The module (3) comprises a frame having vertical pillars (30A, 30B), a rotary turnover structure (4) arranged horizontally between the vertical pillars and comprising rotation shafts (400A) supported by bearings (300A) with which the vertical pillars are respectively equipped. A motor (303B) applies a first mechanical torque to one of the rotation shafts when a folding package turnover is ordered in the machine. The module also comprises additional means (5) for applying a second mechanical torque to the other rotation shaft upon a folding package turnover.

The module (3) comprises a frame having vertical pillars (30A, 30B), a rotary turnover structure (4) arranged horizontally between the vertical pillars and comprising rotation shafts (400A) supported by bearings (300A) with which the vertical pillars are respectively equipped. A motor (303B) applies a first mechanical torque to one of the rotation shafts when a folding package turnover is ordered in the machine. The module also comprises additional means (5) for applying a second mechanical torque to the other rotation shaft upon a folding package turnover.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes retainers configured to secure a first tray and a second tray, a movable paddle assembly, a frame, and a plurality of actuators. The system is configured to transfer articles from the first tray to the second tray by an automated process including securing the articles within the first tray with the paddle assembly, rotating the frame by approximately 90 to 100, moving the paddle assembly in a series of linear translations to remove the items from the first tray and place the items into the second tray, rotating the frame back to its initial orientation, and releasing the items into the second tray.

The device for emptying and then disposing of trays filled with brochures comprises a feed device for transporting the filled trays in a transport direction and a turning device for rotating the trays. The turning device may comprise a slide, which is rotatable and thus movable back and forth along a U-shaped path between a receiving position to receive the trays, an emptying position in which the brochures are pushed out of the trays, and a disposal position, in which the empty trays are disposed of. The device may also comprise at least one pusher element to push the brochures out of the trays when the slide is in the emptying position, and conveying means for conveying the brochures which have been pushed out of the tray.

The invention concerns a method of handling stacks of flexible substrates (14) by means of a gripper (8) as well as a robot cell (1) for carrying out the method. The gripper (8) is arranged on an arm (6) of a robot (2) and has a lower finger and a corresponding upper finger. The method comprises the steps of inserting said lower finger below a bottom substrate (14) of a stack resting on a base and said upper finger above a top substrate (14) of the stack, and gripping the stack by clamping it between said lower and upper finger. Then by means of the gripper (8) starting at a stack front the entire stack is lifted into a pendent state and moved to a support (16). There the stack is lowered such that a stack rear, which is opposite to said stack front, comes into contact with the support (16). Finally the entire stack is laid out on the support (16) with said bottom substrate (14) up by further lowering and while horizontally displacing the gripper (8) in a bottom-to-top substrate direction before letting the gripper (8) release the stack.

The invention concerns a method of handling stacks of flexible substrates (14) by means of a gripper (8) as well as a robot cell (1) for carrying out the method. The gripper (8) is arranged on an arm (6) of a robot (2) and has a lower finger and a corresponding upper finger. The method comprises the steps of inserting said lower finger below a bottom substrate (14) of a stack resting on a base and said upper finger above a top substrate (14) of the stack, and gripping the stack by clamping it between said lower and upper finger. Then by means of the gripper (8) starting at a stack front the entire stack is lifted into a pendent state and moved to a support (16). There the stack is lowered such that a stack rear, which is opposite to said stack front, comes into contact with the support (16). Finally the entire stack is laid out on the support (16) with said bottom substrate (14) up by further lowering and while horizontally displacing the gripper (8) in a bottom-to-top substrate direction before letting the gripper (8) release the stack.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes a rotatable tray rotary assembly, a translatable and rotatable intermediate rotary assembly, and a translatable and rotatable output rotary assembly. The system is configured to transfer articles from the tray to processing equipment by an automated process including rotationally transferring the articles from the tray to the intermediate rotary assembly and rotationally transferring the articles from the intermediate rotary assembly to the output rotary assembly. The output rotary assembly can move to align with a shelf or other input of the processing equipment and a paddle assembly can slide the items from the output rotary assembly onto the shelf or other input of the processing equipment.

An automated system for transferring articles from a container. An item transfer system includes a rotatable tray rotary assembly, a translatable and rotatable intermediate rotary assembly, and a translatable and rotatable output rotary assembly. The system is configured to transfer articles from the tray to processing equipment by an automated process including rotationally transferring the articles from the tray to the intermediate rotary assembly and rotationally transferring the articles from the intermediate rotary assembly to the output rotary assembly. The output rotary assembly can move to align with a shelf or other input of the processing equipment and a paddle assembly can slide the items from the output rotary assembly onto the shelf or other input of the processing equipment.

A post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a binding unit, a tray, a conveying unit and a reversing unit. The binding unit binds a plurality of sheets together at a binding position of the sheets to form a sheet bundle. The conveying unit conveys the sheet bundle along a first path toward the tray. The reversing unit is arranged along the first path between the conveying unit and the tray. The reversing unit includes a second path and is controlled to convey the sheet bundle from the first path to the second path and then from the second path to the first path to reverse a surface of the sheet bundle from a face-up position to a face-down position.

A carton decasing system for removing stacks of cartons or carton blanks from cases or containers includes a case infeed conveyor on which the cases with the cartons or carton blanks stacked therein are moved to an inverting assembly. The inverting assembly reorients the cases and places the cases with the cartons stacked therein on a decasing assembly which removes the cases from the stacks of cartons. The stacks of cartons are thereafter conveyed along a magazine conveyor with the stacks of cartons supported by a stack pusher assembly as the cartons are moved to a discharge point at the distal end of the magazine conveyor.