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.

Methods, devices, and systems for moving wet ophthalmic lenses are described in which the ophthalmic lenses are first placed in wells of lens carriers and are centered by the structure of the wells. The carriers are then moved to a transfer module of a packaging system for transferring the ophthalmic lenses in blister packages. The transfer from the carriers to the blister packages are performed by a pick and place robot having pickup heads sized and configured for suctioning the ophthalmic lenses from the lens carriers.

Methods, devices, and systems for moving wet ophthalmic lenses are described in which the ophthalmic lenses are first placed in wells of lens carriers and are centered by the structure of the wells. The carriers are then moved to a transfer module of a packaging system for transferring the ophthalmic lenses in blister packages. The transfer from the carriers to the blister packages are performed by a pick and place robot having pickup heads sized and configured for suctioning the ophthalmic lenses from the lens carriers.

In the device and the method for transferring blister packs, two blister packs are first transferred from a stamping station to an intermediate place element and then from the intermediate place element to a single-file conveying means. The two blister packs are placed on the intermediate place element next to each other in a row on either side of a longitudinal center plane of the device. During the transfer from the intermediate storage element to the conveying means, both blister packs are picked from above from their intermediate place positions and also placed from above in the common final place position. When in the final place position, each blister pack has the same side facing up as in the corresponding intermediate place position but now with a rotation of 180 around its center. In addition, the blister packs acquire a lateral offset from the longitudinal center plane during the transfer.

In the device and the method for transferring blister packs, two blister packs are first transferred from a stamping station to an intermediate place element and then from the intermediate place element to a single-file conveying means. The two blister packs are placed on the intermediate place element next to each other in a row on either side of a longitudinal center plane of the device. During the transfer from the intermediate storage element to the conveying means, both blister packs are picked from above from their intermediate place positions and also placed from above in the common final place position. When in the final place position, each blister pack has the same side facing up as in the corresponding intermediate place position but now with a rotation of 180 around its center. In addition, the blister packs acquire a lateral offset from the longitudinal center plane during the transfer.

A mushroom packaging system 10 comprising a mushroom packaging apparatus 11 wherein empty containers 12 are at least partially filled with mushrooms 13. The system further comprises a mushroom loading apparatus 14 comprising a mushroom loading station 15 and a mushroom conveyor 16 for retaining and conveying mushrooms loaded thereon by an operator to the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. A container storage apparatus 50 is also provided which provides a container loading station 17 positioned such that an operator may load empty containers 12 thereinto. A container conveyance apparatus 22 conveys empty containers 12 from the container storage apparatus 50 to a packaged mushroom collection station 18 via the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. Packaged mushrooms 19 received at the packaged mushroom collection station 18 may be retrieved by the operator. A single operator may load mushrooms to the mushroom loading station 15, load containers to the container loading station 17, and retrieve containers from the packaged mushroom collection station 18.

A mushroom packaging system 10 comprising a mushroom packaging apparatus 11 wherein empty containers 12 are at least partially filled with mushrooms 13. The system further comprises a mushroom loading apparatus 14 comprising a mushroom loading station 15 and a mushroom conveyor 16 for retaining and conveying mushrooms loaded thereon by an operator to the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. A container storage apparatus 50 is also provided which provides a container loading station 17 positioned such that an operator may load empty containers 12 thereinto. A container conveyance apparatus 22 conveys empty containers 12 from the container storage apparatus 50 to a packaged mushroom collection station 18 via the mushroom packaging apparatus 11. Packaged mushrooms 19 received at the packaged mushroom collection station 18 may be retrieved by the operator. A single operator may load mushrooms to the mushroom loading station 15, load containers to the container loading station 17, and retrieve containers from the packaged mushroom collection station 18.

A gripper (1) for an ophthalmic lens comprises a gripper head (14) having a bearing surface (140), the bearing surface (140) having at least one through-opening (14), the bearing surface (140) further having a separate detection through-opening (142) other than the at least one through-opening (141); a suction channel (170) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel (170) leading to the at least one through-opening (141) in the bearing surface (140); an overpressure channel (130) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel (130) leading to the at least one through-opening (141); and a detection vacuum tube (16) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube (16) leading to the separate detection through-opening (142) in the bearing surface (140). The detection vacuum tube (16) has a distal end which is arranged in the detection through-opening (142) in a fluid-tight manner, and the detection through-opening (142) is arranged in the center of the bearing surface (140) of the gripper.

A rotating cam device for a pick-up head with pick-up members arranged side by side and at a variable distance. The device extends along a horizontal axis an has a first cam and at least a second cam, which extend around the horizontal axis, are suitable to be engaged by tappet elements carried by a first and a second pick-up member, respectively, and at least partly have a sloped or spiral shape for causing a translation of the tappet elements parallel to the horizontal axis in response to a rotation of the first and second cams about the horizontal axis; the second cam is movable in respect to the first cam along the horizontal axis, at least when the device is installed in the pick-up head and rotates around the horizontal axis.

A food product handling device is provided. The food product handling device can include a movable loading head having a plurality of rails and a vacuum system operatively associated with the head. In addition, a plurality of suction devices carried by the head and configured to pick up and transport a food product as the head is moved can be provided. A plurality of mounting blocks can be slidably coupled to the rails where at least one suction device is coupled to each mounting block. An actuating device can be operatively associated with the mounting blocks such that each mounting block is configured to slide between a first position and a second position.