A continuously rotating, non-symmetric preform feed, stretch-blow-moulding machine dedicated to the stretch-blow-moulding of containers from non-symmetric injection moulded preforms; the non-symmetric preforms including an integral handle extending from a first junction point to a second junction point on a body of the preform; the body of the preform and the integral handle constituted from the same material.

A compliance mechanism for a pick and place robotic system comprising: a motion device, an end effector coupled to the motion device, wherein the end effector comprises a sheath structure, a rod, wherein the compliance mechanism is configured to: when the distal end of the rod is in not contact with an object, causing the distal end of the rod to move responsive to movement of the motion device, and when the distal end of the rod is in contact with an object and the motion device moves toward the object, causing the distal end of the rod to remain stationary by causing the sheath structure to move along a longitudinal direction of the rod.

A transport device for transporting upright containers arranged in a single row, comprising a first clamping belt and a second clamping belt, between which the containers arranged in a single row are held and transported, and at least one first rotary cylinder and one second rotary cylinder, around which the containers held by the clamping belts are transported. The containers and the clamping belts are guided one after the other around the at least two rotary cylinders in such a way that the containers are each pressed against the respective rotary cylinder by the radially outer clamping belt.

A sorting system, comprising: a conveying mechanism (1) and a control system (2). The conveying mechanism comprises: a rack (11); two rollers (15, 16) arranged on the rack at intervals along a first horizontal direction; a chain (12) wound around the two rollers; and a plurality of trolleys (13) respectively connected to the chain and sequentially arranged along the first horizontal direction. Each trolley comprises a trolley body (131) and a sorting and conveying mechanism (132) arranged on the trolley body, and the bottom of the trolley body is connected to the chain.

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.

Compact orienting and transferring device for unitary elongated food products (1) comprising a circular conveyor (10) surrounded by a limitative wall (11) with an extraction opening (12); an extractor device including an extraction path (31, 32, 33) defined on a first conveyor (21) and with an intake end connected to the extraction opening (12), and a circular wheel (40) including a circular groove (50) on the wheel periphery, the first conveyor (21) being a conveyor belt wider than the circular groove entrance (53), a circular portion of the first conveyor (21) being directly supported on the wheel periphery covering the circular groove entrance (53) on a portion of that wheel periphery, defining a circular portion (32) of the extraction path (31, 32, 33) within the circular groove (50).

An article transport apparatus includes a first belt conveyor (11), and a second belt conveyor (12) adjacent to the first belt conveyor (11) on a second side in the width direction (W2). The first belt conveyor (11) includes a first belt member (11B) forming a first transport surface (11F), and a second belt conveyor (12) includes a second belt member (12B) forming a second transport surface (12F). The first transport surface (11F) is configured to allow an article being transported to be placed thereon, and is inclined downward toward the second side in the width direction (W2), the second transport surface (12F) is configured to come into contact, from the second side in the width direction (W2), with the article placed on the first transport surface (11F), and a surface friction coefficient (μ1) of the first belt member (11B) and a surface friction coefficient (μ2) of the second belt member (12B) are different from each other.

A method for aligning rectangular packaging boxes comprises the steps of conveying packaging boxes along a transport path and of aligning each packaging box by means of at least one stop element. The step of aligning a packaging box comprises the steps of positioning the at least one stop element in a first position, in which it projects into the transport path; conveying the packaging box against the at least one stop element until each section of the packaging box facing the at least one stop element is resting against it; and moving the at least one stop element into a second position, in which it does not project into the transport path and thus releases the aligned packaging box for further transport.

A sorting system, comprising: a conveying mechanism (1) and a control system (2). The conveying mechanism comprises: a rack (11); two rollers (15, 16) arranged on the rack at intervals along a first horizontal direction; a chain (12) wound around the two rollers; and a plurality of trolleys (13) respectively connected to the chain and sequentially arranged along the first horizontal direction. Each trolley comprises a trolley body (131) and a sorting and conveying mechanism (132) arranged on the trolley body, and the bottom of the trolley body is connected to the chain.

A conveyor system for transporting articles in a checkout counter is provided. The system comprises a first conveyor station (12), and an article positioning conveyor station (14) being arranged in series with the first conveyor station (12). The article positioning conveyor station (14) comprises at least a first and a second conveyor unit (16a, 16b) arranged in parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the first conveyor unit (16a) is operated at a different speed and/or direction than the second conveyor unit (16b).