ROTATING MATERIAL TRANSFER SYSTEM WITH ADJUSTMENT AND RELATED SYSTEM COMPONENTS.

Abstract

A material transfer system includes one or more of the following features: (i) a rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of a radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth; (ii) the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of an arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity; and / or (iii) the guide surface is formed, at least in part, by at least one flexible rail adjustable between multiple orientations, and the flexible rail is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations.

Description

This application generally relates to rotary material transfer systems, such as star wheel conveyors, and more specifically to a rotary material transfer system adaptable for use in handling items of different sizes and shapes. BACKGROUND The use of rotary material transfer systems, such as star wheel conveyors, is well known. Star wheel conveyors typically include a rotating star wheel in combination with a stationary outer guide plate or rail that follows at least part of the star wheel's periphery to define an arcing conveying path along with the items moving within the star wheel's gripping slots. In environments where star wheel conveyors are used to handle a variety of different items in corresponding runs, changing between item sizes and shapes generally requires changing the star wheel assembly and / or the outer guide plate, which is time-consuming.Furthermore, maintaining a large number of interchangeable parts is generally not desirable given space limitations and the cost associated with additional parts sets. Therefore, a rotary material transfer system that can be more easily adjusted to handle different items would be desirable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION In one aspect, a rotary material transfer system includes a rotary conveying assembly that defines a plurality of peripheral article cavities, wherein each article cavity includes an article pusher surface for pushing an article located in the cavity when the rotary conveying assembly rotates about a central axis and an article guide surface that defines a cavity depth. A guide assembly extends along a portion of the periphery of the rotary conveying assembly and includes a guide surface facing the article cavities.The rotary material transfer system further includes one or more of the following features: (i) the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of a radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth; (ii) the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of an arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity; and / or (iii) the guide surface is formed, at least in part, by at least one flexible rail adjustable between multiple orientations, and the flexible rail is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations. In another aspect, a rotary conveyor assembly is provided for use in a rotary material transfer system. The rotary conveyor assembly includes a plurality of peripheral item cavities, where each item cavity includes an item pusher surface for pushing an item located in the cavity as the rotary conveyor assembly rotates about a central axis and an item guide surface that defines a cavity depth. The rotary conveyor assembly is configured to allow adjustment of (i) a radial position of the item guide surface of each item cavity to adjust the cavity depth and / or (ii) an arced offset distance between the item guide surface and the item pusher surface of each item cavity. In another aspect, a guide assembly is provided for use in a material transfer system. The guide assembly includes at least one flexible rail with a guide surface. The flexible rail is adjustable between multiple orientations and is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, where the set radius varies between the multiple orientations. Details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below. Other features, elements, and advantages will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one type of rotary material transfer system. Figure 2 shows a plan view from above of the system. Figure 3 shows a side elevation view of the system, with an example processing and / or drive unit. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the rotary conveyor assembly of the system. Figure 5 shows a plan view from above of the rotary conveyor assembly. Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view of the rotary conveyor assembly. Figure 7 shows a partial perspective view of the rotary conveyor assembly with the pin block shown transparent. Figure 8 shows a schematic plan view from above of different guide surface arcs that can be achieved using the flexible rail of the system. Figures 9A and 9B show top plan views of the flexible rail in different orientations. Figure 10 shows a partial perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the rotary conveyor assembly with projections and slots for the cam ring and inverted arms. Figure 11 shows a partial top plan view of an alternative modality in which the article cavities are located on a radially inward-facing periphery of the assembly. Figure 12 shows a side elevation of a modality with multiple stacked rotary conveyor assemblies. Figure 13 shows a top plan view of another type of rotary material transfer system. Figure 14 shows a plan view from above of a flexible rail assembly of the system in Figure 13. Figures 15-17 show perspective views of the flexible rail assemblies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figures 1 to 9B, an exemplary rotary material transfer system 10 includes a rotary conveyor assembly 12 and a guide assembly 14. The rotary conveyor assembly 12 defines a plurality of peripheral cavities for items 16, in which, such as cans, bottles, buckets, or cups, other containers or lids can be placed so that they can be moved by the rotation of the conveyor assembly 12. Here, eight cavities for items 16 are shown, but the number could be less than eight or more than eight. Typically, a constant angular or circumferential separation is provided between the cavities for items 16 of a given rotary conveyor assembly 12. An exemplary item 18 is shown in one cavity for items 16.Each item cavity 16 includes an item push surface 20 for pushing the item located in the cavity as the rotating transport assembly 12 rotates (here in the rotation direction 21) about a central axis 22, and an item guide surface 24 that defines a cavity depth D1. The guide assembly 14 extends along a portion 26 of a periphery 28 of the rotary transport assembly 12 and includes a flexible rail 30 comprising a guide surface 32 facing the article cavities 16, thereby forming a substantially arcuate path 34 for article movement. Here, the substantially arcuate path 34 spanned by the guide surface 32 extends approximately 200 degrees, but variations are possible (e.g., between 75 degrees and 200 degrees or more). Although a single flexible rail 30 is shown, systems with multiple flexible rails positioned sequentially to complete the substantially arcuate transfer or transport path are also possible.The radial distance D2 between the guide surface of the rail 32 and the guide surface of the article 24 of each article cavity is generally slightly larger than the dimension D3 of the article 18 in the radial direction to facilitate controlled transport of the article along the path 34. A rotary material transfer system 10 of the type shown is useful in numerous applications. For example, the system could be used to transfer items from one processing station to another. The system could also be incorporated into a processing station, such as a station that cleans, fills, or caps a container. As an exemplary schematic representation in Figure 3, the system 10 may include a drive arrangement 36 (e.g., motor and associated drive train) coupled to rotate the rotary conveying assembly 12 (e.g., through a central drive opening 50a). Furthermore, if the system 10 is part of a processing station, upstream processing equipment 38 (e.g., cleaning, filling, capping, or other) may be provided.In some implementations, the system may include a continuous surface 40 (for example, a sliding surface or a roller surface formed by a series of rollers) on which the elements are supported during rotational movement. The illustrated System 10 includes several beneficial features that make it easily adaptable for handling items of various sizes and / or shapes. Focusing on the rotary conveyor assembly 12, the assembly 12 is configured to allow the radial position of the article guide surface 24 of each cavity for article 16 to be adjusted to adjust the cavity depth D1. That is, a radial offset of the article guide surface 24 from the central axis 22 can be adjusted. Here, the rotary conveyor assembly 12 includes a plate 50, wherein each article guide surface 24 is formed at the end of a respective arm 52 that is positioned on the plate 50 in a circumferential position around the axis 22. The plate 50 can be formed with radial sliding grooves 54 in which the arms 52 are seated, allowing each arm 52 to move radially with respect to the plate 50. The arms 52 are captured in the grooves 54 by an overlapping plate 56 and an overlapping cam ring 58. Each arm 52 has an associated cam portion 60, and the cam ring 58 defines a plurality of corresponding cam portions 62 that engage with the cam portions 60 such that rotation of the cam ring 58 about the central axis 22 with respect to the plate 50 causes radial movement of each arm 52 through the interaction of the cam portions 60 and the cam portions 62. Here, the cam portion 60 of each arm 52 is formed by a projection, and the cam portions 62 of the cam ring are formed by grooves into which the projections extend. The interaction of the projections with the lateral surfaces of the grooves during rotation of the cam ring causes radial movement of the arms 52. The illustrated embodiment thus provides for the simultaneous movement of all arms 52 with a single adjustment by rotation of the cam ring 58.Here, the projections are formed by pins 60a that are fixed and extend from the openings 52a in the arms 52. However, the projections could take other forms, such as a projection feature that is integrally molded with or formed as a monolithic part of each arm 52. It is also recognized that, in an alternative embodiment, the cam grooves 62' could be incorporated into the arms 52 and the cam projections 60' could extend from the cam ring 58, according to Figure 10. In one implementation, the rotation of cam ring 58 is achieved manually by a machine operator as part of a changeover process. A means is provided for securing the cam ring 58 in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the plate 50 and, herein, takes the form of one or more blocks 64 that can be fixed to each of the plate 50, the cam ring 58, and the overlay plate 56. Herein, the plate 50 includes a connecting rod 66 fixed to it, which includes openings 68 that align with pins 70 that also engage with the block 64, thereby fixing the position of the block with respect to the plate 50. Another block pin 72 engages with an opening 74 in the cam ring 58 to fix the position of the block 64 relative to the cam ring 58. Another block pin 76 engages with an opening 78 in the plate 56 to fix the rotational position of the block 64 relative to the plate (the purpose of which will be explained later).Thus, the block and pin arrangement fixes the rotational positions of each of the plate 50, the overlapping plate 56, and the cam ring 58 relative to each other. It is recognized, however, that other clamping means could be used, such as other manually adjustable mechanical fastening structures (e.g., fasteners, clamps, or clips). Also contemplated are embodiments in which the rotation of the cam ring 58 with respect to the plate 50 is achieved by means of a driven drive structure. For example, one or more linear actuators 80 (e.g., electromechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic), as shown in Figure 5, may be pivotally connected to each cam plate 50 and cam ring 58 to rotate the cam ring 58. In this case, the linear actuator 80, when stationary, would also serve as a means of holding the cam ring 58 in any of the multiple rotational positions. In another implementation, a portion of the inner periphery of the cam ring 58 could be formed with gear teeth that are driven by a driving gear associated with a motor. The motor, when stationary, would then serve as a means of holding the cam ring 58 in any of the multiple rotational positions. Also considered are embodiments in which a cam ring is not used at all. For example, each arm 52 can be moved manually, and an assembly of positioning holes (in the plate and / or the arm) could be used to establish specific arm positions (e.g., using fasteners, pins, or clips). In such an embodiment, the arms could be moved radially independently of each other. The rotary conveyor assembly 12 is also configured to allow adjustment of an arced offset distance D4 between the item guide surface 24 and the item push surface 20 of each item cavity 16, again providing adaptability for variations in item size and / or shape. This adjustment allows for tailoring the contact point of the push surface on the items to further ensure item stability in the item cavities 16 (e.g., by maintaining a center point of each item substantially centered on the guide surface 20 during item push). Each item push surface 24 is formed from a respective portion 82 extending radially from the plate 56.The overlapping plate 56 is mounted to allow some rotational movement about the central axis 22 relative to the plate 50 to reposition each article-pushing surface 24. Here, a plurality of projections 84 (e.g., pins or others) and a corresponding plurality of arched grooves 86 receiving the projections guide the rotational movement of plate 56 with respect to the plate 50. Here, the projections 84 are fixed to the plate 50 and the grooves 86 are incorporated into the overlapping plate 56, but the grooves could be in the plate 50 with the projections fixed to the plate 56. In either case, the movement of the overlapping plate 56 can be achieved manually when a means of holding the overlapping plate 56 in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the plate 50 is removed (e.g., the block and pin system described above).However, a motorized drive structure could also be used to achieve the rotation of plate 56, such as the linear actuator 88 example shown in Figure 5 (e.g., electromechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic) pivotally connected to each of plate 50 and plate 56, in which case the linear actuator 88, when not moving, would also serve as a means of holding plate 56 in any of the multiple rotational positions. The flexible rail 30 is adjustable between multiple orientations and is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface 32 follows a substantially arced path with a set radius R32, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations. The schematic representation in Figure 8 shows different substantially arced exemplary paths 90-1, 90-2, and 90-3 for the guide surface 32 as the flexible rail flexes, with corresponding set radii R32-1, R32-2, and R32-3, all substantially centered on the central axis 22. A plurality of projections 92, and a corresponding plurality of grooves 94 receiving the projections, are provided to control the bending motion of the flexible rail 32. Here, the grooves 94 are formed as part of the rail 30, and the projections 92 (e.g., pins or others) extend upward from a stationary support 96. However, the grooves can be formed in the support 96, with the projections extending from the rail 30. In either case, the flexible rail 30 is movably mounted to the stationary support 96 and moves relative to the stationary support for the purpose of adjustment between multiple orientations, and the positions of the projections 92 and the shapes and orientations of the grooves 94 are defined to force the flexible rail 30 to flex in such a way that the guide surface 32 always follows or maintains a substantially arcuate path. As an example, the flexible rail 30 may be made of a plastic material (e.g., HDPE, UHMW, nylon, etc.) or, in some cases, it could be made of a metallic material (e.g., thin aluminum or stainless steel). Figure 9A shows a relaxed state of the flexible rail 30, with the corresponding guide surface radius R32-1, and Figure 9B shows a partially flexed state of the rail 30, with the corresponding guide surface radius R32-2. A means is provided for holding the flexible rail 30 in any of multiple orientations on the stationary support 96 and may take the form of a pin and block arrangement 98 that engages toward one end of the flexible rail 30 to maintain it in flex. It is recognized, however, that other means of clamping, such as other manually adjustable mechanical fastening structures (e.g., fasteners, clamps, or clips), could be used. Also considered are configurations in which the movement of the flexible rail 30 with respect to the support 96 is achieved by means of a motorized drive structure. For example, one or more linear actuators 100 (e.g., electromechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic), as shown in Figure 9A, can be pivotally connected to each of the supports 96 and the rail 30 to move the rail 30 and cause it to flex. In this case, the linear actuator 100, when not moving, would also serve as a means of holding the rail 30 in any of the multiple rotational orientations. The various adjustments provided by the above system make it quickly adaptable to handle items of various shapes and sizes. It should be clearly understood that the above description is intended solely for illustrative and exemplary purposes, is not intended to be taken as a limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. For example, the embodiment illustrated above shows an arrangement in which the item cavities are located on the outward-facing radial periphery of the rotary conveyor assembly, with the item cavities extending radially inward. However, in other embodiments, such as the one shown in Figure 11, the item cavities 16' could be located on the inward-facing radial periphery of the rotary conveyor assembly (here the ring-shaped assembly 12'), and the item cavities 16' extend radially outward. In such an embodiment, the flexible rail 30' is located radially inward from the item cavities 16'. In addition, configurations using multiple rotary conveyor assemblies 12 and / or flexible rail arrangements in a stacked configuration, as shown in assemblies 12-1 and 12-2 of Figure 12, are also considered and may be useful for taller items. Such stacked assemblies could be rotated by means of a common drive arrangement 36'. Further variations are still possible. As mentioned previously, systems with several flexible rails sequentially positioned to complete the substantially arced transfer or transport path are also possible. For example, the system 110 shown in Figures 13-17 includes an infeed rotary conveyor assembly 112a with an associated guide assembly 114a, a processing rotary conveyor assembly 112b with an associated guide assembly 114b, and an outfeed rotary conveyor assembly 112c with an associated guide assembly 114c. The overall movement path of the items is represented by the arrows 113. Each guide assembly 114a and 114c is composed of several flexible rails 130a-1, 130a-2, and 30c-1 and 130c-2, respectively. Although not shown in detail, the transport assemblies 112a, 112b, and 112c can all be of the adjustable type described above for system 10, and the guide assembly 114b can include several flexible rails.With reference to guide assembly 114a, the flexible rails 130a-1 and 130a-2 include surface portions 132a-1, 132a-2 that face the axis 122a of the rotating carrier assembly 112a and partially overlap in region 133. The amount of overlap will vary depending on the orientation of guide assembly 114a. Thus, the total guide surface 132a for guide assembly 114a is formed by the combined surface portions 132a-1, 132a-2. Each rail 130a-1, 130a-2 includes several respective grooves 194a-1, 194a-2 that are mounted on pins 192 projecting upward from a stationary support plate 196.Each flexible rail 130a-1, 130b-2 is movably mounted on the stationary support 196 and moves relative to the stationary support for the purpose of adjustment between various orientations, and the positions of the projections 192 and the shapes and orientations of the slots 194a-1, 194a-2 are defined to force each flexible rail 130a-1, 130a-2 to flex so that the guide surface 132a always follows or maintains a substantially arced path. In particular, in this configuration, the slots 194a-1, 194a-2 that are located at the respective non-overlapping ends of each flexible rail 130a-1, 130a-2 extend substantially radially with respect to the central axis 122a of the rotating carrier assembly 112a, so that the length of the angular arc (in degrees) of the guide surface 132a remains substantially the same, regardless of the radius that defines the substantially arced guide surface 132a.This helps ensure that the adjustment of the flexible rails does not leave unwanted gaps at the ends of the guide surface 132a. The two flexible rails 130a-1, 130a-2 are also interconnected by a groove 135a-2 formed in rail 130a-2 and a pin 137a-1 projecting into rotating transport assemblies that are in a stacked arrangement. A22. A rotary conveyor assembly for use in a rotary material transfer system, the rotary conveyor assembly comprising: a plurality of peripheral article cavities, wherein each article cavity includes an article push surface for pushing an article located in the cavity as the rotary conveyor assembly rotates about a central axis and an article guide surface defining a cavity depth, wherein the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of (i) a radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth and / or (ii) an arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity. A23. The rotary conveyor assembly of aspect A22, wherein the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of both (i) the radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth and (ii) the arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity. A24. The rotary conveyor assembly of aspect A22 of A23, wherein the rotary conveyor assembly includes a first plate, wherein each article guide surface is formed at the end of a respective arm that is mounted on the first plate in a set circumferential position. A25. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A24, wherein each arm can be moved radially with respect to the first plate. A26. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A25, wherein the arms can be moved radially independently of each other and / or simultaneously with each other. A27. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A25 or A26, further comprising: each arm having an associated first cam part; a cam ring mounted on the first plate and defining a plurality of second cam parts, each second cam part coupled with a respective first cam part such that rotation of the cam ring about the central axis with respect to the first plate causes a radial movement of each arm through the interaction of the first cam parts and the second cam parts. A28. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A27, wherein each first cam part comprises a projection or a groove, each second cam part comprises the other of a projection or a groove, and each projection moves in one of the grooves. A29. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A27 or A28, further comprising means for securing the cam ring in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate. A30. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A29, wherein the means for securing the cam ring comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical clamping structure or a motorized drive structure. A31. The rotary conveying assembly of any of aspects A22-A30, wherein the rotary conveying assembly includes a first plate and a second plate mounted adjacent to the first plate, wherein each article pushing surface is formed in a respective portion extending radially from the second plate, wherein the second plate is mounted to permit at least some rotational movement about the central axis with respect to the first plate to reposition each article pushing surface. A32. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A31, further comprising a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of arched grooves receiving the projections to guide the rotary motion of the second plate with respect to the first plate. A33. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A31 or A32, further comprising means for securing the second plate in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate. A34. The rotary transport assembly of aspect A33, wherein the means for securing the second plate comprise at least one manually adjustable mechanical fastening structure or a motorized drive structure. A35. The rotary conveyor assembly of any of aspects A22-A34, wherein the article cavities are located along a peripherally oriented outwards and extend radially inwards. A36. The rotary conveyor assembly of any of aspects A22-A34, wherein the article cavities are located along an inwardly oriented radial periphery and extend outward radially. A37. A guide assembly for use in a material transfer system, the guide assembly includes at least one flexible rail including a guide surface, wherein the flexible rail is adjustable between multiple orientations and is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations. A38. The guide assembly of aspect A37, wherein the flexible rail is movably mounted on a stationary support and moves relative to the stationary support in order to adjust between multiple orientations. A39. The guide assembly of aspect A37 or A38, further comprising a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of grooves receiving the projections to guide the movement of the flexible rail. A40. The guide assembly of aspect A39, wherein the positions of the projections and the shapes and orientations of the grooves are defined to force the flexible rail to flex so that the guide surface always follows a substantially arced path. A41. The guide assembly of aspect A38 or A39, further comprising means for securing the flexible rail in any of multiple orientations on the stationary support. A42. The guide assembly of aspect A41, wherein the means for securing the flexible rail comprise at least one manually adjustable mechanical fastening structure or a motorized drive structure. A43. The guide assembly of any of aspects A37-A42, wherein the at least one flexible rail comprises a first and a second flexible rail that partially overlap to define the guide surface, the first flexible rail being joined to the second flexible rail in such a way that movement of the first flexible rail causes movement of the second flexible rail. Other variations are still possible.

Claims

1. A rotary material transfer system, characterized in that it comprises: a rotary conveying assembly defining a plurality of peripheral article cavities, wherein each article cavity includes an article pushing surface for pushing an article located in the cavity while the rotary conveying assembly rotates about a central axis and an article guiding surface defining a cavity depth; and a guide assembly extending along a portion of the periphery of the rotary conveying assembly and including a guide surface facing the article cavities; wherein the rotary material transfer system further includes one or more of the following features;(i) the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of a radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth; and / or (ii) the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of an arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity; and / or (iii) the guide surface is formed, at least in part, by at least one flexible rail adjustable between multiple orientations, and the flexible rail is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations.

2. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary transport assembly includes a first plate, wherein each article guide surface is formed at the end of a respective arm that is placed on the first plate in a set circumferential position.

3. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 2, characterized in that each arm can be moved radially with respect to the first plate.

4. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 3, characterized in that the arms can be moved radially independently of each other and / or simultaneously with each other.

5. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises: each arm having an associated first cam part; a cam ring mounted on the first plate and defining a plurality of second cam parts, each second cam part coupled with a respective first cam part such that rotation of the cam ring about the central axis with respect to the first plate causes a radial movement of each arm through the interaction of the first cam parts and the second cam parts.

6. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 4, characterized in that each first cam part comprises a projection or a groove, each second cam part comprises the other projection or a groove, and each projection moves in one of the grooves.

7. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 5, further comprising means for securing the cam ring in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate.

8. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 7, characterized in that the means for holding the cam ring comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical clamping structure or a motorized drive structure.

9. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary transport assembly includes a first plate and a second plate mounted adjacent to the first plate, wherein each article pushing surface is formed in a respective portion extending radially from the second plate, wherein the second plate is mounted to permit at least some rotational movement about the central axis with respect to the first plate to reposition each article pushing surface.

10. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of arched grooves receiving the projections to guide the rotational movement of the second plate with respect to the first plate.

11. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises means for holding the second plate in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate.

12. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 11, characterized in that the means for holding the second plate comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical clamping structure or a motorized drive structure.

13. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide surface is formed, at least in part, by at least one flexible rail and the flexible rail is movably mounted on a stationary support and moves relative to the stationary support for the purpose of adjustment between multiple orientations.

14. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of grooves receiving the projections to guide the movement of the flexible rail.

15. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 14, characterized in that the positions of the projections and the shapes and orientations of the grooves are defined to force the flexible rail to flex so that the guide surface always follows a substantially arced path.

16. The rotating material transfer system according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises means for securing the flexible rail in any of the multiple orientations on the stationary support.

17. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 16, characterized in that the means for securing the flexible rail comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical fixing structure or a motorized drive structure.

18. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 13, characterized in that the at least one flexible rail comprises first and second flexible rails that partially overlap to define the guide surface, the first flexible rail being connected to the second flexible rail in such a way that the movement of the first flexible rail causes the movement of the second flexible rail.

19. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the periphery of the rotary transport assembly is an outwardly radially oriented periphery and the article cavities are situated along the outwardly radially oriented periphery and extend radially inwards.

20. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the periphery of the rotary transport assembly is a radially inward-facing periphery and the article cavities are situated along the radially inward-facing periphery and extend radially outward.

21. The rotary material transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary transport assembly is one of several rotary transport assemblies that are in a stacked arrangement.

22. A rotary conveyor assembly for use in a rotary material transfer system, the rotary conveyor assembly being characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of peripheral article cavities, wherein each article cavity includes an article push surface for pushing an article located in the cavity when the rotary conveyor assembly rotates about a central axis and an article guide surface defining a cavity depth, wherein the rotary conveyor assembly is configured to permit adjustment of (i) a radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth and / or (ii) an arced offset distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity.

23. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that the rotary transport assembly is configured to allow adjustment of both (i) the radial position of the article guide surface of each article cavity to adjust the cavity depth and (ii) the arced compensation distance between the article guide surface and the article push surface of each article cavity.

24. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that the rotary transport assembly includes a first plate, wherein each article guide surface is formed at the end of a respective arm that is mounted on the first plate in a set circumferential position.

25. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 24, characterized in that each arm can be moved radially with respect to the first plate.

26. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 25, characterized in that the arms can be moved radially independently of each other and / or simultaneously with each other.

27. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 25, characterized in that it further comprises: each arm having an associated first cam part; a cam ring mounted on the first plate and defining a plurality of second cam parts, each second cam part coupled with a respective first cam part such that rotation of the cam ring about the central axis with respect to the first plate causes a radial movement of each arm through the interaction of the first cam parts and the second cam parts.

28. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 27, characterized in that each first cam part comprises one of a projection or a groove, each second cam part comprises the other of a projection or a groove, and each projection moves in one of the grooves.

29. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 27, characterized in that it further comprises means for securing the cam ring in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate.

30. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 29, characterized in that the means for securing the cam ring comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical clamping structure or a motorized drive structure.

31. The rotary conveyor assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that the rotary conveyor assembly includes a first plate and a second plate mounted adjacent to the first plate, wherein each article push surface is formed in a respective portion extending radially from the second plate, wherein the second plate is mounted to permit at least some rotational movement about the central axis with respect to the first plate to reposition each article push surface.

32. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 31, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of arched grooves receiving the projections to guide the rotary movement of the second plate with respect to the first plate.

33. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 31, characterized in that it further comprises means for securing the second plate in any of the multiple rotational positions with respect to the first plate.

34. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 33, characterized in that the means for securing the second plate comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical fastening structure or a motorized drive structure.

35. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that the article cavities are situated along a peripherally oriented outwards and extend radially inwards.

36. The rotary transport assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that the article cavities are situated along an inwardly oriented radial periphery and extend outward radially.

37. A guide assembly for use in a material transfer system, the guide assembly being characterized in that it includes at least one flexible rail including a guide surface, wherein the flexible rail is adjustable between multiple orientations and is configured to flex such that, in each of the multiple orientations, the guide surface follows a substantially arced path with a set radius, wherein the set radius varies between the multiple orientations.

38. The guide assembly according to claim 37, characterized in that the flexible rail is movably mounted on a stationary support and moves relative to the stationary support in order to adjust between multiple orientations.

39. The guide assembly according to claim 38, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of projections and a corresponding plurality of grooves receiving the projections to guide the movement of the flexible rail.

40. The guide assembly according to claim 39, characterized in that the positions of the projections and the shapes and orientations of the grooves are defined to force the flexible rail to flex so that the guide surface always follows a substantially arced path.

41. The guide assembly according to claim 38, characterized in that it further comprises means for securing the flexible rail in any of the multiple orientations on the stationary support.

42. The guide assembly according to claim 41, characterized in that the means for securing the flexible rail comprise at least one of a manually adjustable mechanical fixing structure or a motorized drive structure.

43. The guide assembly according to claim 37, characterized in that the at least one flexible rail comprises first and second flexible rails that partially overlap to define the guide surface, the first flexible rail being attached to the second flexible rail in such a way that movement of the first flexible rail causes movement of the second flexible rail.

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