Compact feeder and filling system, device, and method

In a compact system containers are circulated in fixtures. Containers are fed from a bulk hopper by a conveyor into a primary orienting mechanism and then into the loading mechanism which also serves as the final orienting mechanism. Once a fixture is filled with containers, it is indexed into the filling position. The process conveyor ultimately moves the fixtures to the opposite end of the conveyor where a transfer mechanism indexes the fixture through a cap applicator and cap sealer. Caps are fed from a bulk hopper by a conveyor into a primary orienting mechanism and then through a final orienting/escapement mechanism into an applicator chute. Once the caps are applied, the fixture is indexed into a transfer position for downstream processing. Once emptied of containers, the fixtures are indexed onto a return conveyor where they are transported back to the loading and filling end.