Abstract: Apparatus for grouping a number of units, such as packaging units, when palleting the units, comprising a feed belt for conveying the units (10) and a grouping belt, which defines a grouping plane, said feed and grouping belts being driven for movement parallel to one another, and a robot, which is designed to group the units by positioning and orienting the units on the grouping plane. At least one part of the feed belt (1) runs beside and adjacent to the grouping belt (2). The robot (3) is a multi-axial industrial robot having a robotic arm on which a pusher element (5) is arranged, rotatable about an axis (6) perpendicular to the grouping plane, in order to allow the transfer of at least one unit from the feed belt to the grouping belt under a pushing action supplied by the pushing element, together with orientation and positioning of the unit on the grouping belt.

Abstract: An arrangement for handling packaging units, such as bottles, crates and the like with the aid of a robot, wherein the arrangement includes a mounting part (10) which is adapted for fixation to a robot arm, a tool carrier (20) which is adapted to carry one or more handling tools (30) such as a number of bottle grippers or the like, and a number of couplings each comprising a first engagement member (13) affixed to the mounting part, and a second engagement member (24) affixed to the tool carrier, wherein the second engagement member is restrictively displaceable axially relative to the first engagement member, so that the second engagement member will take a latching position relative to the first engagement member under the effect of gravity on the tool carrier in engagement with the first engagement member, wherein the working state of the tool carrier relative to the mounting part is defined when all second engagement members are in their respective latching positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for grouping a number of units, such as packaging units, when palleting the units, comprising a feed belt for conveying the units (10) and a grouping belt, which defines a grouping plane, said feed and grouping belts being driven for movement parallel to one another, and a robot, which is designed to group the units by positioning and orienting the units on the grouping plane. At least one part of the feed belt (1) runs beside and adjacent to the grouping belt (2). The robot (3) is a multi-axial industrial robot having a robotic arm on which a pusher element (5) is arranged, rotatable about an axis (6) perpendicular to the grouping plane, in order to allow the transfer of at least one unit from the feed belt to the grouping belt under a pushing action supplied by the pushing element, together with orientation and positioning of the unit on the grouping belt.

Abstract: An arrangement for handling packaging units, such as bottles, crates and the like with the aid of a robot, wherein the arrangement includes a mounting part (10) which is adapted for fixation to a robot arm, a tool carrier (20) which is adapted to carry one or more handling tools (30) such as a number of bottle grippers or the like, and a number of couplings each comprising a first engagement member (13) affixed to the mounting part, and a second engagement member (24) affixed to the tool carrier, wherein the second engagement member is restrictively displaceable axially relative to the first engagement member, so that the second engagement member will take a latching position relative to the first engagement member under the effect of gravity on the tool carrier in engagement with the first engagement member, wherein the working state of the tool carrier relative to the mounting part is defined when all second engagement members are in their respective latching positions.

Abstract: A bottle that can be stacked on other similar bottles (4), either with or without an intermediate carrier plate (1), is bound together with adjacent bottles to form stable stacks. The bottom surface of the bottle includes a cavity (15, 16, 18) adapted to receive at least a part of the capsule (12) of a bottle in an underlying layer. The cavity has at least one guiding and constraining surface (15) which coacts, with a tight fit, with a corresponding guiding and constraining surface of the capsule or with some other part of the bottle in the underlying layer, or with a corresponding guiding and constraining surface (11) of a bottle-guiding and constraining device (11, 13, 17) that projects up from a carrier plate positioned between the layers of bottles and in which there is received at least a part of the capsule of the bottle in the underlying layer.

Abstract: A method of handling containers, for instance beverage containers, such as bottles, flasks, cans, etc. that shall be distributed to retailers in shallow trays suitable for display purposes. The trays are constructed to enable several container-loaded trays to be stacked one upon the other. Container-loaded trays are lifted by moving a number of carrier-supported grippers (9) into a corresponding number of upwardly open holes (6) provided in the tray in interspaces between the containers. The lifting devices are brought into engagement with the walls defining the holes and the tray can then be lifted and handled with the tray suspended by the carrier (8).

Abstract: An apparatus for applying labels to bottles or the like comprises at least one moveable gluing palette 7 which coacts with a rotary gluing roller 1 so as to be coated with glue, and which thereafter transfers the glue to a label 17 which is transported by the palette from a label magazine 11 to a gripper 12 which grips the glue-coated label and presses it onto a bottle 15. The outer cylindrical surface of the gluing roller is provided with helical grooves 2 which are kept filled with glue, and the outer layer 10 of each gluing palette is slightly elastic so that when the palette is urged into contact with the ridges 3 extending between the grooves on the gluing roller, parts of the outer layer will be pressed partially into the grooves so as to come into contact with the glue present in the grooves.