Abstract: An extraction unit of a beverage preparation machine, the extraction unit to extract an ingredient of a beverage from a capsule, the extraction unit comprising: a capsule holder operable to move between a capsule receiving position and a capsule extraction position; a capsule holder loading system operable to actuate the capsule holder between the said positions, the capsule holder loading system comprising an actuator unit and a loading mechanism, the actuator unit to actuate the loading mechanism, wherein the loading mechanism comprises a planetary gear train and a linear actuator, the actuator unit to supply a rotary motion to the planetary gear train, the planetary gear train to gear down the said rotary motion, the linear actuator to: receive the said geared down rotary motion; convert the geared down rotary motion into linear motion; couple the said linear motion to the capsule holder.

Abstract: An IC unit unloading system including a chute and a drawer. The chute has a plurality of channels each arranged to receive a unit. The drawer is arranged to move along the chute and has a gate with a unit contact face proximate a top surface of the chute. The contact face is arranged to draw the units along the respective channel as the drawer moves along the chute, and to allow the units to slide laterally across the contact face from a first pitch of each channel to a second pitch. A method for washing a plurality of PCB units, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of PCB units, said PCB units arranged with a bump face projecting downwards; washing the bump face of the PCB units, then; flipping the PCB units so as to project the ball face downwards, then; washing the ball face.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing recommended doses and instructions for pharmaceutical treatments by measuring physiological and/or electrophysiological signals from a subject and providing recommended doses and instructions of pharmaceuticals based at least in part on the measured signals. Further, the recommended doses and instructions are based at least in part on a subject's disease(s), disorder(s), or injuries and/or symptom(s) of such, and/or side effects of medications or treatments the subject is receiving. The recommended doses and instructions are personally tailored to the subject to precisely and personally address the subject's needs, and may be based in part on correlation with database(s) comprising historical data of the subject and/or other subjects to treat the subject's movement disorders, injuries to the body or brain, cognitive diseases and disorders, sleep diseases and disorders, chronic pain, or other conditions.

Abstract: Device for delivering traffic cones that have a cone mantle that comprises a flange at its broadest end, comprising a repository for the traffic cones, comprising an outer drum and an inner drum, both arranged coaxially about the same length axis with respect to each other and mutually rotatable with respect to each other about said same axis wherein one of the inner and outer drum comprises a helix shaped groove at a side facing the other of the inner and outer drum, and the other of the inner and outer drum comprises a blocking, for at least partly prohibiting movement of a cone in the direction of the mutual movement of the inner and outer drum and a drive for mutually rotating the inner and outer drum.

Abstract: A system for dispensing vessels to an analyzer is disclosed. The system comprises a disc rotatable about an axis and comprising a groove, a drum arranged above and coupled to the disc to rotatable together about the axis, the drum comprising slots arranged along and around the axis, each slot comprising an input interface for stacking vessels in the slot and an output interface for dispensing the vessels, the output interface comprising a retainer, a crank translatable in a linear forwards and backwards direction orthogonal to the axis between a first, second, and third position. The crank comprises a pin for rotating the disc and bringing a slot into a dispensing position upon translation between the first and second position, the crank comprising an actuator pin for actuating the retainer in the dispensing position upon translation of the crank between the second and third position to dispense the vessels.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for applying inserts on skins, fabrics, clothes, or similar products. The device includes a first support having a constraining portion configured for being stably engaged to a bed of a press and a housing portion having a plurality of seats. The device also includes a second support having a respective auxiliary constraining portion configured for engaging a movable element of the press and an auxiliary housing portion having a predetermined number of auxiliary seats. The device also includes retaining elements, each having an external outline configured for being housed in a respective seat of the housing portion of the first support and a respective receiving seat for removably receiving an insert to be applied to a sheet support. A predetermined number of constraining elements are associable to the auxiliary seats and are configured for being constrained to the insert in use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control unit (116) for a game or fish feeder (100). The control unit (116) is mounted on the feeder (100) and comprises: means (130) for controlling the powering of a drive unit (110) of said feeder (100) for controlled output of feed from the feeder (100); a wireless transmitter (138) arranged to communicate over a wireless network (146) with a remote unit (140); a sensor (132; 134) for measuring a parameter of the feeder (100); and means (124) for determining whether a measured parameter value provided by said sensor (132; 134) fulfills a predetermined condition in order to detect an action-requiring state of the feeder (100). In response to a detected action-requiring state, the wireless transmitter (138) is triggered to send a notification to said remote unit (140).

Abstract: A cup dispenser for a beverage vending machine and comprising a magazine rotatably mounted about a rotation axis and provided with a plurality of columns arranged around the rotation axis and each adapted to store a respective stack of cups and provided with a respective release device operable to dispense individual cups. The cup dispenser further comprises a first actuator to rotate the magazine about the rotation axis and selectively bring the columns in a fixed cup dispensing station, a second actuator to operate the release device of the column in the dispensing station, a power takeoff powered by the second actuator, and a third actuator operable to selectively move the power takeoff to and from an engagement position, in which the power takeoff is kinematically coupled with a power input of the release device in the dispensing station.

Abstract: A first payout slide delivers a coin at a bottom in a coin tube, and a second payout slide delivers at least one coin located on the coin at the bottom in the coin tube. A selection mechanism including a change lever, solenoid, etc. performs a selection such that the first payout slide is activated alone or the first and second payout slides are activated together. A single coin is delivered through the first payout slide having been activated alone, whereas at least two coins are delivered through the first and second payout slides having been activated together. The coin delivering device may further be provided with a change slide that selectively regulates the delivery of the coin from the corresponding coin tube so that the delivery of the coin is not to be carried out regardless of an activation of the first payout slide.

Abstract: A system and control method are provided for authenticating a paper product dispensed from a dispenser. The paper product formation is loaded into the dispenser, the formation having an identification mark engraved into a surface thereof. Within the dispenser, incident light is directed onto the surface and a digital image of the surface is captured. The engraved identification mark produces a recognizable authentication signature in the digital image as compared to surrounding surface of the paper product formation. The captured digital image is analyzed for presence of the authentication signature, and if the authentication signature is not present, the paper product formation is deemed unauthorized and a responsive action is initiated.

Abstract: A system for loading elongated members, such as metal tubes and bars, onto a conveyor for later processing features an elevator, pusher arms, a support surface provided at a predetermined height, and gripper arms. The elevator acts to lift a topmost layer of the members, which are typically arranged in a stack thereon, to a predetermined height so that the pusher arms may transfer the members forming the topmost layer onto the support surface at this height. The pusher arms push these members across the support surface by engaging the member farthest from the support surface until the respective elongated member passes over a distal side of the support surface and onto the gripper arms arranged at a height of this side. The gripper arms lower that member to an unloading location below the support surface where an empty support cradle of the conveyor is arranged for receiving same.

Abstract: A drawer 72 includes a coin container receiving unit 74 and a plurality of types of coin containers 76a, 76b having different shapes, each of the coin containers 76a, 76b can be placed in the coin container receiving unit 74, and wherein a number of the coin containers 76a, 76b installed in the drawer 72 is changeable according to a combination of the types of the coin containers 76a, 76b placed in the coin container receiving unit 74.

Abstract: A coin dispensing device includes a plurality of coin tubes storing coins, a coin withdrawing and discharging part, a change part which locates a change lever at a dispensing preventing position, in which the coin withdrawing and discharging part is prevented from discharging coins, by energizing a change lever solenoid and locates the change lever at a dispensing allowing position, in which the coin withdrawing and discharging part is allowed to discharge the coins, by a biasing force of a return spring when the energizing of the change lever solenoid is stopped, and a keeping means which keeps a state of the change lever. The coin withdrawing and discharging part withdraws and discharges the coins when the keeping means keeps the state of the change lever and the energizing of the change lever solenoid is stopped.

Abstract: A device for dispensing coins includes a rotatingly-driven rotary disk, a coin container arranged above the rotary disk, through which coins are fed to a top side of the rotary disk, and a coin discharge. A wiper device is also includes and comprises at least one elastic wiper arm arranged above and at a distance from the top side of the rotary disk and turning with the rotary disk.

Abstract: A dispenser assembly for dispensing cups in a beverage vending machine, the assembly having a dispensing device for releasing one cup at a time from a stack of cups; and a belt conveyor, which defines a store for two parallel, staggered lines of stacks, communicates with the dispensing device via an outlet, and is connected to a wall, for pushing the stacks, by a friction coupling, so as to draw the wall, in use, towards the outlet.

Abstract: A condiment packet dispenser that includes a cylindrical shaped housing containing an open top with a plurality of radially partitioned chambers. Each chamber contains a cylindrical shaped container that stores individual condiment packets in a radial manner. The dispenser is operated by pushing a button which sends a signal to a motor control board. The motor control board powers a motor having a spur gear which turns the selected condiment container until the condiment packet is aligned with a drop chute. The packet then falls thru the drop chute and is available for picking up by the customer. There is also a cylindrical shaped top lid which is removable when new condiments need to be loaded to replenish the dispenser. The condiment dispenser sits on top of a base stand that may either be rigidly mounted or may be rotated to choose a condiment.

Abstract: A device for loading, storing and providing objects having standardized dimensions includes a storage unit with a carrier plate and four stackers. Each stacker includes a bottom surface disposed on top of the carrier plate. The stackers are configured to store objects stacked perpendicular to the carrier plate. The stackers are disposed symmetrically centered around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the carrier plate and offset with respect to each other by an angle of 90°. A substructure is disposed underneath the carrier plate. An unloading device is configured to unload a selected object from a first of the stackers that is disposed in a transfer position. The storage unit is rotatable around the rotation axis so as to enable movement of each of the stackers into the transfer position.

Abstract: The Novel Modular Vending Machine for Packaged Goods allows consumers to purchase packaged goods without an attendant present. The invention uses two or more conveyor assemblies to store and transfer packaged goods and primarily uses gravity to transfer the packaged goods from the storage location to the customer. When a vend is initiated, a dispensing drum rotates and places a packaged item on a delivery system for transportation to the customer. The remaining packaged goods move into position for the next vend. When the lower conveyor assembly is empty, an upper conveyor assembly is lowered into position to transfer the remaining packaged goods to the dispensing drum. The apparatus may be configured in a system comprised of multiple modular units controlled by a single user interface.

Abstract: A shoe-cover dispenser is described, including, for example, features that facilitate the simultaneous loading of multiple shoe covers and/or features that prevent incomplete release of shoe covers. The shoe-cover dispenser can include a shell and a removable shoe-cover cartridge sized to fit within the shell. The removable shoe-cover cartridge can be configured to releasably hold a plurality of shoe covers, such as by releasably holding three or more clips attached to an elastic element of each shoe cover. These clips can be preloaded into the removable shoe-cover cartridge prior to delivery to an end-user. Release of a shoe cover can be initiated by downward movement of a foot pad. To prevent tilting of the foot pad, the shell can include a guide plate substantially abutting a substantially vertical side of the foot pad and/or an alignment rod positioned within a substantially vertical hole in the foot pad.

Abstract: A towel dispenser for dispensing towel material in a loop from a stack or roll, which towel dispenser has a back part and a cover part movably connected with the back part, the cover part being provided with receiving means for receiving at least one roll or one stack of folded towel material, wherein the back part is provided with collecting means for taking up towel material dispensed from said at least one stack or one roll.

Abstract: The invention relates to a strip of towel material for use in a towel dispenser, which strip has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and has been wound onto a roller, or has been folded along folding lines extending in the transverse direction and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, such that a stack has been obtained, wherein the strip is provided with at least one electronically readable marking.

Abstract: An automated freezer stores food items stacked in a removable cartridge. The food items are dispensed from the automated freezer in response to a request for the food items. The food items are loaded into the cartridge outside of the automated freezer. When the cartridge is inserted into the automated freezer, the upper end of the cartridge is inserted into a buffer, pushing a plurality of arms in the buffer upwardly to allow food items to pass through the buffer. When the cartridge is removed from the freezer for reloading of food items, a resilient member biases the arms downwardly to retain any food items in the buffer and to prevent any food items in the buffer from falling.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vending machine that converts a force applied from a manual operation means into an electric power, and operates by utilizing the electric power as a source of power. A drive force generation/transmission mechanism includes a generator (45) that generates the electric power by utilizing the force applied from the manual operation means (9) and motors (49-55) driven by the electric power generated by the generator (45). Article moving mechanisms (63-69) are constructed to operate by utilizing the output of the motors (49-55) as the operation source.

Abstract: A shoe-cover dispenser is described, including, for example, features that facilitate the simultaneous loading of multiple shoe covers and/or features that prevent incomplete release of shoe covers. The shoe-cover dispenser can include a shell and a removable shoe-cover cartridge sized to fit within the shell. The removable shoe-cover cartridge can be configured to releasably hold a plurality of shoe covers, such as by releasably holding three or more clips attached to an elastic element of each shoe cover. These clips can be preloaded into the removable shoe-cover cartridge prior to delivery to an end-user. Release of a shoe cover can be initiated by downward movement of a foot pad. To prevent tilting of the foot pad, the shell can include a guide plate substantially abutting a substantially vertical side of the foot pad and/or an alignment rod positioned within a substantially vertical hole in the foot pad.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the stacking of containers. The apparatus includes a plurality of substantially horizontal pairs of gates positioned in a substantially vertical series. Operatively, each gate pair can be selectively closed or opened to allow containers to either rest at each gate pair or pass through, so as to deliver a stack of containers below the gate pairs.

Abstract: An automated dispenser includes a rotatable carousel including a mounting station for a primary roll of sheet product and a mounting station for a reserve roll of sheet product; mounting brackets configured for mounting the carousel such that it is movable between a locked, rearward position for dispensing and a forward position where the carousel is rotatable for reloading; a drive system including a motor coupled to a drive roller and control circuitry; a transfer mechanism adapted so as to be operable to urge a tail of the reserve roll toward a dispensing nip of the drive system upon depletion of the primary roll; a housing; and an auxiliary access aperture fitted with an access door, the auxiliary aperture and access door being configured and adapted to be manually operable to expose the reserve roll for manual dispensing.

Abstract: When any one of the commodities displayed in commodity image display areas is sold out during an operation of a vending machine, a substitute commodity for a sold-out commodity is selected from among commodities other than the sold-out commodity, and a display of a commodity image display area including the sold-out commodity is replaced with a display of a commodity image display area including a commodity image of the selected substitute commodity.

Abstract: A medication dispensing cassette and related apparatus for controlling and monitoring of dispensing of oral medications is disclosed. The cassette comprises at least one continuous track having a plurality of receptacles for medication, a microprocessor to monitor and effect any movement of the continuous track and to control release of medication according to a predetermined schedule and for monitoring such release and optionally, a communication system for transmission of data on release of medication to a remote location. The remote location may be a data management system in communication with at least one of a physician's office, a hospital, a pharmacy, an insurance company, a research organization or an individual. The medication may be in the form of a pill, a powder or a liquid. The apparatus facilitates patient education with respect to the medication through display of information, and optionally as well as support and transfer data from peripheral devices e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus for unloading a carton or other package holding a set of cylindrical containers such as beverage cans or bottles, and for dispensing them, one-by-one in a horizontal rolling position into a vessel such as a vending machine magazine.

Abstract: A sheet feed cassette adapted to be installed within a sheet feed unit of an image forming apparatus such as, for example, a copier as a printer. The cassette includes a frame including at least a side frame and a bottom frame. A bottom plate is provided above the bottom frame including collapsible guide walls for positioning four separate stacks of sheets within the cassette on the plate. Each of the walls are adapted to collapse thereby allowing each of the four stacks of sheets individually to be moved within the cassette to be in contiguous relation to a feeder unit for feeding individual sheets from a single stack of sheets that is positioned within the cassette into the apparatus. A feeding device moves each of the four stacks from different positions within the cassette to the feeder unit so that individual sheets can be fed to the apparatus for each of the four stacks.

Abstract: A composite magazine for feeding to a filling or packaging machine pre-formed and flattened containers includes a main magazine suitably inclined in which the containers are piled up. The main magazine includes a long upper back portion which can be opened and closed downwardly. Below the main magazine there is provided an ancillary magazine which initially is in a substantially horizontal loading position in order to be easily supplied with a pile of containers on a bottom plane which leaves uncovered lateral portions of the bottom of the pile. When the upper back portion is emptied, the upper back portion is opened and the ancillary magazine is raised to insert the pile of containers in the main magazine. The upper back portion then closes to retain the pile, while the ancillary magazine returns in the low loading.

Abstract: An interactive internet photo terminal for composing an electronic self-image photo message utilizing a “live” image background of the terminal's location. The photo terminal includes a cash and credit receiving device, video camera and message composition input control monitor interconnected to a CPU and telecommunication connector capability.

Abstract: An automated system for preparing and delivering postmix beverages in response to one or more drink orders being entered from a remote point of sale unit or a local keypad and including: a postmix beverage preparation assembly for dispensing ice and a selected postmix beverage into a cup; an oblong carousel type conveyor assembly including a plurality of upwardly open cup holders which are driven by a motor driven belt so as to pass beneath a cup dispensing station, an ice dispensing station, a beverage dispensing station, and a plurality of pick-up stations; a cup storage and dispenser assembly including a bi-directionally rotatable turret upon which is mounted a plurality of different sized cup supply tubes for holding a respective stack of beverage cups; and a pneumatic vertically driven cup gripper/extractor mechanism having a pair of pneumatically operated gripper arms which operate to remove a cup from a selected supply tube on the turret and placing the extracted cup into an empty cup holder which is t

Abstract: An injection drug dispensing system which can quickly dispense injection drug includes a control unit and an injection drug dispenser of the type that requires drugs to be stored in order. The dispenser has a plurality of storage units each including a plurality of cassettes in which are stored many drugs. Each storage unit has an intermediate container into which drugs discharged from the cassettes are collected. The control unit creates a table for drug dispensing data, registers the dispensing data by the numbers attached to the data, and creates a queue in a register for determining the order in which drugs are discharged into the intermediate containers. Drugs can thus be concurrently dispensed into the intermediate containers.

Abstract: A fully automatic device is provided for handling components-containing tubes and for feeding the components contained in these tubes into the input rail or "accumulator" of the loading area of a component processing equipment. Another fully automatic device which is very similar in structure to the above device is also provided for recovering the components from the output rail of the unloading area of the component processing equipment, and reinserting such components into their tubes. Both of these devices have a column holder mounted on a frame for receiving and holding a column of tubes stacked one above the other. A rotatable barrel having a conical shape and a horizontal axis supports a set of tube catching assemblies.

Abstract: A material feeding apparatus for supplying surface mounting elements for suction by a suction nozzle for surface mounting on PC boards, the apparatus including a first casing, a second casing connected in series to the first casing in an oblique position, first holder means which holds a delivery pipe on the first casing, second holder means which holds a stack of material pipes on the second casing, a material take-up unit mounted on the first casing and controlled to take out surface mounting elements from the delivery pipe for suction by the suction nozzle above, vibration motors controlled to vibrate the delivery pipe and the material pipes, enabling surface mounting elements to be shaken out of the material pipes into the delivery pipe in proper order and then shaken out of the delivery pipe to the material take-up unit, and an empty pipe return drive unit controlled to carry emptied material pipes away from the second casing.

Abstract: A system for packaging manufactured articles into respective cases along a feed line having an apparatus with stations for performing various functions, a unit for automatically stacking and feeding CD cases to be packaged in these stations and a unit for dispensing brochures or leaflets to be packaged in the CD at one of the stations. The automatic case feeding unit transfers a new stack, manually arranged, before a feed magazine into the feed magazine when it is sensed that the current stack is below a predetermined level. A pusher member is actuated to move the new stack into position in the feed magazine. The brochure feeding unit draws a bottom brochure via a conveyor belt from a stack of brochures, while the remaining brochures are retained by a partition element. The withdrawn brochure is stopped at a locating member, wherein the height of its back edge is reduced by pusher element so the brochure passes under the locating member and is passed to the corresponding packaging station.

Abstract: In an automatic apparatus for packaging compact discs into respective cases, the empty cases are arranged within a feeding magazine in a mutually superposed relation so as to form a vertical stack from the bottom of which the cases are individually removed for conveyance to the subsequent packaging steps. A new case stack is manually arranged on a platform located in front of an entrance side of the feeding magazine and, by means of a pusher member controlled by a fluid-operated actuator, the new stack is transferred into the feeding magazine so as to instantaneously replace the case stack previously in the magazine when the case stack is exhausted or the height of the cases in the stack falls below a predetermined level.

Abstract: A miniature, battery operated vending machine for dispensing products includes a rotating carousel for holding stacks of products and a plunger assembly for dispensing products from the carousel into a dispensing area. A plurality of columns are disposed along a circumference of the carousel. A carousel rotation device aligns a column with the plunger mechanism. The plunger mechanism dispenses product from a column until the column is depleted of products. A controller senses product depletion and rotates the carousel to align another column with the plunger assembly. After all products have been dispensed, the controller blocks a coin insertion slot, displays a "sold-out" sign, and shuts the machine off. The vending machine also includes a device for allowing refilling of the carousel and a device for resetting the coin slot and "sold-out" sign. The vending machine also incluces a separate currency slot for accepting donations.

Abstract: A commissioning device has several shift-out magazines arranged on a conveying path for accommodating items stacked therein. The items are introduced in insert spaces of the shift-out magazines in the form of item stacks. The shift-out magazines are preceded by an item stack throughput storage device each equipped with an itermittently operated advancing device, and when the advancing device is triggered, a row of item stacks present in said throughput storage device is moved forward by one receiving space, and the at least one foremost item stack is introduced into the insert space of the respective shift-out magazine. In the shift-out magazines, the insert spaces are located beside the shift-out spaces, and a transverse slide is arranged in the insert space for shifting the item stacks into an adjacent shift-out space.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a refrigeration compartment, an oven compartment, structure for transferring a food product from the refrigeration compartment to the oven compartment, and structure for transferring the food product from the oven compartment to a user of the vending machine. The vending machine provides automated handling and cooking of packaged food products that enables a hot cooked food to be delivered to a customer in a cool package sleeve. The vending machine also includes a system for inventory control that enables vertical storage of packaged food products while minimizing crushing of packaged food products at the bottom of a stack. A magazine empty indicator automatically indicates when an inventory magazine is empty. An oven door latch mechanism eliminates the possibility that the oven can be operated while the oven door is open.

Abstract: A turret magazine assembly which provides a constant supply of articles in a packaging operation. The turret magazine assembly has a rotatable feeding assembly having a plurality of tube receiving structures. A plurality of removable tubes are provided to receive and dispense a supply of articles. Each removable tube has a gate mechanism mounted at its dispensing end. A fixed feeding tube is provided having an inlet end and an outlet end. The turret magazine assembly has a control mechanism including an article flow detector to determine article flow. An indexing structure is provided which is operative on the rotatable feeding assembly and which is activated by the control mechanism. The indexing structure is constructed and arranged to successively align the dispensing ends of the respective removable tubes with the inlet end of the fixed feeding tube.

Abstract: Plastic binding strips used with this invention comprise a female strip consisting of a narrow, thin plastic strip formed with spaced apertures and grooves communicating with the apertures and a male strip comprising a narrow plastic strip having bendable studs projecting at fight angles therefrom spaced to fit through holes in the pages to be bound and the apertures in the female strip. Such strips are packaged in cassettes. The hopper for the female strips receives a stack of cassettes. Strips are fed from the lowermost cassette by a horizontally reciprocating finger onto a transverse ways and then feed along the ways to an assembly station. When the lowermost cassette is empty, its support is removed and the next cassette is moved into place. The male hopper is similar to the female except that the studs require greater spacing between cassettes and provision is made in the feed structures for the upward projection of the studs.

Abstract: An automated exchangeable parts feeding system which permits rapid exchange of parts presentation devices so that different size and shape parts can be handled on the parts feeding system. The automated exchangeable parts feeding system includes a parts presentation device having a tool exchange unit attached thereto, and a base exchange unit. The exchange units are mutually adapted to be coupled and decoupled to and from one another. At least one of the exchange units is controllably operable for coupling and decoupling. A robot arm or a pick and place device grasps and places the presentation device on the base exchange unit. The robot arm or pick and place device also functions to grasp and remove the presentation device from the base exchange unit. A control source coordinates the operation of at least one of the exchange units and the robot or pick and place device. The automated exchangeable parts feeding system further includes an optical detector, e.g.

Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.

Abstract: A package merchandiser providing for front and rear stacks of packages resting on a common sloping surface, with a rotating gate positioned between the two stacks to prevent the rear stack to slide to the position of the front stack while packages remain in the front stack. The rotating gate releases when no packages remain in the front stack, allowing the packages in the rear stack to move forward. A control cam associated with the rotating gate to additionally control motion of the rotating gate.

Abstract: A rotary article storage and outfeed apparatus stores a plurality of groups of generally flat articles in a facewise stacked condition and delivers a supply of these articles to an infeed for a device wherein the articles are to be utilized. The apparatus comprises an upper rotary carousel rotatable about an upper axis and a lower rotary carousel located below the upper carousel and rotatable about a lower axis parallel to and offset from the upper axis. Each of the carousels has a plurality of circumferentially spaced vertically oriented pockets, each pocket being dimensioned for receiving a group of articles in a facewise stacked condition.

Abstract: This invention is intended to provide a continuous parts feeder capable of continuously feeding parts to a metal mold installed in a pressure machine such as a press.An actual example of this invention consists of a parts transport pipe (40) that uses compressed air to feed parts, magazines (42, 44) that feed parts sequentially to this parts transfer pipe (40) with compressed air, and a coupling device (46) that can selectively switch the entrance of the parts transport pipe (40) between the outlets of at least two magazines (42, 44). It will also be equipped with an auxiliary compressed air supply device (57) that supplies auxiliary compressed air to the inside of the parts transport pipe according to information from the parts detector (56) which determines whether there are or are not parts inside the parts transport pipe (40), so that the transport of parts inside the parts transport pipe is performed smoothly. The coupling device (46) is automatically controlled by the automatic control device (48).

Abstract: The invention provides a method and a system for making up consignments from articles supplied in packs. It consists essentially of a consignment-assembly unit (9) that supplies individually supplied articles via a sorter (10) having inward conveyors (30,31) to an array of rack sections (14) through which the articles pass to be assembled into consignments via an outward conveyor (32). The individual articles are unpacked from the packs and the packs are temporally buffered by means of an intermediate store (6). Control is effected by a computer (2) which issues control data (d) to the intermediate store (6) and the various positions of the consignment-assembly unit (9) on the basis of goods received data (a) and customer order data (b) so as to determine, starting from the intermediate store (6), which article is to pass at which time to any particular rack section (14) and is to be available at a further particular time at the outlet in a consignment.

Abstract: In order to automatically carry out the emptying and rinsing of non-recoverable bottles or flasks (78) made from a perforatable material such as polyethylene and e.g. containing a low activity solution (88), an apparatus is proposed making it possible to pass the inverted bottles under a double-walled needle (44). The needle (44), operated by a jack, perforates the bottom (82) of the flask (78). Compressed air is then injected into the bottle above the solution (88) through the annular passage formed between the walls of the needle (44), so as to discharge the solution through the central passage of the needle. The flask is then rinsed by injecting pressurized water in place of the compressed air. Finally, the rinsing water is discharged by a further compressed air injection. The emptied and rinsed flasks are then passed to a station, where they are directly discharged into a storage drum.