An article packaging machine and method or turning article packs, the article packaging machine having a turner station for turning article packs moving though the packaging machine. The packaging machine includes a main conveyor extending longitudinally from an upstream end to a downstream end and through the turning station. Article packs are carried by the main conveyor spaced and sequentially in the downstream direction through the turner station. The turner station includes flight drive assembly having multiple flight assemblies. The flight assemblies are driven above upper cam plates in the upstream direction, and below lower cam plates in the downstream direction. The flight assemblies include turner rods that are moved toward the main conveyor to contact the article pack in at least two points. The turner rods progressively move toward the main conveyor center line until the distal ends of the turner rods are moved past the article pack side walls and the pack is turned 90 degrees.

A conveyor system for grouping containers including a conveyor module configured to convey and meter a stream of containers of various dimensions a first star wheel and a second star wheel configured to move a plurality of first containers along a first travel path, wherein the first containers each have a first geometric center, and wherein the first travel path is defined by the geometric center of the first containers, and a third star wheel and a fourth star wheel configured to move a plurality of second containers along a second travel path, wherein the second containers each have a second geometric center, and wherein the second travel path is defined by the geometric center of the second containers, wherein the first travel path and the second travel path are substantially similar.

A carton for holding a plurality of containers. The carton can comprise a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprises a top panel. An insert can comprise a central panel, an inner end flap foldably connected to the central panel, and at least one crown guard flap foldably connected to the inner end flap adjacent a crown guard opening in the insert. The central panel can comprise a stop edge adjacent the crown guard opening, and the crown guard flap can comprise a first portion foldably connected to the inner end flap and a second portion foldably connected to the first portion. The top panel can at least partially overlap the central panel, and the second portion of the crown guard flap can be disposed adjacent the stop edge of the central panel.

A cyclic packaging system for packaging product groups in folded boxes includes a supply device for supplying the product groups, a store for providing a plurality of folded box blanks, and a packing device for packaging the product groups in associated folded boxes, the packing device being arranged on the side of the supply device facing the store. The packaging system further comprises an additional packing device for packing product groups in folded boxes, the additional packing device being arranged on the side of the supply device facing away from the one packing device. Irrespective of whether the two packing devices are loaded with product groups from the same supply device, the two stores of the packing devices can be arranged on the same side of the packaging systems.

The present disclosure relates to a container sleeving device, system and method for arranging sleeves on a plurality of containers, wherein the sleeves are made of tubular foil material made to pass over the circumferential outer surface of a spreading element, the container sleeving device comprising:—a spreading element configured to spread open the tubular foil material passing from a proximal spreading element portion (31) towards a distal spreading element portion (34);—a cutting unit (25) for cutting the spread-open tubular foil material to form a sleeve;—a sleeve discharge unit (28) configured to accelerate the sleeve to move over the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion so as to discharge the sleeve towards a container; wherein the distal spreading element portion and/or the proximal spreading element portion has one or more pressure regulating openings configured to regulate the pressure close to the outer surface of the distal spreading element portion and/or of the proximal spreading element portion.

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.

Disclosed is a method for packaging articles (2). Hereby, outer packages (3) are moved by a first conveying device (10). Temporally following this, the outer packages (3) are moved by a second conveying device (20), which second conveying device (20) is located next to the first conveying device (10). Furthermore, articles (2) are inserted into a respective outer package (3), while the respective outer package (3) is located on the first conveyor (10) and/or while the respective outer package (3) is located on the second conveyor (20).

It is intended, that the outer packages (3) are received on the first conveyor (10) by format parts (5) and, together with their respective format part (5), are transferred to the second conveyor (20) located next to the first conveyor (10).

Furthermore, it is provided that the outer packages (3), which will be continuously arranged on the format parts until then, will be removed from the format parts (5) together with the inserted articles (2) and the format parts (5) will then be returned to the first conveyor (10) for renewed seizure of outer packages (3).

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 carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. An article protection insert comprises a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles. At least one access feature is in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert to a position wherein the features engage at least one article of the plurality of articles.

A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton includes a plurality of panels that extends at least partially around an interior of the carton. The plurality of panels comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. An article protection insert comprises a plurality of features for engaging a respective article of the plurality of articles. At least one access feature is in the top panel for positioning the article protection insert to a position wherein the features engage at least one article of the plurality of articles.