A vibratory conveyor for bulk material is provided having a conveying trough or tube for bulk material and a vibration generator connected thereto for generating a directed vibratory excitation to transport the bulk material longitudinally. The directed vibratory excitation has directional components in the longitudinal direction and in a vertical direction opposite gravity. The conveyor further includes at least one retaining weir arranged in the trough or tube for decelerating the bulk material in the longitudinal direction through the trough or tube. The retaining weir has a rear wall in a transport direction of the bulk material and a front wall opposite the transport direction. The rear wall is at least sectionally inclined in an obliquely descending manner from an apex of the retaining weir toward the bottom of the trough or tube. The length of the front wall is smaller than the length of the rear wall.

The hopper body has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall that face each other in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that connect between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a first corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the third sidewall and a second corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the fourth sidewall are bent in direction away from the distal end portion of the trough and also a first edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the first corner portion and a second edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the second corner portion are bent in direction closer to the distal end portion of the trough.

A feeder operable to convey a divided solids material comprises a conduit and an actuator. The conduit has a hollow body with a length, a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a displaceable body segment defined along at least a portion of the length. The displaceable body segment has at least a first fixable location positionable at a first fixed location. The actuator is positioned to apply force to the conduit and is controllable to cause selected flow of divided solids material in a feed direction extending generally from the first end to the second end. Methods are also disclosed.

Vibrating apparatus (10) for automatically conveying objects (11) from a first position (12) to a second position (13) by means of vibration, comprising one or more conveying members (15) and a movement member (18), which is configured to be driven according to a vibrational motion in order to make said one or more conveying members (15) vibrate to cause a consequent forward motion by vibration of the objects (11).

The hopper body has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall that face each other in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that connect between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a first corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the third sidewall and a second corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the fourth sidewall are bent in direction away from the distal end portion of the trough and also a first edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the first corner portion and a second edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the second corner portion are bent in direction closer to the distal end portion of the trough.

The problem of singulating oblong articles that are unloaded in an arbitrary orientation onto a conveyor has been solved in that the conveying trough is divided into a central, lower part and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts, whereby the central part vibrates with a longitudinal amplitude that is higher than that of the upwards-and-outwards extending parts at the same frequency.

The problem of singulating oblong articles (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b) that are unloaded in an arbitrary orientation onto a conveyor has been solved in that the conveying trough (4) is divided into a central, lower part (5) and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7), whereby the central part (5) vibrates with a longitudinal amplitude that is higher than that of the upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7) at the same frequency.

A vibratory conveyor for bulk material is provided having a conveying trough or tube for bulk material and a vibration generator connected thereto for generating a directed vibratory excitation to transport the bulk material longitudinally. The directed vibratory excitation has directional components in the longitudinal direction and in a vertical direction opposite gravity. The conveyor further includes at least one retaining weir arranged in the trough or tube for decelerating the bulk material in the longitudinal direction through the trough or tube. The retaining weir has a rear wall in a transport direction of the bulk material and a front wall opposite the transport direction. The rear wall is at least sectionally inclined in an obliquely descending manner from an apex of the retaining weir toward the bottom of the trough or tube. The length of the front wall is smaller than the length of the rear wall.

An oscillatory feeder operable to convey a flowable solid material has a tubular body and a displaceable body segment. The tubular body has at least one first end, at least one second end opposite the first end and a displaceable body segment between the first and second ends. The displaceable body segment has a first fixable location positionable at a first fixed location and a second fixable location positionable at a second fixed location. The actuator is attached to the displaceable body segment and controllable to cause selected displacement of the body segment and attached actuator and corresponding selected flow of solid material within the displaceable body segment in a feed direction extending generally from the first end to the second end.

The problem of singulating oblong articles (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b) that are unloaded in an arbitrary orientation onto a conveyor has been solved in that the conveying trough (4) is divided into a central, lower part (5) and surrounding upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7), whereby the central part (5) vibrates with a longitudinal amplitude that is higher than that of the upwards-and-outwards extending parts (6, 7) at the same frequency.