Apparatus for rapid interchanging of different ramping mechanisms for capping equipment. When capping equipment is to be changed from providing roll-on closures to glass bottles to providing threaded plastic closures to plastic bottles, the positions of the bottles relative to the capping turret mechanism must be altered by changing the ramping mechanisms guiding the bottles. The ramping mechanism is maintained in position by a locking plate engaging a resilient connection connected to the ramping mechanism. The apparatus is designed so that when the locking plate is slightly rotated, the ramping mechanism can be readily removed and a different one inserted. Rotation of the locking plate in the other direction locks the new ramping mechanism in place.

A crimping apparatus, comprising a revolving turret supporting a plurality of crimping heads, each crimping head operative to engage a closure on a container to create a crimp in the closure. The crimping head includes a cam follower riding on a stationary cam. The movement imparted by the cam profile to the cam follower is communicated to a crimping tool that engages the closure. The cam defines a plurality of cam follower receiving positions, each position establishing a different profile. The cam can be selectively displaced relative to the revolving turret to alter the position at which the cam follower engages the cam and thus the profile followed by the cam follower.

A system and method for determining the integrity of a sealed container closure assembly wherein the closure is secured to the container by a force applying member and the integrity is determined by converting the force used to secure the closure into a force signal and comparing the force signal to a reference signal, which is reflective of the force used during a closure operation which resulted in seal integrity. The force signal which comprises a series of electrical signals is compared to a series of corresponding reference signals or is a single signal compared to a reference signal at a plurality of points during the closure operation. An indicator is used to indicate when a preselected number of acceptable or non-acceptable comparisons are reached.

A fast feeder unit for an automatic machine for machining the cylindrical surface of bottle closure caps, including a feeder carousel, which is provided with devices for supporting and rotationally actuating it coaxially and in step with the carousel of the machine and whereon a plurality of axially slidable stems are mounted; the stems direct, towards the chucks of the machine, respective half-shells for supporting the caps and are connected to respective axial translatory motion devices adapted to move the half-shells from a position that is spaced from the chucks and co-planar to the openings of a fixed guide for feeding the caps to be machined and of a fixed guide for removing the machined caps, to a position for fitting a cap on the chuck and a position for removing the cap from the chuck.

A tablet tester has a screw-like vibratory conveyor and isolating unit, a positioning unit having a transport rake and an orientation unit between the two first-mentioned units, which in particular is in the form of a linear vibratory conveyor. A sensor arrangement triggers the transport rake and permits automatic ejection of tablet residues via a fragment trap.