Machinery for packaging articles (15, 15′) in preformed cartons (18), having a conveyor (19) for making cartons travel with an article resting on top of the carton, partially enclosed by the carton, comprising a closing station, in particular having first folding means (24) designed to lift a first side wall of the said carton arranged transversely to the carton progress direction (A) so that it is positioned against the article, in particular towards the rear of the article with respect to the carton progress direction, characterised by the fact that said closing station may be moved parallel to the carton progress direction, wherein the closing station is integral to a sliding surface (20) which is parallel to the surface (26) of the machine on top of which the cartons travel. Packaging method using a machine as described above.

A packaging device for packaging material includes: a carry-in conveyor configured to carry in a food container along a conveyance direction; a carry-out conveyor configured to carry out the food container along the conveyance direction; a conveyor moving mechanism configured to move at least one of the carry-in conveyor or the carry-out conveyor; a packaging material pressing mechanism configured to press a band-shaped packaging material against the food container conveyed between the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor and to attach the band-shaped packaging material to the food container; and a control device configured to cause the conveyor moving mechanism to move at least one of the carry-in conveyor or the carry-out conveyor to thereby form an attachment space between the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor where the packaging material pressing mechanism attaches the band-shaped packaging material to the food container.

An inversion guide device is configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor. The inversion guide device includes an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner.

A device for packaging elongated items such as firewood pieces is described herein. The device includes: an elevated structure having an upper platform for receiving the elongated items from a separate conveyor; a diverter located on or above the platform for changing the direction of movement of the elongated items; and one or more elevator shafts having open bottoms. The elevator shafts are located adjacent to the platform and configured for receiving the elongated items after contact with the diverter and for holding the elongated items on support structures while a stack of elongated items is formed. The release of the stack of elongated items from the elevator shafts occurs via the open bottoms of the elevator shafts.

A device for packaging elongated items such as firewood pieces is described herein. The device includes: an elevated structure having an upper platform for receiving the elongated items from a separate conveyor; a diverter located on or above the platform for changing the direction of movement of the elongated items; and one or more elevator shafts having open bottoms. The elevator shafts are located adjacent to the platform and configured for receiving the elongated items after contact with the diverter and for holding the elongated items on support structures while a stack of elongated items is formed. The release of the stack of elongated items from the elevator shafts occurs via the open bottoms of the elevator shafts.

A transfer device for removing articles from a removal zone and depositing them in a discharge zone is described. The transfer device includes a gripping head with retention elements, each configured to retain a respective article. The transfer device further includes a movement mechanism to move at least one retention element on the gripping head between a first configuration, where the retention elements are spaced apart from one another, and a second configuration, different from the first configuration, where the retention elements are brought close to one another. The movement mechanism is configured to move at least one of the retention elements between the first and the second configuration by rotation about a respective rotation axis.

A packaging device for packaging material includes: a carry-in conveyor configured to carry in a food container along a conveyance direction; a carry-out conveyor configured to carry out the food container along the conveyance direction; a conveyor moving mechanism configured to move at least one of the carry-in conveyor or the carry-out conveyor; a packaging material pressing mechanism configured to press a band-shaped packaging material against the food container conveyed between the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor and to attach the band-shaped packaging material to the food container; and a control device configured to cause the conveyor moving mechanism to move at least one of the carry-in conveyor or the carry-out conveyor to thereby form an attachment space between the carry-in conveyor and the carry-out conveyor where the packaging material pressing mechanism attaches the band-shaped packaging material to the food container.

A device and a process for feeding articles to be packaged with a packaging apparatus are presented. The articles are transported on a first conveying line and can be arranged according to a desired pattern, which is repeated on a second conveying line from which the articles will be picked up in a subsequent station. For this purpose, at least one transfer device is provided for transferring the articles from the first conveying line to the second conveying line, with a self-moving transfer arm and a respective gripping device to pick up the articles. The gripping device has a plurality of gripping elements which are movable between a first configuration, in which the gripping elements are aligned with each other to grip the articles from the first conveying line, and a second configuration, in which at least two of the gripping elements are staggered with respect to each other, to lay the articles according to a predetermined pattern.

A forming unit for a container from a blank of the container. The unit includes a conveyor and at least one equipment secured to the conveyor. The equipment includes a forming device moving with continuous movement and forming a container from the blank during a predetermined forming path on the conveyor.

A packaging device and a process for packaging articles arranged according to a predetermined pattern and supplied on a conveyor line are presented, where buffers for the preparation of layers to be packaged are eliminated, while maintaining a high degree of flexibility for a wide range of formats. The packaging device includes one or more transfer devices that pick up the articles and deposit them in layers. The transfer devices have a handling member connected to a respective gripping device, both movable along three orthogonal axes. Each gripping device has gripping elements to pick up an article from the conveyor line. The gripping elements are arranged to form, on each gripping device, a single layer of articles. Each layer is obtained with one or more pickings from the conveyor line, in order to place the articles in a single operation in a respective container of the flow.