An automated mail sorting system configured to position individual pieces of mail in one of a plurality of nested postal totes, including a denesting assembly configured to squeeze an upper portion of a postal tote of a plurality of nested postal totes to ease in separation of the postal tote from the plurality of nested postal totes, a traverse assembly configured to enable lifting of the postal tote from the plurality of nested postal totes and to transport the postal tote along a lateral distance, and a stacker assembly configured to receive the postal tote from the traverse assembly and to transport the postal tote past a feeder assembly for the positioning of individual pieces of mail within the postal tote.

A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.

A system for holding items includes a base tier including two or more totes and one or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier. Each of the higher tiers includes one or more totes stacked on a tote of a lower tier. Totes in of the tiers are laterally cross coupled to one another. The totes include lateral openings that allow removal of items through the lateral opening while the totes are stacked in place.

A system for holding items includes a base tier including two or more totes and one or more higher tiers stacked on the base tier. Each of the higher tiers includes one or more totes stacked on a tote of a lower tier. Totes in of the tiers are laterally cross coupled to one another. The totes include lateral openings that allow removal of items through the lateral opening while the totes are stacked in place.

A crate-stacking system has a multiplicity of crates for stacking in a crate-stacking direction and has a crate-stacking apparatus for automatic stacking. The crate-stacking apparatus has a crate conveying apparatus designed to convey the crates from a crate feed section to a crate-stacking section and to convey the stacked crates from the crate-stacking section to a crate discharge section. A crate lifting apparatus is arranged at the crate-stacking section and, on opposite sides of the conveying path, has gripping elements such that a respective crate can be gripped at mutually opposite sides by virtue of gripping fingers engaging, at the mutually opposite sides, into associated engagement longitudinal recesses. A control apparatus is connected to the crate conveying apparatus and to the crate lifting apparatus and which is designed to control the crate conveying apparatus and crate lifting apparatus in order to stack the crates.

The present disclosure includes a nestable containing for storing and dispensing wipes. The nestable container includes a container body comprising a bottom wall, side walls, and a corner region including an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface. The nestable container includes a first ledge and a second ledge. The first and second ledges each have a proximal end region and a distal end region. The proximal end region of the first ledge is connected with the exterior surface of the corner region. The proximal end region of the first ledge comprises a groove and the distal end region of the first ledge comprises a ridge. The proximal end region of the second ledge is connected with the interior surface of the corner region. The proximal end region of the second ledge comprises a groove and the distal end region of the second ledge comprises a ridge.

Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

Shuttle robots (107) are used that are suitable for moving trolleys (106, 106′) under the control of a monitoring and control unit (190) for handling objects so as to move them from a collection point (110) to a palletizing station (151) remote from the collection point, the shuttle robots being autonomously movable and being suitable for hitching to and unhitching from the trolleys, the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they move the objects on trolleys from the collection point to a buffer storage zone (141) where the articles on the trolleys are grouped together into batches of articles for palletizing, and the monitoring and control unit controls the shuttle robots so that they take the objects on trolleys grouped together in batches from the buffer storage zone and move them in sequence to the palletizing station.

A system for forming horizontally stacked groups of containers includes an infeed screw set, an orienting screw set, and a grouping mechanism. Containers are presented to the infeed screw in a vertical orientation, and are progressed from the infeed screw set to the orienting screw set via a transitioning pocket defined by overlapping pockets of the infeed and orienting screw sets. As containers are progressed through the orienting screw the containers are rotated via a series of orienting pockets to a horizontal orientation and progressed via a series of nesting pockets to form a series of horizontally nested containers. The series is discharged to a grouping mechanism which separates a predefined number of containers from the series to form a horizontally stacked group, which is outfed from the stacking system.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for directed palletization using lights. In one embodiment, an example system may include a conveyor configured to support packages, a first set of LEDs disposed along a first side of the conveyor, the first set of LEDs having a first LED, a second set of LEDs disposed adjacent to the first set of LEDs, the second set of LEDs having a second LED, and a first sensor configured to identify packages. The system may include a second sensor disposed on the first side of the conveyor, and a third sensor disposed on the first side of the conveyor. A first color of the first LED may indicate the first package is to be scanned at the second sensor, and a second color of the second LED may indicate the second package is to be scanned at the third sensor.