A two part sprocket wheel engages modular belt modules in a conveyor belt. The sprocket wheel's periphery elements' outer edges form a full circle. On each inner periphery four engagement ridges are provided. When the sprocket wheel is mounted around the axle, only the engagement ridges touch and engage the axle. The sprocket wheel construction between the engagement ridges is removed from the drive axle. It is possible to flush and clean the areas around the drive axle being partly covered by the sprocket wheel in an easy and accessible manner. The engagement ridges have a very limited engagement area in order to contact the drive axle and thereby convey the torque forces from the drive axle to the teeth of the sprocket wheel. The engagement ridges are in very firm engagement with the drive axles, such that no material may remain where the engagement ridges engage the drive axles.

A pouch filling machine, of ultra-clean type or with aseptic chamber, includes a cap feeding head for application to a flexible pouch with spout, a cap passage, and snap-retaining means for releasably retaining a cap ready for release. The snap-retaining means include a pair of grippers. Each gripper has an end portion protruding from an outlet port of the cap passage and consists of a sheet having at least one flexible portion adapted to bend due to advancement of the cap ready for release.

A conveyor belt unit (100) has a configuration-changing mechanism useful for switching between a ready-to-operate configuration and a not-ready-to-operate configuration. A specific embodiment uses a rotating joint element (150) with a thin material bridge (152) that defines a rotary axis. Used with a dynamic checkweigher, the conveyor belt unit has a carrier frame (110) and a belt body (130) connected to it. Rollers (132, 134) are arranged at the ends in transport direction (T) and contrary to the transport direction, with a conveyor belt (136) tensioned across the conveyor rollers. A motor drives the conveyor belt (136) by means of one of the rollers (132, 134). The configuration-changing mechanism is effective between the belt body and the carrier frame.

A receiving bin for a sorting machine is movable between an operative configuration and an inoperative configuration. In the operative configuration, the receiving bin is configurable for receiving a rejected product from the sorting machine. In an inoperative configuration, the receiving bin is configurable for servicing and maintenance. The receiving bin has an inlet chute, a transfer chute, and, optionally, a mechanism of altering the configuration connects the inlet chute and the transfer chute. In one arrangement, the inlet chute and the transfer chute are sufficiently exposed to a waterjet during a cleaning event, for maintaining aseptic conditions and a hygienic environment. This is especially useful the sorting machine is commissioned in a production plant where food items such as meat, fish, or dairy products are processed and packaged.

A cleanable frame and a method for making a cleanable frame having a simplified frame design. A hygienic conveyor frame assembly comprises a plurality of hollow tubular sections joined together to form an evacuated, sealed conveyor frame support structure that functions as a sterilization zone. An integral carryway is placed on the support structure. Lifters coupled to the conveyor frame can lift the canyway and conveyor belt for cleaning. Infeed and outfeed assemblies are also movable between operating and cleaning positions. A sensor can monitor the conditions of the frame interior to ensure that the vacuum is maintained and initiate a corrective action if the vacuum seal is breached.

A container guide includes a guide rail and a single piece having a main body and retainers. At least one of the retainers is arranged in either a through passage or a recess in a surface-area portion of the main body. Each retainer includes a bent rail bar and a rail support. A a portion of the rail support comprises a support arm that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the surface-area portion of the main body. The guide rail is arranged directly on the support arms for guiding the container.

A drive module for a linear transport system comprises a housing and a stator, wherein a conveying device of the linear transport system with a magnet arrangement can be arranged on the housing. The stator is arranged in the housing, wherein the stator comprises at least one coil arrangement having at least one coil with at least one stator tooth. The coil arrangement is designed to switchably provide a magnetic traveling field, wherein the magnetic traveling field exits from the coil arrangement at the end faces and passes through the housing shells in order to enter into operative connection with the magnet arrangement of the conveying device of the linear transport system on the outer side of the housing for the purpose of forming a magnetic coupling.

An endless conveyor device comprises a conveyor unit having at least one endless conveyor, which is configured to convey items; a drive roller assembly, which is drivable by a drive belt and configured to drive the endless conveyor and has a support element; a deflecting roller assembly and an intermediate body, disposed between the drive roller assembly and the deflecting roller assembly, as well as between a conveying strand and a return strand of the endless conveyor. The endless conveyor device further comprises a drive unit comprising the drive belt, a motor and a support device, which is configured to engage with the support element. The drive belt is relaxable by pivoting the conveyor unit relative to the drive unit about a rotation axis of the drive roller assembly in a first direction. A method for removing a conveyor unit from an endless conveyor device is also provided.

A container guide includes a guide rail and a single piece having a main body and retainers. At least one of the retainers is arranged in either a through passage or a recess in a surface-area portion of the main body. Each retainer includes a bent rail bar and a rail support. A portion of the rail support comprises a support arm that is perpendicular to a plane defined by the surface-area portion of the main body. The guide rail is arranged directly on the support arms for guiding the container.

A tunnel may have a housing with an entrance, an exit, and a pathway extending from the entrance to the exit through the housing. The tunnel may be used for performing operations, such as cleaning operations within the tunnel. A conveyor may be configured to move articles through the housing along the pathway. One or more detectors may be configured at discrete locations along the pathway. One or more curtains may be configured between the entrance and the exit of the housing to partition the pathway into two or more segments. One or more sensors may be configured in each curtain. The one or more sensors may be detectable by the one or more detectors to determine the presence, position, orientation, or other characteristic of each curtain.