An embodiment of the disclosure is a rack adapted to engage a rack handler. The rack includes a rack body. The rack body has a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a receptacle that extends from the top toward the bottom. The receptacle is sized to receive the sample collection unit. The rack body has a first interior surface that extends from the bottom toward the top, and a second interior surface that extends from the bottom toward the top. The second interior surface is opposite to the first interior surface so as to at least partially define a slot along the bottom. The rack body also includes an interference groove in the slot along at least one of the first interior surface and the second interior surface. The slot and the interference groove are sized to engage a portion of the rack handler.

An article moving device of the present invention includes a plurality of roller members, a base member which has a bottom plate section and a peripheral wall section and accommodates the plurality of roller members, and a plate-shaped cover member which is detachably attached to the peripheral wall section so as to cover an opening section surrounded by the peripheral wall section, wherein the base member is formed of a material having a flexural modulus of 2500 MPa to 4000 MPa, a first parameter of 7.00 to 18.00, as calculated by the formula: flexural modulus (MPa)×yield stress in tension (MPa)×thickness (mm)/density (g/cm.sup.3)/100000, and a second parameter of 2.00 to 10.00, as calculated by the formula: first parameter×nominal tensile strain at break (%)/100.

A device for passing lubricant out of a lubricant collecting container to a lubricant pump, in particular for an oil circuit of an internal combustion engine. The device including a lubricant intake pipe and a sedimentation container, which is connected fluidically to the lubricant intake pipe.

A method for processing containers in a container-processing machine includes identifying a first container behind an adjacent second container in a container flow, the first container being positioned within the container flow such that the first container will, absent intervention, occupy a first processing position that has been designated as not to be occupied by any container, holding the first container back, thereby causing the first container to move with a second velocity, that is less than the first velocity, forming a gap between the first and second containers, and releasing the first container. As a result of having been held back, will now occupy a second processing position instead of the first processing position.

An automated vial feed system for an automated prescription filling system. The system has a plurality of sensors located above a vial distribution table for controlling the pace of vial delivery to the table. The sensors determine the load of vials on the table and a control system uses the information as feedback to the vial delivery system.

The invention relates inter alia to a turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel, preferably a sorting star, for transporting containers. The turn-bolt device has a bearing body and a rotary member having an actuating region for actuating the rotary member, a bolt region for holding a container and a shaft region which integrally interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body. The bearing body and the rotary member are formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers which are preferably manufactured additively.

A gripper (12) is disclosed having a base (24) that extends from a first end a second end and includes resilient (32) fingers that extend from the base between the first end and the second end. The resilient fingers (32) may be configured to generally conform to and engage with articles (34) being transferred when the base is mounted to a conveyor.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus (1) for transferring items from and to a transport line (100), more particularly a transport line moving at high speed. The invention comprises the steps of picking a first item (10a) from a transport line (100) and placing a second item (10b) onto said transport line, preferably at an immediately subsequent time, into the gap left by said first item that has just been picked. The invention is applied in particular, but not exclusively, in the field of item packaging, for instance in bottling systems. More particularly, the invention can be used for transferring items to be checked from a transport line to an inspection station, and for transferring back items that have been checked and deemed satisfactory from said inspection station to said transport line.

A gripping member for container retaining and transport equipment including a plurality of gripping bodies having respective contact surfaces configured to contact a container and a connection body connected to the plurality of gripping bodies and connecting the gripping bodies to each other and is deformable between a storage configuration and a gripping configuration, in the storage configuration the connection body is in a undeformed condition and arranges the gripping bodies parallel to respective first directions and with the respective contact surfaces not facing each other; in the gripping configuration the connection body is in a reversibly deformed condition and elongated in directions contained in a single reference plane and wherein the gripping bodies are parallel to respective second directions not contained in the single reference plane, with respective contact surfaces facing each other.

The present disclosure provides an inspection device for continuously inspecting fed containers, in particular bottles, said inspection device comprising a feed device configured to feed containers thereto in succession, at least one inspection unit, configured to inspect the fed containers, a discharge conveying device configured to discharge the inspected containers, and a throughput station for the containers, which is arranged between the feed conveying device and the discharge conveying device, wherein the throughput station comprises a conveyor arrangement with an individual drive and a plurality of conveying units, which are movable by means of the individual drive individually and independently of one another, the conveyor arrangement being configured to convey the containers from the feed conveying device to the discharge conveying device.