A linear drive transport system includes a plurality of fixed tracks and a junction track disposed on a conveyor configured to align the junction track with each of the plurality of fixed tracks. The plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track include one of electromagnetic coils or permanent magnets arranged in series along the respective plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track. In addition, the linear drive transport system includes a plurality of movers configured to move along the fixed tracks and configured to transition between each of the plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track when aligned, wherein the movers comprise the other of the electromagnetic coils or the permanent magnets.

A conveyor for transporting a board along a path in a transport direction has an upstream section, a downstream section aligned with the upstream section and defining therewith a horizontal support plane, and a center section between the upstream and downstream sections. The center section is movable from a pass-through position aligned and level with the upstream and downstream sections to an offset position spaced therefrom horizontally or vertically. A platform underneath the center section is moveable vertically, and a lift moves the platform vertically between upper and lower positions. Hooks or grab can, when the center section is in the offset position and the platform is in the lower position, either pull a board off the platform and onto the downstream section or guide and deposit a board from the upstream section onto the platform.

An auxiliary conveyor, which is connected with a main conveyor including at least two conveying paths, the auxiliary conveyor including a conveying part configured to receive a load from one of the at least two conveying paths and convey the load through the other of the at least two conveying paths; and a driving part connected with the conveying part and configured to drive the conveying part to move from one of the at least two conveying paths to the other of the at least two conveying paths.

Device for lifting an article from a roller conveyor having a fork that can be raised and lowered, and having a plurality of spaced-apart elongate tines which, in the lowered position, move with the tines between or below the rollers of the roller conveyor in order to lift one or a plurality of articles from the rollers as the fork is being raised into the raised position with the tines, where the tines form a carrier surface for the article and the tines can be expanded in the direction transverse to the longitudinal extension thereof in order to form an expanded carrier surface.

A description of a continuous conveyor is provided. The continuous conveyor includes a front segment, a central segment and a rear segment. At least the central segment has a conveying device for conveying objects and at least one height-adjustment device for adjusting the height of at least the conveying device from at least one lower, use position for conveying objects into an upper position. In a conveying position, the front segment, the conveying device of the central segment and the rear segment are arranged one behind the other in at least one conveying direction. Provision is made for a free space beneath the conveying device of the central segment in the upper position. The free space has a height of at least 160 cm, a width of at least 70 cm, and a depth corresponding to the width of the conveying device of the central segment.

A linear drive transport system includes a plurality of fixed tracks and a junction track disposed on a conveyor configured to align the junction track with each of the plurality of fixed tracks. The plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track include one of electromagnetic coils or permanent magnets arranged in series along the respective plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track. In addition, the linear drive transport system includes a plurality of movers configured to move along the fixed tracks and configured to transition between each of the plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track when aligned, wherein the movers comprise the other of the electromagnetic coils or the permanent magnets.

An article conveying device 4 includes a movable conveyer 12 for conveying a culture vessel 3 (article) and longitudinal mover 13b for moving the movable conveyer 21, and a conveyer driving motor 14 is provided separately from the movable conveyer 12, and a driving magnet MA rotated by a driving shaft 32 driven by the conveyer driving motor 14 and a driven magnet MB provided on the movable conveyer 12 and connected to the driving magnet MA by a magnetic force in a non-contact manner are provided. A plurality of the driven magnets MB is provided along a moving direction of the movable conveyer 12 by the longitudinal mover 13b, and an interval between the plurality of the driven magnets MB is matched with a moving distance of the movable conveyer 12 by the longitudinal mover 13b.

The lifting and lowering apparatus includes a plurality of shelf members 6 and 7 and a lifting and lowering mechanism 8. The shelf members 6 and 7 respectively include placing tables A and B positioned on different heights, and each placing table is provided with a conveying unit 10. The shelf members 6 and 7 are lifted and lowered by the lifting and lowering mechanism 8, whereby the placing table A (B) of the shelf member 6 (7) which is one of the shelf members 6 and 7 is adjusted to be on the same height as the placing table B (A) of the other shelf member 7 (6), and with this state, an object is transferred from the placing table of one of the shelf members to the placing table of the other shelf member. The shelf members 6 and 7 are again lifted and lowered to adjust the placing table B (A) of the other shelf member 7 (6) to be on the same height as the placing table A (B) which belongs to the shelf member 6 (7) and which is positioned on a different height, returns the object to the shelf member 6 (7), and transfers the object to the placing table A (B) which is positioned on a different height from the previous placing table A (B).

A sorting installation sorts objects and contains a sorter for conveying objects and also an end station facility accepting objects. The sorter is configured to bring at least a few of the objects conveyed on the sorter in an object introduction direction, which is different from a local direction of object conveyance of the sorter in an area of the sorter adjoining the end station facility, into the end station facility. In order to make possible a fine distribution of the objects that is favorable in terms of the effort involved, the end station facility has a first object store, a second object store and also a transport facility. The transport facility is configured to transport the objects brought by the sorter into the end station facility optionally along a first transport path to the first object store or along a second transport path to the second object store.

Present embodiments include a linear drive transport system. The system includes a plurality of fixed tracks and a junction track disposed on a conveyor configured to align the junction track with each of the plurality of fixed tracks. The plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track include one of electromagnetic coils or permanent magnets arranged in series along the respective plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track. Further, present embodiments include a plurality of movers configured to move along the fixed tracks and configured to transition between each of the plurality of fixed tracks and the junction track when aligned, wherein the movers comprise the other of the electromagnetic coils or the permanent magnets.