An inspection apparatus, for inspection of cased goods, includes at least one conveyor, at least one camera for capturing case image data of each of the cased goods advanced with the at least one conveyor past the inspection apparatus, and a processor configured to receive the case image data from the at least one camera. The processor is configured to characterize, from the case image data, a case exterior protrusion of the case good as a case flap in open condition, wherein the processor is configured to resolve the case image data and determine the case exterior protrusion is a coherent planar surface, and is programmed with a parameter array of physical characteristic parameters that describe case flap coherency attributes determinative of the coherent planar surface defining an open case flap condition.

The invention concerns a conveying device (10) for conveying filled bags (1, 2), comprising a conveying unit (13) by which at least part of a conveying path (3) for conveying filled normal bags (1) can be formed from a feeding station (101) to a stacking area (105).

The invention also concerns a system (100) for stacking filled bags (1, 2) and a method for stacking filled bags (1, 2).

A packaging system includes a packaging machine and a relay device. The relay device has a relay rotary table, a plurality of second holding portions, and an adjustment unit. The adjustment unit adjusts a relative angle between each of the second holding portions and the relay rotary table. The above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a supply station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the supply station. Further, the above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a discharge station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the discharge station.

A modular transfer system with a primary flow system and a diverter system. The primary flow system includes a primary flow belt for conveying an article along a primary flow path from an infeed side of the modular transfer system to a pass-through side of the modular transfer system. The diverter system includes one or more diverter belts for diverting an article from the primary flow path towards a divert side of the modular transfer system. The primary flow belt includes multiple movable components contacting the diverter belt. The movable components can have one or more rotational degrees of freedom.

A method and an apparatus of supplying a bag are provided in which position information on a bag width in a direction parallel to a conveyance path at a part in a neighborhood of a bag opening of a conveyed bag and position information on a center of the bag width are obtained, an intermittent conveyance distance of a conveyance unit is adjusted based on the position information on the center of the bag width so that the center of the bag width of the bag stopping at a takeoff position is placed on a reference plane, and an interval of the pair of holding members positioned at the takeoff position is adjusted based on the position information on the bag width.

The present invention provides an article alignment device that can inhibit posture disorderliness when articles land on a conveyor belt. The posture of bags when the bags transfer from an input conveyor to a first aligning conveyor is inclined in such a way that the portions of the bags that land on bags already placed on the first aligning conveyor are higher and the portions of the bags that land directly on the first aligning conveyor are lower, so the bags land on the first aligning conveyor before or at the same time that they contact the bags that were placed on the first aligning conveyor before them. Additionally, the frictional force between the first aligning conveyor and the bags is greater than the frictional force between the bags, so sliding between the bags is prevented, as is posture disorderliness.

A system for alignment of big bags prior to product filling. The system includes a first alignment arrangement configured to rotate an inflated big bag. The first alignment arrangement including a first drive configured to operate a first rotation part, a counter hold, and a displacement arrangement for displacing the first alignment arrangement and/or the counter hold relative to a big bag.

The system may include a sensor arrangement configured to detect a rotational orientation of the inflated big bag and adapted to provide a sensor output based thereon, and a controller configured to receive the sensor output and control the first drive to rotate the inflated big bag based on the sensor output.

A method of alignment of big bags prior to product filling, a computer program configured for executing acts of the method and a computer readable medium for storing the computer program.

A selectably configurable modular labware transport system including a labware bulk overhead transport system module forming an overhead transport path. The labware bulk overhead transport system module has a labware support, with at least a movable part of the labware support being configured to support labware thereon, and move longitudinally defining the overhead transport path. The labware support has more than one labware holding stations for holding a labware piece, each of the labware holding stations having a different location along the labware support and overhead transport path. The labware bulk overhead transport system module is communicably couplable to another labware bulk overhead transport system module that forms another different overhead transport path, and effects undisrupted transport of the labware throughout the overhead transport path with the labware bulk overhead transport system module both coupled to and uncoupled from the other labware bulk overhead transport system module.

A processing system includes a conveyance system including: a conveyance body unit having a conveyance surface; a movable body moving along the conveyance surface; and a conveyance control unit controlling a magnetism acting between the movable body and the conveyance body unit, wherein the movable body moves along the conveyance surface in a floating state where the movable body is separated from the conveyance surface due to the magnetism, wherein the conveyance control unit controls the magnetism to variably adjust one or more of a movement trajectory, a rotation state, a movement speed, a movement time and a posture of the movable body.

The horizontal-type automatic packaging machine comprises a conveyor moving a plurality of gripper-holding carriages (4) in an advancing direction (D) along a closed path. Each gripper-holding carriage (4) comprises a base structure (7) connected to the conveyor (2) and two parallel gripper arms (8a, 8b) carrying two or more pairs of grippers (47a, 47b) for holding two or more flexible packages (50) arranged in parallel. The gripper arms (8a, 8b) are guided for moving parallel to the advancing direction (D), moving one closer to the other for opening the packages and moving one away from the other for closing the packages due to the action of a driving mechanism connected to proximal ends (17a, 17b) of the gripper arms. A mechanical transmission transmits the movement of the proximal ends (17a, 17b) to distal ends (18a, 18b) of the gripper arms (8a, 8b).