A mechanical linkage system is provided to facilitate controlled tilting of a tray mounted on a carrier in a product sortation system. A pair of rotatable tilt plates are disposed between a pair of base plates and support the tray. A rotatable pivot bar is disposed between the base plates. A pair of linkage mechanisms are configured to tilt the tray in opposite directions. Each linkage mechanism includes a link pivotally connected at one end to the pivot bar, a pivot arm, and a cam follower. The pivot arm has a pivot joint connected to another end of the link, a cam joint where the cam follower is located, and a rotary joint where the pivot arm is rotatably connected to one of the base plates. The cam follower is situated in a track formed in one of the tilt plates. During operation, a pivoting of the pivot bar is transformed by the linkage mechanism into a rotation of the tilt plate, which is induced by the cam follower traveling through the track as the pivot arm rotates.

A conveying facility with a drivable conveying member that forms a sheet-like main surface that faces the conveyed item and defines a conveying stretch. The conveying member includes at least one conveying element that forms at least a part of the main surface. The conveying member also includes rollers that, via roller holders, are rotatably mounted on the at least one conveying element about roller pivots and can selectively assume the state of a freewheel position, an arrested position or a drive position. The conveying facility also has at least one conveying container that lies on the conveying member in a connection-free manner, wherein the rollers project at least partly beyond the main surface of the conveying element so that the at least one conveying container lies on the rollers.

Provided is a sorting device, comprising a guide rail (1) and a material vehicle (2) moving on the guide rail (1). A plurality of sorting ports are disposed on both sides of the guide rail (1), and at least one electromagnet (11) is disposed at a position of the guide rail (1) corresponding to a sorting port; the material vehicle (2) includes a vehicle frame (21), a tray (22), at least one magnet (23) and at least two elastically telescopic pieces (24); the magnet (23) is disposed on a surface of the tray (22) opposite to the material loading surface, and the magnet (23) is connected to the electromagnet (11) in an attraction way; and the elastically telescopic pieces (24) are connected to the vehicle frame (21) and the tray (22), for maintaining the transportation state or resetting the tray (22) after the unloading state.

A conveying device according to the present invention includes a first connection mechanism provided on an upper surface, a base member provided on the upper surface, a sliding mechanism that relatively and slidably moves a position of the first connection mechanism on a slide axis relative to the base member, and a traveling mechanism that makes the conveying device travel. The first connection mechanism is connected with a carriage at a predetermined connection position. The sliding mechanism slidably moves the first connection mechanism between the connection position and a predetermined conveyance position spaced away from the connection position on the slide axis in a state in which the first connection mechanism is connected with the carriage. The traveling mechanism makes the conveying device travel in a state in which the first connection mechanism is positioned in the conveyance position.

Various embodiments described herein relate to a sortation conveyer system including a cart coupling assembly for coupling two adjacent carts. The cart coupling assembly includes a coupling disc having a control slot, a bearing slot, and one or more arcuately shaped mounting slots. The coupling disc is mounted on a cart such that, upon rotation of the coupling disc, a control slot cavity defined by the control slot slidably moves about a position register screw along the control slot cavity, and a cavity defined by a respective mounting slot slidably moves relative to a respective mounting pin received in the mounting slot. Cavities defined by the control slot facilitate a continual translation of a center of rotation of the coupling disc linearly, to adjust a gap between the two carts. The control slot includes position registers that restrict a sliding movement of the control slot cavity.

A space efficient automated processing system for processing objects is disclosed. The processing system includes an input conveyance system for moving objects from an input area in at least an input conveyance vector that includes an input conveyance horizontal direction component and an input conveyance vertical direction component, a perception system for receiving objects from the input conveyance system and for providing perception data regarding an object, a primary transport system for receiving the object from the perception system and for providing transport of the object along at least a primary transport vector including an primary transport horizontal component and a primary transport vertical component that is generally opposite the input conveyance horizontal direction component, and at least two secondary transport systems, each of which receives the object from the primary transport system and moves the object in either of reciprocal directions that are each generally parallel with the input conveyance horizontal direction component and the primary direction horizontal direction component.

A space efficient automated processing system for processing objects is disclosed. The processing system includes an input conveyance system for moving objects from an input area in at least an input conveyance vector that includes an input conveyance horizontal direction component and an input conveyance vertical direction component, a perception system for receiving objects from the input conveyance system and for providing perception data regarding an object, a primary transport system for receiving the object from the perception system and for providing transport of the object along at least a primary transport vector including an primary transport horizontal component and a primary transport vertical component that is generally opposite the input conveyance horizontal direction component, and at least two secondary transport systems, each of which receives the object from the primary transport system and moves the object in either of reciprocal directions.

An automated shuttle sorter is disclosed that includes a carriage that is movable from a load position at which the carriage may be loaded, and at least two destination locations into which any contents of the carriage may be provided from the carriage.

Robot includes a propulsion system configured to transport the robot and a controller in communication with the propulsion system. A material handler is carried by the robot and configured for depositing articles into one or more destination containers. The material handler has a tilt tray having sections that are configured for tilting in any number of directions relative to a vertical of the robot. Each section of the tilt tray may include a respective conveyor that moves articles at variable speed.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for helical container conveyance. In one embodiment, an example container conveyance system may include a set of rails having a first rail and a second rail, the set of rails configured to guide a container from an upright position at a first point along the set of rails to an inverted position at a second point along the set of rails. The system may include a drive mechanism configured to propel the container along the set of rails, and a conveyor disposed under a portion of the set of rails corresponding to the second point.