The invention relates to a system (10) for transporting loose sterile closure elements (12) from the surroundings (14) of an isolator (16) into an interior (18) of the isolator, comprising a container (24) for storing a stock quantity of closure elements in the h surroundings of the isolator, an isolator opening (20) and a collecting device (56) for collecting the closure elements and for providing the closure elements in the interior of the isolator, with a metering device (46) for controlling a target quantity of closure elements to be transported from the container through the isolator opening and into the collecting device.

A manufacturing machine for producing disposable cartridges for electronic cigarettes can have a manufacturing drum supporting at least one group of seats, each adapted to receive a component of the disposable cartridge; and a feeding unit which feeds the components of the disposable cartridges to the seats. Each seat has a housing through channel crossing the manufacturing drum from side-to-side to contain a component and a pair of opposite jaws mounted in the housing channel and movable between a gripping position, in which they engage a component arranged in the housing channel and a transfer position, in which they do not engage the component. Each pair of jaws has two teeth arranged at the top and projecting from the corresponding jaws towards the center of the seat, so that the two teeth hold the component inside the seat at the top when the two jaws are in the gripping position.

A system for assembling a container and closure comprising an expanding collet which has a plurality of pivoting collet segments, each configured to simultaneously pivot radially outward about a pivot point and comprising. The collet comprises a lip that is engagable with the rim of the open end of the container and an angled tip positioned radially inward from the lip and shaped to press a countersink portion of the closure against an interior wall of the container as the collet segments pivot radially outward. As the container and the chuck are brought together, the rim engages with the lips of the collet segments and causes the angled tips of the collet segments to pivot outward toward the interior wall of the container, thereby pushing the countersink portion of the closure against the interior wall of the container.

An apparatus for securing a cap on a cylindrical container includes: a stage including a receiving region for separately receiving a cap and a container; and an elevator movable upwardly away from the stage and downwardly toward the stage. The elevator includes: a carrier disposed over the stage; a capturing member on the carrier and configured to capture the cap; and at least one extendable member extending from the carrier, the at least one extendable member movable from a home position with the extendable member above a center of the cap and an engagement position with the extendable member engaging the center of the cap and urging the center of the cap downwardly relative to an outer sidewall of the cap.

A system for assembling a container and closure comprising an expanding collet which has a plurality of pivoting collet segments, each configured to simultaneously pivot radially outward about a pivot point and comprising. The collet comprises a lip that is engagable with the rim of the open end of the container and an angled tip positioned radially inward from the lip and shaped to press a countersink portion of the closure against an interior wall of the container as the collet segments pivot radially outward. As the container and the chuck are brought together, the rim engages with the lips of the collet segments and causes the angled tips of the collet segments to pivot outward toward the interior wall of the container, thereby pushing the countersink portion of the closure against the interior wall of the container.

A stand-alone manually operated device for capping a filled beverage container with a lid. Lids are staged within the apparatus in a bulk storage queue and are individually transferred from a bulk storage queue and applied to a beverage container by physical contact to the application mechanism. The mechanism ensures the sealing rim of the lid is completely engaged on the beverage container without human contact on hygienic surfaces. Once the operator disengages, the mechanism automatically retracts to a resting position and the next lid is engaged.

Automated setup and operation of a container capping machine is achieved by providing motors, each under computer control, to make the necessary adjustments regarding setup and operation, and a plurality of sensors and other devices adapted to send information related to container and cap configurations and machine operation to the computer.

The present invention involves both an apparatus and an associated method for confirming the presence or absence of closures in a closure nest inside an aseptic chamber. The apparatus comprises a topographical profiler disposed to monitor the closure nests. Vertical displacements in topographical maps obtained by the profiler are compared with information from a database about the nest and closure combinations. Vertical displacements falling outside predetermined upper and lower bounds are deemed absences of closures. The topographical profiler may be disposed outside the aseptic chamber. The system may be automated via a controller and suitable software. In some embodiments the nests and disposed in the monitored area by robotic articulated arms. In other embodiments the closure nests are moved by vacuum pickup systems. The system and method may also be employed to assess the suitability of a closure nest for closing in an aseptic chamber containers in a container nest.

Systems and methods are disclosed, which permit filling containers with a product. A filling atm is disposed within a chamber and an optical sensor is configured to sense openings of the containers within the chamber. Locations of the sensed openings are used to guide the filling atm to fill the containers with a product.

The present disclosure relates to an attachment unit for attaching a container element to a container body. The attachment unit comprises a retaining device adapted to retain the container body while the container element is being attached to the container body and an applicator for positioning the container element in the container body. The retaining device comprises at least one through-going positioning cavity being adapted to receive a portion of the container body. The applicator is aligned with the positioning cavity, such that the container element is displaceable by means of the applicator into the container body by moving at least partly through the positioning cavity of the retaining device. The attachment unit comprises an internal housing arranged to provide and maintain a protective gas atmosphere above the positioning cavity of the retaining device. The internal housing is adapted to at least partly enclose the applicator.