A system and method separate flow of tablets compacted by a compacting device. The separating system includes an input line to recover a flow of tablets at the output of the compacting device and two output lines to eject tablets from the separating system. A device accumulates tablets positioned between the input line and the output lines and periodically accumulates a given number of tablets. The accumulating device has a line for accumulating tablets and an assembly for regulating flow of tablets, the regulating assembly including a member for retaining the tablets to accumulate the tablets in the accumulating line and a member to forcibly eject the accumulated tablets from the accumulating line. A conveying surface is under the accumulating line and accompanies displacement of the tablets toward the output lines. A routing device directs tablets from the input line toward one of the output lines.

A comb for spacing apart articles. The comb includes protrusions defining recesses therebetween. At least one of the protrusion is longer than the protrusion located just in front of it. Also, a method of spacing apart articles.

A relocation method for moving piece goods and an associated transport device are provided. The piece goods (2), that are prone to falling over, in particular bottles, are moved between an in-flow region (E) and a holding area (9) for a layer (10) formed of adjacent rows (3, 4, 5) of the piece goods (2). A transport device (1) has multiple relocation guides (11-15) which are moveable in a controlled manner, and which are configured to transport a row (3-7) or a set of rows of the piece goods between the inflow region (E) and the holding area, to assemble or disassemble a layer. A respective second-outermost row (K2) or a second-outermost set of rows of the layer are secured against falling over by means of a relocation guide (11). An outermost row (K1) or an outermost set of rows is added to the layer or removed from the layer.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a frame and a transport apparatus connected to the frame. The transport apparatus has an upper arm link, a forearm link rotatably coupled to the upper arm link about an elbow axis, at least a third arm link rotatably coupled to the forearm about a wrist axis, and an end effector rotatably coupled to the third arm link about a knuckle axis. A two degree of freedom drive system is operably connected to at least one of the upper arm link, the forearm link, and the third arm link for effecting extension and retraction of the end effector wherein a height of the end effector is within the stack height profile of the wrist axis so that a total stack height of the end effector and wrist axis is sized to conform within a pass through of a slot valve.

A jump shuttle conveyor system is configured to receive formed food patties from a molding assembly of a patty forming machine. The system includes a lifting plate and belt assembly coupled to a frame which are configured to be indexed to different vertical positions relative to the frame. Formed food patties are received on a belt of the belt assembly thereon, and can be moved off of the belt onto a transfer shuttle conveyor system. An output conveyor system can be provided to receive the formed food patties.

A system for packaging groups of paper rolls, including a cutting-off machine that cuts paper logs, each group including rolls obtained from a same log. The system includes: a first unit for arranging the individual rolls spaced apart from each other; a second unit forming the groups by grouping a predetermined number of rolls, the second unit being provided with blades adapted to push from the back the last roll of each group to be formed and each formed group as the individual groups are formed by exerting a pushing action on the rear base of said last roll while the front base and a lateral surface of each roll are free; a third unit located downstream of the second unit and adapted to convey the groups towards a packaging machine.

The disclosure relates to a device for forming container groups with a predetermined container piece count from a continuous container stream in a transport area of a filling plant, comprising an infeed conveyor belt, an outfeed conveyor belt, a conveyor belt interposed between the infeed conveyor belt and the outfeed conveyor belt, and a drive station for introducing separating elements and forming container groups. Here, the speed of a separating element introduced into the region of the transport belt is controlled to no more than the first speed, in particular to a speed lower by no more than 2% than the first speed, as long as the following container group has not been fully moved onto the transport belt. The disclosure further relates to a method for forming container groups.

A method of spacing apart articles including advancing the articles adjacent to each other; spacing apart from each other in a predetermined arrangement a subset of the articles by engaging successively each article from a rearwardmost article to a frontwardmost article one after the other so that the articles from the subset behind the article that is engaged at any time remain fixed along the predetermined path, while articles in front of the article that is engaged move forward. The articles are successively stopped from advancing until all of the articles from the subset are in an arrangement wherein the articles from the subset are spaced apart from each other by a larger distance than before the articles have been engaged.

Disclosed is a device for packaging products, having a packaging module in which the products are packaged in batches, notably by shrink-wrapping or case packing, and also a belt extending in a conveying direction in order to supply the module with batches of products; the device further includes a supply unit which delivers the products on the belt from a station upstream of the packaging device, the supply unit being based on a linear motor principle and extending at least partially through at least one lateral zone belonging to the packaging device, next to the belt. Also disclosed is a corresponding process.

A conveyor system for grouping containers includes a first track including a first plurality of lugs, each lug having a respective gripper coupled thereto configured to drive containers along the first track and a second track configured to move a second plurality of lugs wherein each of the lugs is coupled to a respective gripper configured to receive containers from the first track, and move the containers along the second track wherein the grippers of the second track contact the container while the gripper of the first track contacts the container.