Abstract: An equipment for inspecting a secondary battery is provided. The equipment includes a loading device on which a secondary battery is loaded in an upright position, and a side portion inspecting device which inspects a side portion of the secondary battery loaded on the loading device, wherein the side portion inspecting device comprises an elevation unit which lifts the secondary battery loaded on the loading device so as to be withdrawn out of the loading device and allows the secondary battery to return to its original position after a first period of time elapses and a side portion inspecting unit which captures an image of the side portion of the secondary battery, which is withdrawn out of the loading device by the elevation unit, thereby inspecting the side portion of the secondary battery.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cartoning apparatus (1) of items comprising: a sorting machine (100), which is configured to arrange the items into clusters, and a die-cut magazine (125), in which a plurality of die-cuts (5) are stored for packaging the clusters of items. Where the die-cut magazine is flanked in plan to the sorting machine and is spaced therefrom so that between the die-cut magazine (125) and the sorting machine there is a passage gap (126) with a width greater than 50 cm in at least a stretch of the passage gap.

Abstract: A tray for receiving sausages is provided. The tray includes cells which are adapted to substantially match the shape of sausages or other soft materials. The tray may be vacuum sealed to cause a relatively uniform top surface suitable for stacking. The tray may be sealed without pre-freezing the sausages and without causing significant deformation to said sausages upon thawing. The tray may be loaded in an automated manner without the use of robotic arms placing individual sausages into the tray.

Abstract: A storage station, a process for storing, and a bottle tray (5) configured for receiving a bottle layer (7) are provided. The bottle tray has an upright side wall (12), with an upper tray opening (13) and a tray bottom (15) connected to the side wall (12). The bottle tray (5) has a movable lifting bottom (18) that lies in the loaded state (5) on the tray bottom (15) and which has a plurality of passage openings (16) for a lifting device (34) for a relative lift between the side wall (12) and the lifting bottom (18). The tray bottom (15) has a perforated plate or a plurality of struts (17) located spaced apart and enclosing the passage openings (16). The struts are fastened to the side wall (12). The bottle tray (5) has a bottom centering (19) acting between the tray bottom (15) and the lifting bottom (18).

Abstract: The present invention provides a device including an article carry-in mechanism (1A) that transports an article (w) to a packaging position (P), an article carry-out mechanism (1B) that carries the article (w) away from the packaging position (P), and a relaying mechanism (1C) disposed between the article carry-in mechanism (1A) and the article carry-out mechanism (1B). The relaying mechanism (1C) receives and supports the transported article (w) from below in a center part of the article (w) in a direction of its width.

Abstract: A conveyor and packaging system includes an upstream conveyor that transports stacks biscuits in a plurality of lanes into buckets of a bucket conveyor. The bucket conveyor transports the buckets in a direction perpendicular to the length of the buckets to a packaging area, where transfer devices transfer the biscuit stacks to an input of a packaging machine. The transfer device can transfer the stacks without use of an intermediary conveyor.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine is provided and comprises a plurality of in-feed conveyors for separately conveying contents. The conveyors are at different heights. The machine includes means for placing the contents into a packaging article, or placing the packaging article around the contents, with the contents in a vertically stacked configuration.

Abstract: A method of feeding products into containers, in particular of feeding bags into cartons, wherein at least two different types of products are fed into a container, wherein the products are transported via respective feeding devices, in particular conveyors, in the direction of a device for feeding the products into a container, wherein each type of the products is transported separately by means of a dedicated feeding device, and wherein the conveying speed of the feeding devices is controlled such that, following the feeding devices, the products are present in a sequence which corresponds to the arrangement of the products within the container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mover traveling along a track, the mover system having a mover frame supporting a mover sensor element and a track frame providing a path for which the mover frame travels and supporting track sensor elements for interacting with the mover sensor element of the mover frame. The interaction between the mover sensor element and track sensor elements provides an identification signal of each mover and the identification signal of each mover on the track is arranged according to a cyclic sequence where unique contiguous substrings occur only once within the sequence.

Abstract: Provided is a gripper device to pick up items, such as sausages, from a first position with the items in a side by side arrangement, to a second position where the items are released. Provided are a plurality of side by side and spaced apart item holders each adapted to the shape of the items configured for picking up the side by side items and having a pitch distance between adjacent item holders substantially the same as the pitch distance between adjacent items at the first position. A pitch distance adjustment mechanism is provided to adjust the pitch distance between adjacent spaced apart item holders to arrange the received items into a group of items, before release at the second position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for breeding plants having at least two units arranged in the apparatus for the reception of a plant, wherein at least two units are arranged in a first row and at least one of these units is movable relative to at least one further unit of the first row so that their spacing from one another is changeable.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding tissues or similar folded paper articles towards an automatic packaging system, comprises means for forming stacks of articles with one or more sets of separating wheels, and means for radially ejecting and feeding the stacks to the packaging system; the ejection means comprise at least one ejection device with two or more pushing members inserted between a wheel and the other; article stop means are adjustable in a direction that is substantially tangential with respect to the separating wheel, and orthogonal with an ejection direction.

Abstract: A method of forming a carton. The method comprises obtaining a blank comprising a plurality of panels comprising a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, a top panel, at least two first end flaps, at least two second end flap, and at least one article protection flap foldably connected to the bottom panel. The method comprises positioning the plurality of panels to form an interior space of the carton, loading a plurality of beverage bottles into the interior space, closing a first end of the carton, closing a second end of the carton, and tightening the carton by folding the at least one article protection flap into the interior space after the loading of the plurality of beverage bottles.

Abstract: A packaging machine for packs of containers including a horizontal conveying means for the containers grouped as packs, a means for supplying flat paperboard sheets at the bottom side of the containers, wherein the containers are transported in a standing manner on the paperboard sheet, a means for folding upward front and back, in the transport direction, edge portions of the paperboard sheet, each of which extends beyond the footprint of the pack, at least two opposing lateral guide elements for folding upward lateral edges of the paperboard sheet extending laterally beyond the footprint of the grouped containers, wherein at least portions of the guide elements exert a defined pressing force on the upward-folded edges of the paperboard sheet and the side faces of the pack, and an adhesive is provided with edge portions of the lateral edges overlapping with front and/or back edges of the paperboard sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for an improved bottle packaging system and shipping container, and more particularly to a container wherein a plurality of inserts are employed to stabilize the bottle(s) and to provide impact resistant cushioning during shipment of liquids and the like. For a 4-bottle (quad) pack embodiment the improved insert design includes a fiber-molded bottom insert placed on the bottom of the carton for receiving the bottoms of a plurality of bottles; a reverse fit top pad fitting over the caps and necks of bottles placed into the carton; and a pair of dividers, said dividers interlocking with one another, and including tabs on the tops and bottoms thereof corresponding to recesses in both the bottom insert and the top pad. The inserts, in combination with a cardboard carton may be used to provide a re-usable and recyclable shipping container or package for chemicals and the like.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packaging method and to a packaging apparatus by which plastic injection moldings designed in the form of pipette tips or medical reaction vessels are packaged in end packaging units. The invention provides for the operation of distributing the K plastic injection moldings over the sub-groups to take place in the at least one end packaging unit exclusively during the operation of filling the end packaging unit, and for plastic injection moldings to be distributed over the sub-groups until the at least one end packaging unit has been filled completely with in each case A plastic injection moldings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packaging method by which plastic injection moldings designed in the form of pipette tips or medical reaction vessels are packaged in end packaging units. The invention provides that the K injection moldings are, prior to being distributed over the U sub-groups in the set-down plane, set down in a buffer store (12) by way of a second set-down apparatus (5) which is separate from the first set-down apparatus (18), in particular by way of a hose arrangement or by way of a gripper.

Abstract: A packaging system for the selection, grouping and loading of varying size and/or configuration product packs into cartons as provided. The packaging system includes a selection area having a primary selector for forming an initial product pack configuration, and a secondary selector adapted to select and direct an additional grouping of products into a nested arrangement against the initial product pack so as to form a nested product pack. The nested product packs thereafter can be engaged by loader arms of a pair of opposed loading assemblies, which move the nested product packs into a series of cartons moving through the packaging machine. Thereafter, the ends of the cartons can be closed and sealed to complete the packaging of the product packs therein.

Abstract: An oral dosage delivery vehicle comprising an edible film including a uniformly distributed active ingredient, wherein said film comprises dosage units releasably joined by one or more weakened sections, which permit said dosage units to be detached from said film.

Abstract: Stackable trays for jugs, stacked arrangements and stacking methods are disclosed. A tray has a first surface to support a bottom of one or more jugs, and could include jug receiving cells. A collar could extend downwardly from a second surface opposite the first surface and have at least one notch sized to receive a portion of a handle of a respective jug located beneath each jug receiving cell. Load transfer to the handles of the jugs below the second surface could be provided by load transfer structures, such as the collars in one embodiment, which extend from the second surface to engage the jugs. A stacked arrangement includes multiple layers of jugs with a respective stackable tray between adjacent layers of the multiple layers. The trays could thus be used in stacking or otherwise arranging jugs in multiple layers.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for combining units from among a plurality of packages are disclosed. In some embodiments, units are combined from a plurality of single-variety packages to provide one or more variety packs. For example, a plurality of single-variety packages arranged in repeating order of variety can be provided. The single-variety packages being so arranged can define at least two lanes extending among the plurality of single-variety packages. At least one single-variety group of units can be selected from at least one of the plurality of single-variety packages. Each of the selected at least one single-variety group of units can be positioned in one of the lanes. The selected at least one single-variety group of units can be repositioned to another package and within the one of the lanes.

Abstract: There is presented a device and method for filling and advancing a series of containers including a first container and a next container. The device includes first and second assemblies having first and second restraining members respectively. The assemblies are positionable relative to each other in an object-receiving configuration in which the first restraining member and the second restraining member are inserted into the first container, and at least partially define a gap therebetween for deposition of an object. They are also positionable in a transitional configuration in which the second restraining member is raised relative to the first restraining member, and a lower portion of the second restraining member is positioned above and behind a leading internal face of the next container; and a container advancement configuration in which at least part of the second restraining member is in contact with and applying an advancement force to the leading internal face of the next container.

Abstract: A supporting structure for concurrently supporting a plurality of containers for substances for medical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications is disclosed, wherein the containers are open at least at one end and wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of openings or receptacles and a plurality of supporting means for supporting said containers in said openings or receptacles. According to the invention the supporting structure is formed by or comprises a plurality of subunits, wherein each of the subunits can be handled or processed separately together with the containers supported thereon. The subunits make the transfer to processing stations of the process easier, but also serve for reliably positioning the containers during the process at positions, which are precisely determined by the positions of the supporting means.

Abstract: A carton for containing at least one article. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around the interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least one article retention panel is for retaining the at least one article. The article retention panel is foldably connected to the at least one panel. The article retention panel is positioned relative to the at least one panel to contact the at least one article.

Abstract: A carton for containing at least one article. The carton comprises a plurality of panels at least partially forming an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel. The carton comprises an article protection flap foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels. The article protection flap is moveable between a first position that is substantially parallel to the top panel and a second position wherein the article protection flap is folded relative to the top panel. The at least one access feature in the top panel is for positioning the article protection flap from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A bottle packaging for shipment includes a bottom tray, and a top tray made of molded pulp fiber, such as newspaper pulp, and a cardboard partition support structure disposed between the trays. Cavities formed in the bottom and top trays are arranged to engage both ends of a bottle and include crushable elements that can axially engage each bottle. The support partition may be made of corrugated cardboard material and be arranged such that the cardboard flutes provide support for loads imparted to the sides of the carton when the carton is laying on its side. The partition forms a void surrounding each bottle in the area of its labels. In this way, structural support and cushioning can be provided to the packaged bottles from all directions.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and a machine to group and join at last two articles by attaching a first packaging to form a packaging unit. The individual packaging units are joined together with an additional second packaging to form a bigger unit. The process is carried out continuously, whereby the packaging units are transposed or not.

Abstract: A miniature component carrier includes a thin, resilient mask through which are formed multiple spaced-apart apertures each of which is sized and shaped to compliantly receive and hold a miniature component in a controlled orientation during termination processing such that the side margins of the aperture primarily contact and grip the corner regions of the miniature component. At least some of the apertures have side margins that form rhomboidal or elliptical apertures. The shape and size of the multiple spaced-apart apertures confine within an operational tolerance contact between the side margins of the aperture and the side or end wall surfaces of the electronic component. This reduces mechanical damage to the side and end wall surfaces that results from their contact with the side margins during receipt and gripping of the miniature component in the aperture.

Abstract: A method of packaging dispenser assemblies, the method comprising forming a group of n dispenser assemblies, disposed in such a manner that the flaps are stacked and the housings are in side-by-side alignment and oriented in the same direction. When arranged in this way, the dispensers remain visible through the large windows formed in their respective housings.

Abstract: A combination of a container and a plurality of food items nested within the container may include base and a first cavity in the base. A first food item may be nested in the first cavity. The first food item may include a decorated section. The first food item may include a disposable wrapper having an exposed upper wrapper edge. The container may include a lid moveable between a closed position and an open position. A first retainer may be on the lid. When the lid is in the closed position the first retainer may overlie a first portion of the upper wrapper edge. When the container is inverted with the lid in the closed position relative axial movement between the first food item and the first cavity may be limited by contact between the first retainer and the upper wrapper edge.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for feeding containers (4) to a downstream processing unit (2), which receives the containers (4) with a distance (D) between them. At the input end (16) of the infeed worm (6) the containers (4) arrive bunch to bunch and at an exit end (26) of the infeed worm (6) they exhibit the required distance (D) between them. At least two conveyor belts (11, 12), drivable with a constant velocity, are arranged such with respect to the infeed worm (6) that the containers (4) are in contact with a groove (7) of the infeed worm (6). The first conveyor belt (11) at the input end (16) of the infeed worm (6) has a smaller velocity in the direction of transport (T) than the conveyor belt (12) at the exit end (26) of the infeed worm (6).

Abstract: A method and apparatus, in a bottling plant, for packing beverage bottles in cases with and without dividers and a method and apparatus for packing containers in cases with and without dividers. 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.

Abstract: This invention is directed to film wrapped and heat shrunk bundles of gabled containers to form bundles that can be stacked on pallets and not be constrained by the gables in determining the size of the bundles. This is accomplished by nesting the gable containers on a conveyor on their side. The nesting of the gable containers on their side provides a stable structure that can be moved on a conveyor to be film wrapped. After film wrapping, the containers are conveyed to a heat shrink tunnel to form bundles of gable containers that can be placed on a pallet.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging groups of containers of liquid products into bundles includes at least one pair of wrapping stations of groups of containers. Each station includes means for wrapping an extensible film around a group of containers and manipulating means for feeding and discharging the groups of containers to/from the wrapping station, at least one feeding line of the containers, and at least one discharge line of the bundles. Advantageously, the feeding and discharge lines are shared between the different wrapping stations.

Abstract: A paperboard carton doubles as a shipping container for articles such as beverage cans and a cooler for containing ice to cool the articles when the carton is opened. The top portion of the carton is breached by removing an opening strip defined by zipper rules. Once breached, the tops and side panels of the carton are opened up to form an upwardly open chimney or skirt into which ice can be placed to cool the contents of the carton. Gussets formed in the lower corners of the cartons insure that water from melting ice does not leak prematurely from the carton.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for formation of a compacted arrangement of articles (14) to be packaged within a packaging machine, whereby the group (12) of articles (14) come into contact with and is guided through the packaging machine by means of at least one profiled bar (30), at least in a partial section (20) of its transport route (18), which comes into contact with an end face of the group (12) of articles (14) and in doing so at least some of the articles (14) of the group (12) are pushed together in the compacted arrangement. The invention also relates to a device for implementation of the method for formation of a compacted group of a plurality of the same type of articles to be packaged. The invention also relates to a symmetrically or asymmetrically profiled thrust bar for transforming a group of articles being conveyed in a horizontal direction into a compacted arrangement.

Abstract: A naked collation package comprising a plurality of individual units laid end-to-end or side-by-side to form a unit row comprising at least one interface between a neighbouring pair of individual units in the unit row; the unit row being overwrapped with a sheet of polymeric film having a length and a width; the length of the sheet being sufficient to envelop the unit row with sufficient overlap between the ends of the sheet to provide an overlap region for providing a girth seal along at least part of the length of the unit row, the sheet being sealed to itself in that region to provide the girth seal; the width of the sheet being: longer than the unit row to provide an envelope seal region in at least one end of the unit row so that the wrapped and girth-sealed sheet is able to fold over and seal to itself at the at least one end of the unit row to provide an envelope seal, the sheet being folded and sealed to itself in that region to provide the envelope seal; or not substantially longer than the unit row

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a package assembly for individual elongate consumable products. A flat blank is provided. The blank includes a back wall, a foldable front wall and a foldable flap extending from the back wall. An adhesive location is placed on the foldable front wall. An array of elongate consumable products is placed on the back wall. The foldable front wall is folded to place the consumable products in releasable adhesive engagement therewith.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and a machine to group and join at last two articles by attaching a first packaging to form a packaging unit. The individual packaging units are joined together with an additional second packaging to form a bigger unit. The process is carried out continuously, whereby the packaging units are transposed or not.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device (1) with at least one grouping belt (3) for the transport and/or grouping of packages (5) with a dimensionally stable protruding edge (9) and including means for moving two adjacent packages towards one another and for overlapping the protruding edges (9), whereby the edge (9) of the preceding package comes to rest over the edge (9) of the following package on the grouping belt (3). The disclosure further relates to a method of operating a device (1) of this nature preferably in packaging systems with deep-draw packaging machines or tray sealing machines and to the use of appropriate packages (5) which are then placed into an outer packaging in a space-saving manner. With the above device and method, space saving of the packages (5) in an outer packaging (14) can be achieved in a simple manner.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a carrier tape comprising lancets and corresponding products in which a plurality of disposable lancets having a lancet tip for piercing a user's skin are provided on a carrier tape that is or can be wound onto a spool and used for obtaining a sample of body fluid. The lancets can each be arranged in a package and the lancet packages formed in this manner can be applied individually to the carrier tape and fastened thereon.

Abstract: A carton for cooperating with a packaging material to contain a plurality of articles and a package formed thereby. The carton comprises a plurality of panels comprising a central panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. The side panels are positioned relative to the central panel to at least partially form a space for receiving the articles. A handle is in at least one of the side panels. The handle is adapted for grasping and carrying the carton.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading containers with bags, wherein the apparatus is provided with a feed conveyor assembly, a loading unit, and a control designed for, each time, forming a layer of bags in the loading unit, which layer has dimensions substantially corresponding to the bottom dimensions of a container to be filled, and wherein the control is designed such that, each time, the loading unit places a wholly formed layer in the container to be filled. In the method, the bags are oriented in a feed conveyor assembly and placed from the feed conveyor assembly onto a bottom of a holder of a loading unit, wherein, subsequently, when the whole bottom of the holder of the loading unit has been filled with bags, this holder is lowered into a container to be filled and the bottom is released when the bottom of the holder is just above the bottom of the container to be filled or a layer of bags present in this container.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for combining units from among a plurality of packages are disclosed. In some embodiments, units are combined from a plurality of single-variety packages to provide one or more variety packs. For example, a plurality of single-variety packages arranged in repeating order of variety can be provided. The single-variety packages being so arranged can define at least two lanes extending among the plurality of single-variety packages. At least one single-variety group of units can be selected from at least one of the plurality of single-variety packages. Each of the selected at least one single-variety group of units can be positioned in one of the lanes. The selected at least one single-variety group of units can be repositioned to another package and within the one of the lanes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus, in a bottling plant, for packing beverage bottles in cases with and without dividers and a method and apparatus for packing containers in cases with and without dividers. 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.

Abstract: A packaging system utilizes two sides of a loading carousel, which reduces both the height and footprint of the packaging system. Mass and inertia are also reduced, allowing higher operational speeds. The loading carousel receives opened cartons on a first side and lowers them over product groups on a second side.

Abstract: A packaging system utilizes two sides of a loading carousel, which reduces both the height and footprint of the packaging system. Mass and inertia are also reduced, allowing higher operational speeds. The loading carousel receives opened cartons on a first side and lowers them over product groups on a second side.

Abstract: A method of operating a beverage can packaging station in which the filled closed cans in a group of cans are individually spaced apart from one another at a distance sufficient to permit the lowering of a divider into the spaces between the individual cans substantially only by gravity.

Abstract: A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage material with a packing apparatus for packing filled bottles and a method of operation thereof. Further, a method of manufacturing and stacking packaging units with increased stability is performed.

Abstract: A unit for filling first containers (6), fed discontinuously, with a predetermined number of objects (3) of smaller dimensions than the first containers, said second objects (3) being fed to said unit (1) continuously by a feeder (2), said unit comprising conveyor means (12, 13, 30, 31, 50) for conveying said objects (3) into said container (6), interceptor means (31, 32) for said objects (3) to enable or prevent entry of said objects into said container, and means (40, 41) for counting the number of said objects (3) inserted into said first container (6), said interceptor means (31, 32) being associated with said conveyor means.