Method for detecting containers which have fallen over and/or are damaged in a container mass flow, wherein the containers in the container mass flow are transported vertically on a transporter, wherein the container mass flow is captured as an image data stream using at least one camera, and wherein the image data stream is evaluated by an image processing unit, wherein the image data stream is evaluated by the image processing unit using a deep neural network in order to detect and locate the containers which have fallen over and/or are damaged.

Devices and methods for inspecting containers for the presence of foreign matter include, in at least one embodiment, at least one sampling head, at least one pressure sensor, and a filter. The at least one sampling head is configured to introduce an amount of a first fluid into a container and to remove an amount of a second fluid from the container for inspection for the presence of foreign matter. The at least one pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure of the second fluid upon removal of the second fluid from the container. The filter is arranged in the at least one sampling head and is configured to filter the second fluid.

The invention concerns a method for measuring the dimensions of empty glass containers (2) consisting in: selecting at least one region to be inspected of the container, transporting the containers, positioning, on either side of the region to be inspected, at least one focus of an X-ray generator tube and image sensors, acquiring, using image sensors, for each container during its displacement, at least three radiographic images of the inspected region, analyzing the at least three radiographic images so as to determine the three-dimensional coordinates of a set of points to deduce at least one inner diameter of the neck and/or one thickness of the body.

There is described apparatus for filling a material into a receptacle, said apparatus comprising: (i) a material; (ii) a receptacle handling unit comprising a pair of axially aligned bushes for collecting a receptacle; and (iii) a bush pair handling system comprising: (a) a means for separating the receptacle into a receptacle body and a receptacle closure; (b) means for temporarily attaching and detaching the one or both of the bushes from the bush pair handling system; (c) means for transporting the receptacle body to the filling station and aligning the receptacle body with a filler nozzle at the filling station; (d) means for transporting the filled receptacle body from the filling station to a closure unit for refitting the receptacle closure; and e) means for segregating compliant receptacles from non-compliant receptacles.

Method for controlling the mechanical strength of a container, in particular made of glass, by means of a control apparatus which provides for actuating the control on a control zone extending along an entire circumferential perimeter of the outer surface of the container in which it provides for forwarding the container according to a forwarding direction, simultaneously rotating the container about the axis of symmetry thereof orthogonal to the forwarding direction, then controlling the container during the rotation, exerting a control pressure onto the control zone, said control being divided into several steps, in which in each step it is provided to exert said control pressure on a respective portion of the control zone and which provides that each single container is subjected in sequence to each step during the forwarding thereof and the rotation thereof.

An apparatus for sorting containers, in particular, beverage containers, may comprise at least one conveyor belt for transporting a multitude of containers, an identification device for identifying a decor on each container conveyed on the conveyor belt, wherein selection data can be generated by the identification device depending on the respective decor present on a specifically detected container, and a selection device for repositioning individual containers on the conveyor belt depending on the respectively identified decor. The selection device forms a continuous track and has shifting means for shifting the identified containers. The continuous track extends along the conveyor belt in a selection region, and the individual shifting means in the selection region can be accelerated to the same speed as the conveyor belt by means of a transport device, thereby being adjacent to a specific and previously identified container.

A system (10) for loading different conveying tracks (2, 3, 4) of at least one in particular commercial conveyor dishwasher (1, 1′). The system (10) includes a feed conveyor belt (11) for delivering washware (9a, 9b, 9c) to loading regions of the at least one conveyor dishwasher (1, 1′). The system (10) further includes a sorting arrangement for sorting the washware (9a, 9b, 9c) delivered to the loading regions of the at least one conveyor dishwasher (1, 1′) via the feed conveyor belt (11) according to previously defined or definable washware groups. The sorting arrangement is associated with at least one loading arrangement (13a, 13b, 13c) for automatically loading the different conveying tracks of the at least one conveyor dishwasher (1, 1′) with washware (9a, 9b, 9c) of one of the previously defined or definable washware groups.

A container inspection system is described herein. The container inspection system includes a camera and a computing system, wherein the camera is configured to capture multiple images of a transparent container as the transparent container is transported along a conveyor. Thus, the camera captures several images of the transparent container when the transparent container is at different positions relative to the camera. The container inspection system detects a defect in the transparent container based upon one or more images in the several images.

A method for measuring the distribution of the thickness of glass in glass containers at a high temperature comprises: selecting at least one inspection area of the containers, so that the thickness relationship of the glass as a function of the infrared radiation intensity is homogeneous over the whole inspection area, measuring, for each inspection area the glass thickness of the container in at least one movement point belonging to the inspection area, by means of a contactless point-like thickness measurement system, measuring by means of a sensor sensitive to infrared radiation, which is emitted by the container, determining, for each inspection area, a relationship between the measurement of the thickness taken at the measurement point and the infrared radiation, and from the relationship and the relevant infrared radiation of each inspection area, determining the glass distribution of the container over each inspection area.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) encoding device can comprise an applicator, an RFID reader with an antenna, and a housing having a receptacle. The receptacle can be configured to receive a vial. The applicator can be configured to apply an RFID tag to the vial. The RFID reader can have at least one antenna. The antenna can be configured to communicate with the RFID tag. The device can be configured to communicate with a host computer.