“The invention relates to a method for dispensing drugs and/or vitamins to dispensing units, in which method one or more dispensing units are placed onto a drug dispensing tray. In the method according to the invention, the drugs and/or vitamins are dispensed into the dispensing units by a robot having an arm or a corresponding movable means, whose tip is equipped with a dispensing device for feeding drugs and/or vitamins in relation to it, the robot moving the dispensing device in relation to the drug dispensing tray for dispensing drugs into the dispensing units. The invention also relates to an apparatus for dispensing drugs and/or vitamins into dispensing units.”

“The invention relates to a method for dispensing drugs and/or vitamins to dispensing units, in which method one or more dispensing units are placed onto a drug dispensing tray. In the method according to the invention, the drugs and/or vitamins are dispensed into the dispensing units by a robot having an arm or a corresponding movable means, whose tip is equipped with a dispensing device for feeding drugs and/or vitamins in relation to it, the robot moving the dispensing device in relation to the drug dispensing tray for dispensing drugs into the dispensing units. The invention also relates to an apparatus for dispensing drugs and/or vitamins into dispensing units.”

The invention relates to a tray sealer comprising a gripper device with two gripper arms, a supply device for unsealed trays, a removal device for sealed trays and a sealing device. Each gripper arm can comprise a coupling device that is configured to hold a first tray gripper for supplying trays into the sealing device and a second tray gripper for removing trays from the sealing device.

A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

A column of cups guided by their rims in elongated slots is spaced into desired cup pitch by one or more linear stars from which the cups can be transferred for packaging. The linear stars have lugs engaging and spacing the cups. In another aspect of the invention, cups are manipulated into patterns for final grouping and packaging and by a plurality of cup orienting pickers engaging, inverting and re-orienting the cups. In one final packaged cup group of two or more layers, alternating cups in each layer are inverted and a top lid of a cup in an upper layer is disposed on a top lid of a cup in a bottom layer, while a bottom of a cup in an upper layer is disposed on a bottom of a cup in a lower layer, and in an alternating pattern.

A column of cups guided by their rims in elongated slots is spaced into desired cup pitch by one or more linear stars from which the cups can be transferred for packaging. The linear stars have lugs engaging and spacing the cups. In another aspect of the invention, cups are manipulated into patterns for final grouping and packaging and by a plurality of cup orienting pickers engaging, inverting and re-orienting the cups. In one final packaged cup group of two or more layers, alternating cups in each layer are inverted and a top lid of a cup in an upper layer is disposed on a top lid of a cup in a bottom layer, while a bottom of a cup in an upper layer is disposed on a bottom of a cup in a lower layer, and in an alternating pattern.

A container packaging system 20 is composed of a registration system 22 for arranging articles 24 at a staging location 26 into a loading registration configuration. A loader 28 lifts the articles 24 from the staging location 26 for placement into predetermined locations in containers 30. Although not necessarily always the case, the containers 30 can be sized and configured to receive a plurality of articles 24. A control system 32 controls the operation of the packaging system, including controlling the registration system 22, so that the articles 24 are placed in the correct registration configuration at the staging location 26, and controlling the operation of the loader 28 to transfer the articles 24 into predetermined locations in the containers 30.

A conveyor system for grouping containers including a conveyor module configured to convey and meter a stream of containers of various dimensions a first star wheel and a second star wheel configured to move a plurality of first containers along a first travel path, wherein the first containers each have a first geometric center, and wherein the first travel path is defined by the geometric center of the first containers, and a third star wheel and a fourth star wheel configured to move a plurality of second containers along a second travel path, wherein the second containers each have a second geometric center, and wherein the second travel path is defined by the geometric center of the second containers, wherein the first travel path and the second travel path are substantially similar.

A system for packing a case with articles, the system including a conveying device to convey articles to be packed, in a serial configuration and a support for a case to be packed with the articles in which the articles are configured to be placed in a plurality of rows, including a first row, a second row adjacent to the first row and a last row adjacent to a side wall of the case. A robotic mechanism is provided configured to pick-up a batch of articles from the conveying device and to deposit the batch of articles into the case, the robotic mechanism including an article supporting device moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, the robotic mechanism being configured to execute a first and a second article loading cycle in the case, wherein the first article loading cycle is characterized by lowering a batch of articles in the case and retracting the article supporting device to allow the batch of articles to sit on a bottom of the case and the second article loading cycle is characterized by retracting the article supporting device while the batch of articles is at a distance from the bottom of the case and allowing the batch of articles to fall in the case while being guided by an adjacent row of articles already deposited in the case and the side wall of the case.