362results about "Capping machinery safety/control" patented technology

A capping machine (10) and method for installing a cap (12) having a threaded portion onto a container (14) having a threaded portion, the threaded portion of the cap corresponding to the threaded portion of the container, the capping machine having a rotatable turret (20) and a rotatable cap chuck (16) which grips the cap and positions the cap on the container. The cap chuck is rotated by a spindle (22) driven by a servo motor (24) at adjustable and reversible rotational velocities independent of the rotational velocity of the turret. The number of rotations of the cap is determined by monitoring the number of rotations of the servo motor compared to the number of rotations of the turret and is transmitted to a spindle drive control(70). The torque imparted to the cap is monitored by a torque monitor (50) and is transmitted to the spindle drive control. The rotational velocity of the cap is adjustable in response to the compared monitored number of rotations and monitored torque. The capped container is released from the cap chuck after a selected number of rotations of the cap onto the container has been made. Caps applied outside a selected range of monitored torques and number of rotations are tracked and rejected.

A vacuum packaging appliance that detects the amount of liquid present while evacuating and sealing a container is disclosed. The appliance comprises a lid adapted to define a vacuum chamber when it is moved to a closed position relative to a trough in the base of the device. The trough in the lower portion of the device contains a heat-sealing element used to seal the contents of the bag once the vacuum packaging is complete. Disclosed are several embodiments relating to a liquid sensor molded into the walls of the trough. The liquid sensor comprises two electrodes that may be located on opposite sides of the trough or on the same side of the trough. When liquid is present in the trough, the capacitance and resistance between the electrodes changes, thereby sending a signal to a controller indicative of the amount of liquid within the trough while the container is being evacuated. The exact amount of liquid present is compared to a predetermined level of liquid. A vacuum pump controller may suspend operations if the amount of detected liquid exceeds a predetermined amount. The heat-sealing element is also controlled in accordance with the amount of liquid sensed in the trough. The amount of liquid sensed is also indicated to the operator.

In an automated prescription pill dispensing system, a multiplicity of pill dispensers are provided each operable to count out and dispense pills from supply hoppers. The dispensers are controlled by a computer which selects up to five of the dispensers to operate and control the selected pill dispensers to count out pills simultaneously. The pill dispensers dispense the pills into the first set of output hoppers, from which the pills can be released into a second output hopper under the control of the computer. The computer will release the pills from the second output hopper corresponding to a selected pill dispenser through a snout into a pill vial in response to sensing the presence of a pill vial at the snout. The computer controls a prescription label printer to print prescription labels for the pill vials. The computer also controls indicator lights to indicate which dispensing cell is selected and ready to have pills released from the second output hopper corresponding thereto. Automatically controlled security doors control access to supply hoppers for each of the pill dispensers.

A method of treating at least one container in a container treatment plant, including marking at least one container with a marking, detecting the marking of the at least one container, selecting at least one container treatment machine of a container treatment plant and / or at least one operation setting of the at least one container treatment machine of the container treatment plant based on the detected marking, and treating the at least one container based on the selection of the at least one container treatment machine and / or the at least one operation setting.

The present invention is directed towards a novel procedure and system for making a security tag for an aluminum-pressed, cardboard container. The method employs a system of distancing the tag from the container and a method of calibrating the tag. The tag is then inserted into a specially designed cap and spaced a given distance from the container. The product is sealed and then sold to the consumer.

The present invention is an automated packaging apparatus utilizing a rotating assembly of elongated slats containing cavities to receive discrete pharmaceutical, vitamin, or food products. Quantities of discrete products such as tablets, capsules, or gels are deposited into the hopper of the apparatus. The apparatus then dispenses the discrete products into containers moving on a conveyor system such that each container receives a predetermined quality and quantity of pharmaceutical, vitamin, or food products. While operating at high speed, the apparatus inspects, counts, identifies and analyzes each product deposited into the containers and maintains electronic records describing the status of each product. In the event any errors occur the apparatus produces various alerts to inform the operator. The presence of foreign products or objects may cause the apparatus to instantly stop the entire system including peripheral equipment. A series of Good Manufacturing Practice protocols can then be enforced as per FDA requirements.

A screw capper includes a capping head which comprises a chuck for holding a cap, a motor for driving the chuck for rotation, a cam mechanism for elevating the chuck, and an air cylinder for imparting a load to the chuck. A load imparted by the air cylinder is controlled by a controller to be zero from the beginning of a screwing and tightening operation until an angle of rotation of the chuck exceeds a specific angle where the load is changed, and is controlled to a higher value upon detection of an angle of rotation of the chuck which exceeds the specific angle in the course of the screwing and tightening operation. The arrangement allows a reliable screwing and tightening to be achieved as compared with the prior art while preventing a damage to threads or the occurrence of a cocked cap.

A round baler comprising: a housing; a bale chamber receiving cut crop material; a bale forming apparatus for bale forming; a wrapping apparatus comprising a wrapping material supply roll that provides wrapping material from the supply roll to wrap about the bale, and a sensor member disposed on a pivoting sensor arm member so the sensor member abuts an outer surface of the wrapping material stored on the supply roll, and the sensor arm member moves between first position and second positions; and a low wrapping material indication system comprising a sensor disposed to sense at least the second position of the sensor arm member corresponding to a minimum thickness of the wrapping material stored on the supply roll, wherein the sensor generates a signal to indicate that the thickness of the wrapping material is at the minimum thickness when the sensor arm member is at the second position.

A system for feeding containers on conveyor consisting of a feeder conveyer and an accumulator conveyor in which the speed of the accumulator conveyor is controlled to meter the distribution of containers to a processing station, such as a sealing unit.

A vacuum and sealing appliance comprises a heat sealing element for sealing a container during a sealing cycle. A controller controls the temperature of the heat sealing element during the sealing cycle based on a signal from a temperature sensor that senses the real-time temperature of the heat sealing element. A seal indicator light is provided which is lighted during the sealing cycle and extinguished at its completion. The signal from the controller energizes the heating element for a time to heat the sealing element to a pre-determined temperature for sealing the container and initiates a dwell time corresponding to cooling the heating element after sealing the container. Values of the real-time temperatures of the heat sealing element and values of the sealing times and the dwell times that correspond to the values of the real-time temperatures of the heat sealing element are stored in a look-up table.

The invention provides a full-automatic multifunctional cap screwing machine. A power transmission device, a cap screwing assembly, a bottle supply device, a bottle guide device, a bottle feeding star wheel device, a bottle stopping device, a bottle discharge star wheel device, a cap supply device, a bottle output device, a lifting adjusting device and a removing mechanism are included and are arranged on a rack, and the cap screwing assembly comprises a main shaft, a hollow shaft sleeve, an upper shaft sleeve, a first lead screw, a bearing pedestal, a bottle supporting plate, a bottle driving plate, a bottom flower plate, a middle flower plate, a top flower plate, a supporting plate, a lifting portion, a cap grabbing and screwing portion, a transmission portion, a pipe clamping portion, a main gear, a cam, a lower fixing ring, a middle fixing ring and a stand column. PLC electrical control is adopted in the full-automatic multifunctional cap screwing machine, and cap supply, cap grabbing and cap screwing are completed at one step. Bottle caps are automatically located, the screwing force of the bottle caps is adjustable, and the full-automatic multifunctional cap screwing machine has the advantages of being high in automation degree, wide in product application range and the like.

A screw capper 1 includes a capping head 6 which grips a cap 5, a servo motor 7 which rotates the capping head, a voltmeter 10 which measures the torque of the capping head, an encoder 11 which detects the rotational angle of the capping head, and a control device 8 which controls the servo motor. In the screw capper, when whether rotational fastening is acceptable is to be determined during the rotational fastening, the measured value of the encoder is measured from a predetermined measurement starting point until a rotational fastening completion point, and if the measured rotational angle is in the range of an acceptable decision angle which is set in advance, it is determined that the rotational fastening has been acceptably performed, whereas if the measured rotational angle is not in the range of the acceptable decision angle, it is determined that the rotational fastening is unacceptable. In the screw capper, defective rotational fastening can be detected, and reductions in costs can be realized compared to a case where a device for detecting such defective rotational fastening is separately provided.

A bagging and packaging machine for forming a bag from a strip of bag material and introducing an article into the bag includes a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the bag to substitute for air contained in the bag and a gas supply control means for controlling supply of the inert gas by the gas supply means into the bag. The bagging and packaging machine is designed to allow the inert gas to be supplied under high pressure at a flow rate sufficient to increase the gas replacement rate in the bag when the machine is started, to be supplied under low pressure at a flow rate lower than the high pressure flow rate during a bagging and packaging operation subsequent to the start of the machine. Should the machine is temporarily brought to a halt, the length of time T passing from the timing at which the machine is temporarily brought to a halt is counted by a timer without the supply of the inert gas being interrupted, so that the supply of the inert gas can be interrupted at a timing the counted length of time exceeds a low pressure gas supply time T2. In this way, without the bag being bitten during bagging and / or the bagging and packaging speed being lowered, not only can the inert gas be sufficiently filled in the bag to achieve a high gas replacement rate, but the amount of the inert gas supplied can also be suppressed.

Method of operating a beverage bottling plant with a beverage filling machine for filling beverage bottles, and a method and apparatus for monitoring beverage bottle or container handling machines in the beverage bottling plant. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

The invention provides an automatic inflation cover tightening system. The automatic inflation cover tightening system comprises a barrel body conveying system for conveying barrel bodies, a main machine frame and a control system connected with the barrel body conveying system, and further comprises large opening and small opening positioning devices, dry air injection devices, an inert gas injection device, a barrel cover conveying device, barrel cover pre-tightening devices, barrel cover tightening mechanisms, a sealing cover mechanism and an outlet conveyor. Each dry air injection device comprises a first injection device body and a second lifting pressing device used for pressing barrel bodies downwards. The barrel cover pre-tightening devices are used for pre-tightening barrel covers. The barrel cover tightening mechanisms are used for tightening barrel covers and each comprise a tightening gun unit for tightening barrel covers and a second vertical lifting mechanism for driving the tightening gun unit to move. The sealing cover mechanism comprises a sealing cover taking mechanism, a sealing cover conveyor connected with the control system, and a second lifting pressing device. The outlet conveyor is connected with the control system and arranged at an outlet of the automatic inflation cover tightening system. The automatic inflation cover tightening system provided by the invention relieves the manual labor intensity, improves production efficiency and can lower production cost and management cost for enterprises.

A screw capper 1 includes a capping head 6 which grips a cap 5, a servo motor 7 which rotates the capping head, a voltmeter 10 which measures the torque of the capping head, an encoder 11 which detects the rotational angle of the capping head, and a control device 8 which controls the servo motor. In the screw capper, whether rotational fastening is acceptable is to be determined during the rotational fastening, the measured value of the encoder is measured from a predetermined measurement starting point until a rotational fastening completion point, and if the measured rotational angle is in the range of an acceptable decision angle which is set in advance, it is determined that the rotational fastening has been acceptably performed, whereas if the measured rotational angle is not in the range of the acceptable decision angle, it is determined that the rotational fastening is unacceptable.In the screw capper, defective rotational fastening can be detected, and reductions in costs can be realized compared to a case where a device for detecting such defective rotational fastening is separately provided.

A sheet package producing system includes at least a cutter module and a packaging module. The cutter module has a cutter blade, for producing X-ray films by cutting a continuous sheet material. The packaging module has packaging robots, for producing a sheet package by packaging the X-ray films stacked on one another. In the sheet package producing system, a first module control unit is incorporated in the cutter module, for controlling the cutter blade. A second module control unit is incorporated in the packaging module, for controlling the packaging robots. A CPU is connected with the first and second module control units removably by a component network, for controlling the cutter module and the packaging module in synchronism.

A screw capper includes a capping head which comprises a chuck for holding a cap, a motor for driving the chuck for rotation, a cam mechanism for elevating the chuck, and an air cylinder for imparting a load to the chuck. A load imparted by the air cylinder is controlled by a controller to be zero from the beginning of a screwing and tightening operation until an angle of rotation of the chuck exceeds a specific angle where the load is changed, and is controlled to a higher value upon detection of an angle of rotation of the chuck which exceeds the specific angle in the course of the screwing and tightening operation. The arrangement allows a reliable screwing and tightening to be achieved as compared with the prior art while preventing a damage to threads or the occurrence of a cocked cap.

A bagging and packaging machine for forming a bag from a strip of bag material and introducing an article into the bag includes a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the bag to substitute for air contained in the bag and a gas supply control means for controlling supply of the inert gas by the gas supply means into the bag. The bagging and packaging machine is designed to allow the inert gas to be supplied under high pressure at a flow rate sufficient to increase the gas replacement rate in the bag when the machine is started, to be supplied under low pressure at a flow rate lower than the high pressure flow rate during a bagging and packaging operation subsequent to the start of the machine. Should the machine is temporarily brought to a halt, the length of time T passing from the timing at which the machine is temporarily brought to a halt is counted by a timer without the supply of the inert gas being interrupted, so that the supply of the inert gas can be interrupted at a timing the counted length of time exceeds a low pressure gas supply time T2. In this way, without the bag being bitten during bagging and / or the bagging and packaging speed being lowered, not only can the inert gas be sufficiently filled in the bag to achieve a high gas replacement rate, but the amount of the inert gas supplied can also be suppressed.

An apparatus for rotating a cap relatively to a container. The container moves along a predetermined path at a container speed. The cap has a first and a second cap engagement location. The first and second cap engagement locations are circumferentially spaced apart relative to each other. The apparatus includes a first cap engaging component, the first cap engaging component including the first component cap engaging surface for engaging the cap at the first cap engagement location and applying a first substantially tangential force thereto. The first cap engaging surface moves at a first speed when substantially in register with the first cap engagement location. A second cap engaging component includes a second component cap engaging surface for engaging the cap at the second cap engagement location and applying a second substantially tangential force thereto. The second cap engaging surface moves at a second speed when substantially in register with the second cap engagement location. The first and second cap engaging components are operatively coupled to each other for maintaining substantially constant the sum of the first and second speed.

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation, an article support for supporting a flat article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation on the article support, a backfill gas feed arranged in the article support for feeding backfill gas to a backside of the article when supported by the article support, and a clamp for clamping the article against the article support during projection. According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a controller for controlling the clamp and / or the backfill gas feed pressure so as to release the clamp prior to reducing the backfill gas feed pressure.

An induction foil cap sealer system includes a monitoring system that comprises a plurality of sensors disposed throughout the sealer system, each sensor monitoring a respective condition related to the sealing operation. A controller is configured to receive from the sensors data representing the monitored conditions and to process this data, determining operating information related to the sealing operation and possibly fault conditions with the sealing operation. The controller is also configured to communicate with a display system and to cause this display system to activate one or more peripheral devices in order to report to a system operator, for example, the determined operating information and / or fault conditions related to the monitored conditions. In reaction to a detected fault condition, the controller may also be configured to shutdown the cap sealer system and / or to remove work pieces that the controller has determined contain a faulty condition.

An automated container production line or automatically removing, orienting, filling, sealing and providing a label and applying a straw to the outside of the labeled container is provided which utilizes a novel orienting conveyor for receiving unoriented containers from a supply bin and orienting the containers for a plurality or novel short production lines having a positioning screw conveyor which intermittently starts and stops the advancement of the containers as groups of containers in which various groups of containers are simultaneously filled, sealed, inspected and then subsequently transported to a sleeving device for adding labels, a heat shrink tunnel for fastening the sleeve to the container and then to a novel straw applicator for subsequently attaching a straw to the outside of the container. The novel automated container filling, sealing and inspecting production line includes a computer program for controlling the production line in conjunction with various sensor devices for determining whether the containers are properly aligned, properly filled, properly sealed and completed in accordance with the highest quality control standards to not only assure product quality but also assure that containers not meeting specifications are removed from the production line and not processed further.

According to a method for controlled closing a container (1) with a related threaded cap (3), a container (1) is moved to a cap (3) feeding station, where a cap (3) in placed on the threaded upper end of the container (1). Then the container (1), together with the cap (3) is transferred to a closing station, where said cap (3) is screwed to said container (1). During screwing, the instant value of the torque applied to said cap (3) is measured and compared with a pre-selected threshold value, so ad to verify, in relation to the threshold value having been reached and to the moment, in which the value is reached, a stable tightening if the cap (3) onto the container (1).

Featured is a web sealing device for controlling the sealing pressure so as to carry out a sufficient sealing while monitoring the sealing pressure directly acting on the web. Also featured is a packaging container producing equipment using the aforementioned sealing device and a packaging container producing method using the same. When sealing a part of web W by engaging hooks 16a, 16b, which directly give a sealing pressure to the web W in order to seal a part of both web N by heating and melting both side surfaces of a double web while pressing the same, the strain amount of the hooks 16a, 16b is measured by a strain gauge 23. and the aforementioned sealing pressure is controlled by the controller 21 so that the waveform of the data, in which the values obtained by converting the aforementioned measured strain amount to pressure are continuously recorded in line with the elapse of time, becomes nearly identical to that of the master data, reflecting on the compressing time by the hooks 16a, 16b, compression timing, and the pressing force of the cylinder 18 for actuation of the hooks, and the adjustment of the drive amount of the drive device for the cross sealing of a pair of sealing jaws 7a, 7b.

A detecting and protecting device includes detecting devices, and an ultrasonic sensor; the detecting devices are connected to respective ones of expanding assemblies of a shrink film machine, and each include a seat behind a supporting rod of a corresponding expanding assembly, a movable rod passed through the seat and projecting below the supporting rod, a stopping board pivoted to one end of the movable rod, a shading block joined to one end of the stopping board, and a sensor positioned on the movable rod and normally shaded by the shading block; if the stopping board comes into contact with goods while a shrink film is being lowered, it will tilt, and the shading block will no longer shade the sensor; the ultrasonic sensor is used for measuring height of the goods such that sealing and cutting action will start immediately after the film encompasses the goods.

A case sealer has a frame with a low friction conveyor upon which boxes are moved in series through three stages, each having an independent pair of spaced-apart, lateral conveyors that are linked together for inward and outward movement to accommodate the width of the box to be sealed. A first measuring stage measures the height, width and length of the box. A second flap folding stage has a floating head located over its lateral conveyors and is responsive to the height and width of the box and folds the box end and side flaps into a closed position. When a box enters the flap folding stage, the lateral conveyors in the measuring stage open to accept the next box, and based on the speed of the lateral conveyors and the measured length of the previous box, a gate allows the next box to enter the measuring stage as soon as the previous box has cleared the measuring stage.

Disclosed herein is a foam-in-bag dispensing system, including a dispensing apparatus operative to dispense foam precursor, the foam precursor being configured for expanding and solidifying into a polymeric foam, to a dispensing location between first and second web plies extending respectively on first and second sides of the dispensing apparatus; and a bag-status indicator associated for providing an indication to the operator indicative of the readiness of the bag for removal from the device for avoiding premature bag removal.