An apparatus for guiding products along a conveyor in a conveying direction. The apparatus includes a first guiderail for at least partially forming a conveying path for articles on the conveyor. A guiderail adjuster includes a flexible or collapsible support, which make take the form of a linkage, and which provides support for the first guiderail along the conveyor. The flexible or collapsible support is adapted for being extended and retracted along a support rail extending in the conveying direction to selectively position the first guiderail relative to the conveyor, and thereby alter (increase or decrease) the width of the conveying path. Related methods are also disclosed.

The invention relates to an apparatus for aligning box-shaped articles of various sizes on a conveyor belt, as well as a printing station, a reading station, and a labelling station including said apparatus. The apparatus comprises an input conveyor belt operable to move transversally with respect to an output conveyor belt conveying direction, to adapt to a transverse size of a transported box-shaped article, and feed said output conveyor belt with corresponding aligned article.

A device for supplying containers to a container handling device, for example to a container filling device for filling containers with a liquid filling product, includes a guide which is arranged at a predetermined guide height level for guiding a container on the container base thereof. The guide has a transfer portion for transferring the container to a receiving device of the container handling device, and the transfer portion is height-adjustable. A filling system including such a device is also described.

A glide strip for a conveyor rail comprising an elongated monolithic elastic material having a constant cross-sectional shape throughout a majority of the material's length, wherein the cross-sectional shape comprises: a topmost section having a first width perpendicular to the material's length and a first height, a bottommost section having a second width perpendicular to the material's length and a second height, wherein the second width is less than the first width, and a middle section having a third width, wherein the middle section connects the topmost section to the bottommost section, wherein the first width is greater than the second width, and the second width is greater than the third width, and the bottommost section snaps on within slots of the conveyor rail.

Apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers (100), comprising: a transport system (20) for transporting through the apparatus articles randomly arranged on a transport plane; a system (40;140,50) for extracting the articles (100) arranged with a predefined orientation and/or position; devices (31;32) for picking and releasing the articles (100), configured to pick up the articles randomly arranged on the transport system (20) and release them to the extraction system (50) with a predefined orientation and/or position; a detection system (60) designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles (100) in transit on the transport system and to provide the information for controlling the gripping and release devices (30); a unit (500) for processing and controlling the components and the drives of the apparatus, designed in particular to receive the position and/or arrangement information of the articles and to control the gripping and release devices (30). The transport system (20) extends substantially in the form of a U with a first outward section (21) configured to transport the containers in a first advancing direction (A1) and a second return section (22) configured to transport the containers in a second advancing direction (A2) different from the first direction (A1), the two sections (21;22) being connected by a curved section (23); and the pick and release devices (31;32) comprise at least one robot (31) arranged upstream of the curved section (23), for picking up articles only from said first section (21), and at least one robot (32) arranged downstream of the curved section, for picking up articles (100) only from the second section (22) of the transport system (20).

Apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers (100) fed randomly to an inlet of said apparatus, comprising: a transport system (20) for transporting the articles fed to the inlet; devices (31;32) for picking and releasing the articles (100), configured to pick up the articles arranged randomly on the transport system (20) and release them to an extraction system (50) with a predefined orientation and/or position; a detection system (60) designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles (100) in transit on the transport system and to provide the information for controlling the pick and release devices (30); a unit (500) for processing and controlling the components and the drives of the apparatus; wherein the extraction system comprises: a plane (40; 140) for supporting the containers being extracted (100); means (50; 150) for extracting the articles (100), designed to pick up the articles released by the pick and release devices (31,32) and transport them on the plane (40) towards the outlet (O) of the apparatus; said extraction means comprise a plurality of grippers (50;150), each comprising a pair of jaws (51; 151), each gripper (50; 150) being displaceable along a fixed guide (55) independently of one or more of the other grippers (50; 150); and wherein said guide (55) is arranged inclined with respect to the plane of the transport system (20) and/or the support plane (40; 140) of the extraction system, so as to prevent relative interference between said grippers (50; 150) and the transport plane and/or the support plane (10; 140) of the extraction system.

A centering system comprising a conveyor for receiving a plurality of blanks outputted from a furnace and displacing the blanks along a first horizontal axis and shifting units for each individual blank including two or more adjustable lifting bars, the shifting units configured to move along a second horizontal axis, and the adjustable lifting bars being configured to lift the blanks along a vertical axis, wherein each of the shifting units is independently movable along the second axis, and a plurality of centering pins for centering the blanks, such that the blanks can be centered by moving the individual blanks along the second axis against the centering pins. Also disclosed are conveyor systems and methods for centering and conveying blanks.

The invention includes a method for adjusting a preform conveyor. The method includes a preadjustment phase during which preforms of a first format are conveyed. Each preform is supported under its collar by guides delimiting a lateral space and the body of each preform is guided by rails delimiting a holding gap. The rim of each preform is guided by a top guide defining a maximum height, and the lateral support space, the lower holding gap, and the maximum height are independently adjusted with respect to the first format. The values of the first format are recorded. In order to, convey preforms of a second format, the preadjustment phase is carried out: and in order to convey pre-forms of the first format, the lateral space, the holding gap and/or the maximum height are adjusted automatically according to the recorded values of the first format. The invention also relates to a suitable adjustment device.

Apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers (100) fed randomly to an inlet of said apparatus, comprising: a transport system (20) for transporting the articles fed to the inlet; devices (31;32) for picking and releasing the articles (100), configured to pick up the articles arranged randomly on the transport system (20) and release them to an extraction system (50) with a predefined orientation and/or position; a detection system (60) designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles (100) in transit on the transport system and to provide the information for controlling the pick and release devices (30); a unit (500) for processing and controlling the components and the drives of the apparatus; wherein the extraction system comprises: a plane (40;140) for supporting the containers (100); means (50;150) for extracting the articles (100), designed to pick up the articles and transport them on the plane (40) towards the outlet (O) of the apparatus; said extraction means comprise a plurality of grippers (50;150), each comprising a pair of jaws (51;151), each gripper (50;150) being displaceable along a fixed guide (55) independently of one or more of the other grippers (50;150).

The present invention refers to a guide rail configuration for a conveyor and conveyor comprising a guide rail configuration, wherein the conveyor may, for example, be used for conveying products, packages or containers. The guide rail configuration may comprise a detector, in particular a distance sensor or a camera, configured to detect a distance to a lateral side of a container conveyed by the conveyor, or a lateral dimension of the container, wherein the actuator is activated on the basis of a measurement signal from the detector.