The present patent application for the invention of a device, coupled to a robot or other handling system, deals with the pressure on the container, which allows the product to be moved to be held, moving and rotating them, defining their positioning and organizing them for later palletizing or positioning for subsequent operations. The invention comprises a device (D) composed of a headstock or structure (1) made of metal or another type of material, to be coupled, by means of a coupling (2), to a robot (R1) or other handling equipment; and, in the lower part of the device (D), an elastic blanket (3) made of material such as elastic/polymer is installed, which must have the property of maintaining the integrity of the product handled, in this case the container (4), single or grouped, and allow it to be moved over the work area (A1). The device (D), according to the invention, is operated from movements for the formation of layers or mosaics (M) from a dedicated software, and this association enables the movement of the containers (4) in transverse and longitudinal axes, or swivels.

Disclosed is a gripper (1) for beverage cans (20). The gripper (1) comprises at least one gripping device (6) used to grip a particular beverage can (20) from underneath the top seam (5) in a form-fitting manner in the region of a top seam (5), which top seam (5) is formed by a particular beverage can (20). The gripper (1) comprises at least one centering device (30), by which at least one centering device (30) aligns the particular beverage can (20) into a defined alignment, where the at least one gripping device (6) is able to grip a particular beverage can (20) from underneath in a form-fitting manner in the region of its top seam (5).

A clamp device for retaining a container in a container-handling apparatus, for example for retaining a drinks container at a neck portion or at a body portion, includes two clamp arms, which each have a retaining portion for retaining the container which is to be retained, and at least one prestressing element for prestressing the retaining portions towards one another, wherein for the purpose of adjusting the distance which is present between the retaining portions, the clamp arms are designed in a displaceable manner in relation to the prestressing of the at least one prestressing element. A container-handling apparatus having at least one clamp device is also described.

The present invention discloses a gripper device using an air-tube. Particularly, the gripper device quickly performs ‘release’ on gripping of a product. The gripper device is designed so that compressed air for griping, which is introduced through a first tube and accumulated in an expansion space of a side wall of the cylindrical air-tube, is instantly discharged to the outside through a second tube that is opened by a reverse movement of a valve and the air-tube. Thus, the ‘release’ is quickly performed to resultantly extremely reduce an operation time of a transfer operation in which gripping, transferring, releasing, and returning of the product are repeated.

Gripper for gripping a thin-walled aerosol can blank, having a base body which is made of a solid material and which has a bore passing through it along a central axis, an inner surface of the bore being provided with a circumferential radial groove extending outwards in the radial direction, and having a rubber-impregnated workpiece which is received in the radial groove, which has a radially inner gripping surface and a radially outer working surface, the working surface, together with mutually opposite axial surfaces of the radial groove and a radially outer circumferential surface of the radial groove, delimiting a fluid working space, wherein an integrally formed circumferential sealing profile is formed on the gripping ring adjacent to the working surface.

A case packing apparatus for loading articles into a case that includes two or more airbags adapted to be positioned above the case; a vacuum reservoir positioned in fluid communication with the airbags; and a supply of compressed gas positioned in fluid communication with the airbags.

A method of providing glass from a glass melting furnace to at least one mold, including providing an uninterrupted glass communication path from an outlet of the glass melting furnace to the at least one mold, and pressurizing the path at a location downstream of the outlet to move molten glass into the at least one mold. A related system, apparatus, and molding equipment are also disclosed.

Aspects described herein include an end effector that includes a pliable body member defining an inner recess and having a sealing surface at a distal end. The sealing surface forms a seal with items and defines a first suction area. The end effector also includes an inflatable bladder that expands into the inner recess. When the bladder is in an inflated state, the bladder defines a second suction area smaller than the first suction area. The end effector also includes a vacuum port in fluid communication with the inner recess.

The invention includes a method (100) and an apparatus to handle irregularly conveyed and/or irregularly aligned and/or non-upright articles of an article stream under prevention of disturbances. The method (100) comprises the following steps: identifying at least one non-upright article in an article stream as an error; performing a correction step to resolve the error, the correction step comprising removal from the article stream of the at least one irregularly aligned article, or transfer to an upright orientation of the at least one irregularly aligned article, with a defined action being exerted temporally before and/or in temporal overlap with the correction step upon the at least one irregularly aligned article or upon regularly conveyed articles of the article stream.

A wrap removal assembly includes an elongated support member extending along a central longitudinal axis and having an exterior surface. A snagging wire is disposed adjacent the exterior surface of the elongated support member and includes an active material changeable between a first shape and a second shape in response to a control signal. The snagging wire presents a catch spaced outward and away from the exterior surface when disposed in the first shape to snag the wrap material and gather the wrap material around the elongated support member. The snagging wire is positioned substantially flat against the exterior surface of the elongated support member when disposed in the second shape to release the wrap material and allow removal of the wrap material from the elongated support member.