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).

This box assembling and packing system is provided: a first jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a side part of a body of a packing box is thrust; a second jig which is fixed at a predetermined position and against which a flap part and a tuck part of the packing box are thrust; and a robot having two articulated arms. A first articulated arm of the two articulated arms holds and moves the packing box in a flatly collapsed form by a packing box holding mechanism, folds and raises the body of the flatly collapsed packing box into a rectangular tubular shape in cooperation with the first jig, and maintains the folded and raised body of the packing box in the rectangular tubular shape by a packing box rectangular tubular shape maintaining mechanism. The second articulated arm moves a folding member into contact with the flap part and the tuck part of the packing box being held by the packing box holding mechanism of the first articulated arm, forms each of a bottom and a lid of the packing box in cooperation with the second jig, and moves an object-to-be-packed being grasped by an object-to-be-packed grasping mechanism and inserts it into the body from an end portion at a timing between forming the bottom and forming the lid.

A filling machine (100) is disclosed having a processing unit (600) including a processing station (612, 614, 616) and a conveyor system (601) configured for conveying container precursors through processing station. The conveyor system has comprising a plurality of shuttles or carriers (602) configured for carrying the container precursors along a track (604) through the processing station and a shuttle propulsion system allowing each shuttle to be individually propelled along the track. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

A packaging machine for producing packs with a group of cigarettes as pack content, having individual manufacturing units which are arranged adjacent to one another on a manufacturing line and which are (non-destructively) separable from one another in each case in the region of or along (imaginary) parting planes between them and are removable from the manufacturing line as required, wherein the packaging machine can be converted from a first configuration, in which a first pack type can be manufactured, into a second configuration, in which a second pack type which differs from the first pack type can be manufactured, by removing at least one separable manufacturing unit from the manufacturing line, by replacing at least one separable manufacturing unit with another separable manufacturing unit and/or by adding at least one further separable manufacturing unit to the manufacturing line.

A flexible container formed of flexible web material is provided. The container includes four panels forming: a body portion; a neck portion; a flare portion extending from the neck portion; and a tapered transition portion between the body and neck portions; wherein the neck portion has a reduced width and the flare portion has an expanded end. Also disclosed is a method of forming the aforementioned container comprising steps of: biasing the expanded end to define a circumference; moving, via a mandrel comprising a groove, the fitment within the circumference and through the expanded end to a first position in the neck; transversely cutting away the expanded end by advancing preferably v-shaped blades through the neck and into the groove preferably without rotation of the mandrel, container, or blades; moving the fitment to a second position in the neck; and sealing the neck to the fitment.

A feeding device for an electrostatic bag, adapted for supplying electrostatic bags to a package mechanism so as to warp an SSD with an electrostatic bag, includes two carrying mechanisms arranged up and down, which respectively support at least one reel that is wound with multiple electrostatic bags. A feeding position is provided between the two carrying mechanisms and face the package mechanism. The two carrying mechanisms are movable up and down to switch positions with one another. The feeding device for an electrostatic bag can supply electrostatic bags to a package mechanism, reload the electrostatic bag without stopping the machine, and ensure the continuous operation of the package mechanism.

A bag supply system includes: a bag bundle delivery device moves bag bundles from a delivery relay position to a delivery zone; a bag bundle conveyance device which receives the bag bundles from the bag bundle delivery device in the delivery zone and conveys the bag bundles from the delivery zone to a supply zone in a state where the bag bundles are supported by a support part; a bag bundle takeoff device which holds the bag bundles supported by the support part in the supply zone and moves the bag bundles from the bag bundle conveyance device to a supply relay position; and a bag supply device which sequentially supplies bags included in each of the bag bundles arranged in the supply relay position, to a packaging machine. The support part moves along an endless track between the delivery zone and the supply zone.

The present invention relates to a pouch collection robot system (1) and method for the collection of non-filled spouted pouches (10) to be transported to a remote filling device. According to the invention, at least one pick and place robot unit (25) with a gripping device (28) is provided to pick up a non-filled spouted pouch (10) from a conveyor (5), and to place the non-filled spouted pouch (10) into alignment with one of a multiple of storage rails (21), allowing the non-filled spouted pouch to be placed into the storage rail.

The present invention relates to a pouch collection robot system (1) and method for the collection of non-filled spouted pouches (10) to be transported to a remote filling device. According to the invention, at least one pick and place robot unit (25) with a gripping device (28) is provided to pick up a non-filled spouted pouch (10) from a conveyor (5), and to place the non-filled spouted pouch (10) into alignment with one of a multiple of storage rails (21), allowing the non-filled spouted pouch to be placed into the storage rail.

To provide a medicine inspection system capable of appropriately outputting an inspection result while minimizing damage and the like to a packaging bag and a medicine. A medicine inspection system 10 includes an inspection device 20 which inspects a numerical quantity and/or a type of a medicine contained in a packaging bag p based on an image photographed of the packaging bag p to be inspected, and a marking device 50 which records an inspection result from the inspection device on the packaging bag p. After the packaging bag p, which has a seal section S formed by pressure bonding an overlapping portion of a packaging paper, is inspected at the inspection device 20, a stamp which indicates the inspection result thereof is output by a marking device 50 onto the seal section S.