Abstract: Apparatus for extracting pharmaceutical containers from a nest inside a tub includes an advancement line of the tubs, which stops the tubs at a rest station; a handling organ, and a pickup and transfer station. The station has a frame, with a housing for receiving and supporting a nest and rotatable about a first axis into a first operating position near the rest station and into a second operating position near the handling organ. A suction gripper collects at least a further nest containing pharmaceutical containers from a tub in the rest station and positions the further nest in the housing of a second frame stationary in the first operating position. The second frame then rotates into the second operating position for the handling organ to collect the pharmaceutical containers from the “nest.

Abstract: A carrier package is constructed to tightly secure articles within the package. During loading, pushing the containers into the package causes the side panels of the package to deform so that the height of the package decreases and the width of the package increases.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for an improved bottle packaging system and shipping container, and more particularly to a container wherein a plurality of inserts are employed to stabilize the bottle(s) and to provide impact resistant cushioning during shipment of liquids and the like. For a 4-bottle (quad) pack embodiment the improved insert design includes a fiber-molded bottom insert placed on the bottom of the carton for receiving the bottoms of a plurality of bottles; a reverse fit top pad fitting over the caps and necks of bottles placed into the carton; and a pair of dividers, said dividers interlocking with one another, and including tabs on the tops and bottoms thereof corresponding to recesses in both the bottom insert and the top pad. The inserts, in combination with a cardboard carton may be used to provide a re-usable and recyclable shipping container or package for chemicals and the like.

Abstract: A foldable and flexible carrier which may include a polymeric form that is foldable to provide a carrier having sufficient strength to securely hold and carry items while maintaining position about the items and which can be assembled without fastening hardware.

Abstract: A readily dividable container carrier includes a first container engaging opening, a second container engaging opening, and a handle structure located between the first container engaging opening and the second container engaging opening. The handle structure includes a first portion located toward the first container engaging opening and a second portion located toward the second container engaging opening, and a separation line between the first portion and the second portion, the separation line formed by a line of weakness along the handle structure. A method and apparatus for applying the carrier are provided.

Abstract: A system for packaging containers within a flexible container carrier includes a generally continuous string of container carriers arranged with divisible weakened connections between adjacent individual container carriers that is fed through an applicating machine for applying the container carriers to individual containers. A cut-off device is arranged downstream of the applicating machine to selectively accelerate or decelerate the containers to separate the generally continuous string into individual container carriers.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and a machine to group and join at last two articles by attaching a first packaging to form a packaging unit. The individual packaging units are joined together with an additional second packaging to form a bigger unit. The process is carried out continuously, whereby the packaging units are transposed or not.

Abstract: A machine for packaging multiple containers wherein a flexible carrier stock is fed across a jaw drum. A plurality of containers are also moved through the machine whereby the carrier is subsequently positioned over the plurality of containers so that flexible carrier stock engages with one of the containers to form a package. The jaw drum and/or a connected feed drum are preferably adjustable to accommodate a range of container sizes and carrier configurations.

Abstract: An apparatus (2) and a method for making packs (30) of at least two beverage containers (20) are disclosed. Using a conveyor, (15) the beverage containers (20) are fed to a station (10), at which the beverage containers (20) can be guided into a separate holding element (16). The station (10) has at least two rigid guiding elements (50), which are positioned in the station in transport direction of the beverage containers (20) in such a way that they run towards each other and thus clamp the beverage containers (20) in the holding element (16).

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging products into a container, comprising a first supply conveyor (10); reorientation means (60, 62), associated with said first supply conveyor and configured for selectively changing the orientation of products (74-76, 81) being transported thereon; a second supply conveyor (20), disposed downstream of the first supply conveyor and having a product-carrying surface (21) that is moveable in both a transport direction and a direction substantially perpendicular thereto; a collecting conveyor (30), disposed downstream of the second supply conveyor, whereby a portion of the third product-carrying surface is extendably and retractably arranged; and a suction pick up head (66) that is disposed in a substantially vertically moveable manner above the retractable portion of the collecting conveyor, the suction pick up head being configured for engaging a layer of products to be placed into the container (90).

Abstract: A packaging system utilizes two sides of a loading carousel, which reduces both the height and footprint of the packaging system. Mass and inertia are also reduced, allowing higher operational speeds. The loading carousel receives opened cartons on a first side and lowers them over product groups on a second side.

Abstract: A machine for packaging multiple containers wherein a flexible carrier stock is fed across a jaw drum. A plurality of containers are also moved through the machine whereby the carrier is subsequently positioned over the plurality of containers so that flexible carrier stock engages with one of the containers to form a package. The jaw drum and/or a connected feed drum are preferably adjustable to accommodate a range of container sizes and carrier configurations.

Abstract: A foldable carrier for beverages and other objects has a pair of folding receptacles extending outwardly from a central vertical support panel structure. Horizontal slits are formed in the side walls across two or four corners of the carrier, and the resulting horizontal strips of material are bent inwardly to form dividers for separating objects from one another in the receptacles. If the slits are positioned just below the upper edges of the side walls, bending the strips inwardly effectively forms compartments of reduced height to facilitate the accommodation of objects of varying height, and/or displaying additional areas of the beverage containers and their labels.

Abstract: An apparatus (2) and a method for making packs (30) of at least two beverage containers (20) is disclosed. By means of a conveyor means (15) the beverage containers (20) are at least fed to a station (10), at which the beverage containers (20) can be guided into a separate holding element (16). The station (10) has at least two rigid guiding elements (50), which are positioned in the station in transport direction of the beverage containers (20) in such a way that they run towards each other and thus clamp the beverage containers (20) in the holding element (16).

Abstract: A method of operating a shrink wrapping machine in a container filling plant for disposing portions of patterns at a substantially predetermined location and orientation on each shrink wrapped flat of containers, before and after a roller exchange, and apparatus therefor. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Abstract: The packing installation comprises a handling head (10) in which tulip-like gripping tools (11) are connected to said head (10) by means of couplers (13) which can be deactivated to allow them to be changed and replaced with tools suitable for different designs of bottles (2). The installation comprises a magazine (15) in which may be housed at least two separate groups of tools (11), which magazine (15) comprises a multitude of presentation units (23) suited to the shapes and dimensions of said tools, which presentation units (23) consist of a spindle (25) to accommodate said tools (11), which spindle (25) is of the floating type to give some flexibility and more importantly to engage with said tools (11) not only during the depositing operation but also during the operation of gripping them.

Abstract: An inventive method, system and apparatus are provided for syringe handling, and more particularly, for syringe labeling, filling and capping operations. To facilitate syringe handling, an inventive apparatus includes a plurality of syringe bodies interconnected in a predetermined orientation by a belt. Such belt may be of pliable construction and may define a predetermined spacing in between adjacent ones of the syringe bodies, such predetermined spacing corresponding with a distance between holders provided in a handling apparatus. The syringe handling apparatus may provide for the placement of contents-related information on belt segments between adjacent syringe bodies and for separating the belt segments, wherein a flap is left interconnected to each syringe body. The syringe handling apparatus may alternatively or also provide for automated filling of the syringe bodies wherein cap removal, filling and cap replacement operations are completed free from manual handling.

Abstract: A packaging system utilizes two sides of a loading carousel, which reduces both the height and footprint of the packaging system. Mass and inertia are also reduced, allowing higher operational speeds. The loading carousel receives opened cartons on a first side and lowers them over product groups on a second side.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for packaging bottles having a neck portion. The system includes a tray unit and a bridge. The tray unit has a planar base, first and second opposite sidewalls, and first and second opposite end walls. The sidewalls and end walls extend outwardly from a periphery of the base and connect thereto to define a rectangular structure for holding a plurality of bottles arranged in a series of rows. The bridge has a central planar portion and a plurality of arcuate recesses extending into a periphery of the central planar portion. Each recess is sized to receive a neck portion of one of the bottles. A method of packaging bottles having neck portions is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of loading cartons in a packaging machine are provided. A method comprises providing cartons with an end opening having a width less than a pitch of flight bars of a packaging machine, and detachably affixing the cartons so that one carton is horizontally adjacent another and the combined end opening width of the horizontally adjacent cartons is substantially equal to the pitch of the flight bars. The method also includes placing the cartons between the flight bars so that the horizontally adjacent cartons are disposed within the pitch of flight bars and detaching the plurality of cartons from one another after the cartons have been loaded. Other embodiments are claimed and disclosed.

Abstract: An inventive method, system and apparatus are provided for syringe handling, and more particularly, for syringe labeling, filling and capping operations. To facilitate syringe handling, an inventive apparatus includes a plurality of syringe bodies interconnected in a predetermined orientation by a belt. Such belt may be of pliable construction and may define a predetermined spacing in between adjacent ones of the syringe bodies, such predetermined spacing corresponding with a distance between holders provided in a handling apparatus. The syringe handling apparatus may provide for the placement of contents-related information on belt segments between adjacent syringe bodies and for separating the belt segments, wherein a flap is left interconnected to each syringe body. The syringe handling apparatus may alternatively or also provide for automated filling of the syringe bodies wherein cap removal, filling and cap replacement operations are completed free from manual handling.

Abstract: An apparatus for regulating the flow of articles from an infeed stream at an infeed end of a packaging machine which apparatus comprises a plurality of article feed lanes for supplying a row of articles converging at a predetermined position, each feed lane having a regulator to control article flow, one of said regulators providing a reference position by which the relative positions of the articles may be controlled such that as the lanes converge one row of articles is offset from the or each other rows of articles.

Abstract: An inventive method, system and apparatus are provided for syringe handling, and more particularly, for syringe labeling, filling and capping operations. To facilitate syringe handling, an inventive apparatus includes a plurality of syringe bodies interconnected in a predetermined orientation by a belt. Such belt may be of pliable construction and may define a predetermined spacing in between adjacent ones of the syringe bodies, such predetermined spacing corresponding with a distance between holders provided in a handling apparatus. The syringe handling apparatus may provide for the placement of contents-related information on belt segments between adjacent syringe bodies and for separating the belt segments, wherein a flap is left interconnected to each syringe body. The syringe handling apparatus may alternatively or also provide for automated filling of the syringe bodies wherein cap removal, filling and cap replacement operations are completed free from manual handling.

Abstract: A method for packing containers, in particular bottles, in transport boxes in which on the inside, on flat-lying transport boxes, flat-lying multi-piece packagings are releasably fastened or compartment units are fastened, the transport boxes and the multi-piece packagings or compartment units contained therein are set up, containers are applied through openings of the set-up transport boxes into receivers of the multi-piece packages or compartment units, and the openings of the transport boxes are closed.

Abstract: An inventive method, system and apparatus are provided for syringe handling, and more particularly, for syringe labeling, filling and capping operations. To facilitate syringe handling, an inventive apparatus includes a plurality of syringe bodies interconnected in a predetermined orientation by a belt. Such belt may be of pliable construction and may define a predetermined spacing in between adjacent ones of the syringe bodies, such predetermined spacing corresponding with a distance between holders provided in a handling apparatus. The syringe handling apparatus may provide for the placement of contents-related information on belt segments between adjacent syringe bodies and for separating the belt segments, wherein a flap is left interconnected to each syringe body. The syringe handling apparatus may alternatively or also provide for automated filling of the syringe bodies wherein cap removal, filling and cap replacement operations are completed free from manual handling.

Abstract: An improved case packer machine is disclosed, of the type where containers are dropped through grid fingers to an empty case positioned on a lift table. The case packer machine of the present invention includes a flap opener which includes a pair of shoes mounted to an air cylinder. The shoes are extended by the air cylinder to contact and open the leading flap. The lifting table of the present invention is motor driven and controlled to limit the shock loading experienced by the containers as they are positioned within the cases. The lifting table includes a pair spur gears driven by the motor in meshing arrangement with a pair rack gears each mounted to a table and a novel gear guide to maintain proper engagement between the racks and gears and further to provide for backlash adjustment between the gears.

Abstract: A bottling apparatus has a frame having a horizontally extending upper portion and a horizontally extending lower portion separated from the upper portion by an open space and an endless conveyor element on the frame having a horizontal lower stretch in the frame lower portion, an upper stretch above the space in the frame upper portion, and upstream and downstream upright stretches extending between and interconnecting upstream and downstream ends of the upper and lower stretches. A drive advances the element continuously in a horizontal transport direction in the lower stretch. A plurality of holders secured to the element each form a transverse row of seats adapted to fit snugly around necks of respective bottles which are loaded into the holders at the upstream end of the lower stretch with mouths of the bottles open upward into the space and the bottles hanging by their necks from the lower stretch.

Abstract: A machine for packaging multiple containers wherein a flexible carrier stock is fed across a jaw drum. A plurality of containers are also moved through the machine whereby the carrier is subsequently positioned over the plurality of containers so that flexible carrier stock engages with one of the containers to form a package. The machine is adjustable to accommodate a range of container heights and sizes, carrier configurations and/or package sizes. In addition, movement of the various components of the machine is coordinated using a drive system and a controller.

Abstract: A system and method for packaging oriented containers in a container carrier wherein a plurality of containers are fed into an orienter device for orienting a container in a desired rotational position prior to placement in a container carrier. The orienter device includes a reader for determining an initial orientation of the container; a control system for determining a shortest rotational distance from the initial orientation to the desired rotational position between a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction; and a chuck engaged with the container and in communication with the control system for rotating the container the shortest rotational distance to the desired rotational position.

Abstract: A bottle carrier system for enabling a user to quickly and easily divide bottled beverages into six packs. The bottle carrier system includes a plurality of bottles. A bottle carrier has a plurality of apertures, each aperture is structured to frictionally engage a top of an associated one of the plurality of bottles when the top of the associated one of the bottles is inserted through the aperture. A rigid planar member has a plurality of holes. Each of the holes is positioned to align with an associated one of the apertures when the rigid planar member is positioned over the bottle carrier, whereby applying a downward force to the rigid planar member when the bottle carrier is positioned between the plurality of bottles and the rigid planar member urges the top of each the bottle through the associated aperture to secure the bottle carrier to the plurality of bottles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a treatment method and a bottle-treatment installation (1) consisting of one or more bottle producers (2), at least one bottle transfer device (4), several trays (5) for the bottles (26, 30), a transport device (11) and at least one treatment station (15). The bottles (26, 30) are transported in stackable trays (5) which have closed side walls (24) and surround the bottles (26, 30) sealingly on all sides. The box-shaped trays (5) are stacked on top of each other for transportation, the trays in the stack (27) sealingly closing each other and the top tray (5) being sealed with a lid (31). The trays are separated at the treatment stations (15) and then restacked after the bottle treatment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for storing two different types of carton, and for selecting and transferring cartons to be packaged, which apparatus includes a first hopper for storing a first carton type, a second hopper for storing a second carton type, and a carton engaging device that provides a first position for engaging cartons from the first hopper and a different second position for engaging cartons from the second hopper. A transfer device transfers the cartons from its respective first or second hopper to the infeed end of a packaging machine.

Abstract: There is provided for a packaging machine an overhead boom arrangement 20 having a number of endless belts 22, 23 driven around sets of rollers 25. The belts 22, 23 contact the tops of articles/bottles 11 or carton blanks 50 and are driven at the same speed as the speed of the articles through the packaging machine. At least one of the belts 23 is height adjustable relative to the other belt or belts 22. The boom arrangement holds the articles 11 whilst the blanks 50 are being folded around.