A flow wrapping apparatus displaces a number of packs from a first location where the packs are self-standing on their lower region to a second location where the packs are on edge to form a substantially horizontal stack. The apparatus includes first and second conveyors with a number of individually displaceable hands. The hands of the first conveyor displace packs from a first location where the packs are self-standing on their lower region to a second location where the packs are on edge. At least one of the hands of the second conveyor cooperates with at least one of the hands of the first conveyor to hold packs on their edge to form a substantially horizontal stack. A pair of individually displaceable hands of the second conveyor displace the stack towards a flow wrapping station.

A packing unit and method for folding a blank on a packing machine; the packing unit having: a packing conveyor having at least one pocket for receiving the blank; and a feed device for inserting the blank into the pocket on the packing conveyor; the packing conveyor has at least a first conveyor belt defining a bottom wall, of the pocket; at least a second conveyor belt separate from, parallel to, and alongside the first conveyor belt, and defining the bottom wall of the pocket together with the first conveyor belt; a first retaining member, which projects perpendicularly from the first conveyor belt and defines a front wall of the pocket; and a second retaining member, which projects perpendicularly from the second conveyor belt and defines a rear wall of the pocket.

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

A filling machine (M) for filling containers (1) with fruit or vegetables products, comprising transportation means (2) for the step-by-step conveying the said containers (1) to be filled along a horizontal determined direction (D1); primary plain belt conveyor means (3,4) for products feeding parallel to said horizontal direction (D1) and adapted to realize a main bulk filling of the said containers (1); secondary belt conveyor means (5,6) for singles products feeding parallel to said horizontal direction (D1) and adapted to cooperate simultaneously with said primary belt conveyor means (3,4) so as to complete the whole final filling of the said containers (1); motion means (7) applied to both said principal (3,4) and secondary (5,6) belt conveyor means for reciprocating moving said primary (3,4) and secondary (5,6) belt conveyor means in a direction (D2) parallel to said horizontal direction (D1); and at least a weighing station (8,9) for constant weighing the containers (1) during said filling steps.

The present invention relates to a machine (8) for processing and/or packaging objects, said machine having an essentially horizontal conveying section (10) for conveying articles, packages, and/or packaging units, which conveying section (10) comprises a first horizontal conveying device (14) with at least one conveying means (15) for a first operating mode, which horizontal conveying device (14) can be replaced by a further horizontal conveying device (24) with at least one second conveying means (25) that is different from the first conveying means (15) in order to establish at least one further operating mode. The invention also relates to a method for modifying a conveying section (10) of a machine (8) for processing and/or packaging objects, wherein articles, packages, and/or packaging units are conveyed essentially horizontally on the conveying section (10) by means of a first horizontal conveying device (14) with at least one conveying means (15) in a first operating mode, and wherein at least one further operating mode is established by replacing the first horizontal conveying device (14) with a further horizontal conveying device (24) comprising at least one second conveying means (25) which is different from the first conveying means (15).

A racetrack collator includes a collator frame, first and second collator drive assemblies and first and second collator carriages. The collator frame defines a racetrack travel path, and the first and second drive assemblies are each mounted thereto. Each drive assembly includes a respective endless drive element extending around the racetrack travel path. Each collator carriage is releasably connected to a respective endless drive element and includes a flexible substrate to which a plurality of dividers are connected.

A gripper device includes: a carrier device movably provided; a plurality of gripper pairs attached to the carrier device through supports; and a distance adjustment mechanism that adjusts a distance between one gripper and another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs, wherein, the one gripper and the another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs are attached to the carrier device through a same support, and the distance adjustment mechanism swings at least one of the one gripper and the another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs around the same support in such a manner that a distance between the one gripper and the another gripper is adjusted.

A modular manufacturing system for wrapping and bundling or case packing rolled product. The modular manufacturing system includes a first end and a second end, a first module comprising a first piece of equipment, a second module comprising a second piece of equipment, and a third module comprising a third piece of equipment. The first piece of equipment comprises a wrapper. The second piece of equipment comprises a bundler. The third piece of equipment comprises a case closer. The first, second, and third modules are three of a plurality of additional modules arranged in a series configuration for metered product flow of the rolled product from the first end to the second end.

A kitting machine is disclosed. In various embodiments, the machine includes an actuator configured to move a surface or receptacle to a position associated with item retrieval; and a controller configured to control operation of the actuator to position an item in the position associated with item retrieval, in a manner that is synchronized at least in part with operation of a robotic retrieval device configured to retrieve the item from the position associated with item retrieval.

A container indexing assembly is provided, including an indexing wheel; a conveyor chain; and a series of container indexing arms arranged having a fixed spatial relationship to one another other at linear and non-linear speeds. A rotary container starwheel is further provided including one or more grabber arms. A rotary multi-feed can lid assembly is also provided including multiple can lid silos supported on an upper rotating indexing plate; one or more spring loaded ball detents affixed to rotate with the upper rotating indexing plate and a fixed lower indexing plate. A universal closing turret is finally provided including multiple, varying closure applicators for different types of containers, removably connectable to the turret to allow rearrangement of an order of closure applicators based on an order of types of containers to be closed.