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 method of operation of a mobile unit is described here. The method includes receiving a first signal to create a stack of totes on a conveying platform. Further, the method comprises receiving a second signal to lift the stack of totes in a vertical upward direction relative to the conveying platform. The method further comprises receiving a third signal to dispense a first tote from the stack of totes to a first location. The first tote is held at the conveying platform by a set of grippers of the mobile unit. Further, the method comprises receiving a fourth signal to travel to a second location to drop a second tote from the stack of totes. In some examples, the second tote corresponds to a current lowermost tote among the stack of totes and is held at the conveying platform by the set of grippers.

Apparatus and methods for destacking objects are disclosed. An apparatus includes a robotic arm, and an end effector connected to the robotic arm. The end effector including a grasping element for grasping an object and means for clearing a surface of the object before the grasping element grasps the object at the surface. A method for mechanically destacking dishware involves moving an end effector near to a top dish in a stack of dishware, clearing an area on a surface of the top dish by sweeping a scraper bar of a scraper mechanism over the surface of the top dish in a first direction, wherein the scraper bar is mechanically connected to the end effector, and grasping, with a grasping element of the end effector, the top dish at the area on the surface of the top dish that has been cleared by the scraper.

A method for applying liners inside containers includes: providing a plurality of liners each having a bottom wall, a side wall, an upper opening opposite the bottom wall and a fold extending around the edge of the upper opening; placing the plurality of liners in at least one vertical stack in which the liners are upside down and one inside the other; pulling the liner at the top of the stack out of the stack in a vertical direction and overturning the liner so as to orient it vertically with the upper opening facing upwards; inserting a gripping tool into the liner and gripping the liner with the gripping tool; inserting the gripping tool and the liner held thereby inside a container and placing the liner inside the container; and releasing the liner into the container and removing the gripping tool from the container.

A method for applying liners inside containers includes: providing a plurality of liners each having a bottom wall, a side wall, an upper opening opposite the bottom wall and a fold extending around the edge of the upper opening; placing the plurality of liners in at least one vertical stack in which the liners are upside down and one inside the other; pulling the liner at the top of the stack out of the stack in a vertical direction and overturning the liner so as to orient it vertically with the upper opening facing upwards; inserting a gripping tool into the liner and gripping the liner with the gripping tool; inserting the gripping tool and the liner held thereby inside a container and placing the liner inside the container; and releasing the liner into the container and removing the gripping tool from the container.

A horticultural container dispensing system has a gravity-fed pot supply source having a plurality of linearly spaced pot paths and supports a plurality of pot stacks along the pot paths in a nested configuration. A pot provisioning apparatus has retention members to selectively release an end-most one of the plurality of pots from each pot stack at a release location. A pot engagement apparatus has a plurality of pot gripper devices associated with the pot paths to selectively engage an internal surface of the end-most one of the pots in the respective pot stack at the release location. A carriage apparatus selectively translates the pot gripper devices between the release location and a dispense location. The pot gripper devices selectively disengage the internal surface of the end-most one of the pots, respectively, at the dispense location. Pot grippers and provisioning apparatuses are interchangeable to accommodate differing pot sizes and shapes.

A raising/lowering conveyance device for a container for conveying an article has container supports that can move toward or away from a container in the horizontal direction and up and down with respect to the container. The container supports have a plurality of container support pins that can advance/retreat in the horizontal direction from the container and that are forcibly held at a position protruding from a front surface of the container support. The container supports are configured to lift the container by the container support pins which protrude under a downward step surface formed on the outside of the container. A pin main body of the container support pins protrudes from the front surface and has a flat tip perpendicular to the center axis of the pin main body, and has a tapered shape that increases in diameter toward the flat tip and is thicker toward the end.

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 hand includes a plurality of first gripping members which move relative to each other, a first drive unit configured to move the plurality of first gripping members in a first opening and closing direction to bring the plurality of first gripping members close to each other or separate them from each other, a plurality of second gripping members which move relative to each other independently from the plurality of first gripping members, a second drive unit configured to move the plurality of second gripping members in a second opening and closing direction to bring the plurality of second gripping members close to each other or separate them from each other, and a third drive unit configured to move the plurality of first gripping members relative to the plurality of second gripping members in a third direction intersecting the first and second opening and closing directions.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for unstacking preformed products (2), for example packaging units, stacked in a stack, these products comprising for example planar parts (4) and projecting parts (3) which are all stacked onto and into each other in line, wherein the method comprises, placing a gripper with at least a single suction cup unit (51) of flexible material, more particularly a suction mouth thereof, on a planar product part (4) of such a product, suction-engaging such a product, conveying the product to a delivery location, andreleasing the product, wherein upon suction the planar product part (4) is pulled against a plate (55) which is part of the apparatus. It has been found that in this way in a suitable manner stacks of flexible and thin-walled packaging units can be unstacked, without the stack being disturbed or the packaging unit taken off being damaged or being picked up in the wrong position.