The invention relates to a dispenser for transferring layers of goods from a pallet onto a receiving surface and then down a discharge conveyor. The dispenser incorporates a vertically movable platform capable of bringing a first tier of goods in alignment with a rotary table. Sweeper arm moves the goods on to the table as it rotates. Goods accumulate on the rotary table and then become guided down a discharge conveyor for further processing.

A method for forming aggregates of food pieces by arranging a plurality of food pieces such that the food pieces at least partially overlap one another is provided. The method automatically changes the number of food pieces forming each aggregate and a pitch at which the food pieces are arranged so as to limit the weights of the aggregates within a predetermined permissible range and to form each aggregate such that the total length of the aggregate is a preset length. The method also automatically changes the number of food pieces forming each aggregate and the pitch at which the food pieces are arranged according to the length of the food piece in the arrangement direction.

Various embodiments disclosed herein provide for an improved accumulation conveyor and systems and methods for controlling a high rate, high density tunable accumulation conveyor. In one embodiment, an accumulation conveyor system determines whether an item detection variable associated with a second zone of a plurality of zones is satisfied, wherein the second zone is downstream of a first zone. In an instance where the item detection variable and an operational characteristic variable are satisfied, the accumulation conveyor system is configured to set a zone operating state associated with the first zone to inactive and send a command signal comprising the zone operating state associated with the first zone to a control module associated with the first zone. In another embodiment, a method for adjusting aggressiveness is disclosed. In another embodiment, a tunable release rate accumulation conveyor is disclosed. In still another embodiment, a tunable crowding accumulation conveyor is disclosed.

Disclosed is an article transferring apparatus, including: a travel rail provided along a ceiling of a manufacturing line in which processing devices are continuously disposed; and a transferring unit device traveling on the travel rail and sending and receiving an article to and from a mounting place of the processing device, in which the transferring unit includes: a vehicle traveling along the travel rail; a vehicle main body connected to the vehicle and providing loading parts on which articles are loaded; a hoist module installed in the vehicle main body and capable of exchanging the article with the mounting place and each of the loading parts; and a horizontal moving member for horizontally moving the hoist module in the vehicle main body so that the hoist module is located on any one of the loading parts, and the loading parts have a straight arrangement in which articles are loaded in a line along a traveling direction of the vehicle or a rhombic arrangement in which articles are loaded in all directions around a central opening through which articles enter and exist.

An order processing system, such as may be used in a high-volume pharmacy, may include a material handling system, an accumulator, and a packing device. The material handling system may move containers through a plurality of container paths. The container sorting device may receive the containers, scan the plurality of containers to detect container identifiers, and separate the containers based on the container identifiers to travel through a first container exit path or a second container exit path. The accumulator may accumulate containers that traveled through the first container exit path and the second container exit path. The accumulator may include an accumulator scanning device for scanning the containers to detect the container identifiers. The accumulator may group the containers together based on the detected container identifiers and orders, and provide the grouped containers. The packing device may package the grouped containers along with literature associated with the orders.

A loading system (e.g., in a warehouse or other item-fulfillment environment) can include a rotary hub that supports one or more chambers. In a first orientation of the rotary hub, one of the chambers may be in a first position aligned for item receipt (e.g., through an open top of the chamber by feeding from a conveyor belt or other feeding system). The rotary hub can rotate to a second orientation in which the chamber is in a second position aligned for item discharge (e.g., through an open end of the chamber and into a receiving zone of a packaging machine or other system).

A system for grouping and rotating packages (101) includes a first conveyor (102) configured to drive a stream of packages from a first end (102A) to a second end (102B) at a predefined first speed, an actuation section (104) situated at the second end (102B) of the first conveyor (102) configured to receive the stream of packages from the first conveyor (102) and actuate the stream of packages to an orienting section (108) at a predefined second speed, wherein the second speed is less than the first speed, and a plurality of lugs (106) adjacent to the actuation section (104) configured to actuate forward packages in the stream of packages forming groups (105) of two or more packages (101).

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

A system is provided comprising a carton conveyor and a bypass carton accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the carton conveyor. The bypass carton accumulator may comprise: a carton pick apparatus comprising a carton pick head; at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position; and a storage apparatus. When in the first position, the stopper does not interfere with the flow of cartons along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a carton to stop a flow of cartons along the conveyor. The carton pick apparatus may be configured to pick up via the carton pick head a set of cartons from a pick-up zone of the carton conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of cartons in the storage apparatus.

Various embodiments disclosed herein provide for an improved accumulation conveyor and systems and methods for controlling a high rate, high density tunable accumulation conveyor. In one embodiment, an accumulation conveyor system determines whether an item detection variable associated with a second zone of a plurality of zones is satisfied, wherein the second zone is downstream of a first zone. The accumulation conveyor system determines whether at least one of two operational characteristic variables is satisfied. In an instance where both the item detection variable and at least one operational characteristic variable are satisfied, the accumulation conveyor system is configured to set a zone operating state associated with the first zone to inactive and send a command signal comprising the zone operating state associated with the first zone to a control module associated with the first zone. In another embodiment, an improved method for adjusting aggressiveness is disclosed. In another embodiment, a tunable release rate accumulation conveyor is disclosed. In still another embodiment, a tunable crowding accumulation conveyor is disclosed.