A transfer device to transfer an article by moving the article in a front-rear direction includes a base portion, a support plate movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the base portion and able to support a bottom surface of the article, a front-rear actuator that actuates the support plate in the front-rear direction with respect to the base portion, a suction device that is provided on the base portion to be movable in a vertical direction to suction a side surface of the article, and a vertical actuator that actuates the suction device at least in an ascending direction with respect to the base portion and supports the suction device to be detachable from the suction device in a descending direction.

Provided is a pile sheet remover system for preparing a pile of sheets with a height, a free end, and a side of sheet edges for processing in a pile preparation unit. The PSR may include a sheet removing unit having a support frame supporting a moving frame, configured for a linear movement in an attack direction towards the side and the free end of the pile of sheets. The moving frame may have a side support plate with a side support face arranged to face and apply to the side of the pile of sheets. The PSR may have a grab plate arranged with a grab face essentially perpendicular to the side support face and extending beyond the side support face in the attack direction, configured with a grab actuator for a grab movement towards the free end of the pile of sheets.

A stackable box (1) for accommodating and for transporting articles and for stacking in a stacking direction (2) with at least one other box (1) of the same type, wherein the box (1) has a base (3) and a side wall (4), which projects beyond the base (3) and surrounds the base (3) at least partially, wherein the base (3) and the side wall (4) together bound an accommodating space (5) for the articles, wherein the side wall (4) contains at least two, spaced-apart adapters in order for the box (1) to be gripped mechanically by means of at least one gripping device (6), said adapters in the side wall (4) being designed in each case in the form of channels (8) which extend longitudinally in a longitudinal-extent direction (7) running parallel to the stacking direction (2), wherein the channels (8) each have an entry opening (9) and an exit opening (10) and, therebetween, an inner channel cavity (12) which is bounded by a channel-boundary wall (11) of the box (1), extends longitudinally in the respective longitudinal-extent direction (7) and through which the gripping device (6) is guided.

The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.

A machine (100) for unstacking objects (10) includes a belt mechanism (110, 120, 121, 130) having a conveyor belt (110), a first drive mechanism (115) for driving the conveyor belt (110), a second drive mechanism (120, 121) for shifting the conveyor belt (110) between a forwarded position and a retracted position, and a third drive mechanism (130) for adjusting a height position of the conveyor belt (110). Further, the machine (100) includes a gripper mechanism (150, 160) having a gripper (150) and a fourth drive mechanism (160) for moving the gripper (150) between different height positions. A controller of the machine (100) is configured to control the gripper mechanism (150, 160) to grip an end portion of an uppermost object (10) of a stack (20) and lift the end of the uppermost object (10), to control the second drive mechanism (120, 121) and the third drive mechanism (130) to position a forward end of the conveyor belt (110) below the lifted end portion of the uppermost object (10), and to control the first drive mechanism (110) and the second drive mechanism (120, 121) to operate in a coordinated manner by shifting the conveyor belt (110) towards the forwarded position while at the same time driving the conveyor belt (110) in a backwards direction to draw the uppermost object (10) onto the conveyor belt (110).

A handling method and apparatus for a stacked box can pull vertically upward and take out a stacked box having an open top surface. The handling method and apparatus gripes and moves the stacked box having an open top surface with the handling apparatus attached to a robot arm. The handling apparatus is moved to above a stacked uppermost box, a wedge member having a flat plate shape is inserted along outer surfaces of two opposite edges of an upper box, a claw provided to the wedge member is projected in a direction approaching the box and engaged with a lower surface of an outer flange of the box, and the box is lifted vertically upward and then a fall prevention hanger is driven on a lower side of the box to cause the box to be gripped by the handling apparatus and then moved by the robot arm.

The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.

The problem of potentially damaging a pallet layer that is gripped by clamps of a depalletizing tool is solved i) by detecting the real position of the layer using a pad on the tool that is movable with the clamps towards the pallet layer and whose detected stopping position determines the real position of the layer, and ii) while the layer is gripped by the clamp, by inserting under the layer curtains; the pressure on the layer by the clamps being adapted to the ease to go underneath the layer.

A method for depalletising a ream of cartons wrapped by a strap. The method may include collecting, by a robot gripping head, the ream of cartons placed on a pallet. Collecting the ream may include exerting a suction force on the ream by one or more suction mouths. The method may also include moving a first arm and a second arm to position the first arm and the second arm below the ream and retain the ream in a positioning zone obtained in the head.

Described is a depalletizer for trays of eggs, comprising a head movable in space and comprising a plurality of elements for forking a tray of eggs and a unit for controlling means for moving the head designed to control the movement of the head in space. More specifically, the depalletizer comprises image acquisition means which are facing the tray of eggs and designed to acquire at least an image of a predetermined side of the tray to be depalletized. The control unit is designed to process the image for the purpose of identifying the position in space of the empty areas of the predetermined side of the tray for insertion of the forking elements of the head.