Abstract: A tray packing-shrink wrapping machine for packaging articles along a conveyor is disclosed. The machine is operable in a dual lane mode and a single lane mode. In both modes a collation section receives articles from an infeed section and arranges the articles into rows and columns to create batches of articles. In dual lane mode a lane divider structure separates each batch into smaller microbatches. Separate trays and sheets of heat shrinkable film are simultaneously formed around the microbatches. An in-line stacker is selectively operable in single lane or dual lane modes to stack a packed tray on top of the preceding packed tray. The machine is quickly converted to single lane mode by removing the lane divider structure and center trayforming structures, removing the center stacker elements and retracting knives in the blank feeding and film wrapping devices. A method for converting a dual lane machine to a single lane machine is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cookie tray loading machine (5) constructed and arranged to divert a single file lane of cookies (12) moved along an infeed conveyor belt (9) into a plurality of separate and generally parallel lanes (34) of cookies, which are formed as rows (44) of cookies on a plurality of alignment belt assemblies (36) and spaced apart from each preceding row of cookies, each row of cookies being placed onto a tray loading conveyor belt (46) and moved toward a tray loading station (60) for placement directly into a packaging tray (62), is disclosed. The loading machine includes a sweep arm diverter assembly (20) having a sweep arm diverter (21) directly driven by a sweep arm servomotor (23), a first lane alignment arm assembly (26) and a second and opposed lane alignment arm assembly (30) for aligning the cookies into the separate lanes of cookies, and an alignment belt assembly (36) for each lane of cookies.

Abstract: An article packaging machine comprises a frame, a carton conveyor mounted to the frame for conveying cartons along a carton path, and an infeed conveyor assembly for grouping articles such as beverage cans into groups of predetermined size and moving them toward and into open cartons moving along the carton path. When the cartons are packed with articles, adhesive is applied to the flaps of their open ends and the flaps are folded over onto themselves. A spring biased free floating compression section has a pair of opposed compression belt assemblies that are yieldably spring biased toward each other to apply pressure to the ends of the containers to set the adhesive, thus sealing the ends of the packaged cartons shut. When the cartons are sealed, they are ejected from the packaging machine by a pair of opposed ejector belt assemblies.

Abstract: A continuous motion, end loading packaging machine forms article groups of a predetermined number and configuration using a flight type article selector. The packaging machine is flexible in its ability to package articles of different heights and diameters in various product configurations. The packaging machine includes adjustable guide rails to selectively change product infeed lane widths. The machine also includes phase adjusts the selector flights, and allows for easy selector flight replacement.

Abstract: A continuous, multiline packaging apparatus for continuously conveying, turning, and loading non-round bottles includes infeed conveyors which convey non-round bottles to timing screw conveyors. The timing conveyors are operable to space the bottles a predetermined distance apart and to feed the lines of spaced bottles to turning conveyors. The turning conveyors are each comprised of high and low speed conveyor chains, and guide rails. The turning conveyors first turn the bottles to an intermediate angled position and thereafter further turn the bottles to a loading position. A grouping conveyor comprising a plurality of fights cooperates with the turning conveyors to cause the bottles to form groups which are transferred to a loading device. The loading device continuously shifts the grouped bottles laterally into cartons as the bottles are continuously moved in a downstream direction.

Abstract: A selector assembly for dividing a continuous line of products moving along a processing path is positioned between a product infeed line and packaging machine line. As the line of products enters the selector assembly, the products are engaged by a rotating starwheel which meters the further flow of the products into a product grouping area of the selector assembly. Thereafter, the lugs of upper and lower selector belts selectively engage the line of products to divide the line of products into groups of products for packaging. The selector lugs engage the groups of products at the product infeed speed and thereafter are progressively accelerated to accelerate the groups of products up to the speed of the packaging machine line for transfer of the groups of products to the packaging machine line.

Abstract: A machine for packaging uniform-sized articles having generally flat, parallel sides and uniform length, width and thickness comprising the use of an array of articulating vanes attached in tandem and moved in a closed curvi-linear path. As the vane passes a loading station, each vane receives a single article upon a loading surface thereof. Each vane then carries such article to an unloading station (which may include means for packing said articles into boxes). During the aforesaid transit, the article is retained between adjacent vanes, side retainer and inner and outer retaining rods the latter rods operating together which operate together to strip the article toward and into a packing box.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically providing a display case for a plurality of packages includes an assembly station at which the packages are initially assembled into an array. The array is then moved to a covering station. At the same time, a shroud is formed which shroud covers a top and two opposed first sides of the array while leaving two opposed second sides of the array uncovered. Forming of the shroud includes initially bending a blank so that a partially-formed shroud is produced having a top panel and two opposed side panels formed in a plane, and finally bending and locating the partially formed shroud relative to the array at the covering station such that a fully covered array is provided with the top panel and side panels covering a majority of the respective top and first sides of the array. Finally, the covered array is placed in a tray at a finishing station to provide the display case.

Abstract: In a machine for packaging individual items such as 6-packs of beverages into a container, the containers are moved along a lower conveyor and the items are moved along an upper conveyor. A pusher bar pushes the items off the upper conveyor whereupon they drop by gravity into the containers. Shortly before the items begin to fall, the pusher bar rotates frictionally against the back of the item whereby that the falling speed of the back of the item as it leaves the upper conveyor is increased so that both the backside and the frontside of the item drop into the container with the sides vertically aligned.

Abstract: A loader arrangement is provided with a first conveyor for delivering an article to a first station, and a second conveyor for delivering a container to a respective first station. A gripper engages the article at the first station of the first conveyor, and a linear actuator, which is coupled to the gripper, moves the gripper along a first linear axis. Once the article has been engaged by the gripper, a rotator moves the linear actuator rotatively so that it parallels a second linear axis which is angularly displaced first the first linear axis. The gripper then is moved along the second linear axis, which is arranged to intersect with the first station of the second conveyor. A tilting arrangement is provided at one or both of the first stations for moving the container and/or the article arcuately to achieve an orthogonal orientation with respect to the second linear axis.

Abstract: A method for halting the function of a high speed packaging machine of the type having a conveyor based article infeed line conveying articles to a flight bar based selection line. The method is useful for performing a clean out procedure used during maintenance, and product or packaging change over. The method comprises the steps of terminating the operation of the infeed line conveyor at a predetermined position; placing an article follower behind a terminal article in each input lane; activating the operation of the infeed line conveyor whereby the articles in each input lane are conveyed to the selection line; and halting the conveyance of the article follower in the input lane prior to the selection line. An article follower and follower system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously packing a plurality of articles into receiving cartons. A loading station is utilized in combination with a carton feeding queue for delivering a continuous sequence of cartons to the loading station. A mechanism is provided to transport the cartons along the carton feeding queue and to maintain at least the next successive carton in the queue in continuous longitudinal engagement with any carton at the loading station. An article orienting and delivery queue is employed for longitudinally aligning a plurality of articles in the desired longitudinal, end-to-end, and lateral, side-by-side, relationship. A slide portion of the article orienting and delivery queue is inclined to permit the articles longitudinally to traverse the slide portion and to be received at the loading station by gravity. A transfer device is provided at the discharge end of the loading head to support the articles as they continue to descend by gravity and engage the carton at the loading station.

Abstract: A system for packing a plurality of packages into a container has an input conveyor for delivering the packages one at a time at regular intervals and at a constant input speed to a transfer station and an output conveyor having a perforated lower belt and an upper belt together defining a path extending from an upstream end at the transfer station to a vertically displaceable downstream end at a loading station. A container conveyor extends past the loading station for displacing a succession of the containers through the station. A controller connected to all of the drives operates the output conveyor at a low stacking speed to form an overlapped group of the packages on the output conveyor. It periodically switches the output conveyor from the low stacking speed to a high gapping speed when a predetermined number of the packages have been deposited on the output conveyor by the input conveyor to form a space on the output conveyor between succeeding groups of packages.

Abstract: A paperboard tray packaging machine is adapted to handle the tray blanks and product to be packaged as both move continually in a downstream direction. The blanks are stored in an auxiliary magazine alongside the main magazine and are transferred from one to the other individually so each tray blank can be printed, at least on the blank end walls that cannot be conveniently printed in the machine itself.

Abstract: Plastic bottles filled with hot liquid such as fruit juices or the like are packaged in cases fed in line below the path of these bottles in the machine. Line pressure urges the bottles down an inclined ramp into a load station where the plastic trays are continuously filled with the bottles. The trays are indexed by a flight bar conveyor that lifts each tray turn at the load station. Overhead flight bar conveyor chains operate separator pegs that move downwardly between selected article rows to index groups of the softened hot bottles as they are loaded into the inline trays. Overhead separator discs are used in place of these flight bars and pegs for loading conventional plastic bottles or the like.

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 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: A continuous motion, end loading packaging machine forms article groups of a predetermined number and configuration using a flight type article selector. The packaging machine is flexible in its ability to package articles of different heights and diameters in various product configurations. The packaging machine includes adjustable guide rails to selectively change product infeed lane widths. The machine also phase adjusts the selector flights, and allows for easy selector flight replacement.

Abstract: A self fastening plastic guide for attachment to a metal guide rail having openings formed therein has a first guide member and a second guide member. The guide members are provided with protruding locking tangs that lock the members to each other when the locking tangs are snapped together. In use, the first and second guide members are snapped together with their tangs extending through the openings in the guide rail to secure the guide to the rail.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for clearing excess trailing beverage containers from the lanes defined between guide rails in a beverage container packaging machine. The method includes providing the guide rails with compressed air nozzles that are positioned and oriented to direct compressed air along the lanes defined between the guide rails in the desired direction of movement of beverage containers along the lanes. An apparatus that includes an improved guide rail configured to achieve the method of the invention is also provided.

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: A conveyor conveys boxes that are empty and boxes that are filled with articles in a horizontal plane past an article handling machine where articles of a first type are removed from some boxes and articles of a second type are inserted in empty boxes. The machine runs concurrently with the box conveyor in one direction so boxes from which the articles of the first type are conveyed beyond the machine and empty boxes in which articles of the second type are inserted are also conveyed from the machine in the same direction. The article handling machine has heads that are constrained to orbit in a generally circular path and the heads have grippers on them which are controllable to grip and release groups of articles at consecutive working stations along the orbital path of the heads.

Abstract: In a system for transferring groups of containers from one location to another, a loading station including a transfer mechanism for continuously delivering rows of containers from the transfer station to a tray loading station. A device at the tray loading station is included for cycling the tray in a predetermined controlled sequence to receive rows of containers delivered by the transfer mechanism and to position them in a compact array in the tray.

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: In a method of transferring goods into a container 83, the container 83 is tilted toward a goods loader 18, and a goods transferring member 90 with goods accommodated therein is inserted into an upper empty space in the tilted container 83. Thereafter, the goods transferring member 90 is tilted downward, and in this tilted state, it is withdrawn to the outside of the container 83, thus effecting the transfer of the goods in it into the container 83.

Abstract: A method to package stacked article groups utilizing packaging sleeves having a divider or base member mounted therein. At least one open end of each packaging sleeve is exposed during travel on a conveyor whereby a stream of articles within reach of the moving packaging sleeves are directed below and above the divider members of the open ended sleeves before closure.

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: 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 product orienting and loading system includes a powered disk conveyor which receives product to be oriented from an infeed conveyor. A turntable is parallel to the support plane of the disk conveyor and is movable between a lowered position below the support plane and a raised position above the support plane and accommodating rotation of the turntable to orient the product. The turntable has cruciform slots for respectively receiving the disks to allow the turntable to pass to its lowered position in any of several rotational orientations spaced 90.degree. apart. The reoriented product is transferred to an endless window conveyor overlying a container supported at a loading level of a loading station. A counter-rotating pusher shifts the product through the window of the window conveyor into the container while the window conveyor moves the container in a discharge direction.

Abstract: Articles, such as small plastic bottles, or six packs consisting of such bottles, are moved by line pressure down an inclined ramp into a load station where plastic trays are continuously filled with these articles. The trays are indexed by a flight bar conveyor that raises each tray, to be in position to index the next tray, and driven separator discs above the articles have lugs that move between selected article rows to index groups of the articles as they are loaded into the tray.

Abstract: A high speed multiple conveyor packaging system having product separating bars that separate a product into specific sized groups on moving opposing conveyors. Two product streams diverge to meet the separating bars, and subsequently reconverge after separation for loading into a carton or package. Separated conveyed product is channeled from opposing conveyors into another conveyed product carton from opposing carton ends. A tight package is formed by sets of formed guide bars which cause the package flaps to be stretched or formed to the position of maximum tightness about the product.

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 apparatus and method for applying a cap member to a receptacle or container. The apparatus and method are particularly suitable for use in placing the cap member, including a bail, snugly onto the end of a receptacle adapted to contain a pharmaceutical agent.

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: Disclosed is a machine for advancing bakery pans in in step wise fashion along a production line. The machine includes an arm carrying spaced apart indexing fingers having rollers at their lower ends. The arm is mounted on an indexer carriage which may be raised or lowered so that the rollers will contact the trailing lip of an individual pan. The arm moves reciprocally with each cycle of the production line, raising the arm to allow the pan to be advanced one step or interval, which is equal to the distance between fingers, and then lowering the arm to bring the next in line finger into contact with the trailing lip of the pan.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel method for the insertion of structural components, in particular electrical components and, in this connection, preferably chips, into depressions of a tape available on a component discharge, in which (method) the said components, in a predetermined orientation, are fed in multiple paths to a component intake and from there the first component of each path is in each instance received by a pickup slot on a transfer element rotating about a shaft and the components of each group so formed are tested and then inserted commonly into the available depressions at the component discharge when all components of the group have been found to be free of defects upon testing, and in which (method) defective components are removed from the pickup slots of the transfer element.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism for transferring groups of plastic containers from a continuously moving transport conveyor to a tray includes container sensors and a mechanism for providing correct in-fee timing of the containers. The tray is advanced after each group of containers is deposited therein and when the tray is full, it is removed.

Abstract: Cookies (30) of uniform but irregularly shaped perimeter are received from the cookie oven in a horizontal as-baked attitude onto a first surface conveyor (19). As the cookies are passed to successive surface conveyors 920) and (21) operating at successively decreased velocities, the cookies are raised to an edge standing attitude abutting one another. Laser detecting means (24-26) are positioned above the conveyors (19-21), and measure the height of the edge stacked cookies and adjust this height by varying the speed of the successive conveyors (19, 20 and 21). A counting means (28) at the discharge end of conveyor (21) counts out a predetermined number of cookies to be placed upon the loader (16) for loading into a cookie tray (104), and a pair of separator blades (42, 43) separates these cookies on the loader from the cookies remaining on surface conveyor (21). A cookie tray (104) is positioned under the loader (16) by a cookie tray conveyor (18).

Abstract: A continuous motion machine for metering and loading groups of articles onto flat pads. The machine includes endless type infeed conveyors for advancing articles in a downstream direction to a dead plate and a row metering device intermediate the ends of the upper run of the infeed conveyor for retarding advance of the articles on the infeed conveyor and for releasing the articles one row at a time. An endless type overhead conveyor has flight bars pitched therealong and an inlet run extending downwardly toward the upper end of the infeed conveyor at a location downstream of the metering device and a lower run extending in the downstream direction above the infeed conveyor and above the dead plate. A pad conveyor is disposed below the dead plate and is operated to advance pads to a pad transfer passage intermediate the ends of the dead plate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a machine for advancing bakery pans in a step wise fashion along a production line. A rotary indexer having three radially extending arms mounted on a common shaft and spaced apart 120.degree. relative to adjacent arms is used to advance the pans step-wise one cup at a time. Each arm has distal ends at which rollers are mounted which engage the upper portion extending about the perimeter of each cup. A single stroke air cylinder has a wedge mounted to its piston. The wedge engages a cam assembly mounted on the shaft to which the rotary indexer is mounted. Retraction of the wedge allows the pans to push against the rotary indexer to rotate it. The wedge returns to a position to stop rotation of the shaft, only allowing the shaft to rotate through a 120.degree. turn. The pan moves step-wise along the assembly line path into a position to receive a dough packet from a conveyor that deposits dough packets into the cups.

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: Automatic package shingling device deposits packages exiting from an end of a package conveyor onto an elongated platter moving in coordination with package movement below the package conveyor. Controls are provided to arrest package feed when a first platter is filled, until such time as a second, empty platter is placed into package-receiving position.

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 method and an apparatus for arranging articles in a container, wherein the articles are stacked within the container. In one embodiment, a container is fed in a substantially horizontal upper position and transferred to a nonhorizontal position. Articles are horizontally fed to the container while the container is in the nonhorizontal position, and the articles are stacked in rows within the container. The articles are arranged such that the container can be used to display the articles for sale.

Abstract: Individual beverage containers 16 are transported by conveyor track 14A to conveyor track 14B, along which they are advanced by parallel chains 34 and 36 carrying flight bars 44. Trays 26 to receive containers 16 are advanced by an inclined conveyor track 24B having projections 30 to engage the trays. A plurality of support members 130 are disposed at the downstream end of track 14B to introduce the containers into the trays. Special trays are used having a plurality of structural members on their inner wall surfaces to define recessed regions between the structural members into which the curved surfaces of the containers fit so that they are held upright.

Abstract: A packer is especially useful for loading PET bottles into open top cases. The bottles are fed at a predetermined speed along an infeed path. An overhead pusher bar system contains vertically oriented bars that descend vertically between selected bottles at a penetration station to form the bottles into complements of the desired number. Vertical penetration is accompanied by horizontal motion of the bars as they travel in a curved path at the penetration station. The horizontal speed of the bottles at the penetration station is temporarily slowed as the bars descend between adjacent bottles. Horizontal bottle slowing is accomplished by pivoting a downstream bar to a horizontal orientation at a pivot station such that the bar acquires leading and trailing edges. The pivoting trailing edge forces the bottles upstream therefrom in the upstream direction relative to the continuous steady speed of the bar downstream end. Bar pivoting creates correct spacing between consecutive complements.

Abstract: The invention comtemplates the automatic tagging of seedling transplants which have been or are about to be inserted in the prepared soil within individual cells of matrices (e.g. 3.times.4 matrices of cells). The tags are stacked and retained in individual vertically extending magazines which are above and in transversely spaced array, across the path of the row-by-row indexed conveyor advance of each successive matrix. The tags of each stack are retained by lateral side-edge lug formations of each magazine, at the otherwise open bottom end of the magazine. A tag-picker arm carries an elastomeric suction cup which is configurated, in its horizontal pick-off relation with the bottom face of the bottom tag, to engage and arcuately deform the tag, thus removing or decreasing magazine-lug restraint and affording an initial extracting displacement wherein the arched tag can be downwardly displaced, essentially without shear or other interaction with the next-adjacent and other remaining tags in the magazine.

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.