A thermoform packaging machine comprising a forming station for producing troughs in a bottom film, a sealing station for sealing troughs that contain a product, and at least one cutting station arranged on a machine frame. The thermoform packaging machine may include at least two clamp chains for holding and conveying the bottom film in a production direction through the packaging machine. The clamp chains may be guided by chain guides that extend at least from the forming station along an infeed line to the sealing station. Each chain guide may include an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface between which a respective one of the clamp chains is guided. In one embodiment, the chain guides are oriented horizontally at and along both the forming station and the sealing station and the chain guide ascends from the forming station to the sealing station along the infeed line.

A thermoform packaging machine comprising a forming station for producing troughs in a bottom film, a sealing station for sealing troughs that contain a product, and at least one cutting station arranged on a machine frame. The thermoform packaging machine may include at least two clamp chains for holding and conveying the bottom film in a production direction through the packaging machine. The clamp chains may be guided by chain guides that extend at least from the forming station along an infeed line to the sealing station. Each chain guide may include an upper guide surface and a lower guide surface between which a respective one of the clamp chains is guided. In one embodiment, the chain guides are oriented horizontally at and along both the forming station and the sealing station and the chain guide ascends from the forming station to the sealing station along the infeed line.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for order fulfillment. A system for order fulfillment comprises: an item container receiver configured to receive a portable item container configured to hold a plurality of items during transport, a release actuator configured to actuate a switch on the portable item container to cause one unit of an item to be released from the portable item container, and a control circuit coupled to the release actuator and configured to selectively activate the release actuator based an order listing a plurality of ordered items in an order database of a fulfillment center to cause an item among the plurality of items to be released from the portable item container for order fulfillment.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for order fulfillment. A system for order fulfillment comprises: an item container receiver configured to receive a portable item container configured to hold a plurality of items during transport, a release actuator configured to actuate a switch on the portable item container to cause one unit of an item to be released from the portable item container, and a control circuit coupled to the release actuator and configured to selectively activate the release actuator based an order listing a plurality of ordered items in an order database of a fulfillment center to cause an item among the plurality of items to be released from the portable item container for order fulfillment.

A system conveying material-other-than-grain (MOG) from a harvesting machine to a packaging machine towed by the harvesting machine. The system includes an joint pivotably joining a harvesting machine hitch to a packaging machine hitch. An accelerator is mounted to the packaging machine hitch. The accelerator has a housing with a top-side inlet and a side outlet. A MOG-propelling disk is disposed in the housing and is rotatable about an axis. A conduit is disposed above the packaging machine hitch and has an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end coupled to the side outlet. The conduit has first and second opposing side portions and a top side portion without an opposing bottom portion, with at least part of the top side portion is parallel with the plane of the disk. The accelerator, conduit, and packaging machine are collectively in pivotal arrangement relative to the harvesting machine.

A system conveying material-other-than-grain (MOG) from a harvesting machine to a packaging machine towed by the harvesting machine. The system includes an joint pivotably joining a harvesting machine hitch to a packaging machine hitch. An accelerator is mounted to the packaging machine hitch. The accelerator has a housing with a top-side inlet and a side outlet. A MOG-propelling disk is disposed in the housing and is rotatable about an axis. A conduit is disposed above the packaging machine hitch and has an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end coupled to the side outlet. The conduit has first and second opposing side portions and a top side portion without an opposing bottom portion, with at least part of the top side portion is parallel with the plane of the disk. The accelerator, conduit, and packaging machine are collectively in pivotal arrangement relative to the harvesting machine.

The invention relates to an installation and a method for repackaging different medicines from their respective original blister packs into organiser blister packs, in particular weekly blister packs for an individual patient having receiving compartments arranged in a matrix configuration with rows corresponding to a number of times medicines are to be taken over the course of a day and columns corresponding to a number of days, for example days of the week. The installation proposed by the invention has a conveying device for singulating and conveying filled original blister packs, an intermediate storage facility with random access for intermediate storage of the original blister packs packed in blister pack supports of standard external dimensions assigned to a respective original blister pack type, and an ejection device for ejecting a defined number of units of a selected medicine from the respective original blister pack into the organiser blister pack.

The invention relates to an installation and a method for repackaging different medicines from their respective original blister packs into organiser blister packs, in particular weekly blister packs for an individual patient having receiving compartments arranged in a matrix configuration with rows corresponding to a number of times medicines are to be taken over the course of a day and columns corresponding to a number of days, for example days of the week. The installation proposed by the invention has a conveying device for singulating and conveying filled original blister packs, an intermediate storage facility with random access for intermediate storage of the original blister packs packed in blister pack supports of standard external dimensions assigned to a respective original blister pack type, and an ejection device for ejecting a defined number of units of a selected medicine from the respective original blister pack into the organiser blister pack.

A system for packaging mass-customized items includes a computer system including a database containing item identification information unique to each item; (2) outer container identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each outer container in a plurality of outer containers; (3) inner pack identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each inner pack in a plurality of inner packs; and (4) inner pack filling apparatus that fills each inner pack with a specific item matched to that inner pack by the item identification information received from the database. Each item is associated with its unique item identification information and is inserted into an inner pack with matching item identification information, and each outer container is presented for loading with one or more inner packs matched to that outer container by the item identification information received from the database.

A system for packaging mass-customized items includes a computer system including a database containing item identification information unique to each item; (2) outer container identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each outer container in a plurality of outer containers; (3) inner pack identification apparatus that applies the item identification information received from the database to each inner pack in a plurality of inner packs; and (4) inner pack filling apparatus that fills each inner pack with a specific item matched to that inner pack by the item identification information received from the database. Each item is associated with its unique item identification information and is inserted into an inner pack with matching item identification information, and each outer container is presented for loading with one or more inner packs matched to that outer container by the item identification information received from the database.