A plant for packing bottles or similar containers includes an operating unit carrying out a rapid assembly that includes a portable pack made by three straps: a first one applied on the lower half of the body of the bottles, a second one applied at the neck of the bottles, both arranged on planes perpendicular to the vertical axes of the bottles, and a third one applied loosely and perpendicularly to the other two straps and laying on a vertical plane passing through the center of gravity of the pack.

The invention relates to a draft handler. The draft handler has a tool stem adapter for coupling to a robotic arm, and has a spatula for lifting a draft product and an elastomeric band for gripping the draft product. The robotic arm moves the draft handler to pick up the draft product in a first orientation from a first conveyor assembly, and to place the draft product on a second conveyor assembly, optionally in a second orientation.

Blister packs in a first and a second pick position are arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal row, which is parallel to a longitudinal center plane of the transfer unit and which extends in an area of the longitudinal center plane. The first blister pack in the first pick position is picked, moved, and placed in the first place position from above. The second blister pack in the second pick position is also picked, moved, and placed in the second place position from above. The blister packs in the first and second place positions are arranged with a lateral offset relative to the longitudinal center plane, and the blister packs in the first and second place positions are rotated 180° around their centers in comparison to their orientation in the first and second pick positions.

Blister packs in a first and a second pick position are arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal row, which is parallel to a longitudinal center plane of the transfer unit and which extends in an area of the longitudinal center plane. The first blister pack in the first pick position is picked, moved, and placed in the first place position from above. The second blister pack in the second pick position is also picked, moved, and placed in the second place position from above. The blister packs in the first and second place positions are arranged with a lateral offset relative to the longitudinal center plane, and the blister packs in the first and second place positions are rotated 180° around their centers in comparison to their orientation in the first and second pick positions.

The packaging machine includes a wrapping tunnel, adapted to form a tube of plastic film around a group of articles and a feed conveyor adapted to feed articles to be packaged toward the wrapping tunnel. An elevator is positioned between the feed conveyor and the wrapping tunnel, and is movable vertically from a lower position, to receive articles coming from the feed conveyor, to a higher height, to transfer articles to the wrapping tunnel. A pusher is arranged to push articles to be packaged from the elevator into the wrapping tunnel. An auxiliary conveyor is also provided between the feed conveyor and the elevator. An upender is associated with the auxiliary conveyor, adapted to be arranged selectively in an active position, to co-act with the auxiliary conveyor to upend articles coming from the feed conveyor and transfer them toward the elevator, and in a deactivated position.

The packaging machine includes a wrapping tunnel, adapted to form a tube of plastic film around a group of articles and a feed conveyor adapted to feed articles to be packaged toward the wrapping tunnel. An elevator is positioned between the feed conveyor and the wrapping tunnel, and is movable vertically from a lower position, to receive articles coming from the feed conveyor, to a higher height, to transfer articles to the wrapping tunnel. A pusher is arranged to push articles to be packaged from the elevator into the wrapping tunnel. An auxiliary conveyor is also provided between the feed conveyor and the elevator. An upender is associated with the auxiliary conveyor, adapted to be arranged selectively in an active position, to co-act with the auxiliary conveyor to upend articles coming from the feed conveyor and transfer them toward the elevator, and in a deactivated position.

A method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled container includes the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container, resulting in a sealed package; rotating the sealed package from the first position to a second position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package to cool a head space of the sealed package. The head space is disposed between an inner surface of the container and a product packaged in the sealed package.

A method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled container includes the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container, resulting in a sealed package; rotating the sealed package from the first position to a second position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package to cool a head space of the sealed package. The head space is disposed between an inner surface of the container and a product packaged in the sealed package.

An ammunition packaging apparatus and system is reconfigurable to package a select caliber of ammunition by changing a set of components to those associated with the selected caliber of ammunition and selecting the corresponding operating procedure. An ammunition collating and packaging apparatus can be quickly reconfigured from packaging a first caliber of ammunition to packaging a second caliber of ammunition by quickly replacing a define set of components and modifying operationally timings to correspond to the selected caliber.

A method of sealing a foil liner to a hot-filled container includes the steps of aligning a liner engagement surface of a seal head with a liner sealing surface of the container when the container is in a first position, wherein at least a peripheral margin of the foil liner is disposed between the liner engagement and sealing surfaces of the seal head and the container, respectively; applying heat between the seal head and the container to heat and attach the foil liner and the sealing surface of the container, resulting in a sealed package; rotating the sealed package from the first position to a second position; and applying fluid onto at least a portion of the sealed package to cool a head space of the sealed package. The head space is disposed between an inner surface of the container and a product packaged in the sealed package.