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.

The present invention provides an apparatus for transferring products, for example eggs, from an endless conveyor to carrier units, comprising—the conveyor with at least a single row of transport carriers, and—a transfer unit positioned near the conveyor, which further comprises an arm pivotable around a shaft and having at its end a transfer carrier, wherein the relative velocities upon takeover from the conveyor and upon transfer to such a carrier unit are virtually 0 m/s, and wherein the shaft is driven by a motor with independently controllable speed. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for, from an endless conveyor having transport carriers for carrying along products, transferring therefrom the products, for example eggs, to carrier units.

The invention relates to a method and device for orienting an umbilicated fruit, in which, during a first orientation phase (22), the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II), then the fruit is driven (24) in spinning rotation about a first axis of rotation at an angular amplitude of between 5° and 45°, and then the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one subsequent image (IU). If at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II) and no longer detected in each subsequent image (IU), the first orientation phase is stopped and the method is continued,

The invention relates to a method and device for orienting an umbilicated fruit, in which, during a first orientation phase (22), the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II), then the fruit is driven (24) in spinning rotation about a first axis of rotation at an angular amplitude of between 5° and 45°, and then the presence of at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one subsequent image (IU). If at least a portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image (II) and no longer detected in each subsequent image (IU), the first orientation phase is stopped and the method is continued,

The present invention relates to a transfer unit (30) for folding and transferring the beds vacuumed and packaged in the vacuuming machine (10). The improvement is that the present invention comprises a centering arm (40) configured to hold the bed from the center thereof and to press the bed towards the operation plane (a); in order to change the extension direction of the bed in an operation plane (a) whereon the beds, coming from the vacuuming machine (10) provided at an input side (36), advance.

A method of conveying articles includes moving a first plurality of articles in a first input lane and a moving second plurality of articles in a second input lane in a downstream direction to a lane combiner, and operating the lane combiner to combine the first plurality of articles and the second plurality of articles into a combined plurality of articles in an output lane. The operating the lane combiner includes engaging a first article from the first plurality of articles with a first combiner wheel, engaging a second article from the second plurality of articles with a second combiner wheel that is out of phase with the first combiner wheel, rotating the first combiner wheel and the second combiner wheel to move the first article and then the second article into the output lane, the combined plurality of articles includes the first article and the second article in sequence.

Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Packaging apparatus and methods include a plurality of article grippers driven by independently controlled motors in an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), for picking articles, grouping articles, adjusting group pitch and placing article groups in packages where incoming articles and packages are continuously or intermittently moving and without motion of the entire EOAT in the direction in which articles and packages are picked and moved. Hole healing and incoming product registration apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Provided is a method for packaging piece good groupings, in which a plurality of piece goods, particularly containers, are at least partially interconnected by a first connector, wherein at least two-piece goods of this plurality are directly interconnected by the connector. According to the embodiment, this plurality of piece goods connected by the connector is packaged with a second connector in the form of a second wrapping element, and said plurality of piece goods connected by a first connector is conveyed by a conveyor device to a packaging device and enclosed, particularly wrapped, with the second wrapping element by said packaging unit.