A method of operating a conveyor system includes providing a fixed, non-powered first rail supporting first and second trolleys of a first carrier, at least one of which is self-driving. The first and second trolley are conveyed in line along the first rail with a load bar therebetween. The first carrier defines a length measured along the first rail and a width measured transverse. The first carrier is conveyed to a branch point where a second rail branches from the first rail. The second trolley is conveyed along the second the rail to turn the first carrier so that it is conveyed with the load bar traversing between the first and second rails. The width is substantially less than the length such that the turning of the first carrier reduces an occupancy of the first carrier along the first rail.

A transport trolley for transporting objects for a rail system having at least one rail that has at least three running surfaces, said transport trolley comprising: a base body having an object carrier for receiving at least one object; a roller support which is rotatably supported at the base body and at which at least a first, a second, and a third roller are rotatably supported; and an alignment system having a roller support alignment device for aligning the roller support relative to the base body and having a roller alignment device for a relative alignment of the rollers with respect to one another and/or to the base body.

A transport trolley for transporting objects for a rail system having at least one rail that has at least three running surfaces, said transport trolley comprising: a base body having an object carrier for receiving at least one object; a roller support which is rotatably supported at the base body and at which at least a first, a second, and a third roller are rotatably supported; and an alignment system having a roller support alignment device for aligning the roller support relative to the base body and having a roller alignment device for a relative alignment of the rollers with respect to one another and/or to the base body.

Embodiments of a mobile carrier monitoring apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes one or more mobile carriers configured to receive items being manufactured in its interior and configured be moved by a transport system to multiple positions within a manufacturing facility. A mobile carrier control system is positioned in the interior or on the exterior of each mobile carrier, as are one or more sensors that are coupled to the mobile carrier control system. A communication system is positioned in the interior or on the exterior of each mobile carrier and communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and to the mobile carrier control system, and an electrical power system positioned in the interior or on the exterior of each mobile carrier and coupled to deliver electrical power to the mobile carrier control system, to the one or more sensors, and to the communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

A cart-type transporting device includes left and right auxiliary rotating bodies moving in conjunction with left and right turning-section toothed wheels that guide a first endless chain; and a turning pathway section that protrudes at a position between the auxiliary rotating bodies, and that is provided with a lower protruding cam over which a transporting cart can pass. Left and right front-side projection shafts of the transporting cart engage with an engagement section of the respective auxiliary rotating bodies. Left and right rear-side projection shafts engage with an engagement section of the first endless chain. When the projection shafts are picked up by the rotation of the turning-section toothed wheels and the auxiliary rotating bodies, the lower protruding cam supports and guides a cam-following roller at a bottom section of the transporting cart in accordance with the same rotating pathway as the engagement section.

A storage device (1′) for storing transport units (3′) includes a number of transport units (3′), a number of storage lines (12a′-12g′) which are configured to store transport units (3′), a feeding line (11′) which is connected by a respective first switch point (111′) to the storage lines (12a′-12g′), a measuring device (15′) which is arranged on the feeding line (11′) and which is configured to determine a respective extent of a transport unit (3′), and a controller (16′) which is connected to the measuring device (15′) and to the first switch pointes (111′) and which is configured to select a storage line (12a′-12g′) for storing the transport unit (3′) on the basis of the extent of the transport unit (3′) determined by the measuring device (15′).

A conveying unit (10) for the suspended transport of transport elements (40) in a conveyor system, in particular a rail-guided (86) conveyor system or a conveyor-chain system, includes a support hook (21) attached to a conveying element (20), in particular a carriage or a conveyor-chain link, a transport element (40), and a suspension hook (41) attached to the transport element, wherein the suspension hook is mounted in a suspended manner in the support hook. The support hook is configured such that the suspension hook can take up two stable positions (61, 62) in the support hook. The suspension hook (41) in a first stable position (61) has been turned through an angle with respect to the suspension hook in a second stable position (62).

A sorter comprising: a rack; a track assembly comprising two ring-shaped tracks both installed on the rack, the tracks being respectively arranged in two mutually parallel vertical planes and being aligned with each other; a drive assembly comprising at least one sprocket sets that comprise a driving sprocket and a plurality of driven sprockets installed on the rack; at least one chain hooping on the driving sprocket and the driven sprockets and having the same shape as the tracks; an electric machine configured to drive the driving sprocket to rotate; a sorting cart comprising a carriage that is arranged between and slidably connected to the two ring-shaped tracks and is further hinged with the chain; a conveying assembly disposed above the carriage and carry and convey items, wherein a conveying direction of the conveying assembly is different from a moving direction of the sorting cart.

A conveyor belt comprising: a belt body (13), one rotatable portion (12) coupled to the belt body (13) and configured to turn relative to the belt body (13). The rotatable portion comprises a plurality of sub-elements (17), with each one of said sub-elements being rotatably connected to an adjacent sub-element and having first opposite side portions and second opposite side portions; each one of the sub-elements (17) further comprises: one or more first annular features (19) at each of the first opposite side portions, one or more second annular features (20) at each the second opposite side portions. The first annular features (19) of a sub-element mate with the first annular features (19) or with the second annular features (20) of an adjacent sub-element forming a coupling seat (21) located between the two adjacent sub-elements and extending along an axis of rotation; one pin (22) is inserted in said coupling seat (21) formed between the two adjacent sub-elements to rotatably connect the two adjacent sub-elements (17). It is also disclosed a packaging apparatus using the above conveyor belt.

A conveyor belt comprising: a belt body (13), one rotatable portion (12) coupled to the belt body (13) and configured to turn relative to the belt body (13). The rotatable portion comprises a plurality of sub-elements (17), with each one of said sub-elements being rotatably connected to an adjacent sub-element and having first opposite side portions and second opposite side portions; each one of the sub-elements (17) further comprises: one or more first annular features (19) at each of the first opposite side portions, one or more second annular features (20) at each the second opposite side portions. The first annular features (19) of a sub-element mate with the first annular features (19) or with the second annular features (20) of an adjacent sub-element forming a coupling seat (21) located between the two adjacent sub-elements and extending along an axis of rotation; one pin (22) is inserted in said coupling seat (21) formed between the two adjacent sub-elements to rotatably connect the two adjacent sub-elements (17). It is also disclosed a packaging apparatus using the above conveyor belt.