An autonomous robot with a modular conveyor belt moves materials in a warehouse or other industrial environment. Example embodiments may include systems and methods for autonomous robots with conveyor systems. An example method may include detecting, by an autonomous cart, an unloading station, moving to a position at or near the unloading station, and determining, using a first load cell, a first position of a first item on a conveyor belt of the autonomous cart. Some methods may include determining a length of time for which to actuate the conveyor belt based at least in part on the first position, and causing the conveyor belt to unload the first item from the autonomous cart by actuating the conveyor belt for the length of time.

A method for removing a piece good from a conveying means of a sorting system, wherein the sorting system includes the conveying means for conveying the piece good in a transport direction along a conveyor line, and wherein the conveying means is configured in such a way that a piece good arranged in a cell area on the conveying means is movable at right angles to the transport direction, includes the steps generating image data by means of a camera arranged on the conveyor line, wherein the image data represent at least the conveying means in one section of the conveyor line; by means of a controller, detecting a piece good not placed completely in the cell area on the conveying means on the basis of the image data generated; generating a blowoff command for a blowoff device arranged on the conveyor line, wherein the blowoff command is generated while considering a time of the generation of the image data, a conveying speed of the conveying means, and an arrangement of the camera, the conveyor line and the blowoff device relative to one another; and by means of the blowoff device, blowing off the piece good not placed completely in the cell area on the conveying means on the basis of the blowoff command.

Methods for preparing parcels for final sorting. The methods include dividing a mass flow of parcels into individual streams, separating and singulating the parcels in each stream, delivering each stream at a steady rate to a human operator that faces and culls the parcels, reading identifying indicia on the parcels, delivering the scanned parcels to a presorter in parallel lanes, and selectively discharging parcels from the lane closest to a side of the presorter off the side at multiple discharge points.

A sorting device for articles has at least two main conveyor lines, each conveying consecutively arranged articles, at least two feeder devices, which respectively feed the articles to one of the main conveyor lines, at least two recognition devices for detecting a sorting destination for each article, a plurality of sorting outlets arranged at the end of each main conveyor line, each assigned to sorting destinations, and to which the articles are transported. The sorting device further has at least two connecting conveyor lines, each branching off the main conveyor lines at branch points, by way of which the articles can be conveyed from one main conveyor line to another main conveyor line. The articles can be temporarily stored in a storage device, which feeds temporarily stored articles to one of the main conveyor lines in the direction of conveyance before at least one of the branch points.

An apparatus and a method convey and sort articles. The apparatus contains a link conveyor, having link elements, pushing-off elements, drive elements, and a control device. The link conveyor runs along a belt-movement line and has along the belt-movement line the link elements which are arranged to follow one after the other and form a conveying surface for the articles. In each case one pushing-off element can be arranged on one of the link elements, above the conveying surface, and therefore the pushing-off element runs along the belt-movement line together with the link element, and the pushing-off element can be moved, and stopped, along a pushing-off-line, which is arranged transversely to the belt-movement line. The drive elements each drive one or more pushing-off elements individually, and therefore the operations of moving and stopping these pushing-off elements, which are arranged to follow one after the other, are independent of one another.

Shipment receiving systems and methods are disclosed. Invoice and store inventory management data is provided to an invoice processor for assigning expected destinations to lanes of a material transporter having and a plurality of outlet lanes that each have an indicator. A scanner determines a case identifier for each case which is routed accordingly. One or more notifications is provided to the indicator of one or more of the plurality of outlet lanes. Received shipment data enables reconciliation of upstream supply change management systems and downstream store inventory systems.

A system, method, and apparatus for the routing of totes and bottles within a pharmacy fulfillment center are disclosed. The system, method, and apparatus are configured to transmit routing tables from an application server to station controllers (e.g., PLCs) to enable each station to locally make a routing decision. Since the routing logic is locally stored at each station, the controllers do not need to transmit request messages to the server every time a tote or bottle is scanned. The system, method, and apparatus increase conveyor throughput by enabling each station to make a routing decision without having to wait for a response from a server.

Disclosed is an ordered food and drink conveyance apparatus capable of reducing the number of man-hours required for conveying food and drink in a store as much as possible. A lifting device that raises food and drink placed on a belt conveyor and separates it from the belt conveyor is provided at an end point or in the middle of a conveyance path from a kitchen side to a customer seat floor side of a restaurant.

Disclosed is an ordered food and drink conveyance apparatus capable of reducing the number of man-hours required for conveying food and drink in a store as much as possible. A lifting device that raises food and drink placed on a belt conveyor and separates it from the belt conveyor is provided at an end point or in the middle of a conveyance path from a kitchen side to a customer seat floor side of a restaurant.

A post compression carton rejection system for receiving cartons in-line from a carton assembly system having a compression conveying section for compressing folded and glued cartons for delivery to a packing system. The post compression carton rejection system comprise a frame adapted to be supported between the compression conveying section and the packing system. An infeed conveyor is mounted to the frame and has an infeed belt for transporting folded and glued cartons from the compression conveying section and an infeed drive for driving the infeed belt. An outfeed conveyor is mounted to the frame between the infeed conveyor and a conveyor exit proximate the packer, in use, and comprises a nose extension conveyor having an outfeed belt including a dump gate controllably retractable at the conveyor exit to selectively dump folded and glued cartons, an outfeed drive for driving the outfeed belt and a dump gate actuator for opening and returning the dump gate. A controller operatively controls the infeed drive, the outfeed drive and the dump gate actuator to selectively create gaps before and after a stream of defective folded and glued cartons and dump the defective folded and glued cartons at the dump gate.