A transport pocket for the suspended transport of a transport item along a conveying direction via a suspended conveying device includes a pocket rear wall and a pouch wall that, together with the pocket rear wall, form a receiving compartment for the transport item. The receiving compartment forms a receiving opening for the transport item and is designed to assume an open position and a space-saving compact position. A fastener connects the transport pocket to a conveying member of the suspended conveying device. A cam element, which can interact with an activation device of the suspended conveying device, which is designed as a cam guide, and via which cam guide the receiving compartment can be moved into the open position or be held in this. The at least one cam element is arranged on the pouch wall of the transport pocket.

A glove stacking apparatus forming a stack folded gloves has a supporting surface for supporting the stack as folded gloves are added to the stack along a stacking axis. First and second flaps are pivotable about first and second pivot axes opposite first and second sides of a glove stacking area. The supporting surface is relatively movable as folded gloves are added to the stack. A cyclic flap actuation system is configured to drive a folding action of each flap in which the flaps alternately pivot about the corresponding pivot axis so that each flap folds a first portion of a deposited glove overlapping a flap towards a second portion of the glove at the glove stacking area; the folding action alternating as gloves are added to the stack. Each flap in addition to being pivotable is also laterally movable both towards and away from the stacking area.

A glove stacking apparatus forming a stack folded gloves has a supporting surface for supporting the stack as folded gloves are added to the stack along a stacking axis. First and second flaps are pivotable about first and second pivot axes opposite first and second sides of a glove stacking area. The supporting surface is relatively movable as folded gloves are added to the stack. A cyclic flap actuation system is configured to drive a folding action of each flap in which the flaps alternately pivot about the corresponding pivot axis so that each flap folds a first portion of a deposited glove overlapping a flap towards a second portion of the glove at the glove stacking area; the folding action alternating as gloves are added to the stack. Each flap in addition to being pivotable is also laterally movable both towards and away from the stacking area.

An automated method and system for packaging a stack of flexible articles (200) are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: loading, by a pair of end effectors (1a, 1b), the stack of flexible articles (200) into an erected box (100) having a first open end (101) and a second open end (102), wherein each open end (101, 102) has at least one flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) that is movable between an open configuration where the flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) is not covering an opening of the open end (101, 102) and a closed configuration where the flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) covers the opening of the open end (101, 102), whereby the stack of flexible articles (200) is loaded in an offset position away from the first open end (101), leaving a first gap therebetween; moving, by a first flap closing mechanism (4), the flap (103, 104, 105) of the first open end (101) from the open configuration to the closed configuration; pushing, by a pushing mechanism (16), the stack of flexible articles (200) towards the first gap, thereby forming a second gap between the second open end (102) and the stack of flexible articles (200); and moving, by a second flap closing mechanism (6), the flap (106, 107, 108) of the second open end (102) from the open configuration to the closed configuration, wherein the first and second gaps are configured to prevent the flaps (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) from being obstructed by the stack of flexible articles (200) while closing the flaps (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108).

An automated method and system for packaging a stack of flexible articles (200) are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: loading, by a pair of end effectors (1a, 1b), the stack of flexible articles (200) into an erected box (100) having a first open end (101) and a second open end (102), wherein each open end (101, 102) has at least one flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) that is movable between an open configuration where the flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) is not covering an opening of the open end (101, 102) and a closed configuration where the flap (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) covers the opening of the open end (101, 102), whereby the stack of flexible articles (200) is loaded in an offset position away from the first open end (101), leaving a first gap therebetween; moving, by a first flap closing mechanism (4), the flap (103, 104, 105) of the first open end (101) from the open configuration to the closed configuration; pushing, by a pushing mechanism (16), the stack of flexible articles (200) towards the first gap, thereby forming a second gap between the second open end (102) and the stack of flexible articles (200); and moving, by a second flap closing mechanism (6), the flap (106, 107, 108) of the second open end (102) from the open configuration to the closed configuration, wherein the first and second gaps are configured to prevent the flaps (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) from being obstructed by the stack of flexible articles (200) while closing the flaps (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108).

Autonomously operated systems and methods of packing unbound folded laundry articles are described. A system of stacking a plurality of folded laundry articles onto a receiving surface includes two or more side-by-side parallel extendable surfaces configured to extend at least one of independently and simultaneously, at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of one or more folded laundry articles on at least one of the surfaces, and a controller in operative communication with at least one drive of the two or more surfaces and the at least one sensor. The controller is configured to extend a loading end of at least one of the surfaces out upon receiving a signal from the at least one sensor, and retract the loading end to deposit the one or more folded laundry articles atop at least one of the receiving surface and one or more previously deposited folded laundry articles.

Autonomously operated systems and methods of packing unbound folded laundry articles are described. A system of stacking a plurality of folded laundry articles onto a receiving surface includes two or more side-by-side parallel extendable surfaces configured to extend at least one of independently and simultaneously, at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of one or more folded laundry articles on at least one of the surfaces, and a controller in operative communication with at least one drive of the two or more surfaces and the at least one sensor. The controller is configured to extend a loading end of at least one of the surfaces out upon receiving a signal from the at least one sensor, and retract the loading end to deposit the one or more folded laundry articles atop at least one of the receiving surface and one or more previously deposited folded laundry articles.

An automated system for packaging an item includes a pallet, a packaging station and a controller. The pallet supports both the item and a packaging layer. The package is formed with the packaging layer. The packaging station folds the item and the packaging layer such that the item is enclosed within the packaging layer. The controller controls operation of the system. The item may be for example a textile, a digitally printed textile and/or a garment.

An automated system for packaging an item includes a pallet, a packaging station and a controller. The pallet supports both the item and a packaging layer. The package is formed with the packaging layer. The packaging station folds the item and the packaging layer such that the item is enclosed within the packaging layer. The controller controls operation of the system. The item may be for example a textile, a digitally printed textile and/or a garment.

A device and a method for filling bags with products, wherein the bags have an opening via which the bags are each filled with at least one product, wherein walls of the bag are spaced apart from one another in the region of the opening in order to introduce the at least one product into the bag via the opening, and wherein, after the walls are spaced apart and before the at least one product is supplied, holding elements are introduced into the bag through the opening in order to hold the open bag in the region of the opening. At least some holding elements have at least one shaping element against which a wall of the bag bears in each case such that the material of the wall is preferably plastically deformed in order to hold the wall on the respective holding element via the respective shaping element.