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.

Device and a corresponding method for orienting containers having a noncircular cross-section, in particular bottles, which are transported along a transport path by way of neck handling, the device including at least one rotary device arranged along the transport path, the rotary device being stationary and including one or more stationary resilient rotary elements which are suitable for orienting a container in a specified direction.

A wood board feeding system for positioning in a parallel orientation longitudinal pieces of lumber. It comprises a feeding conveyor assembly configured to receive and convey the longitudinal pieces of lumber over a conveying area in a conveying direction. The feeding conveyor assembly comprises a first conveyor sub-assembly and a second conveyor sub-assembly, both comprising a conveyor for conveying the longitudinal pieces of lumber about one of their ends and a motor driving the conveyor at a conveying speed. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are disposed side-by-side with respect to the conveying direction, thereby the first conveyor sub-assembly and the second conveyor sub-assembly position a respective one of the two opposite ends of the longitudinal pieces of lumber.

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.

A method of rotating a sample container carrier on a transport plane of a laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The sample container carrier is rotated by using a movement relative to a number of rotator elements. A laboratory sample distribution system being able to perform such a method and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are also presented

A depalletization device (1) that is able to disassemble a pallet (2) that is made up of at least a number of layers (3), includes: a loading/unloading device (6), which is able to separate and extract a layer (3) from the pallet (2); a first conveyor (7) that can be supplied with the layer (3) that is separated from the pallet (2) and is able to move the layer (3) forward; the depalletization device (1) also includes: a second conveyor (10), which can be fed from the first conveyor (7) with an entire layer (3); a pair of third conveyors (11a, 11b) that are able to receive, one or the other alternatingly, the entire layer (3); and actuator elements (14) that can be controlled to transfer the entire layer (3) from the second conveyor (10) to either of the third conveyors (11a, 11b).

An apparatus and a method for conveying preforms, to a blow molding machine. The apparatus includes a conveying device which conveys preforms away from a supply of preforms, a feeding device that receives preforms from the conveying device, and a sorting device that sorts the preforms and conveys them in a direction of travel. The conveying device ends above the sorting device. The inlet end of the feeding device has a holding zone which the preforms reach as they arrive from the conveying device, and the discharge end of the feeding device has a transfer zone via which the preforms reach the sorting device. The feeding device has an orienting zone with an orienting device designed so that the flow of preforms is oriented in the direction of the flow of the preforms in the sorting device (direction of travel), and the oriented preforms run through the transfer zone.

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).

Apparatus for orienting objects, including a conveying apparatus, wherein the conveying apparatus has an inlet for receiving the objects and an outlet and is configured to convey the objects in a conveying direction. In this case, the conveying apparatus has an orienting apparatus which at least partially extends along the conveying direction. The orienting apparatus has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are arranged next to one another along the conveying direction, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is configured as an aero surface, and wherein the objects are subjected to a different acceleration/braking action by the first portion and the second portion for orientation purposes.

An alignment station and a method of operating the alignment station allows for rotation of slices such as slices of meat or cheese. The alignment station comprises a conveyor which comprises a plurality of closed loop elements, a first roll unit and a second roll unit. The slice is supported on a first loop section of the plurality of closed loop elements. To reduce problems that may occur during rotation of the slice, said slice is subjected to vibration in the first loop section.