A subsystem for orienting articles, the subsystem comprising a tool assembly comprising a carriage. A tool head has a first and a second article gripper rotationally coupled thereto. A first drive mechanism is coupled to the first article gripper. A second drive mechanism is coupled to the second article gripper. A sensor is configured to observe two adjacent articles. A controller is provided in communication with the first and second drive mechanisms and the sensor. The controller is configured to determine the orientation of each of the two adjacent articles and to control the first and second drive mechanisms to rotate each of the two adjacent articles to a predefined orientation.

A seizing head for objects is described that includes a support frame adapted to be coupled to a manipulator robot, and a plurality of picking apparatuses arranged mutually flanked according to a predefined flanking direction and individually adapted to take and withhold at least one object, wherein each picking apparatus is installed on a respective mobile frame, which is slidably coupled to the support frame according to a sliding direction parallel to the flanking direction, and wherein the seizing head further includes a plurality of functionally independent activation devices, each of which is adapted to activate a respective mobile frame along said sliding direction.

A handling system in a machine for processing containers, including a plurality of support plates circulating in a closed circuit, each support plate including one or more housings, each housing being able to hold a container, a working portion, in which the support plates circulate in a horizontal position, with a first member for moving the support plates along a first axial direction, a rapid return portion, with a second moving member configured to move the support plates along an opposite axial direction, the support plates circulating in the return portion in a vertical return orientation, the handling system including rotation stations for pivoting the support plates.

A clamp device for retaining a container in a container-handling apparatus, for example for retaining a drinks container at a neck portion or at a body portion, includes two clamp arms, which each have a retaining portion for retaining the container which is to be retained, and at least one prestressing element for prestressing the retaining portions towards one another, wherein for the purpose of adjusting the distance which is present between the retaining portions, the clamp arms are designed in a displaceable manner in relation to the prestressing of the at least one prestressing element. A container-handling apparatus having at least one clamp device is also described.

The invention relates to a method and a device for buffering containers in a container treatment plant. According thereto, containers are put into storage in a grouped manner in single file on at least one input conveyor belt, are moved in single file on a transversely adjoining buffering surface of shuttles, guided and driven individually on rails, having row pushers, in a buffering direction extending transversely to the input direction, and are taken out of storage on at least one output conveyor belt. Since, furthermore, containers are taken out of storage from the buffering surface by means of branching conveyor belts integrated in the buffering surface, transversely to the buffering direction and independently of the input conveyor belt and output conveyor belt, and/or are put into storage on the buffering surface, it is possible for container flows to be distributed flexibly and combined on the buffering surface.

A bottle gripping assembly including a pair of bottle gripping arms each having a grip member for gripping a bottle therebetween. The bottle gripping assembly also includes a base supporting the bottle gripping arms, with the base having a top surface and a recess into the top surface, a wear pad located in the recess of the base, with the wear pad and the base under the upper surface of the recess having a pair of aligned fastener holes, a pair of fasteners, with each one of the fasteners extending through one of the bottle gripping arms and into one of the fastener holes to connect the bottle gripping arms to the wear pad and the base, and a pair of wear bushings, with each of the wear bushings having a tubular portion that extends into one of the bottle gripping arms and surrounds a portion of the fasteners.

Transporting installation for containers, such as bottles, having a first transporting device, which can transport containers by neck-handling, and a second transporting device, which can transport containers by base-handling, wherein the first transporting device transports the containers at a different height from the second transporting device, wherein, in a transfer region in which the containers can be transferred from the first transporting device to the second transporting device, the second transporting device runs linearly and a linear guide device is provided, said guide device running parallel to the second transporting device and being adapted such that it can guide a container as the container is being lowered from the first transporting device to the second transporting device.

A bottle gripping assembly kit including a bottle gripping finger assembly having bottle grip arms and an actuator for actuating the bottle gripping finger assembly for selectively grabbing and releasing a bottle. The actuator including a plurality of actuator heads and a base, wherein a selected one of the actuator heads can be connected to the base dependent on the size of the bottle. The plurality of actuator heads each have engagement surfaces adapted to abut the bottle grip arms to force the first ends of the bottle grip arms towards each other. Each of the actuator heads has a distance between the engagement surfaces that is different than a distance between the engagement surfaces of the remaining actuator heads, thereby allowing the selected one of the actuator heads to be selected depending on the size of the bottle.

The invention relates to a gripper system (10) comprising a gripper module carrier (12) and a gripper module (14) for holding workpieces (22), in particular containers or container preforms, the gripper module (14) having a gripper base (16) and two gripper arms (18) with gripping elements (20) for at least partially gripping around a holding region (24) of containers or container preforms, the gripper arms being mounted on the gripper base (16) such that they can pivot relative to one another, the gripper module (14) being releasably connected to the gripper module carrier (12), wherein the gripper system (10) further comprises a locking device (26) for locking the gripper module (14) to the gripper module carrier (12), and wherein the locking device (26) is movable into a locking position for locking the gripper module (14) to the gripper module carrier (12).

A conveying method and system for a machine to fill bottles, with a non-circular cross-section, in particular for products in the pharmaceutical industry; the following are provided: a plurality of holding members designed to hold a plurality of bottles in a suspended position; moving means to move the plurality of holding members along a processing path; and guide means, which are arranged parallel to the processing path, allow the bottles to move only when the bottles are arranged according to a predetermined orientation, and force the bottles to assume and maintain the predetermined orientation.