An insertion system (e.g., in a warehouse or other item-fulfillment environment) can include a chassis. A bottom conveying surface, a first side conveying surface, and a second side conveying surface may be fastened to the chassis respectively along the chassis's bottom face, first lateral face, and second lateral face. A chamber may be bounded by the conveying surfaces and by a rear wall defined at least in part by the front face of the chassis. A linear actuator coupled with the chassis may move the chassis from a home position and toward an extended position to advance the bottom conveying surface, the first side conveying surface, and the second side conveying surface along with the rear wall of the chamber to decrease a size of the chamber and advance contents of the chamber in a depth direction toward a receiving zone.

A box packing apparatus has an accumulating mechanism, a detection unit, and a packing mechanism. The accumulating mechanism is configured to accumulate a plurality of articles to create an article group. The detection unit is configured to detect a posture of the article group. The packing mechanism is configured to pack the article group into a packing box based on a detection result of the detection unit.

A configurable assembly is provided for conveying products along a longitudinal direction; the assembly has a supporting structure and at least two conveyor units; at least one of said units is provided with at least two tracks which receive, in use, respective products and diverge from or converge towards each other along a lateral direction, proceeding longitudinally from an inlet to an outlet; the units are movable with respect to the supporting structure by the action of an actuator device between a working area and at least one storage area, so as to selectively arrange one of said units in the working area.

A system for packaging two or more containers with a paperboard carrier having two or more apertures. Each aperture has a plurality of tabs formed at an inside edge thereof that bend upward when contacting a lower edge of a chime of one of the containers. The system includes a platen having apertures for pressing the carrier down uniformly onto the containers and a carrier support configured for maintaining the carrier in the flat configuration as the platen presses the carrier onto the containers substantially simultaneously. Some embodiments of the system include a one-piece manual applicator, while other embodiments include a semi-automatic apparatus that includes a carrier support with retractable carrier support plates and a linear actuator for pressing the platen and carrier down on the containers. A method of use is also disclosed.

An assistance method for execution of a format change in an automatic machine can include dividing the format change into an orderly succession of operations for the removal of components designed for the old format and installation of components designed for the new format; communicating the orderly succession of removal and installation operations to an operator; electronically and automatically detecting the actual presence or absence of a component designed for the old or new format before communicating to the operator the operation for removal or installation of the component; electronically and automatically detecting the actual absence or presence of a component designed for the old or new format after having communicated to the operator; and communicating to the operator the operation following an operation for the removal or installation of a component only after having electronically and automatically checked for the actual absence or presence of the component.

A machine for packaging multiple containers wherein a flexible carrier stock is fed across a jaw drum. A plurality of containers are moved through the machine whereby the carrier is subsequently positioned over the plurality of containers so that flexible carrier stock engages with two or more of the containers to form a package. The jaw drum and other operative components of the machine are preferably vertically adjustable to accommodate a range of container sizes and carrier configurations.

The wrapping machine includes a feed path of products to be wrapped in a wrapping sheet and, along the feed path, an insertion station of products to be wrapped in a wrapping sheet and folding members of the wrapping sheet. The machine further includes a conveyor device, which receives the products in the insertion station and causes their feed through the folding members. The conveyor device includes a system of endless flexible members formed by toothed belts guided around toothed wheels. Each toothed belt includes a first series of internal teeth, cooperating with toothed guide wheels, and a second series of external teeth, cooperating with connection elements of carriages that carry prongs for feeding the products to be wrapped. The connection elements include toothed profiles complementary to the external teeth of the toothed belts, suitable to provide a shape coupling with the external teeth of the respective toothed belts.

A method for transporting pairs of packs (100) comprising arranging a first pair of packs on a horizontal transport device (50), transporting the first pair of packs in a horizontal direction, arranging a second pair of packs on the horizontal transport device (50), therein, for each of the first pair and the second pair of the pair of packs, spacing a first pack of the pair of packs and a second pack of the pair of packs vertically from each other and further spacing the first pair of packs and the second pair of packs horizontally from each other on the horizontal transport device.

A method for controlling the processing of varying shipment sets of one or more item(s) in an automated packaging system for packaging said varying shipment sets in custom-sized boxes made from cardboard blanks, said packaging system comprising a plurality of processing stations performing different operations on said shipment sets, said operations including transporting said shipments sets to and through said stations, said method comprising: acquiring information about one or more physical properties of a shipment set or the item(s) forming the shipment set, determining based on said information if the shipment set needs or allows a specific treatment in or on the transport to and through one or more of said processing stations within said packaging system, and configuring said one or more of said processing stations with instructions for said specific treatment of said shipment set.

The packaging machine includes a wrapping tunnel, adapted to form a tube of plastic film around a group of articles and a feed conveyor, adapted to feed articles to be packaged toward the wrapping tunnel. An elevator is positioned between the feed conveyor and the wrapping tunnel, and is movable vertically from a lower position, to receive articles coming from the feed conveyor, to a higher height, to transfer articles to the wrapping tunnel. A pusher is arranged to push articles to be packaged from the elevator into the wrapping tunnel. An auxiliary conveyor is also provided between the feed conveyor and the elevator. An upender is associated with the auxiliary conveyor, adapted to be arranged selectively in an active position, to co-act with the auxiliary conveyor to upend articles coming from the feed conveyor and transfer them toward the elevator, and in a deactivated position.