The invention concerns a method for transporting objects belonging to the group of fruits and vegetables with a stalk, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: conveying a plurality of objects (18) on a conveyor line (12) in a longitudinal forward direction (14), each conveyed object being carried by a support (16) that is moved by the conveyor line (12) according to its longitudinal forward movement, rotating at least one support (16) supporting an object (18) in such a way as to cause the object to rotate about a non-horizontal axis and give its stalk (18a) a predetermined geometric orientation.

An assessment system and method are provided for determining whether an item handled in a material handling system is stable and conveyable or unstable and non-conveyable. If an item is deemed non-conveyable, it is diverted or otherwise removed from the material handling system before it is transported downstream where it may affect the operation of the system or cause damage to the system and/or item. The system utilizes a dimension sensor system, such as including photo arrays, to measure contact region dimensions between an item being conveyed and the conveyor surface. The contact region is observed under constant conveyance rates, accelerating conveyance rates, and decelerating conveyance rates to determine whether the item orientation changes due to shifts in momentum. Any measured contact region changes are compared to a maximum allowed value, and if the measured change is greater than the maximum, the item is deemed non-conveyable.

Disclosed is a conveying system comprising: a track, a plurality of carriages to be conveyed on the track, each carriage comprising: a main body which is held along the track; and a receptacle rotatably supported by the main body and configured for receiving a product, and further comprising a receptacle-rotating member which is configured to advance, at a defined advancing speed, along a region provided at at least a portion of the track, and to control the rotational orientation of the carriage's receptacles; wherein each carriage can be in engagement, via its receptacle, with the receptacle-rotating member.

A system for aligning items, which includes a packaging box transfer device to transfer a packaging box accommodating items therein, a fixing device to fix, at a withdrawal position where the items are taken out of the packaging box, the packaging box transferred by the packaging box transfer device with its top open, a withdrawal device to move to a space in which the items are accommodated in the packaging box so as to suck and take out the items, an item transfer device to transfer the items taken out by the withdrawal device with the items placed on the item transfer device, a sensor mounted on the withdrawal device to detect directions of the items taken out by the withdrawal device, and a rotating device to rotate the items taken out by the withdrawal device with the items placed on the rotating device.

A system may include an article stream. Variable-appearance articles within the stream may have various orientation states. In some cases, to support later processing, articles may be transitioned from anomalous orientations into one or more nominal orientations which are later processing ready. In some cases, determining the current orientation of the variable-appearance articles may be performed using an adaptive classification routine.

A hanger orientation detection system determines the orientation of a hanger on a rail-based garment conveyor. To do so, the detection system continuously monitors the pivot state of a pivot arm. The pivot arm pivots between no-contact and contact pivot states. The no-contact pivot occurs when a garment hanger in a correct orientation translates past the pivot arm without contacting the pivot arm. The contact pivot state occurs when a garment hanger in an incorrect orientation translates past the pivot arm and contacts the pivot arm. Contacting the pivot arm displaces the pivot arm in a measurable manner. The sensor measures the deflection of the pivot arm to determine the pivot state. When the sensor senses that the pivot state changes from the no-contact pivot state to the contact pivot state, the detection system generates an alert signal indicating that a garment hanger is in the incorrect orientation.

Disclosed is a device for delivering sorted elements of the cap, stopper or other type, in order to feed a downstream work station, the device including a unit for lifting elements, in which a first sorting operation is performed, and, mounted downstream, a unit for treating the elements in which the elements are treated individually. Also disclosed is a delivery device including a conveyor mounted downstream from the treatment unit in order to direct the elements towards the work station, the conveyor moving the elements singly. Further disclosed is a corresponding method.

Various embodiments described herein relate to techniques for reinforcement learning based conveyoring control. In this regard, a conveyor system is configured to transport one or more objects via a conveyor belt. Furthermore, a vision system comprises one or more sensors configured to scan the one or more objects associated with the conveyor system. A processing device is configured to employ a machine learning model to determine object pose data associated with the one or more objects. The processing device is further configured to generate speed control data for the conveyor belt of the conveyor system based on a set of control policies associated with the object pose data.

A processing line includes a conveyor for conveying product from upstream processing equipment to downstream processing equipment. Data structures stored in a memory of a controller comprise a backlog set point for a product type to be processed. A product sensor for the conveyor is enabled to generate signals representative of a number of the products moving on the conveyor from the upstream processing equipment for delivery to the downstream processing equipment. A conveyor speed sensor for the conveyor is enabled to generate signals representative of a speed of the conveyor. A backlog measurement based upon the product sensor signals and the conveyor speed sensor signals is determined. The backlog measurement is compared to the backlog set point to determine a difference in backlog. The controller is enabled to generate signals for controlling the processing line based upon the difference in backlog and additional information related to the product type.

The invention relates to a device for providing stopper elements that are sorted in order to feed a downstream workstation. The devices comprising a lifting means; a means or referencing said stopper elements one by one, located downstream from the lifting means; a conveyor for bringing the referenced elements to said workstation, positioned at the outlet of said referencing means; a vision means for verifying the conformance of said elements in an inspection zone extending at the level of the referencing means and/or of the conveyor; and a means for expelling those elements that do not conform located downstream of said vision means. The inspection zone comprises at least two successive sections each including a distinct color. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.