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 tote accumulator includes stack retaining latches that are configured to be acted on by a cam and follower mechanism and additionally by a holding mechanism. The cam and follower mechanism is configured to act on the stack retaining latches when the stack of totes is moved vertically by a lifting member, to move the stack retaining latches into an active dwell wherein the stack retaining latches are engaged with the stack of totes. The holding mechanism is configured to be activated to extend the active dwell after the cam and follower mechanism ceases to act on the stack retaining latches. The active dwell is extended even further by a mechanical interlocking feature between the latches and the totes. In various implementations, the design of the cam and follower arrangement and the activation timing of the holding mechanism may be adapted to execute a stacking or an unstacking operation.

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 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.

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 molding system includes a frame device, a scooping device, a demolding device, a cutting device, an inspection device, a packaging device, and a conveying device. The frame device defines a scooping zone, a hot pressing zone, a cutting zone, an inspection zone, and a packaging zone. The scooping device includes a pulp tank that is adapted to contain a slurry, and a scooping mold that is adapted to scoop the slurry such that the slurry forms a blank unit thereon. The cutting device is adapted to cut the blank unit into a plurality of blank bodies. The conveying device is adapted to convey the blank bodies from the cutting zone to the packaging zone through the inspection zone.

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for a tote stacker machine. A tote stacker system may include a first conveyor belt, a sensor to determine an orientation of a first tote on the first conveyor belt, an end effector that moves in a lateral direction between a first position aligned with the first conveyor belt and a second position, and an elevator that is aligned with the second position and that includes a first track and a second track. The elevator may receive the first tote from the end effector and may down stack the first tote with a second tote. The tote stacker system may include a second conveyor belt at least partially positioned between the first track and the second track of the elevator, and the second conveyor may move the first tote and second tote away from the elevator.

A tote accumulator includes stack retaining latches that are configured to be acted on by a cam and follower mechanism and additionally by a holding mechanism. The cam and follower mechanism is configured to act on the stack retaining latches when the stack of totes is moved vertically by a lifting member, to move the stack retaining latches into an active dwell wherein the stack retaining latches are engaged with the stack of totes. The holding mechanism is configured to be activated to extend the active dwell after the cam and follower mechanism ceases to act on the stack retaining latches. The active dwell is extended even further by a mechanical interlocking feature between the latches and the totes. In various implementations, the design of the cam and follower arrangement and the activation timing of the holding mechanism may be adapted to execute a stacking or an unstacking operation.

A taco stacking apparatus comprises a conveyor assembly for moving taco shells along a predefined pathway. A stacking receptacle defines a channel for receiving taco shells transferred from the conveyor assembly. A stacking receptacle actuator lowers the stacking receptacle as additional taco shells are added to a stack of taco shells. A plunger assembly transfers a taco shell from the conveyor assembly to the stacking receptacle. A dispensing assembly removes the stack of taco shells from the stacking receptacle.