bodies (9) hanging at the transport device (12) and arranged above the input transport device (10) and a control device (13). A first magnet arrangement (1) which is activated and deactivated by the control device (13) is arranged below the input transport device (10) in such a way that a body (4) lying on the input transport device (10) is magnetically held in a releasable way on the input transport device (10). A second magnet arrangement (2) is arranged above an area of the input transport device (10), in which the bodies are transported, and is formed in such a way that a body lying on the input transport device (10) is lifted by the magnetic field of the second magnet arrangement (10) when the magnetic field of the first magnet arrangement (1) is deactivated. A third magnet arrangement (3) is provided above the transport device (12) and is formed and arranged in such a way that a partially lifted body (4a) is lifted more and is lifted off the input transport device (10) and is transported in an upright position hanging magnetically at the transport device (12). The control device (13) is adapted to activate the first magnet arrangement (1) when a front edge of a body (4) lying on the input transport device (10) has passed the second magnet arrangement (2) and to deactivate the first magnet arrangement (1) when a trailing edge of this body (4) comes to lie below the second magnet arrangement (2).

The present invention discloses a fruit and vegetable conveyor machine having a traction cable whereon a number of rotating elements are suspended which travel along mechanised rails to determine their path. The advance of the fruits and vegetables is generated by the translation and a continuous rotation of the rotating elements that form at least one circuit associated with the traction cable, which moves defining a conveying speed of the rotating elements. The configuration of the machine enables the differentiation of an alignment area which includes corresponding opposite-facing belts, forming a V, and in movement, and an area for the inspection of the fruit or vegetable conveyed, where the rotating elements are illuminated with a colour that may be selected so as to enable the differentiation of the background image from the product.

An infeed apparatus includes an item manipulator that orients items such as cases in a desired orientation as determined by a build menu, and a row build apparatus that is synchronized with the manipulator to space items pursuant to the build menu. The manipulator uses a pusher to push items across a friction belt to thereby orient the items, and includes sensors for determining when an item is in an incorrect orientation. The row build receives items from the pusher and is selectively advanced to locate items in a desired relative orientation so that rows of items are built correctly.

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.

In a method for conveying a succession of flat objects in a longitudinal direction, each object is pivoted while being conveyed at a first longitudinal displacement speed (V1) during the pivoting phase in a pivoting zone. Each flat object is conveyed at a second longitudinal displacement speed (V2) in a second zone adjacent to the pivoting zone, the second speed being different from the first speed. This sets spacing between objects in the zones before and after the pivoting zone.

A carousel for processing containers includes a base structure that can rotate about the rotation axis of the carousel and supports a plurality of supporting elements. A detection device is provided having at least one sensor that can move about the rotation axis of the carousel. The carousel further includes a plurality of kinematic connection elements arranged between the base structure and the sensor or sensors, which are adapted to couple integrally in rotation the sensor or sensors and the base structure during the movement of the sensor or sensors. The kinematic connection elements are associated with motor elements adapted to return on command the sensor or sensors from a final angular position to the initial angular position by way of an angular movement of the sensor or sensors in the opposite direction with respect to the rotation of the base structure.