An apparatus for inspecting an appearance of capsule 40 in which cap 42 is fitted to body 41 includes a carrying body that carries capsule 40 housed in housing part 33, contact body 34 that rotates capsule 40 carried inside housing part 33 due to a contact friction, imaging device 17 that takes an image of the capsule rotating, and a determination device that determines if the capsule is good or poor based on an imaging data taken by imaging device 17. Wherein contact body 34 moves an inside of housing part 33 to a side of body 41 by rotating the capsule, which is housed in housing part 33 being separated from other capsules, around an axis direction, and the determination device determines an orientation of capsule 40 based on a position of capsule 40 in housing part 33.

A welding station for welding parts of electronic cigarettes includes feeding means, set in a feeding area for feeding parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded; welding means, set in a welding area, downstream of the feeding area, for welding the parts of electronic cigarettes; and a transfer device, set between the feeding means and the welding means for receiving from the feeding means the parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded and transferring them from the feeding area to the welding area. The transfer device includes a first transfer sector and a second transfer sector, pre-arranged for receiving from the feeding means, respectively, first parts and second parts of electronic cigarettes to be welded and transferring them into the welding area. The first transfer sector and the second transfer sector are mobile in rotation about an axis, independently of one another.

A conveying method includes first and second pads conveying workpieces with speeds of the first and second pads being varied; circumferential velocities of the first pads and the second pads are accelerated by variable speed mechanisms; the first and second pads move and separate in a state in which a distance between the first pad and the second pad, whose speeds were increased, is increased; the circumferential velocities of the first pads and the second pads are decelerated by the variable speed mechanisms; and a first slider and a second slider, which were subjected to deceleration, overlap each other in a part in a circumferential direction, which causes the first pad and the second pad to approach each other, and the first pad and the second pad move and approach each other in this state in which the first pad and the second pad have approached each other.

A method for automatically preparing seeds with an additive to be deployed together with the seeds. The method includes conveying a plurality of seeds into an opening position, creating an opening in each of the seeds by cutting each seed with a fixed blade or a laser device when each seed is in the opening position, introducing an amount of additive into the seed through the opening and continuously conveying the plurality of seeds while creating the opening and introducing the amount of additive into the seeds.

The present invention relates to the field of packaging liquids or semi-liquids in containers, and in particular, to a machine provided with a system for printing information directly on a container or label applied to said container.

In particular, the invention relates to a machine (1) for printing information on a container or blank label applied to said container, comprising: at least one rotary information printing station (2, 2′); a system (3) for feeding containers to said at least one rotary information printing station (2, 2′); a system (4) for picking the printed containers from said at least one rotary information printing station (2, 2′).

An order processing system, such as may be used in a high-volume pharmacy, may include a material handling system, an accumulator, and a packing device. The material handling system may move containers through a plurality of container paths. The container sorting device may receive the containers, scan the plurality of containers to detect container identifiers, and separate the containers based on the container identifiers to travel through a first container exit path or a second container exit path. The accumulator may accumulate containers that traveled through the first container exit path and the second container exit path. The accumulator may include an accumulator scanning device for scanning the containers to detect the container identifiers. The accumulator may group the containers together based on the detected container identifiers and orders, and provide the grouped containers. The packing device may package the grouped containers along with literature associated with the orders.

A method of changing article pitch. The method can comprise receiving a series of articles arranged at a first pitch, engaging the articles of the series of articles sequentially with a gripper wheel, moving the articles along a path of travel with the gripper wheel, and moving the articles relative to one another from the first pitch to a second pitch during the moving the articles along the path of travel with the gripper wheel.

A powered carton magazine assembly includes a lateral conveyor configured for conveying a plurality of upright folded/flat cartons in a feed direction, the lateral conveyor having a load end and an outfeed end. A picking station is located at the outfeed end of the lateral conveyor, the picking station including a downwardly angled feed path and a pick location at a lower portion of the feed path. A gating mechanism is provided at the outfeed end of the lateral conveyor for selectively controlling delivery of cartons from the lateral conveyor into the feed path. The gating mechanism may include a roller.

A container indexing assembly is provided, including an indexing wheel; a conveyor chain; and a series of container indexing arms arranged having a fixed spatial relation ship to one another other at linear and non-linear speeds. A rotary container starwheel is further provided including one or more grabber arms. Each of said grabber arms includes a spring configured to actuate the grabber arm to a closed position; and a fixed mechanical cam configured to actuate opening of the grabber arms. A rotary multi-feed can lid assembly is also provided including multiple can lid silos supported on an upper rotating indexing plate; one or more spring loaded ball detents affixed to rotate with the upper rotating indexing plate and a fixed lower indexing plate. The fixed lower indexing plate is formed with a series of indents to allow extension of the spring loaded ball de tents as the ball detents rotate with the upper rotating indexing plate. A universal closing turret is finally provided including multiple, varying closure applicators for different types of containers, removably connectable to the turret to allow rearrangement of an order of closure applicators based on an order of types of containers to be closed.

Disclosed is a vertical strip accumulator. The vertical strip accumulator includes an inner drum unit having an inner drum; an outer drum unit installed at an outer side of the inner drum unit; a central drum unit installed at an inner side of the inner drum unit; and an input unit configured to carry a skelp supplied from an uncoiler to the outer drum unit. The outer drum unit includes an outer drum configured to selectively rotate forward and reverse; a first power source configured to provide a power to the outer drum; an outer roller installed to the outer drum; and a first control unit connected to the first power source to control the operation of the first power source. The input unit includes a carrying roller provided in contact with the skelp; a second power source configured to supply a power to the carrying roller; and a second control unit connected to the second power source to control the operation of the second power source.