A conveyor apparatus that conveys articles supported by a plurality of arranged article supports. The conveyor apparatus including infilling members, being disposed between the article supports. In one embodiment, an infill plate serving as the infilling member is urged to a tray by springs, so that the infill plate is kept in contact with the tray.

A conveyor device for conveying articles includes: travel units, trays provided for the respective travel units, and infill plates, each covering a clearance left between the trays. A swing bar supports the infill plate so as to vertically swing the infill plate and is provided at a position shifted by a predetermined distance L in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the travel unit from the position of a coupler connecting the travel unit supporting a plate-tilting shaft and the travel unit traveling ahead, the plate-tilting shaft supporting the infill plate so as to laterally tilt the infill plate.

A conveyor device for conveying articles includes: travel units, trays provided for the respective travel units, and infill plates, each covering a clearance left between the trays. A swing bar supports the infill plate so as to vertically swing the infill plate and is provided at a position shifted by a predetermined distance L in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the travel unit from the position of a coupler connecting the travel unit supporting a plate-tilting shaft and the travel unit traveling ahead, the plate-tilting shaft supporting the infill plate so as to laterally tilt the infill plate.

A dual-sloping carousel is disclosed. According to the present invention, the carousel comprises forward-sloping and reverse-sloping sections, so as to reduce the risk of falling baggage, thereby preventing the baggage from being damaged.

The invention relates to a tipping actuator for a conveyor system that comprises a plurality of article carriers moving on an endless conveyor in a conveying direction, each article carrier having a carrier frame for bearing an article, the carrier frame being pivotally mounted on the article carrier and operable to tip to enable discharge of the article borne on the carrier frame. The tipping actuator comprises a trigger member for contacting the article carriers to tip them and is configured such that, when in a non-contact position, the article carriers are able to at least partly tip towards the trigger member such that the contact portion of the trigger member is received by a portion of the article carrier. In another embodiment, a contact portion of the trigger is sloped with two different gradients. An electromagnet may be used to cause actuation of the trigger. The tipping actuator may be able to allow tipping in opposite directions of adjacent carriers, for example in some embodiments the trigger may be formed of upstream and downstream parts.

A sorting conveyor for transporting objects and unloading objects at one or more unloading stations adjacent the conveyor. The sorting conveyor includes a conveyor track and a train of conveyor carts connected end-to-end. At least one of the conveyor carts may include a frame base for engaging the conveyer track; a conveyor surface for holding the objects; and a conveyor support for supporting the conveyor surface above the frame base. A wear guard associated with the axle support prevents track wear. A track wear prevention system includes a wear guard and a height detection module. Systems and methods for track wear prevention are also disclosed.

A multi-level sorting system may include a multi-level structure comprising: a plurality of chutes; a plurality of distribution floors, to deliver items for distribution to any of a plurality of unique address bins, each of the distribution floors located at a different level and comprising a network of lanes for independently operating a plurality of transporter carts on the network of lanes. The network of lanes of each of the floors includes a feeding lane to transport the items for distribution to at least one loading lane; a plurality of automated inductors along said at least one loading lane, to pick one of the items and load that item onto one of the transport carts; and a plurality of unloading lanes with unique unloading positions arranged so that unique unloading positions that are located at different floors and that are assigned to a single unique address bin, are each substantially aligned with an inlet of a shared chute of the plurality of chutes.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be processed from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for redistribution on the conveying system, and a movement redistribution system for redistributing the certain selected objects on the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects

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.

The invention relates to a conveying system (1) for conveying items (2.1, 2.2) to be conveyed. The conveying system (1) comprises a conveying path (30) and at least one first conveying means (6) that can move along the conveying path (30) and is designed to convey a first item (2.1) to be conveyed. The conveying system (1) also comprises at least one second conveying means (7) which can move along the conveying path (30) along with the first conveying means (6) and which is designed to convey a second item (2.2) to be conveyed that is of a different type than the first item (2.1).