A system for controlling a flow of articles includes a conveyor driven in a direction to convey articles in the direction. A plurality of lanes are disposed along a portion of the conveyor. Each lane accepts a row of articles along the conveyor direction. A plurality of sensors count the articles in each lane. A plurality of actuators control the flow rates of the articles by comparing and adjusting the flow rates in respective lanes.

A transporter transfers a target object to and from a roller conveyor including a plurality of rollers and a support frame. The transporter includes a holder including a support, a restrictor that restricts movement of the target object in a transport direction, and an open-close assembly that opens and closes the restrictor. The open-close assembly includes a movable member and a linkage. The support includes an insert portion placeable, with the holder at a first position, below a transport surface of the roller conveyor through a roller clearance. The movable member is pressed upward by the support to enter a pressed state in response to the holder being lowered from a second position to the first position and is released from pressure from the support frame to enter a released state in response to the holder being raised from the first position to the second position.

An apparatus for controlling movement of an object on a conveyor include a main body located beneath the conveyor and having a first end and a second end. A handle is connected to the second end of the main body. A stopper extends from the first end of the main body, wherein the stopper includes a thickness that is less than a width of a gap between two adjacent rollers of the conveyor. The apparatus is configured to be rotated around a longitudinal axis of the main body between a first position and a second position. In the first position the handle prevents the object from moving on the conveyor and in the second position the stopper prevents the object from moving on the conveyor.

A board feeder apparatus for a board conveying system that typically includes an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor having a downstream end, and an upstream end overlapping with the board feeder apparatus which comprises an infeed end and an outfeed end, and an intermediate conveyance means for conveying boards transversely to the flow path essentially in edge-to-edge abutment of adjacent board trailing edges against subsequent board leading edges. Preferably the feeder apparatus further includes at least one cam wheel, each connected to a first drive shaft and having a circumferential edge defining a plurality of lobes. It also includes at least one acceleration wheel, each connected to the first drive shaft and having a circumference larger than that of said lobes. Also included is at least one first pivot-arm, each comprising a stop-end and a cam roller rollable atop the circumference of the lobes in accordance with rotation of the cam wheel by the drive shaft, said stop-end pivoting from a lowermost position below the bottom surface of the leading board and an uppermost position wherein the stop-end stops passage of the leading board onto the acceleration wheel. Also included is at least one biasing means of biasing the respective roller downwardly against the circumference of the cam wheel. During conveyance of boards down the board feeder apparatus, the stop-end in its uppermost position stops passage of the leading board until rotation of the drive shaft rotates the cam wheel and pivots the stop-end to its lowermost position so the conveyance means feeds the leading edge of the leading board onto the acceleration wheel, which pulls the leading board onto the outfeed conveyor. Ideally each stop end includes a roller reducing the friction with the underside of the leading board during pivoting, so conveyance to the acceleration wheel begins earlier (as the stop-end commences downward pivoting) and continues better even while the stop end pivots back upwardly and contacts the trailing portion of the departing leading board.

This application relates to a delivery apparatus and an automated assembly line. The delivery apparatus may include: a delivery assembly including a delivery guide rail and a delivery tool, where the delivery tool may be slidably disposed on the delivery guide rail; a docking assembly including a docking drive structure and a docking guide rail, where the docking drive structure may be configured to drive the docking guide rail to move relative to the delivery guide rail so that the docking guide rail is able to dock with the delivery guide rail; and a blocking assembly configured to block the delivery tool on the delivery guide rail before the docking guide rail docks with the delivery guide rail for receiving the delivery tool.

A pallet conveying module, including a support structure on which there is arranged a rolling travel track configured to displace the pallets, and a retaining system to stop the pallet on said track. The retaining system comprises a first non-motorized mechanically operated braking device having a retractable region that rotates with respect to an shaft with a stop projection provided to abut with support legs of the pallet to be stopped, such that in a standby position, the retractable region is on an inclined plane with respect to the horizontal plane, while in a stop position the stop projection is in contact against a leg of the pallet; and a second motor operated braking device, located prior to the first mechanically operated braking device, which has a cam system defined by first and second retractable stops located in different positions.

A container rack latch system is provided that can retain and index containers into and within a rack. The container rack latch system can include a container supporting surface, a first gate at a proximal end of the system and a second gate spaced from the proximal end of the system. The gates can be configured to operate in an extended orientation to prevent transfer of a container positioned on the container supporting surface into or out of the rack. The gates can be configured to operate in a retracted orientation to permit transfer of a container out of the rack or transfer further into the rack and beyond the spaced gates. The container rack latch system can be a part of a container transfer system that can include a container transfer carriage for moving containers into and away from the supporting surface of the container rack latch system.

Stop device (1) for a conveyor system (40) where objects (43) are conveyed on a conveyor (41), where the stop device (1) comprises a housing (2), an actuator element (3) having a stop surface (12), and an electric motor (4) operably connected to the actuator element (3) such that the electric motor (4) can control the position of the actuator element (3), where the stop device comprises a stop position (20) in which the stop device (1) will hold an object (43) in a fixed position by the stop surface (12), and a bypass position (22) in which the stop surface (12) is positioned outside of a contact plane (42; 96) of the object (43) such that the object (43) can pass the stop device (1), where the actuator element (3) is provided with a braking surface (13), where the stop device (1) comprises a braking position (21) in which the braking surface (13) is positioned in the contact plane (42; 96) such that the object (43) will bear against the braking surface (13) and such that the speed of an object (43) will slow down from a first speed to a standstill, and where the electric motor (4) can move the actuator element (3) between the stop position (20), the braking position (21) and the bypass position (22). The advantage of the invention is that a reliable and cost-effective stop device comprising a brake function for an object such as a product or a pallet conveyed in a conveyor system is provided. The application also includes a conveyor system comprising a stop device.

Method and device (1) for separating parts (2), for example rotationally symmetrical closures, containers and/or preforms, the device comprising a transport apparatus (10) by means of which the parts (2) to be conveyed are able to be conveyed to, through or out of the device (1) along a transport path (16) in a transport direction (11), the transport apparatus (10) having at least one transport means (12) for transporting the parts (2) in one row and an accumulation section (13); and a blocking assembly (20) comprising at least one blocking element (20.1; 20.2) which is in the form of a rocker and the length of which extends in the transport direction (11), which blocking element defines a range of action W for the parts (2). The device (1) further comprises an actuator (30). The actuator (30) is designed to pivot the at least one blocking element (20.1; 20.2) into a first position in which a part (2.1) advancing into the range of action W is held back, and to pivot said at least one blocking element from the first position into a second position in which the advancing part (2.1) is able to be received within the range of action W.