A cartoner infeed bucket includes a bottom wall, a first end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and a second end wall extending upward from the bottom wall and spaced apart from the first end wall to define an item carrying space, the second end wall running substantially parallel to the first end wall. The second end wall is mounted for adjustable movement along the bottom wall so as to vary a spacing between the first end wall and the second end wall and/or the first end wall is mounted for pivotable movement relative to the bottom wall.

A processing system including a singulation system is disclosed. The singulation system includes a conveying system for moving objects to be processed from a source area along a first direction, a detection system for detecting objects at the conveying system, and for selecting certain selected objects for redistribution on the conveying system, and a movement redistribution system for redistributing the certain selected objects on the conveying system for providing a singulated stream of objects.

Exemplary embodiments are directed to an apparatus for filling a central open space in a jar. The apparatus includes a base, an indexing station including a magazine, a blade, and a first actuator, a filling station including cartridges, and a second actuator. The magazine is rotatably mounted to the base. The platform of the cutting station is configured to receive a whole cucumber at a loading area and is incrementally indexed to reposition the whole cucumber from the loading area to a cutting area above the blade. The first actuator is configured to urge the whole cucumber through the blade and cut the whole cucumber into spears. The spears drop into and are held by one of the cartridges. The second actuator is configure to push at least one of the spears out from the cartridge into the central open space of the jar.

A lid forming device of a cardboard box using a first flap with a slit and a second flap to be extended after being bent into a mountain shape is disclosed. The lid forming device includes first and second folding mechanisms. The fist folding mechanism folds the first flap in a direction of closing the opening. The second folding mechanism bends the second flap into a mountain shape and inserts part of the second flap into the slit of the first flap while extending the second flap. The second folding mechanism includes first and second retaining units. The first retaining unit retains a first face of the second flap located between a free end of the second flap and a bend line set beforehand in the second flap. The second retaining unit retains a second face of the second flap located between an anchored end and the bend line.

A robotic end of arm tool to effectuate loaded case closure is provided. The tool includes a loaded case flap folding assembly to effectuate folding of flaps extending from a first case panel of a loaded case and, advantageously, loaded case squaring assemblies. The folding assembly includes flap engaging elements, a linkage and an actuator, the flap engaging elements operatively united with the linkage, the linkage actuatable via the actuator in furtherance of causing the flap engaging elements to engage the flaps extending from the first case panel. Flap engaging elements include a first flap engaging element for engagement with a first flap extending from the first case panel of the loaded case, and second and third flap engaging elements for engagement with second and third flaps opposingly extending from the first case panel, each of the second and third flaps adjacent the first flap.

A method and a coding line (128) for serializing a plurality of products in a coding line (128), wherein each product is packed in a cuboid box (114), is disclosed. Herein, the coding line (128) comprises at least one slide (132) and at least one main pusher (130) being adapted for jointly moving the boxes (114) on the slide (132) in a row of the boxes (114) through the coding line (128), wherein the coding line (128) further comprises at least one printing system (118) designed for printing a serial code onto each of the boxes (114), wherein the serial code comprises at least one unique serial number, and at least one camera (120) designed for reading the serial code printed on each of the boxes (114). The method comprises the following steps: a) retracting the main pusher (130) to provide an open space at an initial section (140) of the slide (132) in front of the row of the boxes (114), whereby the open space is filled with at least one additional box (136); b) using the main pusher (130) to jointly move the row of the boxes (114) on the slide (132) to pass the printing system (118), whereby the serial code is printed onto the at least one box (114), wherein the serial code comprises the at least one unique serial number, and the camera (120), whereby the serial code printed on the at least one box (114) is read, until a final section (146) of the slide (132) is reached, where the row of the boxes (114) is pushed from the slide (132); and c) reloading the coding line (128) by providing at least one further additional box (136), wherein steps a) to c) define a pushing cycle of the coding line (128). Herein, the serial code comprising the at least one unique serial number is printed onto a particular box (114) and, concurrently, stored in a database, preferably together with a further unique identifier (172) applied to a particular shipping case (166) which stores the particular box (114). In this particular embodiment, the method and the coding line (128), thus, allow tracking of a flow of the product packed in the particular box (114) in a distribution chain at any given point.

A device for stacking and packaging folded products includes a conveying device that conveys a stack of folded products, which folded products are arranged in an upright position in a row, in a transport direction to a delivery area above a receptacle on at least one support element, which supports the stack in the delivery area perpendicularly to the transport direction. The stack is released perpendicularly to the transport direction by shifting or pivoting the at least one support element. A pushing device pushes the stack of folded products out of the delivery area perpendicularly to the transport direction and into the receptacle.

A filling machine for filling containers with items includes an item conveyor, and a bulk feeder for feeding items onto the item conveyor. The bulk feeder includes a hopper and a feed assembly, where the feed assembly includes an item collecting compartment for collecting items from the hopper. A pusher is movable through the collecting compartment to push items in the collecting compartment onto the item conveyor.

Provided is a boxing apparatus that pushes a plurality of articles into a box, whose opening may face sideways, from the side and, thereafter, change the posture of the box by rotating the box so that the opening faces upward, wherein the possibility that the articles fly out of the box when changing the posture is reduced and the posture of the box can be changed in a short period of time. The boxing apparatus may include a push-in mechanism, a holding and posture changing mechanism, and a guide/holding member.

A method of feeding products into containers, in particular of feeding bags into cartons, wherein at least two different types of products are fed into a container, wherein the products are transported via respective feeding devices, in particular conveyors, in the direction of a device for feeding the products into a container, wherein each type of the products is transported separately by means of a dedicated feeding device, and wherein the conveying speed of the feeding devices is controlled such that, following the feeding devices, the products are present in a sequence which corresponds to the arrangement of the products within the container.