A robotic material handling apparatus comprises a packing head using vacuum to lift bottles, and a robot arm including two four-bar linkages. The four-bar linkages include a tubular structural member forming a rigid link with an internal passageway extending along the robot arm. A vacuum source is connected by hoses to the internal passageways and to the packing head as a way in integrating the vacuum lines into the robot arm. The packing head has bottle-lifting stations using vacuum to lift bottles, each including a seal shaped to sealingly engage a shoulder on the bottle. A vacuum source is connected to the seal for suctionally gripping the bottle using the shoulder to lift the bottle, regardless of whether a bottle cap is present or is missing.

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 packaging system having a packaging machine and a feeding device for the packaging machine. Packaging elements for receiving products in a predetermined format can be supplied to the packaging machine for a packaging process running thereon. The packaging machine may comprise a machine frame, at least one work station attached to the machine frame; a transport device that comprises a grouping unit for receiving packaging elements supplied by the feeding device to the packaging machine; and/or a transfer unit for transporting packaging elements received thereon to the work station. The grouping unit and the transfer unit can be brought together by way of a relative motion so that the packaging elements positioned on the grouping unit can be received by way of the transfer unit. The transfer unit may be capable of gripping the packaging elements. A method for producing a packaging as described above is also provided.

A packaging system having a packaging machine and a feeding device for the packaging machine. Packaging elements for receiving products in a predetermined format can be supplied to the packaging machine for a packaging process running thereon. The packaging machine may comprise a machine frame, at least one work station attached to the machine frame; a transport device that comprises a grouping unit for receiving packaging elements supplied by the feeding device to the packaging machine; and/or a transfer unit for transporting packaging elements received thereon to the work station. The grouping unit and the transfer unit can be brought together by way of a relative motion so that the packaging elements positioned on the grouping unit can be received by way of the transfer unit. The transfer unit may be capable of gripping the packaging elements. A method for producing a packaging as described above is also provided.

An end effector for the packaging industry comprises has a frame, a bridge on top of the frame, a rack and pinion assembly, actuation rods, carrier assemblies, and vacuum ports. The rack and pinion assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a robot's rotatable shaft, and to the actuation rods. The actuation rods are fixedly connected to one or more of the carrier assemblies. As the robot's shaft rotates, the rack and pinion assembly is actuated, which actuates the actuation rods, which causes the carrier assemblies fixedly connected to the actuation rods to move longitudinally along the frame. Each carrier assembly includes a carrier block and at least one pick-up member. Each carrier block has at least one arm with a grabber to cooperate with an adjacent arm with grabbers of an adjacent carrier block(s) of the same subgroup.

An end effector for the packaging industry comprises has a frame, a bridge on top of the frame, a rack and pinion assembly, actuation rods, carrier assemblies, and vacuum ports. The rack and pinion assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a robot's rotatable shaft, and to the actuation rods. The actuation rods are fixedly connected to one or more of the carrier assemblies. As the robot's shaft rotates, the rack and pinion assembly is actuated, which actuates the actuation rods, which causes the carrier assemblies fixedly connected to the actuation rods to move longitudinally along the frame. Each carrier assembly includes a carrier block and at least one pick-up member. Each carrier block has at least one arm with a grabber to cooperate with an adjacent arm with grabbers of an adjacent carrier block(s) of the same subgroup.

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 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.

An arrangement for transferring and/or grouping products (32) is proposed, comprising at least one mover (20) which has at least one permanent magnet (19) which is connected to the mover (20), wherein the permanent magnet (19) interacts with at least one coil plane (18) of a drive surface (13) for the in particular contactless driving of the mover (20), wherein the mover (20) is arranged displaceably and/or rotatably in at least two degrees of freedom on the drive surface (13), furthermore comprising at least one conveying system (34, 38) which conveys products (32), characterized in that the mover (20) picks up or deposits at least one product (32) by means of a movement of the mover (20) with at least one vertical component.