Disclosed herein is a conveyor system including a conveying element with one or more bottoms and upright side walls, where the bottoms and the upright side walls together form a trough in which bulk products may be transported along a main flow, where the conveying element includes one or more openings through which bulk products may be poured, where the conveyor system includes a gate for closing a particular opening, where this gate may be moved between at least a closed position and an open position, where the one or more openings extend on the side walls, and where the gate may be moved slidably along the specified opening.

Disclosed herein is a conveyor system including a conveying element with one or more bottoms and upright side walls, where the bottoms and the upright side walls together form a trough in which bulk products may be transported along a main flow, where the conveying element includes one or more openings through which bulk products may be poured, where the conveyor system includes a gate for closing a particular opening, where this gate may be moved between at least a closed position and an open position, where the one or more openings extend on the side walls, and where the gate may be moved slidably along the specified opening.

A trapdoor rejection subsystem includes one or more trapdoor rejection mechanisms. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism is configured to be selectively transitioned between a closed position to support parcels and an open position to allow parcels identified as unconveyable to pass through the trapdoor rejection mechanism. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism includes a first door, a second door, and one or more actuators which can be selectively actuated to rotate the first door and the second door and transition the trapdoor rejection mechanism between the closed position and the open position. The trapdoor rejection subsystem can be utilized in a conveyor system in combination with one or more robot singulators, an upstream conveyor, a place conveyor, and a vision and control subsystem. Detection of unconveyable parcels and the transition of each trapdoor rejection mechanism of the trapdoor rejection subsystem is controlled by the vision and control subsystem.

A trapdoor rejection subsystem includes one or more trapdoor rejection mechanisms. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism is configured to be selectively transitioned between a closed position to support parcels and an open position to allow parcels identified as unconveyable to pass through the trapdoor rejection mechanism. Each trapdoor rejection mechanism includes a first door, a second door, and one or more actuators which can be selectively actuated to rotate the first door and the second door and transition the trapdoor rejection mechanism between the closed position and the open position. The trapdoor rejection subsystem can be utilized in a conveyor system in combination with one or more robot singulators, an upstream conveyor, a place conveyor, and a vision and control subsystem. Detection of unconveyable parcels and the transition of each trapdoor rejection mechanism of the trapdoor rejection subsystem is controlled by the vision and control subsystem.

A powder spreading apparatus includes a hopper having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, a front wall, a rear wall opposite from the front wall, and a floor. The front wall, the rear wall, the first end, the second end, and the floor define an interior. An impeller is disposed within the interior of the hopper. The impeller includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes and is configured to rotate about an impeller axis that extends from the first end of the hopper to the second end of the hopper to deposit powder onto a print area. A spreader rod is coupled to the hopper and extends along a spreader rod axis parallel to the impeller axis. The spreader rod is configured to rotate about the spreader rod axis to smooth the powder as it is deposited onto the print area.

A powder spreading apparatus includes a hopper having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, a front wall, a rear wall opposite from the front wall, and a floor. The front wall, the rear wall, the first end, the second end, and the floor define an interior. An impeller is disposed within the interior of the hopper. The impeller includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes and is configured to rotate about an impeller axis that extends from the first end of the hopper to the second end of the hopper to deposit powder onto a print area. A spreader rod is coupled to the hopper and extends along a spreader rod axis parallel to the impeller axis. The spreader rod is configured to rotate about the spreader rod axis to smooth the powder as it is deposited onto the print area.

A doser mechanism includes a cylindrical shell, an auger conveyor, and a check valve. The cylindrical shell includes a hollow cylinder and an end plate. The hollow cylinder at least partially defines an internal enclosure extending between first and second ends of the hollow cylinder, a first opening at the first end, and a second opening through a thickness of the hollow cylinder. The end plate covers the second end. The auger conveyor includes an auger at least partially extending through the internal enclosure through the first end. The check valve has a valve member configured to selectively cover the second opening. The check valve may cause the valve member move between a rest position and an open position to cover or expose the second opening in response to a magnitude of a force applied to the valve member from the internal enclosure through the second opening.

A conveying apparatus which is intended for individually separated products, in particular for tablet products produced by means of a tableting apparatus, and has a sliding base and a conveying mechanism, which runs over the sliding base and has a multiplicity of accommodating pockets for the separated products, said accommodating pockets being open in relation to the sliding base located beneath and being movable by the conveying mechanism in a conveying direction along a conveying path over the sliding base. In order for it to be possible in such an apparatus for individual products of those transported with it to be reliably ejected from the conveying route as samples without being damaged in the process, the conveying apparatus includes a discharge device having an aperture, which is provided in the sliding base and encompasses a discharge portion of the conveying path, and having a movable discharge base, which is assigned to the aperture and has at least one closed base region for closing the discharge portion and at least one open through-passage region for giving the discharge portion free, wherein the movement direction of the discharge base for optionally closing or freeing the discharge portion is essentially the same as the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism.

A conveying apparatus which is intended for individually separated products, in particular for tablet products produced by means of a tableting apparatus, and has a sliding base and a conveying mechanism, which runs over the sliding base and has a multiplicity of accommodating pockets for the separated products, said accommodating pockets being open in relation to the sliding base located beneath and being movable by the conveying mechanism in a conveying direction along a conveying path over the sliding base. In order for it to be possible in such an apparatus for individual products of those transported with it to be reliably ejected from the conveying route as samples without being damaged in the process, the conveying apparatus includes a discharge device having an aperture, which is provided in the sliding base and encompasses a discharge portion of the conveying path, and having a movable discharge base, which is assigned to the aperture and has at least one closed base region for closing the discharge portion and at least one open through-passage region for giving the discharge portion free, wherein the movement direction of the discharge base for optionally closing or freeing the discharge portion is essentially the same as the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism.

A powder spreading apparatus includes a hopper having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, a front wall, a rear wall opposite from the front wall, and a floor. The front wall, the rear wall, the first end, the second end, and the floor define an interior. An impeller is disposed within the interior of the hopper. The impeller includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes and is configured to rotate about an impeller axis that extends from the first end of the hopper to the second end of the hopper to deposit powder onto a print area. A spreader rod is coupled to the hopper and extends along a spreader rod axis parallel to the impeller axis. The spreader rod is configured to rotate about the spreader rod axis to smooth the powder as it is deposited onto the print area. A powder spreading method is disclosed that operates an impeller to start depositing powder from a hopper into a print area located within a build box as a gantry moves the hopper in a first direction across the print area; operating a spreader rod to smooth out the powder on the print area as the gantry moves the hopper and the spreader rod across the print area in the first direction; and upon the gantry reaching a predetermined position in the print area, stopping the impeller to stop depositing the powder while continuing to operate the spreader rod.