Apparatus for installing a bung plug in and/or extracting a bung plug from a container positioned below the apparatus includes a carrier selectively movable up and down relative to the container, a bung plug engagement tool carried by the carrier and including a bung plug wrench and a centering collar carried by the carrier and at least partially surrounding the bung plug wrench.

The present invention relates to a method for the particularly automated measurement of a closing angle of a lid (110) of a container (100) particularly a bottle lid (110) with a screw thread (120) comprising the following steps: a) Positioning of the container (100) and determining of a starting position, b) Turning of the lid (110) from a closing position (I) into the direction of an open position (II) of the lid (110), c) Detection of an open position (II) of the lid (110) and a corresponding open position angle β, d) Calculation of the closing angle α of the lid (110) on the basis of the open position angle β and particularly, a lid parameter.

A system and method for gripping, torqueing and releasing an element so as to cap and/or decap a container, such as those typically utilized to house specimens in laboratory environments. The system is driven by a single bi-directional motor linked to a coupler assembly via a rotating threaded shaft. The coupler assembly is configured to engage with an element, such as a cap or container, via mechanically-biased splines that are actuated without any complex linkages, or operative connection to the motor or other powered components. The system employs an ejector nut and an ejector, both of which are concentrically positioned about the threaded shaft. The ejector nut translates along the shaft as a function of the shaft's rotation, so as to permit the retraction of the ejector when an element is engaged in the coupler assembly or cause the ejector to extend into the coupler assembly to disengage the element. The direction and rotation of the motor is controlled by a system coupled to sensors positioned within the system. Such control system may include one or more processors, component interfaces, and data storage/memory. The sensors may include multiple optical, magnetic or mechanical means for monitoring one or more of the positions of the ejector nut and ejector along the threaded shaft, and/or the rotational position of the coupler assembly.

A system and method for gripping, torqueing and releasing an element so as to cap and/or decap a container, such as those typically utilized to house specimens in laboratory environments. The system is driven by a single bi-directional motor linked to a coupler assembly via a rotating threaded shaft. The coupler assembly is configured to engage with an element, such as a cap or container, via mechanically-biased splines that are actuated without any complex linkages, or operative connection to the motor or other powered components. The system employs an ejector nut and an ejector, both of which are concentrically positioned about the threaded shaft. The ejector nut translates along the shaft as a function of the shaft's rotation, so as to permit the retraction of the ejector when an element is engaged in the coupler assembly or cause the ejector to extend into the coupler assembly to disengage the element. The direction and rotation of the motor is controlled by a system coupled to sensors positioned within the system. Such control system may include one or more processors, component interfaces, and data storage/memory. The sensors may include multiple optical, magnetic or mechanical means for monitoring one or more of the positions of the ejector nut and ejector along the threaded shaft, and/or the rotational position of the coupler assembly.

A vessel filling and capping system is described. Embodiments of the vessel filling and capping system can include, but is not limited to, a vessel filling assembly, a vessel capping assembly, and a tray. The vessel filling assembly can be implemented to fill one or more vessels with a fluid and the vessel capping assembly can be implemented to cap the filled one or more vessels. The tray can be implemented to hold the one or more vessels and align the vessels for the vessel filling assembly and the vessel capping assembly.

The present invention relates to a capping device for closing screw caps, comprising a motor and a power train so as to transmit force from the motor to the screw caps by means of the power train. The capping device comprises a control unit configured for dynamically adapting the operation of the motor, making use of a measured actual value of an operating parameter of the motor, a target closing torque and an actual closing torque model.

A method for detecting a covering state of a laboratory sample container is presented. Light is injected into the laboratory sample container and an optical power is measured at a measuring location. A corresponding laboratory sample distribution system is also presented.

A method for detecting a covering state of a laboratory sample container is presented. Light is injected into the laboratory sample container and an optical power is measured at a measuring location. A corresponding laboratory sample distribution system is also presented.

An ejection head for an ejection device of a sealing machine for sealing a container includes a supporting element with a supporting axis and a sliding end, and a sliding element for sliding the supporting element along a sliding profile of the sealing machine. The sliding element is arranged at the sliding end and a force acting essentially in the direction of the supporting axis is capable of being transmitted via the sliding element to the supporting element. So that the sliding element and the sliding profile are subject to reduced wear, the sliding element is a rotatable rolling element, so that in the operating state the supporting element is capable of being unrolled over the rotatable rolling element along the sliding profile.

A system of measuring a top surface of a closure to determine if the closure is properly affixed to a container. Multiple paths of measurements may be collected and analyzed. In various analysis paradigms, measurements on a given path are separated into different sets, such as a leading set that generally includes the first third of measurements, a trailing set that includes the trailing set of measurements, and a middle set that includes the middle third of measurements. Several methods of analysis may be based on a presumption that a properly affixed closure is symmetrical or near symmetrical.