Abstract: An apparatus for charging tubular canisters in a charging direction with a stack of face-to-face oriented flat items, includes a conveyor for supporting and positioning an item stack thereon; a canister holder for supporting and positioning a canister; an arrangement for advancing the item stack in an item feeding direction from the conveyor into the canister positioned by the canister holder; an elongated guide member movable parallel to the feeding direction for introduction into and withdrawal from the canister positioned by the canister holder; a holding plate supported at an end of the guide member and being pivotal into a first position in which it projects into a feed path of the item stack for engaging a leading item of the item stack and into a second position in which it is clear of the feed path; and a drive for moving the guide member parallel to the feeding direction and for rotating the holding plate into the first and second positions.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus includes first and second conveyors for moving products from a receiving station to a first transfer station and a plurality of product-carrying elements mounted on the conveyors. The product-carrying elements of the first and second conveyors form respective first and second groups of product-carrying elements. The products are conveyable from the receiving station to the first transfer station alternatingly by the two conveyors. A first discharge mechanism at the first transfer station includes a plurality of product-pushing elements for displacing products transversely to the advancing direction. The product-pushing elements are spaced identically to the spacing of the product-carrying elements. A third conveyor extends from the first transfer station to a second transfer station.

Abstract: A transporting apparatus includes a conveyor for advancing items and a transfer apparatus for lifting the items off the conveyor and for depositing the items at a location externally of the conveyor. The transfer apparatus has hoisting devices spaced from one another in the conveying direction. Each hoisting device has first and second lifters spaced from one another in a direction transverse to the conveying direction and being situated bilaterally of the conveyor. A first drive moves the first and second lifters into raised and lowered positions; and a second drive moves the first and second lifters toward and away from one another to cause them to assume a normal position and a spread-out position. First and second tray parts of a tray forming part of each hoisting device are mounted on the first and second lifter, respectively. In the raised and lowered positions the trays are clear of a travel path of the items on the conveyor.