A separating device for a gravity conveyor, comprising a conveying plane (E) along which an item (30) is conveyable in a conveying direction (F), and an actuating means (50), which comprises a first actuating member (51), which can be moved into an actuated position by conveyed items (30) being moved in the conveying direction (F), and a second actuating member (52), which can be moved into an actuated position by conveyed items (30) being moved counter to the conveying direction (F). When at least one of the first and second actuating members (50, 51) is actuated, a movement of the at least one separating stop (40) from the position above the conveying plane is blocked, and when the first and second actuating members (50, 51) are unactuated, a movement of the at least one separating stop (40) to a position below or flush with the conveying plane is enabled.

A system for controlling a flow of articles includes a conveyor driven in a direction to convey articles in the direction. A plurality of lanes are disposed along a portion of the conveyor. Each lane accepts a row of articles along the conveyor direction. A plurality of sensors count the articles in each lane. A plurality of actuators control the flow rates of the articles by comparing and adjusting the flow rates in respective lanes.

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.

A container stop mechanism and method for controlled braking, stopping, and separating of containers, such as glass beverage bottles. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

The invention relates to a conveying device for the transport of workpiece carriers from and to one or more machining stations, wherein the conveying device has a stationary conveyor track having at least one guide rail for the workpiece carrier, wherein at least one stopping device is provided for stopping the workpiece carrier. In accordance with the invention, the stopping device is formed as a pivot lever that is integrated in the at least one guide rail and that is pivotable for stopping the workpiece carrier from a neutral position in which it is aligned with the guide rail in a position pivoted outwardly out of the guide rail. The invention further relates to a method of stopping a workpiece carrier.

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.

A conveying system employs independently controlled flights. The flights are controlled separately from a conveying surface using a linear transport system. The linear transport system allow the position of the flights to be controlled based on a parameter, such as the length of a conveyed object. The flights are pivotally mounted to a mover of the linear transport system and can pivot relative to the conveying surface to allow the flights to fit in a space between an end of carryway and a receptacle.

A conveyed article sorting device is provided, which has: a conveyor which conveys articles; a track configured such that the articles conveyed by the conveyor can be transferred onto the track from the conveyor; and a rotary gate which can come into contact with the articles on the conveyor; wherein, when an article to be sampled is conveyed by the conveyor, the rotary gate moves the article to be sampled from the conveyor onto the track.

A conveying system employs independently controlled flights. The flights are controlled separately from a conveying surface using a linear transport system. The linear transport system allow the position of the flights to be controlled based on a parameter, such as the length of a conveyed object. The flights are pivotally mounted to a mover of the linear transport system and can pivot relative to the conveying surface to allow the flights to fit in a space between an end of carryway and a receptacle.

A speed reducer for a gravity roller conveyor system is provided. The speed reducer includes a mounting member and an engagement member rotatably connected to the mounting member and structured to be rotatable to a first rotational position and to a second rotational position. A damper is connected to the mounting member and is structured to bias the engagement member to the first rotational position. A retraction mechanism is operably connected to the engagement member and is structured to be operable to rotate the engagement member to the second rotational position against a biasing force exerted by the damper on the engagement member when an object moving along the conveyor becomes stalled, thereby enabling the object to move along the conveyor past the engagement member. A speed reducer system incorporating the speed reducer is also described.