Abstract: An apparatus and process for loading ligating clips into ligating clip cartridges. Ligating clips are fed to an inversion wheel having cavities for receiving the clips. The clips are inverted by rotating the wheel. The clips are pushed into ligating clip cartridge covers by an insertion blade. The cartridge cover is indexed by an automatic control system to receive the clips. A cartridge base is inserted into the cover after it has been loaded with clips to form the assembled cartridge.

Abstract: A work cell for populating a ball grid array employs gravity for transferring solder balls from a tooling plate to the ball grid array. The tooling plate is positioned on a gantry along with a reservoir for solder balls. The gantry, along with the tooling plate and reservoir, is rotated through about one hundred and eighty degrees to spread the solder balls over the tooling plate and to recapture loose solder balls as the gantry rotates. A riser cylinder moves a ball grid array into juxtaposition with the populated tooling plate prior to the point (i.e. angle of rotation) at which gravity operates to drop the solder balls out of the tooling plate. Further rotation results in gravity transfer of the solder balls to a (fluxed) ball grid array. Apparatus employing more than one work cell is also described.

Abstract: A roller bottle handling system includes a culture rack storage station for storing a plurality of culture racks each for accommodating a plurality of roller bottles each filled with a culture medium and cells, and a mass-handling facility for extracting completed cultures from roller bottles and replacing a culture medium in the roller bottles with a new culture medium. The roller bottle handling system further includes an unloading station for taking out roller bottles from culture racks delivered from the culture rack storage station and delivering the roller bottles to the mass-handling facility, and a loading station for charging roller bottles filled with a culture medium and cells into culture racks. Automatic guided vehicles or overhead traveling cranes are movable to deliver culture racks, one at a time, between the culture rack storage station and the unloading and loading stations.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for introducing a cigarette group (11) into a supporting member (14) for positioning the cigarettes (10) at a distance from one another within the pack. For introducing cigarettes (10) or the like into orifices (22) of the supporting member (14), guide tubes (64) serve as guide members for the cigarettes (10), the guide tubes (64) being guided with tube tips (65) through the orifices (22) of the supporting member (14) and the cigarettes (10) then being pushed after in the guide tubes (64). While the unit consisting of a cigarette group (11) and of the supporting member (14) is being pushed out of a cigarette turret (47), folding tabs of the supporting member (14) are folded.

Abstract: The reliable population of a ball grid array is achieved by attaching the array to the inner face of a wheel which is rotatable about a central axis. A tooling fixture is attached to the outer face of the wheel. Each of the ball grid array and the tooling fixture has a face with recesses and the faces face one another. The wheel moves the tooling fixture into a reservoir of solder balls to populate the recesses in the tooling fixture and the solder balls are dropped into the corresponding recesses of the ball grid array when the wheel rotates to a position where the recesses in the ball grid array are beneath the recesses in the tooling fixture. The array and the fixture are spaced apart initially so that the rotation of the wheel moves only the fixture through the reservoir ensuring that all recesses in the fixture are filled and that all solder balls not occupying recesses are removed from the surface of the fixture by the force of gravity as the wheel turns.

Abstract: Bottles or like articles are fed singly in ungrouped bottle-to-bottle contact in a continuous path by gravity feed in sequence onto horizontally moved cases carried by a conveyor disposed below the line of movement of the bottles or like articles, the case conveyor moving the cases at a predetermined speed. The bottles are conveyed to the cases on inclined paths and/or spaced rails, the bottles being slidably movable on portions adjacent the inclined paths and/or spaced rails. In one embodiment the bottles are suspended from rails in bottle-to-bottle contact. Detectors may be provided for detecting the height of the bottles, disposition of the caps thereon, positioning of the bottles in the cases, and eliminating jamming or improper spacing of the cases.

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing bakery products is disclosed where an individual dough packet 26 is deposited in a pan 24 made of magnetic material. Endless belts 16 and 18 including magnets 62 has a portion thereof in a path along which the pans 24 are advanced by conveyor belts 12 and 14. The pans 24 are magnetically coupled to the belts 16 and 18, and a sensor 20 is positioned along the path nearby a position Y where an individual dough packet 26 is deposited in a pan at this position.. The sensor 20 provides a control signal upon a pan 24 moving to this position. A motor 22 having a brake 70 and a clutch 72 drives the belts 16 and 18, and a pan 24 held by the belts is advanced upon actuation of the clutch and stopped upon actuation of the brake. A control circuit 80 includes a signal generator that provides a timing signal indicating that a dough packet 26 has been deposited in a pan 24.

Abstract: A stacking and carrying device for spherical objects such as golf balls wherein a tray member supports the spherical objects in the form of a pyramid and has strap members for carrying the tray. A filling device is also provided which stacks the balls on the tray member in a pyramidal fashion automatically and without any orientation. The filling device and method disclosed afford use in an automated dispensing machine such as for use on a golf practice range.

Abstract: A system for transporting by gravity a single-file series of elongate, tapered articles along an inclined transport path for distribution into receiving slots. The system includes a hopper for holding a supply of the articles and a pair of adjacently parallel rotating cylinders for holding the articles in suspended, sliding contact therebetween. A cleated conveyor belt carries the articles from the bottom of the hopper to a point above the cylinders and drops them onto said cylinders. The base of the hopper defines an inclined movement path to thereby convey articles which might fall from the cylinders back to the conveyor belt. The articles are thus fed by the conveyor onto the cylinders and slide along the gap therebetween to an end location. A series of three gates manipulates the articles one at a time to drop in a vertical orientation into an array of narrowly-tailored receiving slots in a packing rack.

Abstract: A method for filling and closing off a two-chamber container with different filling materials includes two sealing steps for the closing-off procedure, the first chamber being filled with the first material under sterile conditions and closed off over a first partial seal with a covering sheet, after which the second chamber is filled with the second material and closed off by means of a second partial seal with formation of a fully sealed two-chamber container.

Abstract: A carton loading machine is effective to load bottles packaged in basket style or in sleeve style cartons at high speed and with minimal attention by the operator due to the dual function of many of the machine parts.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for introducing (small) packs, especially cigarette packs, into a box. An intermediate container (18) is used in order to fill containers, especially boxes (16), with a plurality of (small) packs arranged in rows above and next to one another. This intermediate container is formed from elongated compartments (19) which are open at both ends and which receive one pack group (20) each. The intermediate container (18) is positioned in front of the open box (16) in such a way that the contents can be pushed into the box (18) in a single push-out cycle. A feed conveyor (28) which serves for filling the intermediate containers (18) feeds a pack string (15) from a packaging machine (11) to the intermediate container (18) and directly introduces the pack string into the compartments (19).

Abstract: An egg packer apparatus is disclosed having baskets mounted on a transport moveable in a continuous path. The baskets have side-by-side compartments and move from an upright loading position to an inverted position at an unloading station. In the inverted position, the eggs roll along a cover to provide lateral movement of each egg in the direction of its pointed end. The unloading station has chutes to receive only the blunt end half of the egg as it rolls along. The egg drops into the chute blunt end first and then topples forwardly down the chute and drops pointed end downwardly into the egg flat.

Abstract: An apparatus for automated loading of pipette tips (26) into storage containers or racks (28). The apparatus (21, 21a) includes a tip-orienting roller assembly (22, 22a) for orienting the tips (26) in side-by-side contact and general parallel alignment, and a spacer assembly (24, 24a) which engages the tips (26) and pushes them from the orienting assembly (22) while simultaneously spacing them at a spacing suitable for insertion into a storage container or rack (28) having spaced apart tip-receiving openings (81). In the preferred embodiment, the tip orienting assembly (22) is provided by a vibratory feeder (30) which feeds a pair of spaced apart and inclined counter-rotating rollers (36, 37), and the spacer assembly (24) pushes the tips (26) between the rollers (36, 37) and into an intermediate transfer nest assembly (27, 27a). The nest assembly (27, 27a) transfers between the roller assembly (23) and the pipette tip rack or box (28).

Abstract: A tablet encapsulator deposits a predetermined number of tablets into each of a plurality of hard gelatin capsules. A tablet holding block has second guide holes for holding the predetermined number of tablets. A tablet carrier is reciprocated for a number of times equal to the predetermined number of tablets during a capsule filling sequence so that with each reciprocation, each of the second guide holes receives a single tablet until the predetermined number of tablets is received in each of the second guide holes. A shutter normally prevents the tablets from entering first guide holes in a first tablet guide shoot and intermittently permits the predetermined number of tablets to pass through each of the first guide holes and enter each of the capsules through their openings in synchronism with intermittent motion of a capsule holder.

Abstract: A system for positioning of articles in a box or crate means, said box or crate means positionable on table means being selectively shiftable in two horixontal x, y directions through indexed motion and said articles being controllably supplied through chute means from above into said box or crate means at proper x, y positions of said table means relative to said chute means. Means are provided for delivering said box or crate means from a stack chute means capable of holding a stack of box or crate means.

Abstract: A rack packer for loading containers onto a rack comprises a loading station, a transfer station, an elevator, and a rack positioning means. The loading station receives and supports successive incoming rows of vertically oriented identical containers. The transfer station is positioned adjacent to the loading station. A starwheel at the transfer station is rotatably mounted about a transfer axis parallel to the successive rows of containers at the loading station. The starwheel has multiple sets of radial arms extending from the transfer axis to support individual containers of each row. The starwheel moves successive rows of containers from their vertical positions at the loading station upwardly to horizontal positions above the loading station. The elevator is located adjacent to the starwheel to receive multiple rows of horizontally oriented containers from the starwheel.

Abstract: A conveyor for transporting bakery pans of the type including a peripheral sidewall surrounding at least one mold cavity includes an endless conveyor chain and a plurality of flight lugs extending transversely of the conveyor chain for engaging the bakery pan and moving it along an upper flight. A pan positioning attachment is secured to the conveyor at each flight lug. The attachment defines a base and a barb-like portion having an upwardly angled surface. The attachment is dimensioned to engage and retain the bakery pan in a positive fashion adjacent the flight lug.

Abstract: A bottle loader and method for loading bottles onto shelves on a rack. The bottle loader has a carrier car rotatably supported on a frame. The bottles are placed in a vertical position and urged onto the carrier car. The bottles are then rotated on the carrier car from the vertical position to a horizontal position while horizontally aligning the bottles with the shelf on the rack. Once the bottles are aligned, they are urged off of the carrier car and onto the rack.

Abstract: Upright containers of non-rectangular shape move downstream in a plurality of parallel columns and in laterally aligned rows toward a load station where the containers are deposited row-on-row into partitioned packing cases. The cases move continuously through the load station end-to-end and are indexed to the rows of containers by depending pegs that move in between the containers from above. The pegs are provided in flights of an overhead flight bar conveyor and camming means keeps these pegs oriented perpendicular to the upright containers as the legs move in between the containers to control the containers dropped at the load station.

Abstract: A bottle loading machine for loading bottles 22 such as 1, 2 and 3 liter bottles into sockets 12 of cases 14 from a substantially continuous flow of bottles. The bottles are successfully fed in aligned rows to an upper end of an inclined slide 20 so that bottles slide down the slide on their bottoms in abutting relationship to a loading station 18. An elongated case feeding plate 26 is positioned below said inclined side for guiding cases to the loading station. A case feeding device 32 carried adjacent the elongated case feeding plate engages the cases and forces the cases at a preset feed rate towards the loading station in an end to end abutting relationship. Elongated members 80 engage the shoulders of the bottles as the bottles drop off the incline slide 20 to force the bottles into sockets 12 provided in the cases 22. A braking member 34 is carried adjacent the loading platform 18 for retarding the movement of the cases as they are loaded.

Abstract: An orientation and loading device for vials, and in particular syringe vials (A), which are disposed with their axis substantially vertical. The vials are fed by a feeder (1) to an endless conveyor (5) comprising a plurality of orientable cells (6), each of which removably receives a fed vial. In an assigned position (R) of the conveyor (5) the cells (6) and hence the vials received therein lie substantially horizontal above a container (7) provided with several cavities (8) for receiving the vials and intended to form part of the package in which the vials are sold. When in this horizontal position, a release means (9) operates to release the vials (A) from the cells (6) and cause them to fall into the underlying container (7), for example a thermoformed container.

Abstract: An improvement in a method and related apparatus for filling a carton with successive stacks of articles, for example teabags. The carton is moved forward in a stepwise manner between filling steps. At least one side wall of the carton is distorted inwardly immediately behind a last deposited stack of the articles to restrain the stack from tipping over as a result of the movement.

Abstract: An indexing assembly designed for use in combination with a conveyor assembly which includes a feeding conveyor for pans, each of which has a plurality of receiving molds therein in which dough is delivered on a synchronized basis by a separate conveyor than the pan feeding conveyor. The subject indexing assembly is provided to properly orient and position the individual pans as well as the receiving molds therein into receiving relation to the quantities of dough, or other objects being delivered, in a predetermined and preferred indexed manner so as to eliminate waste of product or the delivery of the dough to a portion of the pan other than the receiving mold.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically packaging mounted slides in a continuous strip container having laterally opening pockets includes a mechanism for positioning each pocket opposite a slide insertion member, a device for incrementally feeding the strip past the insertion member, and a cutter for cutting the strip following slide insertion.

Abstract: An automatic bottle-loading machine is described in which filled water bottles are conveyed through an automatic turning apparatus to a loading station where the bottles rest on their sides. At the same time, an empty bottle rack is loaded into an elevator and automatically delivered to the loading station. A pusher mechanism automatically pushes bottles onto a shelf of the rack. The automatic procedure is repeated with successive shelves of the rack until the rack is filled. The filled rack is then discharged from the machine and the machine is ready for the next rack.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing individual containers, for example flower pots, from a nested stack of containers. The apparatus may be used to dispense rows of individual containers into a larger container, for example, a tray. The apparatus includes a first extendable arm for holding the stack of containers in an elevated position within a hollow column adapted to hold the stack of containers vertical, a second extendable arm for wedging the stack of containers, with the exception of the bottom container in the stack, against the side of the column and a third extendable arm for contacting the bottom container in the stack, thereby causing the bottom container to separate from the stack and fall into the tray. The apparatus also includes a wedge disposed within the column, opposite to the second extendable arm for facilitating the exposure of the lip of the bottom container.

Abstract: Two side-by-side columns of containers are fed between laterally spaced container conveyors that have lugs which move inwardly between the adjacent containers of each column. Some lugs are oversized to create a space between the foremost containers in one slug or array and the last containers in an adjacent array. These lugs also have bifurcated lower portions and the lug conveyors move these lugs downwardly to engage the adjacent end panels of two end-to-end packing cases so the containers can be lowered into these cases at a load station.

Abstract: A rack, with a plurality of test tubes arranged on it, in m columns and n rows, is transported into a main housing by a rack-inlet mechanism. In the main housing, tube-extracting mechanism extracts the tubes from rack, row by row, while the rack is being transported by a rack-transporting mechanism. The tubes are then conveyed, one by one, by a tube-conveying mechanism. A plug-extracting mechanism pulls each test tube conveyed by the mechanism and the plug closing this tube, away from each other, while holding the tube and the plug, thereby extracting the plug from the test tube. The test tubes are further conveyed by the tube-conveying mechanism after the plugs have been extracted from them. The tubes are then inserted by a tube-inserting mechanism row by row, into a vacant rack transported by the rack-transporting mechanism. After a predetermined number of rows of test tubes have been inserted into this rack, a rack-outlet mechanism transports the rack from said main housing.

Abstract: A cutting and sorting apparatus having a device for feeding a long continuous negative film in the longitudinal direction of the negative film, a cutter device for cutting the long continuous film at every perdetermined number of frames, a control device for controlling the cutting operation of the cutter device, and a negative film sheet loading device for loading a negative film sheet carrying protective sacks into which the cut segments of the negative film are to be inserted. The control device controls the operation of the cutter device such that the long continuous negative film is cut when the film has been fed by predetermined length after a frame number detection device detects of a specific frame number put on the negative film at a predetermined position.

Abstract: A shifting apparatus for objects such as eggs comprises a plurality of holders slidably carried on a substantially horizontal holder guide which is vertically movable. When the holder guide assumes an upper position, the holders are maximally spaced from each other for receiving a corresponding number of objects from above. A pitch changing mechanism causes the holders to slide on the holder guide, so that the holders are minimally spaced from each other when the holder guide assumes a lower position. In the lower position of the holder guide, a discharging mechanism causes the holders to discharge the received objects into a container located below.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically assembling and packaging articles including an assembler at which the articles are assembled and discharged one after another, a form and fill packaging line including a vacuum thermoformer where a plastic web is formed to provide receptacles for receiving the articles, a filling station where articles are placed in the formed receptacles, and a sealer where a sheet seals closed the filled receptacles, a transporting line receiving the articles from the assembler and transporting them to the filling station, the articles being presented in a group at a location spaced from the web at the filling station, and a first transfer mechanism for engaging the articles one group at a time and transferring them to a corresponding group of the receptacles at the filling station.

Abstract: When arranging a plurality of sheets side by side in predetermined pattern on a sheet receiving member, the sheets are fed to a receiving position one by one, and are picked up one by one by a suction cup on a rotatable arm member. The rotatable arm member is rotated to bring each sheet picked up by the suction cup to a delivery position, and the sheet is placed on the part of the sheet receiving member positioned in the delivery position while the sheet receiving member is moved, in synchronization with rotation of the rotatable arm member, along a predetermined path corresponding to said predetermined pattern so that a new part of the sheet receiving member is brought to the delivery position each time the sheet receiving member is moved. This method is applicable to a process for making chemical analysis slides.

Abstract: A spacer-tray loading machine loads cans or other containers into nestable spacer trays. The spacer trays are shaped with a plurality of container-bottom receptacles in a row-column array and nest together when empty to form a stack. The spacer-tray loading machine comprises a multiple-lane container feeder for supplying containers arranged in parallel rows to a tray loading area of the machine. The number of lanes equals the number of columns of container-bottom receptacles in the spacer tray. The spacer-tray loading machine further comprises a stacked-tray supply conveyor for advancing a horizontal stack of trays towards a tray-withdrawal end of the stack.

Abstract: A case packing apparatus having a conveyor for moving a plurality of articles seriatim in a first direction to a location where means substantially perpendicular to the conveyor move a predetermined number of articles in the perpendicular direction into a case to form a layer within the case.

Abstract: In a conveying system for transporting a sequence of articles to a suspending point in captured relation and then transporting them by vacuum suspension to a plurality of separate discharge stations, comprising the combination of:at least a pair of conveyor belts disposed in vertically spaced, overlapping relation to define an elongate nip therebetween extending from a capturing point to a suspending point, the upper of said belts extending beyond the suspending point and being provided with a series of openings extending longitudinally thereof;feed apparatus for feeding articles to the capturing point in sequentially spaced relation so as to be captured between the belts and transported therebetween to the suspending point;suction apparatus overlying the upper belt beyond the suspending point and defining a first chamber for subjecting the articles to vacuum through the openings to suspend them after they pass beyond the suspending point, the suction apparatus defining a plurality of further and separate cha

Abstract: Relatively flexible cookie trays are supported on a rotatable mount. The cookie trays are not solidly supported, but rather are supported along portions beneath, and in between, regions where cookies are to be received. As the trays are relatively flexible, it is important that, for soft cookies, no rigid or hard surface be encountered during the relatively high speed loading operation. In connection with this invention, a cookie separating device is used which includes a pair of fingers holding cookies back and releasing them individually at time intervals. Also included is a conveyor belt feeding directly and selectively to one of two conveyor belts, each conveyor belt being fed having a far end which directly loads empty cookie trays by moving upward or downward relative to the cookie tray as well as extending toward and away from the tray.

Abstract: An improved system (10) is provided for loading compacted waste bales (34) in each compartment (22, 24, 26) of a container (14). The system (10) includes a container handling apparatus (12) which sequentially positions each of the compartments before the discharge opening (32) of a compactor assembly (18) for receiving a bale. Further, a control circuit is provided which controls the operation of the compacting ram (20) so that an overlength bale is prevented.

Abstract: An egg packing apparatus includes an endless conveyor including a plurality of rotatable parallel rollers each provided with a plurality of abutments in the form of annular flanges. The flanges of any one roller are aligned with flanges on other rollers to form a plurality of transport channels or feed paths extending to respective guide chutes. The guide chutes are each defined by a pair of opposing side walls, a pivotably mounted plate member and an additional wall opposite the plate member 36, the additional wall being provided with a V-shaped portion extending inwardly towards the plate member so that the guide chute has a decreased width in a central region. Upon the deposition of an egg on the plate member with the narrow end of the egg is contact with one of the side walls of the guide chute, the plate member is pivoted and the large end of the egg is temporarily held between the additional wall and the plate member, allowing the narrow end of the egg to swing downwardly.

Abstract: A packaging and dispensing system for pills and like objects includes a rectangular, box-like housing preferably made of metal or other durable material. On the floor of the housing is a sliding template which is equipped with three or more spaced-apart parallel rails to receive between them the rows of blisters on a fold-over drug card. A second, removable template provided with a plurality of holes is superimposed over the sliding template to create a space between the second template and the tops of the rails to receive the fold-over card. The fold-over drug card is inserted between the two templates through an opening at one end of the housing and positioned so that the blisters in the card are not aligned with the holes in the upper template. A spreader is used to spread the pills along the length of the second template, dropping one or more pills into each hole in the second template.

Abstract: An apparatus for consolidating spent fuel rods from spent fuel assemblies includes a container with a bottom and front, back, and side walls. The container has a plurality of flutes positioned adjacent to the front wall, and the plurality of flutes defines a plurality of channels. The apparatus also includes a plurality of springs, which are mounted on a support. The springs bear against the flutes and the channels when no fuel rods have been inserted into the container and the support is located proximate the front wall. The springs assist in guiding a fuel rod into a preselected location in the container; the springs are capable of maintaining the fuel rod in the preselected location. Preferably, each spring is a resilient finger that extends outwardly from the support toward the front wall. The support may be a movable sheet. The apparatus advantageously includes a device for moving the support. Such a device may automatically position the support in response to control signals.

Abstract: Relatively flexible cookie trays are supported on a rotatable mount. The cookie trays are not solidly supported, but rather are supported along portions beneath, and in between, regions where cookies are to be received. As the trays are relatively flexible, it is important that, for soft cookies, no rigid or hard surface be encountered during the relatively high speed loading operation. In connection with this invention, a cookie separating device is used which includes a pair of fingers holding cookies back and releasing them individually at time intervals. Also included is a conveyor belt feeding directly and selectively to one of two conveyor belts, each conveyor belt being fed having a far end which directly loads empty cookie trays by moving upward or downward relative to the cookie tray as well as extending toward and away from the tray.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a pill dispensing machine which can selectively dispense a plurality of different medications into preformed recesses in a plastic strip. The machine includes data entry means for entering the various types of medications to be dispensed and the time and date at which such medications are to be administered to the patient. The machine controls a plurality of dispensing devices to dispense into each of the recesses one or more pills associated with a particular time and date for administration. The machine also includes printing means for printing the date and time of administration onto a backing label adapted to cover the recesses to form a wholly contained pill container. The machine also includes a conveyor mechanism for moving the plastic strips past the dispensing means and the label applying area so that, at the output of the machine, completed packages of pills ready for administration at the specified printed time can be given to the patient.

Abstract: A method for loading a container with rods of nuclear reactor fuel assemblies having mutually parallel longitudinal axes and containing nuclear fuel or neutron absorption material, which includes the steps of loading the container initially with dummies corresponding to the rods in a given dense packing arrangement, and thereafter inserting the rods in axial direction thereof into the given dense packing arrangement so as to replace the dummies; and a device for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Small articles, particularly chocolate and candies, are placed in predetermined positions in a receiver, such as deep-drawn compartmented boxes. The articles (1) are assigned coordinate positions (90) in the receiver, in X-Y coordinate system. The receivers (2) are transported at a predetermined, preferably speed passed an insertion station, where the articles are moved in a predetermined insertion path (47) transversely to the X direction of movement of the receivers. The movement of the articles and the transport speed of the receivers are synchronized. To permit placement of the articles at selected X coordinate positions, a temporal phase shift is introduced between the movement of the articles in the insertion path and the transport speed of the receivers, for example by changing the position of a cross gear in a differential. The insertion path in the Y direction is predetermined by guide tracks (14, 15) which is shifted bodily in the Y direction by a positioning motor (60, 61).

Abstract: An apparatus for charging receptacles with groups of stacked articles includes a first conveyor for advancing article groups thereon towards a discharge end thereof; a second conveyor, situated below the first conveyor, for advancing receptacles to a filling position, a third conveyor for receiving the article groups from the discharge end of the first conveyor and advancing the article groups to a container dwelling in the filling position on the second conveyor and a pusher for sequentially pushing article groups from the discharge end of the first conveyor into the third conveyor. The third conveyor comprises a plurality of positioning devices, each having article group holding means, travelling sequentially and intermittently from the discharge end of the first conveyor downwardly to a location immediately above the filling position. The article groups are introduced from a respective positioning device into a respective container then situated in the filling position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading and unloading a transport and storage rack, such as a cart-rack (9). Packages (2) of goods, arriving on a conveyor (3), are directed to the appropriate support plates (6) of an intermediate storage (4) equipped with a lifting and lowering device, the plates being situated at a distance from each other corresponding to the distance between the shelves in the cart-rack (9), in which case a number of goods packages corresponding to the number of shelves in the rack are transferred simultaneously into the rack by means of a separate pushing device (5), the several pushers (11) of this device carrying out the transfer. The rack (9) is unloaded by pushing by means of a pusher (5) all the goods packages (2) in it simultaneously into the intermediate storage (4) and from there one at the time onto the conveyor (3). At this time the conveying direction of the lifting device is opposite to the loading procedure.

Abstract: A machine for packaging eggs of the type having an egg orienting and aligning device for arranging the eggs, supplied at random by a conveyor, in successive cross rows of a predetermined number, an orienting device for orienting the eggs in each cross row with their blunt ends directed in the direction of forward movement with the longitudinal axes of the eggs equally spaced in each row at a first distance, and a transfer device for transferring the successive cross rows of the eggs so oriented to successive corresponding cross rows of the egg holding recesses of egg trays or the like, the centers of these recesses being spaced at a second smaller lateral distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring elongated parts travelling on a first conveyor to a receptacle travelling on a second conveyor, the parts being placed singly in consecutive rows in the receptacle in a substantially vertical position. The apparatus comprises a part pick-up unit having a part pick-up member mounted on a slide. The part pick-up unit is positioned such as to enable the part pick-up member to pick up a part at the end of the first conveyor, and the part pick-up member, mounted on the output shaft of a rotary actuator, is rotated such as to rotate the part from a horizontal position to a vertical position during travel of the part pick-up unit and of the slide from the part pick-up position to the part-loading position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for loading parts from the end of a first conveyor to holding cavities in an insert in a receptacle travelling on a second conveyor and being indexed by the second conveyor to locate each row relative to a part-loading unit. The insert is located within the receptacle and the holding cavities in the insert are located and sized by expandable probes disposed in a row and introduced simultaneously each in a cavity of a row of the insert and held expanded in each cavity, while an already located and sized row of cavities is being loaded with parts, one cavity at a time.