A robotic pack station is disclosed. The robotic pack station automates the transfer of items from a tote or bin to a shipping container such as a box in a warehouse, storage or sales facility. The robotic pack station includes system and method components, and includes a work cell with a robotic arm, machine vision or sensing system, a conveyor and pack platform. Imaging of the contents of the tote with a scan tunnel and connectivity with a sorter device allows for the operation of multiple robotic pack stations, each with a specialized function such as a small box line, a medium box line, and the like.

A part packing system includes a bag holding machine including a part funnel having an opening configured to receive an end of a part and having a bag end manipulator holding first and second bag end gripper mechanisms that receive an end of the bag therebetween to open the end of the bag to form a mouth at the end of the bag. The bag end manipulator moves the first and second bag end gripper mechanisms to position the mouth of the bag immediately downstream of the opening of the part funnel. A part loading machine including a part manipulator holding the part and moving the part to a loading position upstream of the part funnel and moving the part gripper mechanism to load an end of the part through the opening in the part funnel into the mouth of the bag to load the part into the bag.

A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

A robotically-operated gripping device is provided and includes a frame assembly, a vacuum device, a clamping device, and a robotic arm. The vacuum device is connected to the frame assembly and configured to selectively attach to and position at least a portion of an object. The clamping device is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively clamping the object attached to the vacuum device. The robotic arm is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively positioning the vacuum device and the gripping device.

A robotically-operated gripping device is provided and includes a frame assembly, a vacuum device, a clamping device, and a robotic arm. The vacuum device is connected to the frame assembly and configured to selectively attach to and position at least a portion of an object. The clamping device is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively clamping the object attached to the vacuum device. The robotic arm is connected to the frame assembly and provided for selectively positioning the vacuum device and the gripping device.

An apparatus (1) for inspecting an object, where the object is made up of a first layer of plastic material and a second layer of EVO or EVOH and has a base wall (A) and a side wall (B) which is inclined relative to the base wall (A), comprises: an inspection zone (10) in which the object can be placed for inspection; a conveyor (12) for feeding the object to the inspection zone (10) along a feed plane (P); an imaging device (14) configured to view the object positioned in the inspection zone (10) and to generate an image (143) of the object; a processor (151), configured to process the image (143), to inspect the second layer. The conveyor (12) is configured to dispose the object in the inspection zone (10) with the base wall (A) positioned according to a predetermined orientation relative to the feed plane (P).

The conveyor device for conveying flexible containers along a packaging line comprises a track (1) defining a horizontal closed path and one or more pairs of left and right movers (2a, 2b) movably mounted on the track (1) for moving along the path by the effect of active and reactive elements configured for independently driving and controlling the left and right movers along the path, pairs of left and right gripper arms (3a, 3b) pivotally connected to the left and right movers (2a, 2b) by respective left and right articulations (6a, 6b) about vertical axes, and one or more pairs of left and right clamps (4a, 4b) respectively mounted on the left and right gripper arms (3a, 3b) and configured for gripping one or more flexible containers (5) in a vertical position. The left and right gripper arms (3a, 3b) are linked together by a parallelism-keeping mechanism.

An adjustable pouch machine comprises a vertical sealer module forms transverse seals between two plies of a pouch web to partially define a plurality of pouches. Rollers selectively tension and relax the web on the vertically oriented wheel, allowing them to drop away from heated lands on emergency and cycle stops. A filler wheel has a plurality of adjustable gripper units mounted directly thereon for transporting independent separate pouches cut from the pouch web. An adjustable knife is selectively provided with changeable knife hub sets to handle a variety of pouch sizes where a filler wheel alternately first fills and seals pouches in a train. Gear linkage accommodates variation in distance between hubs of different sets. Various embodiments, apparatus and methods are described.

A medication dispensing system, comprising one or more medication panels, each having a plurality of docking ports located at a vertical displacement one from another. The medication dispensing system comprises: a plurality of medication container assemblies for storing medication, coupled to the plurality of docking ports; one or more actuators; a gripping assembly, movable vertically by the one or more actuators to a proximate one or more of the medication container assemblies for picking a medication dosage out of the one or more of the medication container assemblies; and a receptacle carrier having a receptacle mount for holding one or more medication receptacles configured to receive the medication dosage.