A system for performing a processing step on device parts of simulated smoking devices, such as electronic cigarettes, said system comprising a processing station to perform the processing step on the device parts, product carriers to hold the device parts during the processing step, a first transport device and a second transport device to move the product carriers along at least part of a processing trajectory extending through the processing station.

A step-wise feeding device of containers equipped with a mouth, a plane of symmetry passing through the mouth, includes support bases and transportation means of the support bases in a feeding direction. Each support base can be associated with and dissociated from the transportation means, and each support base includes a clamping group of a container, the clamping group having a closed clamping position and an open loading and unloading position. The clamping group is a gripper-type including two side boards, sustained by supports on opposite sides of the support base, which move in a self-centering manner with respect to an axis. Each support base has a bearing plane for the bottom of the container, on which a virtual point is defined, arranged on a longitudinal axis at a fixed distance from a front end of the support base, for centering the mouth of any container arranged on the plane.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

A carrying device for receiving goods, including a carrying wall which has a front wall and a rear wall, is arrangeable between a closed state and an open state, at least partially forwardly, downwardly and rearwardly delimits a carrying volume for receiving the goods in the closed state, and downwardly opens up the carrying volume in the open state. The carrying device includes a closing device for releasably connecting the front wall to the rear wall in the closed state and an actuating device, connected to the closing device, for releasing the connection between the front wall and the rear wall from the closed state, having an actuating structure arranged at a spacing from the closing device and a transmission structure acting between the actuating device and the closing device. The transmission structure is formed in a flexible manner.

The invention relates, inter alia, to a device for conveying containers for a container processing facility. The device has a first, preferably continuous, container conveyor, a second, preferably continuous, container conveyor, which has multiple preferably plate-shaped carriers for transporting the containers, and a transfer station by use of which the containers can be removed from the first container conveyor and positioned on the multiple carriers of the second container conveyor. Advantageously, the device allows unstable containers to be transported securely and these containers to be buffered by use of the carriers.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

The invention provides a device for sorting out containers which were applied an incorrect print by a direct printing machine. The device comprises a transport device for transporting pucks, which are adapted to transport containers, along a transport path away from the direct printing machine, where the transport path comprises at least a primary transport path and a secondary transport path, an inspection device for inspecting the print on the containers, a decoupling device, in particular comprising a pusher system or a slider system, for decoupling pucks from the primary transport path to the secondary transport path, and a control device adapted to control the decoupling device such that pucks with containers, for which the inspection device has detected an incorrect print, are decoupled to the secondary transport path.

A carrier puck comprising a body having an interior chamber, into which a receptacle to be held by the carrier puck can be inserted, the carrier puck comprising a deformable element, disposed at least in part within the interior chamber; and the carrier puck comprising a pressurizing mechanism configured and arranged to facilitate fluid-filling and/or pressurization of a region within the interior chamber, and in dependence upon said pressurization, the deformable element is forced to move inwardly of the interior chamber and into contact with a receptacle for securing the receptacle within the interior chamber of the carrier puck. In this way the available space within the interior chamber for accommodating a receptacle can be reduced about the receptacle, thus securing the receptacle, accurately and quickly in its location within the carrier puck.

Clusters of multiple diagnostic analyzers, as well as, alternatively, to one single analyzer that consists of multiple parallel cores (basic analyzer modules) to provide a scalable and user-friendly system architecture. The invention provides a terminal for loading, identifying and hosting samples and/or consumables to at least two automated analyzer systems, the system comprising a distribution robot with four linear drives and a rotational drive, wherein a first linear drive comprises a sledge that can only move linear and horizontally on a rail; the rotational drive comprises a platform that can rotate around the sledge; a second linear drive comprises a carrier that can only move linear and horizontally on the platform; a third linear drive comprises a hook that can only move linear and horizontally on the carrier; and a fourth linear drive comprises a drive for vertically moving the platform over the sledge.

An automation apparatus of an analysis laboratory, for handling support devices able to support containers of biological samples. The automation apparatus includes two main automatic belt conveyors arranged in positions spaced from one another on a floor, and at least one auxiliary automatic belt conveyor. The auxiliary belt conveyor is spaced at a different height with respect to the main conveyors, and is operatively connected to the main conveyors by means of lift devices.