Abstract: A process for packaging a product including the steps of providing a cleaning wipe that includes nonwoven strips and moving the cleaning wipe in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cleaning wipe. A gas is moved from positions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and beyond the longitudinal edges of the cleaning wipe to bend the free ends of the nonwoven strips out of plane relative to the fixed ends of the strips.

Abstract: A handling device for handling containers in a capping and/or inspection station of a capping installation is provided. The device includes a centering member, having a side opening arranged to receive a neck region of a container, and a clamp gripping assembly for holding the container during the capping operations. The clamp gripping assembly is mounted so as to be vertically slidable between a first position, in which it is disengaged from the container and enables removing a capped container and receiving a container to be capped, and a second position, which is taken by the gripping assembly during capping and/or inspection and in which it engages the container. The clamp gripping assembly applies an axial load to the container when in the second position.

Abstract: A packaging unit and method for packaging pharmaceuticals into pouches. The packaging unit includes a dispensing area to receive cassettes that contain pharmaceuticals and packaging equipment in communication with the dispensing area. The packaging unit also includes a control system coupled to the packaging equipment to control operation of the packaging equipment and a chute connecting the dispensing area to the packaging equipment. The chute includes a plurality of tracks, each track corresponding to one of the cassettes supported on the dispensing area. The packaging unit includes a receptacle supported by the packaging equipment between the chute and a feed stock roll. The plurality of tracks converge to direct the pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes into the receptacle and the receptacle directs the pharmaceuticals received from the plurality of tracks as a group into the pouches formed by the feed stock roll.

Abstract: A surgical stapling system includes an anvil, a blade, a motor and gear assembly, a motor power supply, and a motor controller. A method of controlling the motor includes receiving first and second data indicative of operations of the motor under first and second conditions, respectively, and adjusting a motor control signal based on a difference between the first and second data. Another method includes receiving initial manufacture motor and gear assembly data from a manufacture and operational data during an initial use of the system, and adjusting parameters of the control signal based on a difference between the manufacture data and the operational data. Another method includes controlling a pulse-width modulated (PWM) motor control signal, receiving data regarding an interaction between the blade and a tissue clamped by the anvil, and adjusting a frequency of the PWM signal based on the data related to the interaction.

Abstract: A method for producing a package of smoking articles having an ordered group of packets arranged in mutual contact, including: advancing the packets in a row and receiving one packet after another between a first and a second ring-shaped moving member, accumulating the packets between the moving members so as to extend the row of packets, without interruptions, between the moving members; applying onto the accumulated packets, a continuous band of adhesive sheet; separating by a given distance an ordered group of packets from the remaining packets of the row, which are located upstream of the moving members; cutting the band at a tract within the distance between the ordered group of packets and row of packets, so as to separate a strip of adhesive sheet from the band, which is applied to the ordered group of packets and holds together the packets of the group.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a surgical instrument. The method includes connecting a power assembly to a control circuit, wherein the power assembly is configured to provide a source voltage, energizing, by the power assembly, a voltage boost convertor circuit configured to provide a set voltage greater than the source voltage, and energizing, by the voltage boost convertor, one or more voltage convertors configured to provide one or more operating voltages to one or more circuit components.

Abstract: A method for operating a machine tool, in particular an angle grinder, including a tool rotatably bringable into operative connection with a driven shaft, the machine tool having a drive device for actuating the driven shaft, a control device for actuating the drive device and at least one sensor device operatively connected to the control device. The method has the following steps: determining a speed value of the driven shaft; determining a speed value of the tool using the sensor device, which interacts with the tool, controlling an output device and/or controlling, in a predefined manner, the drive device via the control device when a difference between the determined speed value of the driven shaft and the determined speed value of the tool is greater than a defined limit value. A machine tool for carrying out a method of this kind is also described.

Abstract: An electric power tool includes a motor, a lifter, a firing pin, an electromagnet, a driving circuit, a latch, and a controller. The lifter is driven by the motor to drive the firing pin to perform a firing action. The driving circuit provides electric current to excite the electromagnet. The latch is moved by the electromagnet from a blocking position where the latch blocks the firing pin to move in a firing direction to a non-blocking position where the latch does not block the firing pin when the electromagnet is in an excited state. The controller, during an excitement period, controls the driving circuit to provide constant current for a first time period to excite the electromagnet to the excited state, and provide pulsating current for a second time period to keep the electromagnet in the excited state.

Abstract: A representative fastening tool which fastens a work piece by utilizing a fastener that includes a pin in which a shaft portion and a head portion are integrally formed and a hollow shaped collar which is engageable to the pin, wherein the work piece is disposed between the head portion and the collar. The fastening tool includes a pin holding portion which can hold an end part region of the shaft portion, wherein the fastener is fastened in a state that the collar and the head portion clamp the work piece and the end part region is integral with the shaft portion, wherein the controller has the pin holding portion move in the first direction to conduct the fastening of the fastener by a motor drive control mode defined as a drive control of the motor based on motor drive current and motor drive electric power.

Abstract: A surgical device includes a power source, a motor coupled to the power source, and a transmission assembly movable by the motor. The device also includes a reload coupled to the transmission assembly. The reload includes a plurality of staples ejectable by the transmission assembly. The device further includes a distance sensor configured to monitor operation of the transmission assembly and output distance data. The device additionally includes a controller configured to operate the motor to move the transmission assembly proximally from a distal position until a hard stop is reached, and determine whether the plurality of staples have been previously ejected based on the distance data.

Abstract: A surgical stapling anvil is disclosed comprising an anvil body including a tissue-facing surface, a plurality of staple forming pockets, and a longitudinal slot. The longitudinal slot comprises a first portion configured to receive a cutting edge of a firing member therethrough and a second portion configured to receive an anvil-camming portion of the firing member therethrough. The anvil further comprises an anvil cap welded to the anvil body, wherein the anvil cap comprises a welded portion and a non-welded portion, wherein the non-welded portion comprises a non-welded width, and wherein the non-welded width is less than or equal to about 105% of the width of the second portion.

Abstract: A device for applying an article to a moving object includes an applicator member having a base element and an arm element. The arm element is telescopically coupled to the base element such that the arm element is movable between a retracted state and an extended state. A biasing member biases the arm element towards its extended state and an actuator shaft is pivotably connected to the base element. The actuator shaft is eccentrically arranged and rotatable about a first rotation axis RA1, and a support member is pivotable about a second rotation axis RA2 and slidingly supports a mid-section of the arm element. An applicator head is cyclically movable between a retrieval position and an application position in response to rotation of the eccentrically arranged actuator shaft about the first rotation axis RA1.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a body having a firing actuator, a shaft, a motor, an end effector, and a control circuit. The motor is configured to activate in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator. The end effector is operable to staple and sever tissue and includes a cutting edge configured to selectively translate longitudinally between a proximal position and a distal position in response to an activation of the motor. The control circuit is configured to generate a forward motor control signal to pulsate the cutting edge. The forward motor control signal includes a first time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the proximal position to a second longitudinal position, a second time duration including ceased movement of the cutting edge, and a third time duration including movement of the cutting edge distally from the second longitudinal position toward the distal position.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing and packaging dosed quantities of solid drug portions is provided. The apparatus includes multiple dosing stations, each dosing station having an output opening for dispensing solid drug portions, a collector for collecting dosed quantities of solid drug portions dispensed by the dosing stations and forwarding the dosed quantities of solid drug portions to a packager, and multiple fall ducts configured to guide the solid drug portions from the output openings to the collector, each fall duct having an outlet and a number of inlet openings, the output openings of the dosing stations being aligned with the inlet openings of the fall ducts when a fall duct is positioned adjacent to a column of dosing stations. Each fall duct includes a first part and a second part detachably connected together.

Abstract: A cigarette filter comprises a first filter portion comprising an irregularly folded and packed polymer sheet, and a first cigarette filter wrapping paper surrounding the polymer sheet, wherein the polymer sheet comprises a first polymer layer containing polyolefin or polyester and a second polymer layer positioned on the first polymer layer and containing polyolefin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making bags or pouches is disclosed. It includes a track, at least two sleds that move on the track, and operating stations mounted on the sleds. The film moves along the track, and the sleds move with the film while performing operations on the film. The system can have the sleds stationary while operating for an intermittent machine, and move to reconfigure when the film is moving. The operating stations include one or more of a sealer, a heater, a cooler, an inserter, a knife, a punch, a perforator, a static charger, and a printer. The track forms a continuous path or is linear. A controller controls the sleds and operating stations. The controller includes an operating time and/or a reconfiguration module. The operating time module is responsive to a user set material thickness or a sensed material thickness.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a bagging machine (01) having at least one vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) and a vibration evaluation device (16), wherein airborne and/or structure-borne signals can be measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19), and wherein the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) can be evaluated with the vibration evaluation device (16), wherein a) airborne and/or structure-borne signals produced by the filling material during operation of the bagging machine (01) are measured with the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) on the format tube (06), b) the measurement signals of the vibration sensor (15, 18, 19) are evaluated by the vibration evaluation device (16), c) a function signal is output depending on the evaluation results.

Abstract: The present technology is generally directed to methods and systems for automated food packaging. The method and system includes singulating a plurality of elongate food products into a plurality of individual product pieces, conveying the plurality of individual product pieces along a moving surface, depositing a portion of the individual product pieces into a bucket, where the products are deposited such that a length of greater than about 90% of the individual product pieces are generally aligned parallel with the first side or second side of the bucket. Methods and systems include measuring a height between a top surface of the deposited portion of produce pieces and a top side of the moving surface, vertically lowering the bucket if the measured height is less than a threshold amount, and depositing a second portion of individual product pieces into the vertically lowered bucket.

Abstract: An end effector including an anvil and a staple cartridge assembly is disclosed. The staple cartridge assembly comprises a deck having steps defined thereon for compressing tissue positioned between the anvil and the staple cartridge assembly to different pressures. The staple cartridge assembly further comprises staples having different unformed heights removably stored therein. The staples are deformed against the anvil to different formed heights.

Abstract: A heat sealing product suitable for sealing one or more individual containers, the heat sealing product comprising: (i) a plurality of individual heat seals set out in a configuration substantially corresponding to the shape and configuration of the container(s) to be sealed, the size and shape of the individual heat seals corresponding substantially to the size and shape of the tops of the individual container(s) to be sealed; (ii) a peelable support film layer coated on one side with a low tack adhesive, the low tack adhesive serving to hold the individual heat seals in place on the support film layer in the desired configuration prior to the sealing process; (iii) alignment points in the sealing product adapted to enable the heat sealing product and therefore the individual heat seals of the heat sealing product to be aligned substantially exactly with respect to the individual containers to be sealed.