A switch-on unit for a tool of a movable unit of a linear transport system can be fastened to the movable unit. The switch-on unit includes a housing, an energy-receiving coil with energy-receiving electronics, and a movable antenna with communication electronics. The energy-receiving electronics and the communication electronics are disposed on at least a first circuit board within the housing. The housing has an opening for connections of the tool and an installation space for application electronics. A first circuit board has a first interface for the application electronics, with a power supply and communication link. The communication electronics are arranged to receive a first data signal via the movable antenna, to calculate a second data signal from information about a data structure of the first data signal and the first data signal, and to provide the second data signal at the communication link.

A switch-on unit for a tool of a movable unit of a linear transport system can be fastened to the movable unit. The switch-on unit includes a housing, an energy-receiving coil with energy-receiving electronics, and a movable antenna with communication electronics. The energy-receiving electronics and the communication electronics are disposed on at least a first circuit board within the housing. The housing has an opening for connections of the tool and an installation space for application electronics. A first circuit board has a first interface for the application electronics, with a power supply and communication link. The communication electronics are arranged to receive a first data signal via the movable antenna, to calculate a second data signal from information about a data structure of the first data signal and the first data signal, and to provide the second data signal at the communication link.

A can body take-away assembly for a can bodymaker with a vertically oriented reciprocating, elongated ram assembly and a domer is provided. The take-away assembly includes a drive assembly and a can body transport assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor and a support member. The take-away assembly motor is operatively coupled to said support member and structured to move said drive assembly support member in a generally horizontal direction The can body transport assembly includes a number of gripping assemblies. Each gripping assembly is coupled to said drive assembly support member. Each gripping assembly includes a number of pairs of opposed gripping members sized to grip a can body. The gripping assemblies are structured to travel across the path of said ram assembly and to selectively grip a can body.

An egg printing system comprises a printer (30, 31, 32) and an endless egg conveyor (1) that is adapted to move the eggs (50) past the printer. The conveyor including an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor. The egg conveyor includes a lane of egg retaining pockets (10) coupled to the endless element, said lane of retaining pockets in use moving in the conveying direction. Each retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis of the pocket. The pocket has a side opening at a side thereof facing in the conveying direction and/or in the opposite direction, leaving a side surface area exposed of the egg that is received in the pocket. The retaining pockets remain in an upright position in every position in the lane. The printer is positioned at one of the head sections of the conveyor with a printing head facing the corresponding lane being directed to said side opening in the pocket to allow printing on said side surface area of the egg.

Improved carrier plates and methods of use thereof are provided to secure and transport individual layers of a multilayer structure during manufacture of the multilayer structure. In one implementation a carrier plate is provided including a lower portion and a raised portion to support a flexible substrate holding an individual layer laid on an upper surface of the raised portion. Clamping mechanisms, such as rollers, are formed on extended regions adjacent to side walls of the raised portion. The clamping mechanisms are configured to move from open positions, where the clamping mechanisms are spaced apart from the sidewalls of the raised portion, to closed positions, where the clamping mechanisms secure opposite edge portions of the flexible substrate between the clamping mechanisms and the first and sidewalls of the raised portion.

Improved carrier plates and methods of use thereof are provided to secure and transport individual layers of a multilayer structure during manufacture of the multilayer structure. In one implementation a carrier plate is provided including a lower portion and a raised portion to support a flexible substrate holding an individual layer laid on an upper surface of the raised portion. Clamping mechanisms, such as rollers, are formed on extended regions adjacent to side walls of the raised portion. The clamping mechanisms are configured to move from open positions, where the clamping mechanisms are spaced apart from the sidewalls of the raised portion, to closed positions, where the clamping mechanisms secure opposite edge portions of the flexible substrate between the clamping mechanisms and the first and sidewalls of the raised portion.

A storage and order-picking system including a warehouse, wherein the warehouse includes a storage module formed by two racks including one rack aisle therebetween; separation stations associated with the storage module, each separation station having associated therewith a respective pick up location; separate conveying systems for feeding storage containers from the warehouse to the pick up locations of the separation stations, respectively; and a robot arranged between the separate conveyors such that the robot can pick up during one movement cycle from each of the separate conveying systems respectively one article and can deliver between the corresponding article pick up locations one article which has already been picked up to a deposition location.

A storage and order-picking system including a warehouse, wherein the warehouse includes a storage module formed by two racks including one rack aisle therebetween; separation stations associated with the storage module, each separation station having associated therewith a respective pick up location; separate conveying systems for feeding storage containers from the warehouse to the pick up locations of the separation stations, respectively; and a robot arranged between the separate conveyors such that the robot can pick up during one movement cycle from each of the separate conveying systems respectively one article and can deliver between the corresponding article pick up locations one article which has already been picked up to a deposition location.

A conveyor system, comprising: a track containing an endless chain (2); and a plurality of buckets (4) each bucket (4) comprising a bucket body defining a void in which contents can be contained, an arm (51) pivotally mounted on the bucket body through a mounting for rotation relative to the bucket body about a bucket pivot axis (50) through the mounting, the arm (51) extending perpendicular to the bucket pivot axis (50) and having an arm head (16) at point distant from the axis; each arm head being fixed to the chain through an arm mounting, the arm mountings being spaced apart along the endless chain by a chain pitch, whereas the endless chain follows a first path, and the mountings of the buckets follow a second path; and in which variation of the radius of curvature of the first path relative to the second path causes a separation of the buckets to vary.

The invention relates to a device and a method for controlling a steep conveyor, comprising a control unit (15), a conveyor drive system (5) for driving a conveyor belt (2), and a sensor unit for determining a weight G.sub.1-n of the material to be conveyed (4) assigned to a predetermined section T.sub.1-n of the conveyor belt (2), wherein the sensor unit is adapted to transmit information about the weight to the control unit (15), wherein the control unit (15) is adapted to determine from the information about the weight G.sub.1-n a length L.sub.1-n assigned to the predetermined section T.sub.1-n in a steep conveyor region S of the conveyor belt (2) and to adjust a strain of a drive belt (2) of the conveyor drive system (5) based on the determined lengths L.sub.1-n assigned to the predetermined sections T.sub.1-n.