A compact collator for sorting and collating product containers includes a laner, a pattern conveyor, a cross-pusher assembly and a plurality of interchangeable inserts. The laner has a first movable conveyor for conveying product containers through the laner, and defines an infeed area. The pattern conveyor has a second movable conveyor positioned down-stream from the infeed area and off-set 90 degrees from the first moveable conveyor. The cross-pusher assembly includes a cross-pusher arm that the interchangeable inserts are configured to be engaged to. Each insert defines a unique face contour that corresponds to the profile shape of at least one type of product container.

An apparatus for grouped take-up and feeding of a container-group of containers to a cyclical processing machine having a cyclical take-up device for taking up the group of containers includes an intake, a feed, and a transfer apparatus arranged in a transfer region between the intake and the take-up device. The intake forms a closed conveyor section that comprises a linear section, a conveyor, and carrying-and-holding elements that convey containers in a continuous container stream along the conveyor section. The feed uses mechanical propulsion to convey suspended containers to individually transfer the suspended containers to the carrying-and-holding elements. The transfer apparatus has rotatable grippers for taking up a container group from the container stream and after having taken up the group of containers, feeding the group of containers to the cyclical take-up device.

A can body loader assembly includes a turret starwheel having asymmetrical pockets and a vacuum belt that provides a precise pitch dimension between adjacent cans.

A system for interfacing between different types of conveyors is disclosed. The conveyor systems comprise a first serial conveyor system using a sequence of object carriers configured to transport a continuous serial stream of objects, and a parallel conveyor system configured to simultaneously transport one or more arrays of objects. A first accumulator unit can be used to accumulate a batch of the object carriers of the first serial conveyor system. Each of the object carriers can carry an object of the continuous serial stream of objects for accumulating a batch of the objects therein. Two or more first movable trays, each configured to receive an array of the objects from the batch of objects accumulated in the first accumulator unit, can be used to transfer the received array of objects to the parallel conveyor system, and load the objects thereby carried onto grippers of the parallel conveyor system.

The present invention relates to a conveyor device, comprising a surface for receiving products that is longitudinally wound around drive means in the form of at least one first drive roller and around at least one return roller, characterized in that said receiving surface comprises a first independent section and a second independent section, said first section extending along a first part of the length of said surface, by winding around said first drive roller and around said return roller, said second section extending along a second part of the length of said surface, distinct from said first part, by winding around a second drive roller. The invention further relates to a dedicated method for conveying products, where the advancing speeds of the sections are controlled independently of each other.

A storage apparatus for transport goods includes a first conveyor, a second conveyor and a deflecting mechanism for deflecting transport goods conveyed by the first conveyor onto the second conveyor. A motor configuration is provided for motorized driving of the first conveyor and/or the second conveyor. A step is provided over which the transport goods are conveyed. The storage apparatus is configured to vertically compress the transport goods with the aid of the step. A method for storing transport goods, in particular packages, is also provided.

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).

The present invention relates to a method for transferring products from an accumulation surface to an outlet conveyor configured to convey products in a longitudinal direction using an intermediate conveyor arranged between, and flush with, said accumulation surface and said outlet conveyor, and a pushing device the method comprises decelerating the intermediate conveyor and transferring the products between the accumulation surface and the intermediate conveyor by said pushing device and accelerating the intermediate conveyor end transferring the products from the intermediate conveyor to the outlet conveyor. The present invention also relates to a device for transferring products from an accumulation surface to an outlet conveyor, in particular one that is capable of carrying out the method according to the invention.

The invention relates to a device for producing batches of products of a predefined configuration for palletizing in layers, said device comprising an upstream acceptance surface for the products, a downstream receiving surface for receiving the batches, and displacement means between the two surfaces formed by a series of rails and by a plurality of shuttles that can move independently of one another and that run on said rails, each shuttle configured to carry at least one product. This device is characterized in that the series of rails has at least one outbound rail configured to move the products from the upstream surface to the downstream surface, a return rail arranged beneath the outbound rail configured to return the empty shuttles to the upstream surface, and an upstream lifting rail and a downstream lifting rail configured to transfer the empty shuttles vertically between the outbound and return rails.

An article processing station is characterized by an accumulating article shaft and robotic EOAT receiving articles entering the shaft. The shaft includes a grouped article receiving deck within an egress portion of the shaft, opposingly paired sidewalls, and an end wall downstream of the sidewalls. The deck includes spaced apart deck fingers, the end wall includes spaced apart wall fingers, and the EOAT includes spaced apart tool fingers. The tool fingers are registerable in relation to spaces of the spaced apart wall fingers and the spaced apart deck fingers so as to pass there through. The tool travels to, through and from the shaft, so as to receive articles entering the ingress portion of the shaft while traveling from the ingress portion towards the egress portion in furtherance of depositing an article group upon the deck during travel from the shaft.