A tray conveyor comprising ice-coated magnetic trays driven by a linear-motor stator along a rail track. The ice coating is applied to the trays to provide a product-bearing ice surface. After the product is processed and transferred off the tray, the top layer of the contaminated ice coating is removed and the tray with the remaining ice coating reused.

A tray conveyor comprising ice-coated magnetic trays driven by a linear-motor stator along a rail track. The ice coating is applied to the trays to provide a product-bearing ice surface. After the product is processed and transferred off the tray, the top layer of the contaminated ice coating is removed and the tray with the remaining ice coating reused.

Article picking and treating apparatus The present invention provides an apparatus for picking and treating articles simultaneously, said picking and treating each being operated at a first and a second conveying line.

Article picking and treating apparatus The present invention provides an apparatus for picking and treating articles simultaneously, said picking and treating each being operated at a first and a second conveying line.

A feeder bowl and preparation system for packaging stick-like objects including a feeder bowl, vee shaped spacing conveyor, and a collator mechanism which permits a robotic pick-up station sufficient time to pick and place the stick-like object. The system simplifies programming the transfer of the objects by presenting a desired amount of product for a specific picker and allowing time to pick and place the object, the system eliminates a feed rate by a robotic process in the system, the system allows for essentially higher feed rate overall due to an oriented pick-up area presentation, and the system provides a sanitary design compatible with a transfer of food products in a food industry.

A method and a device for buffering containers in a container treatment system are disclosed. The containers enter into storage on an infeed conveyor belt in the infeed direction, are moved in a single row onto a transversely adjoining buffer area by rail-guided and individually driven shuttles with row pushers in a buffering direction running transverse to the infeed direction, and are removed from storage on an outfeed conveyor belt transversely adjoining in the buffering direction. The shuttles and the infeed/outfeed conveyor belts are controlled in dependence of target positions, target speeds and/or target accelerations stored specifically for the container type, and/or the shuttles are controlled in dependence of target positions, target distances and/or target speeds stored specifically for modes of operation for initializing and reading out the shuttles, for following preceding shuttles, and for moving to route positions.

A conveyor system includes a first conveyor line to convey an article in a first direction, a second conveyor line parallel or substantially parallel with the first conveyor line to convey the article in a second direction that is a direction opposite to the first direction, a backup line parallel or substantially parallel with the first conveyor line and the second conveyor line and able to change states between a state of conveying the article in the first direction and a state of conveying the article in the second direction, first connecting lines to convey the article between the first conveyor line and the backup line, and second connecting lines to convey the article between the second conveyor line and the backup line.

A conveyor system includes a first conveyor line to convey an article in a first direction, a second conveyor line parallel or substantially parallel with the first conveyor line to convey the article in a second direction that is a direction opposite to the first direction, a backup line parallel or substantially parallel with the first conveyor line and the second conveyor line and able to change states between a state of conveying the article in the first direction and a state of conveying the article in the second direction, first connecting lines to convey the article between the first conveyor line and the backup line, and second connecting lines to convey the article between the second conveyor line and the backup line.

A sortation conveyor includes a pair of conveying members defining a conveying surface extending in a longitudinal direction. The sortation conveyor also includes an end cap fixedly secured to respective ends of the conveying members. The sortation conveyor further includes a pusher element selectively moveable across the conveying surface. The pusher element is releasably coupled to at least one of the conveying members or the end cap.

A sortation conveyor includes a pair of conveying members defining a conveying surface extending in a longitudinal direction. The sortation conveyor also includes an end cap fixedly secured to respective ends of the conveying members. The sortation conveyor further includes a pusher element selectively moveable across the conveying surface. The pusher element is releasably coupled to at least one of the conveying members or the end cap.