Articles are transferred from an article supply conveyor to an article receiving conveyor while the transferring articles are selectively reoriented. When the conveyors are in parallel, a travelling article reorienting turret seeks articles following an article absence or hole on the supply conveyor and transfers the following article to a next-in-line position on the receiving conveyor to cure or avoid holes of articles on the receiving conveyor.

An apparatus for reorienting and/or stacking products includes a frame and a telescopic infeed associated with the frame. The telescopic infeed has a receiving end and a transfer end. The transfer end is disposed at a first elevation and moveable in a machine direction and in a reverse machine direction. The telescopic infeed advances one or more products in the machine direction; and a landing surface receives the one or more products. The landing surface is disposed in a landing region proximate to the transfer end and at a second elevation. The first elevation is higher than the second elevation. A deflector is operatively engageable with the transfer end, such that the deflector is capable of deflecting a leading end of at least one of the one of more products.

An apparatus for reorienting and/or stacking products includes a frame and a telescopic infeed associated with the frame. The telescopic infeed has a receiving end and a transfer end. The transfer end is disposed at a first elevation and moveable in a machine direction and in a reverse machine direction. The telescopic infeed advances one or more products in the machine direction; and a landing surface receives the one or more products. The landing surface is disposed in a landing region proximate to the transfer end and at a second elevation. The first elevation is higher than the second elevation. A deflector is operatively engageable with the transfer end, such that the deflector is capable of deflecting a leading end of at least one of the one of more products.

The module (3) comprises a frame having vertical pillars (30A, 30B), a rotary turnover structure (4) arranged horizontally between the vertical pillars and comprising rotation shafts (400A) supported by bearings (300A) with which the vertical pillars are respectively equipped. A motor (303B) applies a first mechanical torque to one of the rotation shafts when a folding package turnover is ordered in the machine. The module also comprises additional means (5) for applying a second mechanical torque to the other rotation shaft upon a folding package turnover.

The module (3) comprises a frame having vertical pillars (30A, 30B), a rotary turnover structure (4) arranged horizontally between the vertical pillars and comprising rotation shafts (400A) supported by bearings (300A) with which the vertical pillars are respectively equipped. A motor (303B) applies a first mechanical torque to one of the rotation shafts when a folding package turnover is ordered in the machine. The module also comprises additional means (5) for applying a second mechanical torque to the other rotation shaft upon a folding package turnover.

An apparatus for handling three-dimensionally curved snack food chips. The apparatus includes a first conveyor for conveying a series of the snack food chips on a conveying surface and an inverting station located at an output end of the first conveyor. The inverting station includes an inverter configured for transferring the snack food chips from an output end of the first conveyor into contact with an internal concave surface of the inverter. A drive system for the inverter is configured to move the internal concave surface downwardly to cause movement of the snack food chips downward from an upper portion to a lower portion of the internal concave surface. A depositing station is located and configured for depositing the snack food chips from the lower portion of the internal concave surface onto a second conveyor configured for receiving snack food chips from the depositing station and conveying them away.

A method includes issuing a state change fluid into an internal passage of an additively manufactured article and causing the state change fluid to change from a first state having a first viscosity to a second state that is either solid or has a second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity within the internal passage. The method can also include causing the state change fluid to change back from the second state to the first state and flushing the state change fluid from the internal passage to remove residual powder from the additively manufactured article.

A method includes issuing a state change fluid into an internal passage of an additively manufactured article and causing the state change fluid to change from a first state having a first viscosity to a second state that is either solid or has a second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity within the internal passage. The method can also include causing the state change fluid to change back from the second state to the first state and flushing the state change fluid from the internal passage to remove residual powder from the additively manufactured article.

A separator placer assembly is used with a lumber stacker, which creates a stack of lumber, includes a frame, a separator transfer assembly, and a plurality of transfer arm assemblies. The separator transfer assembly includes a continuous loop chain, preferably a plurality of continuous loop chains, with upper and lower reaches mounted to the frame. Separators are transferred to lugs on the chain at a first position along the lower reach. The plurality of transfer arm assemblies, each with first and second arms, is mounted to the frame beneath the lower reach at a transfer position downstream of the first position. A separator supported by the lugs is removed from the lugs by the arms and released onto the stack of lumber.

A separator placer assembly is used with a lumber stacker, which creates a stack of lumber, includes a frame, a separator transfer assembly, and a plurality of transfer arm assemblies. The separator transfer assembly includes a continuous loop chain, preferably a plurality of continuous loop chains, with upper and lower reaches mounted to the frame. Separators are transferred to lugs on the chain at a first position along the lower reach. The plurality of transfer arm assemblies, each with first and second arms, is mounted to the frame beneath the lower reach at a transfer position downstream of the first position. A separator supported by the lugs is removed from the lugs by the arms and released onto the stack of lumber.