A method for grouping elongated products (4) wherein products (4) are delivered by a delivering conveyor device (5) and deposited onto a conveyor belt (3) with no gaps between lateral surfaces, and conveyed along a conveyor direction (F). multiple products (4) which form a product group and adjoin one another without gaps are removed from the conveyor belt (3) simultaneously using a transfer assembly (7). During removal, the transfer assembly (7) is moved along the conveyor section (S) from a starting position (24) to a removal position in the conveyor direction (F) synchronized with the conveyor belt (3) and the product group which is to be removed and which is being conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the products (4) of the product group are then aligned perpendicularly to the conveyor direction (F) simultaneously by a pivoting movement and are deposited on a shelf as a row extending along the conveyor direction (F) without gaps.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring objects comprising: an object take-off roller (10) comprising, on the periphery thereof, members (11) for individually gripping said objects, a device for rotating said object take-off roller (10)said individual gripping members being arranged in at least one ring, said apparatus comprising, for each ring, a linear actuator (13), placed in the interior volume defined by said roller, for moving an individual gripping member (11) appearing opposite this linear actuator (13) between a rest position and a gripping position in which this individual gripping member (11) extends radially, projecting from this take-off roller (10) to grip an object, the gripping position being obtained by one free mobile end of said linear actuator (13) bearing against said individual gripping member (11), said take-off roller (10) being configured to move an individual gripping member (11) in its rest position one by one in front of each linear actuator (13) as it rotates. According to the inventionthe free end of said linear actuator (13) being mobile between a folded position and a deployed position in which this free end is in contact with an individual gripping member (11), this linear actuator (13) is rotationally mobile between at least an engaged position and a disengaged position such that, with the free end of said linear actuator (13) being in its deployed position or in an intermediate position between its deployed position and its folded position, said linear actuator (13) is freely moved from its engaged position to its disengaged position when it comes into contact with another individual gripping member (11), in its rest position, carried by said rotating take-off roller (10), said disengaged position corresponding to a position in which said actuator is spaced apart from said individual gripping members, said assembly comprising a return member (15) to return said actuator from its disengaged position to its engaged position when the free end of said actuator is in its folded position or in an intermediate position not able to interact with an individual gripping member (11) in its rest position.

An imaging system is configured to capture images of both obverse and reverse sides of a collectible item using a single image captured by a single camera. The reflective faces of two flat mirrors are positioned at a 90-degree angle, and a collectible item is positioned and secured between the mirrors such that parallel faces of the item or its case are oriented at a 45-degree angle between the flat mirrors. A camera is mounted to face the mirrors with its perspective being parallel to the faces of the item, looking into the mirrors. The camera can see mirrored reflections of both faces of the item simultaneously from a single perspective and can capture views of both faces in a single camera image. The single image can then be cropped and reverse-mirrored automatically or manually in software to extract images of the obverse and reverse sides of the item.

Systems and methods capable of selecting and positively grasping objects of interest within a cluttered environment are described. Some aspects of the present disclosure provide for real-time control of a robot that uses various sensors and reacts to sensor input in real time to adjust the robots path. In some embodiments, a robotic item picker includes an end effector having a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, a carriage configured to rotate about and translate along an intermediate portion of the shaft between a proximal position and a distal position, a suction device coupled to the distal end of the shaft, and a plurality of fingers spaced radially about the carriage. The robot may be a t-bot including a longitudinal member rotatable about a lengthwise axis of the longitudinal member, a carriage translatable along the lengthwise axis, and a radial member slidably mounted to the carriage. The end effector may be rotatably coupled at a distal end of the radial member.

A workpiece conveying apparatus for a pressing machine includes: a first arm supported so as to be rotatable within a substantially horizontal plane; a second arm supported on the first arm so as to be rotatable within the substantially horizontal plane; a workpiece holding device supported on a distal end side of the second arm so as to be rotatable within the substantially horizontal plane; a first arm drive mechanism configured to drive the first arm to rotate; a second arm drive mechanism configured to drive the second arm to rotate with respect to the first arm; a workpiece holding device rotation drive mechanism configured to drive the workpiece holding device to rotate with respect to the second arm; and a tilt drive mechanism configured to drive the workpiece holding device to rotate with respect to the second arm.

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.

A length adjustable arm and MEMS position detection equipment rotation test apparatus includes an extendible section and first and second rotary bodies provided at one end of a rotation device for variation of a feeding position of a first feeding component so that feeding component is capable of conducting various feeding ways. Further, a worktable is provided thereon with at least one rotation section, which has a surface on which a plurality of operation stations is mounted. As such, through circular change made by the rotation section in respect of the locations of the operation stations, an effect of effectively and efficiently burning or testing can be achieved. Further, the operation stations are provided, on a periphery thereof, with a turning section, and the turning section is operable to turn each of the operation stations in order to effectively conduct tests for various MEMS inertial components.

A system for storing and handling small piece goods is provided. The system includes a plurality of horizontal storage surfaces for storing the small piece goods and a gripper. The gripper includes a delivery table, a gripping jaw guide assembly having two gripping jaws extending over the delivery table, wherein at least one of the gripping jaws is movable in a first direction and a drive unit coupled to the gripping jaw guide assembly and configured to move the gripping jaw guide assembly in a second direction. One of the gripping jaws includes a suction device having a suction surface and an adhesive element adjacent to the suction surface, the adhesive element having an increased adhesive friction coefficient compared to a surface of the gripping jaw, wherein the suction device is configured to apply a vacuum. A picking device for small piece goods is also provided.

Methods and apparatus for picking items. Item picking devices are operably positioned on a rotatable frame portion so that they move in a rotary motion to pick items from a conveyor belt or other area as required. By moving item picking devices in a rotary motion in proximity to a conveyor belt or other area, embodiments of the present invention can more efficiently pick and place items for packaging, processing, shipment, or for further use and without being limited by space constraints.

Techniques for product-stacking and case-packing are particularly adapted for product that is packaged in envelopes or flexibly-sided containers. Such products include may different types, such as foodstuffs, books, boxed goods, etc. In an example, a product-stacking and case-packing system may include a product-stacking assembly and a case-packing assembly. In the example, the product-stacking assembly may be configured with a plurality of pairs of flights, each pair of flights programmed to move according to operation of an associated pair servo motors, and programmed to receive and down-stack incoming product items into groups. In the example, the case-packing assembly may include a robotic arm and end-of-arm tool configured to grasp one or more groups of stacked product items, when pushed from the product-stacking assembly, and place each group of stacked product items in a case (e.g., a cardboard box).