An apparatus (100) for counting and unloading pharmaceutical articles, comprising: an accumulation chamber (60), for receiving pharmaceutical articles falling from the descent channels (40) and having an unloading mouth (63) for unloading the pharmaceutical articles, and a closing element (65) of the unloading mouth (63) movable between a first closed position (01) of the unloading mouth (63) and a second open position (02) for opening the unloading mouth (63) and for enabling the unloading of the pharmaceutical articles. The closing element (65) is configured and conformed in such a way as to comprise a first abutment surface (R1) and a second abutment surface (R2) which are arranged at an angle to one another, in such a way that with the closing element (65) positioned in the first closed position (01), the first abutment surface (R1) is arranged in the accumulation chamber (60) inclined and with a first angle with respect to a first internal wall (61) of the accumulation chamber (60) defining a first accumulation volume (V1) for a first group of pharmaceutical articles between the first abutment surface (R1) and the first internal wall (61), and the second abutment surface (R2) is arranged in the accumulation chamber (60) inclined and with a second angle with respect to a second internal wall (62) of the accumulation chamber (60), defining a second accumulation volume (V2) for a second group of pharmaceutical articles between the second abutment surface (R2) and the second internal wall (62).

A line having a food processing apparatus and a packaging machine between which a placement and transport apparatus is provided that has a plurality of tablet trays on which food products are placed and with which the food products are transported towards the packaging machine, the tablet trays move in a contact-free manner along a closed transport surface; a method for producing packaged food slices using the line, the food products are deposited onto the tablet trays and then transported towards the packaging machine; a method for cleaning the line, the tablet trays are lifted from the transport surface and the transport surface is cleaned with a cleaning liquid; and a method for cleaning the line, the tablet trays are removed from the transport surface and cleaned in a cleaning machine.

A packaging machine includes a compact dynamic shuttle buffer arranged upstream of a packaging station.

The method for filling bottles with a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles comprises positioning the separating wall (4) with respect to the descent channels (1) in an operating position so that the first entry section (21A) of the first accumulation chamber (21) and the second entry section (22A) of the second accumulation chamber (22) can respectively receive pharmaceutical articles from a different number of descent channels (1) with respect to one another so as to generate an imbalance in the accumulation of pharmaceutical articles between the first accumulation chamber (21) and the second accumulation chamber (22) with one of the two accumulation chambers (21, 22) accumulating, more rapidly than the other, the predetermined number of articles to be unloaded into a first bottle (F1) positioned by the conveying line (L) beneath the unloading conduit (3). As soon as one of the two accumulation chambers (21, 22) has accumulated the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted therein, the method comprises: unloading the pharmaceutical articles into the first bottle (F1), positioning a second bottle (F2) paused beneath the unloading conduit (3), and then, as soon as the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles has been accumulated in the other accumulation chamber (21, 22), unloading the pharmaceutical articles of the other accumulation chamber into the second bottle (F2).

The method for filling bottles with a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles comprises positioning the separating wall (4) with respect to the descent channels (1) in an operating position so that the first entry section (21A) of the first accumulation chamber (21) and the second entry section (22A) of the second accumulation chamber (22) can respectively receive pharmaceutical articles from a different number of descent channels (1) with respect to one another so as to generate an imbalance in the accumulation of pharmaceutical articles between the first accumulation chamber (21) and the second accumulation chamber (22) with one of the two accumulation chambers (21, 22) accumulating, more rapidly than the other, the predetermined number of articles to be unloaded into a first bottle (F1) positioned by the conveying line (L) beneath the unloading conduit (3). As soon as one of the two accumulation chambers (21, 22) has accumulated the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted therein, the method comprises: unloading the pharmaceutical articles into the first bottle (F1), positioning a second bottle (F2) paused beneath the unloading conduit (3), and then, as soon as the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles has been accumulated in the other accumulation chamber (21, 22), unloading the pharmaceutical articles of the other accumulation chamber into the second bottle (F2).

A method for providing a predetermined number of contiguous stored elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G), that is which are touching each other, and in a line (2) in a supply chute (3) along which the line (2) may advance, these elements being essentially spheroidal, such as fruit, wherein initially the first element (A) in the line (2) is retained by retention means (4), comprising the operation of counting, by means of the emission and detection of a steady beam (6) of light, the signal variations produced in said detection by the line (2) advancing, specifically by the passage of the spaces between two consecutive elements in the line (2) through the detection beam (6), aiming the beam (6) at the gaps (7) that necessarily will be formed in the line (2) between two consecutive elements even if they are contiguous, due to the effect of said elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) being spheroidal.

A method for providing a predetermined number of contiguous stored elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G), that is which are touching each other, and in a line (2) in a supply chute (3) along which the line (2) may advance, these elements being essentially spheroidal, such as fruit, wherein initially the first element (A) in the line (2) is retained by retention means (4), comprising the operation of counting, by means of the emission and detection of a steady beam (6) of light, the signal variations produced in said detection by the line (2) advancing, specifically by the passage of the spaces between two consecutive elements in the line (2) through the detection beam (6), aiming the beam (6) at the gaps (7) that necessarily will be formed in the line (2) between two consecutive elements even if they are contiguous, due to the effect of said elements (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) being spheroidal.

A method for selectively feeding rolls of paper coming out of a log saw unit (10), wherein the log saw unit (10) comprises (n) feeding channels (12) for feeding logs (11) towards a cutting device (13) provided at the outlet with (n) unloading belts (14) in a number equal to the feeding channels (12), comprises a step of generating a stop signal relating to a portion of a packaging unit downstream of the log saw unit (10) further to the detection of accumulation of rolls (11) and/or of stopping of a packaging machine, as well as a step of attributing said stop signal to a feeding channel/sub-group of feeding channels (12) operatively associated with the portion of the packaging unit, called feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, wherein the methodupon receipt of the stop signalcomprises at least the steps of: ending the cutting of the log (11) in progress on all of the (n) feeding channels (12) of the log saw unit (10), selectively stopping the forward movement of a new log (11) towards the cutting device (13) just in the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping through the stopping of the forward movement of the carriers (15) of the carrier device (16) of the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, proceeding without interruption in the operative feeding channels (12), namely those not subject to the stop signal, with the cutting of the logs (11) in succession.

A method for selectively feeding rolls of paper coming out of a log saw unit (10), wherein the log saw unit (10) comprises (n) feeding channels (12) for feeding logs (11) towards a cutting device (13) provided at the outlet with (n) unloading belts (14) in a number equal to the feeding channels (12), comprises a step of generating a stop signal relating to a portion of a packaging unit downstream of the log saw unit (10) further to the detection of accumulation of rolls (11) and/or of stopping of a packaging machine, as well as a step of attributing said stop signal to a feeding channel/sub-group of feeding channels (12) operatively associated with the portion of the packaging unit, called feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, wherein the methodupon receipt of the stop signalcomprises at least the steps of: ending the cutting of the log (11) in progress on all of the (n) feeding channels (12) of the log saw unit (10), selectively stopping the forward movement of a new log (11) towards the cutting device (13) just in the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping through the stopping of the forward movement of the carriers (15) of the carrier device (16) of the feeding channels/sub-groups of feeding channels (12) subject to stopping, proceeding without interruption in the operative feeding channels (12), namely those not subject to the stop signal, with the cutting of the logs (11) in succession.

An automatic packager including a cartridge and a cartridge mechanism is provided. The cartridge for the automatic packager includes a reservoir for storing a plurality of medications and a wheel including a bottom portion placed in the reservoir. The cartridge also includes a scooping member provided on the wheel to rotate with the wheel and singulate a medication from the reservoir. The cartridge mechanism for the automatic packager includes a platform configured to receive a medication from a cartridge and a camera system. The cartridge mechanism also includes an electronic processor coupled to the camera system configured to dispense the medication from the cartridge in response to determining that the expected medication is delivered to the platform and return the medication to the cartridge in response to determining that the expected medication is not delivered to the platform.