A sorting system having a buffer interposable between a discharge, such as a chute, supplying packages and multiple destination receptacles, such as wheeled bins. The buffer temporarily accumulates packages to ensure correct package delivery to assigned destination receptacles during overflow conditions. The buffer may be realized in various ways that operate in horizontal, vertical, or inclined planes.

A system for sorting and dispensing packages can include a flip gate assembly. The flip gate assembly can include a base, an inclined surface, one or more support legs extending from the base to the inclined surface, an actuator attached to the base, and a flip gate pivotably attached to the inclined surface. The flip gate can be configured to be actuated by the actuator between a retracted configuration, in which a top side of the flip gate is planar with a top surface of the inclined surface, and an extended configuration, in which the top side of the flip gate is disposed at an angle with respect to the top surface of the inclined surface.

Systems and methods are disclosed to secure rollable carts to sortation systems. In one embodiment, an example system may include a first chute configured to guide packages to a first moveable cart that is disposed at a first end of the first chute, and a first anti-tip mechanism configured to prevent tipping of the first moveable cart. The first anti-tip mechanism may include a frame, a first C-shaped component coupled to the frame, and a second C-shaped component coupled to the frame. The first C-shaped component may be configured to engage a first portion of the first moveable cart, and the second C-shaped component may be configured to engage a second portion of the first moveable cart, such that the first moveable cart is prevented from vertical movement.

A loading device for loading a container with packages, comprising a transport channel for transport of the packages in the direction of the container. The transport channel has an upper inlet to supply packages into the transport channel and a lower outlet to supply packages into the container. At least one upper, and at least one lower, finger position each with at least one finger element are provided in the transport channel. The at least one of the finger elements of the upper and lower finger positions in each case have at least two flexible flank elements extending from one end to the opposing end of the finger element. In each case, the at least two flexible flank elements are flexibly connected via a plurality of webs. The finger elements in each case may be adjusted from at least one curved position into at least one extended position and back.

The present application relates to a spherical object falling buffer device including a flow-limiting pipe assembly and a central column assembly; wherein the flow-limiting pipe assembly includes a flow-limiting pipe, a redirecting joint and a sphere outlet pipe; a diameter of the flow-limiting pipe is greater than that of the sphere outlet pipe, and an inner surface of the redirecting joint is a conical surface; the central column assembly includes at least a central column arranged in the flow-limiting pipe; a flow-guiding region is provided between the flow-limiting pipe and the central column, and a plurality of gravity flow guide grooves are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the central column. The spherical object falling buffer device may restrict, guide and buffer spherical objects during falling, and avoids collision damage of the spherical objects or the stock bin due to the excessive falling speed of the spherical objects.

The invention relates to a feeding machine for washers allowing a correct placement of eyelets in laminar bodies, such as textile elements, wherein said feeding machine includes a ramp for moving the washers from a higher height to a lower height, a plurality of detectors for detecting a washer which are arranged in different segments of a length of the ramp, configured to detect the presence of each washer; and a plurality of linear actuators arranged along the length of the ramp, said actuators being connected to stops which are configured to block the passage of the washers along the ramp. The feeding machine also includes a control electronics connected to the linear actuators and to the detectors for detecting a washer, said control electronics being configured to control the feeding of the washers along the ramp.

System and method are provided where parcels or packages are associated or grouped, into logical group or logical containerization of parcels or packages, without need for physical container, such that parcels or packages can be tracked as a group, for example with a unique group ID. Logical group may be tracked within specified logical zone on conveyor, transported, sorted and/or otherwise processed as unique logical group without need to be contained in physical container. System and method for automated sortation can accumulate set number or set volume of packages, and then process the accumulated set number or volume of packages, including automatically closing a container filled with the packages.

Diverting paddles (72) on discharge chutes guide packages into multiple destination receptacles (22, R1) assigned to the package. The paddles (38, 72) can present static or driven flat outer surfaces or static or driven roller surfaces to the packages. The paddles (38, 72) block packages from entering non-assigned receptacles (22, 24, R1). The chutes may be made tillable to feed packages into receptacles (22, 24, R1) at different elevations.

A transporter system is provided for transporting a stream of substantially cylindrical objects, the transporter system comprising an intermediate orientation changing transporter section arranged between the first and second transporter section, the intermediate orientation changing transporter section comprising a plurality of stationary guide rails arranged to delimit at least part of an orientation changing passage through which the stream of substantially cylindrical object is guided and a rotatable frame comprising a first movable guide rail configured to delimit the remaining part of the orientation changing passage when the rotatable frame is in a first rotational position and a second movable guide rail configured to delimit the remaining part of the orientation changing passage when the rotatable frame is the second rotational position.

Provided are embodiments of a chute for articles, in particular packages and/or consignments, having a chute base for the article to slide down and comprising at least two chute-base sections is described, wherein the at least two chute-base sections form a height offset between one another, wherein at least one guiding device is provided between the at least two chute-base sections in order to guide the article from one chute-base section to the next chute-base section, wherein the at least one guiding device has a vertically adjustable free end that points in the direction of the next chute-base section, and wherein the guiding device has, transversely to the chute base, a plurality of finger elements that are arranged alongside one another and are at least in part vertically adjustable independently of one another.