Provided is a filling apparatus including: a conveyor line configured to intermittently convey spout-equipped bags, which are suspended so that spouts protruding from one side of the spout-equipped bags, the bags being flat, are located on an upper side and the bags are located on a lower side, in a width direction of the suspended spout-equipped bags on a movement straight line; a printing apparatus disposed in the middle of the conveyor line and configured to print manufacturing information on the suspended spout-equipped bags; and nozzles configured to fill the suspended spout-equipped bags with a liquid material through the spouts. The conveyor line is further configured to convey the spout-equipped bags so that fronts of the spout-equipped bags directly face the printing apparatus.

A method of loading articles in cartons. The method can comprise moving a carton in a generally flat configuration in a downstream direction with a carton opening carousel, at least partially opening the carton while moving the carton with the carton opening carousel, and transferring the carton from the carton opening carousel to a carton loading carousel in a transfer region. The transferring the carton can comprise moving the carton in an upstream direction. The method further can comprise loading a plurality of articles into the carton while moving the carton in a downstream direction with the carton loading carousel.

The horizontal-type automatic packaging machine comprises a conveyor moving a plurality of gripper-holding carriages (4) in an advancing direction (D) along a closed path. Each gripper-holding carriage (4) comprises a base structure (7) connected to the conveyor (2) and two parallel gripper arms (8a, 8b) carrying two or more pairs of grippers (47a, 47b) for holding two or more flexible packages (50) arranged in parallel. The gripper arms (8a, 8b) are guided for moving parallel to the advancing direction (D), moving one closer to the other for opening the packages and moving one away from the other for closing the packages due to the action of a driving mechanism connected to proximal ends (17a, 17b) of the gripper arms. A mechanical transmission transmits the movement of the proximal ends (17a, 17b) to distal ends (18a, 18b) of the gripper arms (8a, 8b).

The horizontal-type automatic packaging machine comprises a conveyor moving a plurality of gripper-holding carriages (4) in an advancing direction (D) along a closed path. Each gripper-holding carriage (4) comprises a base structure (7) connected to the conveyor (2) and two parallel gripper arms (8a, 8b) carrying two or more pairs of grippers (47a, 47b) for holding two or more flexible packages (50) arranged in parallel. The gripper arms (8a, 8b) are guided for moving parallel to the advancing direction (D), moving one closer to the other for opening the packages and moving one away from the other for closing the packages due to the action of a driving mechanism connected to proximal ends (17a, 17b) of the gripper arms. A mechanical transmission transmits the movement of the proximal ends (17a, 17b) to distal ends (18a, 18b) of the gripper arms (8a, 8b).

A bag conveyance method includes the steps of: causing a holding member to hold a bag bundle including a plurality of bags; delivering the bag bundle in a standing posture from the holding member to a delivery unit; rotating the delivery unit in such a manner that a posture of the bag bundle held by the delivery unit is changed from the standing posture to a lying posture; and conveying the bag bundle in the lying posture from the delivery unit to a supply unit.

A bag conveyance method includes the steps of: causing a holding member to hold a bag bundle including a plurality of bags; delivering the bag bundle in a standing posture from the holding member to a delivery unit; rotating the delivery unit in such a manner that a posture of the bag bundle held by the delivery unit is changed from the standing posture to a lying posture; and conveying the bag bundle in the lying posture from the delivery unit to a supply unit.

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 pickup method and a pickup device which enable to properly lift an individual target bag body among a plurality of conveyed bag bodies are provided. A pickup device includes: a transfer device that holds a target bag body among a plurality of bag bodies by a conveying device while the plurality of bag bodies are conveyed, and lifts a whole of the target bag body after lifting a part of the target bag body; and a pickup control unit that obtains position suggestion data indicating a position of the target bag body, and controls the transfer device on a basis of the position suggestion data, wherein the pickup control unit moves the transfer device according to the position suggestion data, and makes the transfer device liftably hold the target bag body.

A pickup method and a pickup device which enable to properly lift an individual target bag body among a plurality of conveyed bag bodies are provided. A pickup device includes: a transfer device that holds a target bag body among a plurality of bag bodies by a conveying device while the plurality of bag bodies are conveyed, and lifts a whole of the target bag body after lifting a part of the target bag body; and a pickup control unit that obtains position suggestion data indicating a position of the target bag body, and controls the transfer device on a basis of the position suggestion data, wherein the pickup control unit moves the transfer device according to the position suggestion data, and makes the transfer device liftably hold the target bag body.

A method of loading articles in cartons. The method can comprise moving a carton in a generally flat configuration in a downstream direction with a carton opening carousel, at least partially opening the carton while moving the carton with the carton opening carousel, and transferring the carton from the carton opening carousel to a carton loading carousel in a transfer region. The transferring the carton can comprise moving the carton in an upstream direction. The method further can comprise loading a plurality of articles into the carton while moving the carton in a downstream direction with the carton loading carousel.