Abstract: In a ball mount apparatus for mounting balls on a work by means of a mount head, the work is disposed under the mount head and the mount head is provided with a Z-axis driving mechanism for driving the mount head only in an up/down direction. A ball tray for storing the balls is disposed at a height between the mount head and the work and provided with a driving mechanism for reciprocating between a ball sucking position under the mount head and a stand by position.

Abstract: In a filler, a preliminary substitution in which a carbonate gas within a storage tank is substituted into a vessel interior takes place by opening a first gas discharge valve and a first gas valve, followed by a proper substitution in which a genuine carbonate gas in a chamber is substituted into the vessel interior by opening a second gas valve and the first gas discharge valve while closing the first gas valve, and subsequently followed by a pressurization in which the vessel interior is pressurized to the same pressure as in the storage tank by opening the second gas valve while closing the first gas discharge valve. Subsequently, a liquid valve is opened as the second gas valve is closed and the first gas valve is opened to fill the vessel with a liquid while discharging the genuine carbonate gas in the vessel into the storage tank. In this manner, a filling operation can take place while a carbonate gas of a higher concentration than the conventional practice is substituted into the vessel interior.

Abstract: A resin bottle 16 has an opening at its top end in which a thread 16a is formed, and also has a neck including a cylindrical portion 16b and a flange 16c which are disposed below the opening. An intermediate wheel 8 is disposed between a filler 6 which fills the resin bottle 16 and a capper 10 which caps the filled bottle 16. The intermediate wheel 8 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced grippers 22 each gripping the cylindrical portion 16b of the resin bottle 16, and rotatively conveys the bottle while it is suspended by gripping the neck of the resin bottle. A support 32 is disposed above each gripper 22 for abutment against the opening of the resin bottle 16, whereby in the event the bottom of the bottle 16 is swung radially outward, the opening which is located above the cylindrical portion 16b that is gripped by the gripper 22 is urged by the support 32 from the radial inside, thus allowing the bottle to be maintained in its upright position.

Abstract: A solder ball mounting device for mounting solder balls on a workpiece is disclosed. A solder ball supplying section in which the solder balls are stored; a sucking head having a plurality of solder ball sucking holes in a lower surface thereof; sucking means coupled to the sucking head so as to suck the solder balls in the solder ball sucking holes; lift means for vertically moving the sucking head; and pressure adjusting means for adjusting and setting degree of vacuum in the sucking head to a first pressure for sucking the solder balls, and to a second pressure which is lower in the degree of vacuum than the first pressure and is high enough to hold the solder balls sucked, are provided.

Abstract: A unit for supplying solder balls or the like is configured to have a primary hopper for storing a number of solder balls or the like, a ball tray for storing solder balls or the like, and a ball supply path connecting the primary hopper and the ball tray. A secondary hopper connected to the primary hopper through the ball supply path is provided near the ball tray. A vibration member is added to the secondary hopper, so that solder balls or the like are supplied to the ball tray by vibration.

Abstract: A case 6 is intermittently conveyed on a box transfer conveyor 8, and contains vessels 4 disposed in an array of four vessels in a longitudinal row and three vessels in a transverse row. A magazine introduction conveyor 18 is disposed to extend in a direction orthogonal to the conveyor 8, and a robot 24 is disposed adjacent to a crossing between the both conveyors. The robot has four grips 36 mounted thereon, each having suckers 66 and a retaining plate 68 which maintains a leaflet 12 declined downward. The leaflet includes a fixture 12b with an opening 12a therein and a display piece 12c which extends from the fixture. The grips hold attracted a leaflet around the opening in the fixture to remove it from a magazine 16.

Abstract: A laser diode is initially secured on a substrate, and light emission is caused from the laser diode to radiate light, which is measured by a measuring instrument. The laser diode is positioned at a position where a maximum output is obtained. Subsequently, while continuing light emission from the laser diode, light output which passes through a solid state laser oscillator element with a reflecting surface is measured with the measuring instrument, and the solid state laser oscillator element with a reflecting surface is secured to the substrate at a position where a maximum output is obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article processing apparatus which is preferred for use in a capper which attaches a cap to a vessel. The apparatus includes a processing head, which is provided with four capping mechanisms. Each capping mechanisms on the processing head takes hold of a cap on feeder means. The processing head is then translated to a position over a conveyor and moves in tracking relationship with four vessels which are being conveyed by the conveyor to attach each cap carried by the capping mechanism to associated underlying vessel. The attachment of a cap to a vessel while the processing head moves in tracking relationship with vessels on the conveyor provides an article processing apparatus which has its processing capability enhanced as compared with the prior art.

Abstract: A pressure filling method and a filling apparatus which fills a given quantity of liquid medicine, for example, into ampoules under pressure. A controller 8 initially opens open/close valves 13 of filling mechanisms 7 to commence the filling of liquid medicine 3 into ampoules 2 from nozzles 14. The liquid pressure of liquid medicine 3 is measured at a given time interval by a liquid pressure sensor 15, and is input to the controller 8. The controller 8 determines a mean value of liquid pressure at the end of each measurement on the basis of liquid pressures which are input during each measurement from the liquid pressure sensor 15, and calculates a predicted time for completion of filling on the basis of liquid pressures obtained at the end of each measurement. The predicted times for completion of filling thus determined at the end of each measurement are averaged to provide a corrected predicted time for completion of filling.

Abstract: A capping apparatus includes a capping head 3 which is provided with a rotatable spindle. A plurality of permanent magnets 51 are embedded around the entire outer periphery at the upper end of the spindle, with adjacent permanent magnets 51 presenting magnetic poles of different polarities. An arcuate rotation imparting member 53 is fixedly mounted and includes a plurality of permanent magnets 55 which are disposed along a locus of travel of the permanent magnets 51 on the capping head 3, with adjacent permanent magnets 55 presenting magnetic poles of different polarities. As the capping head 3 moves through a threadable engaging zone C in a direction indicated by an arrow, coaction between the permanent magnets 51 and 55 causes the capping head 3 to rotate clockwise, thereby causing a cap 12 to be threadably engaged with a container 4.

Abstract: The invention relate to a laser oscillator containing at least one pair of main electrodes within a laser tube. In accordance with the first invention, a downstream one of the main electrodes provided within the laser tube which is located downstream, as viewed in the direction of flow of a laser gas, is substantially L-shaped, with its distal end being supported to extend in a direction to intersect with the axial direction of the laser tube. This improves the oscillation efficiency in exciting the laser radiation as compared with the prior art. According to the second aspect of the invention, a pair of ring-shaped pre-ionization electrodes are disposed upstream of the main electrodes, and there is provided a pre-ionization power supply which applies a high voltage, which may be a pulse wave or an alternating voltage, across the pair of pre-ionization electrodes.

Abstract: A sucking failure detecting device built into an apparatus which transfers an object by sucking the object onto a sucking hole of a sucking head of the apparatus, the detecting device comprises: a light-emitting device emitting light and disposed on a movement path of the sucking head; and a light-receiving device disposed inside the sucking head which is made of light-shielding material, the light-receiving device receiving the light emitted by the light-emitting device and passing through the sucking hole.

Abstract: A wrap around caser including a holding and moving robot is provided. The holding and moving robot holds a predetermined number of bottles collected in a collection station and moves the bottles onto a center section of a blank sheet located at a receiving station and in succession pushes the bottles and the blank sheet downward along a predetermined path defined in a folding station so as to have the blank sheet folded into the shape of a box-shaped case around the bottles. The bottles are not released until they are placed in the box-shaped case so that the casing operation is stable and may be carried out at an increased.

Abstract: A transporting apparatus for a container 1 has a sequentially arranged filling process path 13C for performing filling process for the container 1, a empty container infeed starwheel 12 for introducing the container 1 into the filling process path 13C, a discharge starwheel 16 for feeding out the container 1 from the filling process path 13C and a discharge conveyer 17. One of the empty container infeed starwheel 12, and the discharge starwheel 16 and the discharge conveyer 17 is arranged in an intersecting manner with respect to the filling process path 13C with a different level.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatic remodelling of an article processing system which may be provided with a filler A and a capper B, for example, inhibits the operation of the article processing system unless a remodelling operation of all the article processing arrangements have taken place in a normal manner. When the variety of an article is changed, and therefore a remodelling operation is required, a main controller provides a signal designating the variety of another article to each of sub-controllers associated with the filler and the capper. The sub-controller associated with the filler selects remodelling data which corresponds to the variety of the article, and controls an associated drive arrangement in accordance with such data to move a remodelling arrangement to a given position. When the movement of all the remodelling arrangements to given positions is detected by a detecting arrangement, a remodelling complete signal is delivered from the respective sub-controllers to the main controller.

Abstract: For an article processing system which includes a filler and a capper, for example, an operating status display is provided which is capable of monitoring the operating status of the filler or capper under an optimum condition. The system includes a filler and a capper as article processors, each of which includes a plurality of sensors, and information derived by these sensors are stored in a memory at corresponding addresses. A controller includes an editor which permits a suitable location on display means to be allocated for a selected one of the addresses, and allows information stored in the memory at a specified address to be displayed on the display means at a location allocated by the editor. In this manner, any desired information detected by the sensors may be easily displayed on the display means in any desired combination.

Abstract: An article orienting method and apparatus to effectively orient articles fed in random fashion into substantially uniformly oriented condition. The apparatus includes a vertical passage, into which the articles are put in desired order. Upwardly directed fluid flow is generated in the vertical passage, which fluid flow acts on the article within the passage to maintain the article in the floating condition with capability of free rotation. By the effect of the fluid flow, the articles put in random attitude adjusted and oriented in a uniform direction. After completion of orientation, the fluid flow is terminated for removing the oriented articles in oriented condition.

Abstract: A cylindrical housing 6 is secured to the bottom surface of an elevatable filling liquid tank 2, and a liquid injection pipe 16 is mounted on the bottom of the housing 6. An exhaust pipe 18 axially passes through the housing 6 and the liquid injection pipe 16, and is disposed for elevating movement. The exhaust pipe 18 is driven by an elevating mechanism 21. A holder 54 carrying a bottle mouth stuffing 52 is fitted in the housing 6, and is urged down by a spring 61. The bottle mouth stuffing 52 tightly engages the mouth of a vessel which is being raised as carried on a vessel receptacle, and accordingly its position is determined by the height of the vessel. The position of the liquid injection pipe 16 and the exhaust pipe 18 is modified in accordance with the elevation of the tank 2, independently from the bottle mouth stuffing 52. Accordingly, a void which remains in the top of the vessel after the vessel is filled with the liquid is adjusted only in accordance with the elevation of the tank 2.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning vessels comprises a robot for delivering a vessel from a first conveyor to a second conveyor, a camera disposed on a path of conveyance of the first conveyor for photographing a manner of placement of vessels thereon, and correction device mounted on the second conveyor for erecting a vessel assuming a horizontal position when it is released by the robot. Any change in the size of a vessel does not require a remodelling of components of the apparatus, thus providing a vessel aligning apparatus having a high versatility.

Abstract: Cap holder means which holds the inner peripheral surface of a cap has an outer diameter which may be shrunk to a value less than and expanded to another value greater than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap. When the cap holder means assumes a shrunk condition in which the outer diameter thereof is less than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap, the cap holder means is capable of smoothly receiving a cap from a cap feeder. Upon receiving a cap, the cap holder means may be changed to an expanded condition presenting an outer diameter greater than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the cap, thereby allowing caps of any varying internal diameter to be centered with respect to the cap holder means. This allows a smooth delivery of the cap from the cap holder means to a capping head.