Abstract: A conveyance device 1 for movement, within a strapping machine 100, of a succession of bundles 2 of flat objects. A first conveyor 10 moves each bundle 2 from an assembly zone to a transfer zone. A second conveyor 40 moves each bundle 2 from the transfer zone to a strapping zone. The first conveyor 10 longitudinally guides the stack of flat objects during the formation of each bundle 2 in the assembly zone, and longitudinally holds the bundle 2 during its movement from the assembly zone to the transfer zone.

Abstract: An inline product feeder for a packaging line and related methods are disclosed. In one example, an inline product feeder includes a product input line configured to receive a contiguous supply of products and configured to guide the products in continuous motion along a path of travel. The inline product feeder also includes a packaging line configured to receive separated groups of the products from the product input line. The inline feeder further includes a feeder unit configured to separate groups of products from the contiguous supply of products in the product input line and move the group of products into the packaging line, each of the separated groups of products including a predetermined number of products from the product input line.

Abstract: A cap transfer unit (1) comprising a cap transfer line (8) defining a transfer path (5) from a cap loading area (4) to a cap discharge area (6), and a cap pusher (16) slidingly mounted along the cap transfer line (8), the cap pusher (16) having a rest position in which the cap pusher (16) is spaced from the transfer path (5), and an active position in which the cap pusher (16) overlaps at least partially the transfer path (5) for coming into abutment with caps (2) located therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking flat articles on-edge has a helical drive assembly with spaced-apart helical screws. The helical screws receive and hold the articles on-edge therebetween, and eject the articles towards a stack holding unit. The stack holding unit is configured to hold a stack of articles on-edge separately from the helical screws. The apparatus includes a conveyor that supports the lower edges of the articles during their transport to the stack holding unit. The stack holding unit has an article entry opening with a height that is smaller than a height of the articles to be stacked during operation, and the height of the article entry opening is preferably adjustable.

Abstract: According to a method for transferring articles, the articles, in particular blister packs, are transferred to a feeding line of a packaging machine, moving continuously and longitudinally with respect to an outlet line of a machine producing the articles, on which the articles to be transferred are carried in line in a continuous way. According to the method, the articles leaving said outlet line, aligned and regularly spaced apart, are transferred onto support elements carried by a distributing unit aligned with the outlet line, above the feeding line. The support elements are selectively operated to release one by one said articles into respective holding pockets defined by the feeding line.

Abstract: The invention relates to an order picking system (1) with at least one automatic commissioning machine (2) having article racks (3) in which channels (4) for articles are positioned which are inclined in relation to the horizontal. Said channels comprise an article stop element and an article distributing device on their lower longitudinal ends and can be filled with new articles at their other, higher longitudinal ends on the rack loading side (B). The order picking system provided for in the invention is characterized in that a movable rack steering unit (5) has an article handling device (51) which is mobile in three dimensions and has an article stack retaining device (52) which can contain a vertical stack of articles and can be positioned vertically at each higher longitudinal end of an article channel (4) on the rack loading side (B).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking small sheets of glass or other material, wherein manual stacking is eliminated and robotic/machine cycle times are significantly reduced, and wherein such an apparatus enables the stacking of small sheets of glass or other material/lites in single and/or multiple rows and/or tiers.

Abstract: A part transporting apparatus comprises: a guiding groove for lining up parts in one row and guiding the parts; a transporting member which is provided at the base of the guiding groove and transports the parts in a forward direction by itself moving forwards and backwards along the groove; and a driving means for reciprocally driving the transporting member in the forward and backward directions; wherein the transporting member is advanced slowly and retracted rapidly, so as to transport the parts forwards. Provided to this arrangement are: a stopper which operates so as to open and close in the width direction of the guiding groove, and hold the second part from the front of the row of parts being transported on the upper plane of the transporting member; and a shutter for opening and closing at the tip of the guiding groove, so as to cover the space above the first part in the row so as to prevent the part from flying out.

Abstract: A carton loader for automatically loading stacks of cartons onto a mass feeder for supplying cartons to a packaging machine includes a loader in which stacks of cartons are received and held, and a carriage on which the loader is pivotally mounted. After the stacks of cartons are received, the loader is pivoted from a loading position to a stacking position. The carriage is then moved along the mass feeder for the packaging machine toward a magazine or supply of previously stacked cartons, whereupon the stack of cartons within the loader is moved in engagement and stacked against the previously loaded cartons.

Abstract: A device (1) to contain and present flat cardboard blanks (40) for the purpose of individual collection of the lafter and comprising a first portion (10), including conveyor means (11) with a conveyor belt (12), a second portion (20), sensor means (23a, 23b) and a collection mouth (30). Downstream from the said conveyor means (11) there are provided at the top one or more thrust wheels (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d) which are designed to rotate relative to an axis (26x) which is disposed parallel to the downstream end edge of the said conveyor means (11), wherein the portion which faces upstream of the said thrust wheels (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d) interferes with the cardboard blanks (40) which are advancing, in order to apply thrust downwards for the cardboard blank (40) further downstream after rotation of the said wheels (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d).

Abstract: A part transporting apparatus comprises: a guiding groove for lining up parts in one row and guiding the parts; a transporting member which is provided at the base of the guiding groove and transports the parts in a forward direction by itself moving forwards and backwards along the groove; and a driving means for reciprocally driving the transporting member in the forward and backward directions; wherein the transporting member is advanced slowly and retracted rapidly, so as to transport the parts forwards.

Abstract: A part transporting apparatus comprises a guiding groove for lining up parts in one row and guiding the parts; a transporting member which is provided at the base of the guiding groove and transports the parts in a forward direction by itself moving forwards and backwards along the groove; and a driving means for reciprocally driving the transporting member in the forward and backward directions; wherein the transporting member is advanced slowly and retracted rapidly, so as to transport the parts forwards. Provided to this arrangement are: a stopper which operates so as to open and close in the width direction of the guiding groove, and hold the second part from the front of the row of parts being transported on the upper plane of the transporting member; and a shutter for opening and closing at the tip of the guiding groove, so as to cover the space above the first part in the row so as to prevent the part from flying out.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stacking and loading disc-like objects into receptacles is provided. The apparatus includes a lane combining conveyor which receives multiple lanes of product and combines one or more of the outer lanes into the remaining lanes. A stack former is provided for forming individual stacks of patties which are side supported onto rails. The rails can be pivoted down to divert patties for clearing jams. After the product is formed on the stack formers, a stack transfer mechanism transfers the stacks of products formed on the stack forming rails to the matrix former. Matrix former receives individual rows of multiple stacks from the stack transfer mechanism. A stripper mechanism is used to ensure that the stacks are not scrambled during this transfer. Once the matrix former is filled with product, a case rollover mechanism is rotated to the matrix former.

Abstract: A unit for feeding flat diecut blanks of wrapping material to a user machine is equipped with a conveyor by which blanks disposed on edge transversely to a given feed direction and ordered in a substantially continuous column are caused to advance along a conveying path extending toward a transfer station where each blank in turn is picked up from the column; the conveyor comprises two sections aligned along the path: the one, an intermittently driven first belt by which the column is advanced toward the transfer station through a step of predetermined length, at a predetermined frequency timed with the operation of a pickup mechanism positioned at the transfer station, the other a continuously driven second belt designed to advance the column toward the first belt at a predetermined velocity.