358results 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.

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 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.

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.

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 case sealer has a frame with a conveyor for moving boxes into a pair of spaced-apart lateral conveyors. The lateral conveyors have converging centering conveyor belts that center the boxes and first advancing conveyor belts that open to the width of the box to be sealed. A floating head located over the lateral conveyors folds the box end and side flaps into a closed position. The box is then picked up by a pair of second advancing conveyors that adjust to the width of the box. The second advancing conveyors are mounted on a seal dispensing platform carrying a tape dispenser for sealing the box flaps shut.

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.

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.

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.