A feeding unit to feed a component in an automatic manufacturing machine, which has at least one holding head designed to receive and hold the component; a conveyor to cyclically move the holding head along an application path; and a rotation station arranged along the feeding path and in which the holding head rotates relative to the equipment and around a rotation axis to vary the orientation of the component. The conveyor has a closed curve guide arranged in a fixed position along the application path; and an equipment supporting the holding head and provided with at least one slide coupled to the guide so as to freely slide along the guide. An actuation system controls rotation of the holding head around the first rotation axis and has a cam and a cam follower roller, which can be coupled to the cam and mechanically connected to the holding head.

This air control device for mounter is to solve a problem of realizing an air control device for a mounter capable of providing a secured holding state by a nozzle without damaging a part by adjusting, during vacuum suction, an amount of air to be drawn suitably for the part and the nozzle. This air control device for mounter is configured such that a nozzle n detachably attached to a head module HM of a mounter is connected to a negative pressure region, and a part is suctioned at a distal end of the nozzle n. The head module HM is mounted with a variable throttle mechanism 4, and by using the variable throttle mechanism 4, an amount of air to be drawn into the negative pressure region from the nozzle is adjustable.

A marker band locator system locates a marker band, from a plurality of marker bands in a hopper, into a band receiver for further processing. A hopper is configured to loosely hold a plurality of marker bands and a band receiver, configured in an indexer, is configured under the hopper such that marker bands gravity feed down to the band receiver. A vacuum source produces a vacuum on the band receiver and if a marker band is properly located therein, the marker band forms a seal with the band receiver and the vacuum pressure exceeds a threshold vacuum pressure level. The indexer then actuates to a secondary position for further processing and removal of the marker band. If the vacuum pressure does not exceed the threshold, a burst of air jostles the marker bands in the hopper until a marker band is seated properly.

A carousel for transporting articles includes: a body rotated by a motor around a main axis, a stationary cam around the main axis and a plurality of transfer units mounted on the body to rotate around the main axis. Each unit includes a transfer element having a radially external portion to retain or release an article. The element is pivoted on the body around an auxiliary axis radial to the main axis and is coupled to the body to move along the auxiliary axis. The element is coupled to the stationary cam to rotate around the auxiliary axis. A pair of auxiliary cams is coupled to the element and integral with the body and auxiliary cam-followers are interposed between the element and the auxiliary cam to move on the auxiliary cams during rotation of the element around the auxiliary axis and move the element along the auxiliary axis.

An apparatus for inspecting a pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or polymer is provided. The apparatus includes an inspection area, a handling device, and a friction wheel. The handling device has a first holder configured to hold a lateral surface of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container. The first holder includes a first support wheel and a second support wheel. The handling device moves such that the pharmaceutical cylindrical container is transferred from a first transfer position to the inspection area and from the inspection area to a second transfer position. The first holder and/or the friction wheel bring the pharmaceutical cylindrical container into contact with the friction wheel such that the pharmaceutical cylindrical container is rotated around a container longitudinal axis by rotating the first and second support wheels and/or by rotating the friction wheel.

A linear-motor type transport device for transporting material for an absorbent article includes: a shaft portion that has an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction; a pair of guide portions that is disposed on the shaft portion with a predetermined axial-direction space between the guide portions and that forms an orbital transport path that extends along the circumferential direction; a mobile unit that moves on the transport path along the guide portions while supporting a transport head rotatably about a rotation axis; a cam mechanism that rotates the transport head about the rotation axis through a predetermined angle when the mobile unit is moved on the transport path; and a controller that moves the mobile unit by supplying currents to conductors and generating a propulsive force between one of the conductors and a magnet that is disposed on the mobile unit.

An apparatus and method for manufacturing an absorptive article are capable of suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles in a constituent element of the absorbing article when transferring the constituent element to a downstream conveying device. A main suction pad that moves along a cylindrical or conical first virtual path surface receives a constituent element from an upstream conveying device, changes the orientation by 90° and conveys the constituent element to a second position. Sub-suction surfaces of the first and second sub-suction pads move around a second reference center line along a cylindrical or conical second virtual path surface centered on the second reference center line, while being aligned with each other with a space therebetween, suction end portions of the constituent element at the second position, and transfer the constituent element to the downstream conveying device at a third position.

A feeding unit to feed a component in an automatic manufacturing machine, which has at least one holding head designed to receive and hold the component; a conveyor to cyclically move the holding head along an application path; and a rotation station arranged along the feeding path and in which the holding head rotates relative to the equipment and around a rotation axis to vary the orientation of the component. The conveyor has a closed curve guide arranged in a fixed position along the application path; and an equipment supporting the holding head and provided with at least one slide coupled to the guide so as to freely slide along the guide. An actuation system controls rotation of the holding head around the first rotation axis and has a cam and a cam follower roller, which can be coupled to the cam and mechanically connected to the holding head.

A can body loader assembly includes a turret starwheel having asymmetrical pockets and a vacuum belt that provides a precise pitch dimension between adjacent cans.

An automated method and system for stacking and loading wrapped facemasks into a carton in a facemask production line include conveying individual wrapped facemasks to a delivery location adjacent to a rotary wheel, the rotary wheel conveyor having individual pick-up devices spaced around a circumference thereof. Each wrapped facemask is picked-up with a respective pick-up device on the rotary wheel conveyor and transported to a first carton staging area at a first location on the circumference of the rotary wheel. At the first staging area, the facemasks are released from the rotary wheel conveyor and deposited into a carton.