The novel solution provides a method for feeding of individual envelopes from a stack of envelopes in a hopper for an inserter machine. At the downstream end of the hopper, a friction feeder serially feeds individual envelopes from the stack. A suction cup is selectively actuated to engage with the envelope to pull a leading portion of the envelope away from the stack to assist the friction feeder in feeding envelopes. Selective actuation is based on monitoring downstream movement of fed envelopes. The suction cup is engaged when the envelopes travel a shorter distance than would be expected based on the movement of the feeder.

The invention relates to a device (1) and method for aligning blanks (2) in a magazine (3) holding a number of blanks (2), each blank (2) being a sleeve shaped piece of packaging material folded planar. The device (1) comprises a plate element (4), and a vibrating means (5) connected to said plate element (4) to vibrate said plate element (4) in relation to said magazine (3), such that said plate element (4) comes into contact with an edge of any unaligned blanks in said magazine in order to align said unaligned blanks. The invention also relates to an apparatus (100) and method for fetching a blank (2) from a magazine (3) holding a number of blanks (2).

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

A method of fulfilling an order comprising at least one product is provided. The method includes receiving an order comprising at least one product, determining a suitable case from a plurality of available cases for holding the at least one product, said determining being a function of one or more characteristics of each product of the at least one product and one or more characteristics of the plurality of available cases; forwarding information identifying the suitable case to a case former; providing a case blank corresponding to said suitable case to said case former; erecting a suitable case from said case blank corresponding to said suitable case with said case former; and prior to the loading said suitable case with said at least one product, labelling said suitable case with at least one label.

A loading device to supply successively with cardboard sheets a station for handling the sheets by folding to form from them boxes for packaging, the handling station having a storage area to receive the successive sheets, optionally grouped in bundles, the device itself having a manipulator that includes: a gripping tool to pick up the sheets; an actuator to move the tool between an inventory of sheets and the receiving storage area of the station; a detection unit for detecting the status of filling of the storage area; and a control unit that directs the action of the device and that receives detection information from the detection unit to do this, the control unit being independent of the control of the handling station and programmable to adapt the operation of the loading device to the type of sheets handled. A corresponding process is also described.

An apparatus for supplying a large amount of bags includes: a bag stocking mechanism that stocks a large amount of raised bags and guides the stocked bags to the front end thereof; and a bag transport mechanism that transports the bags of the bag stocking mechanism to a packaging machine. The apparatus further includes, a bag pickup mechanism and a bag delivery mechanism that pick up the bag from the bag stocking mechanism; a detection unit that detects the orientation of the picked up bag; and a bag turning mechanism that turns the bag in the predetermined transport direction of the bag transport mechanism according to the orientation of the bag detected by the detection unit.

A method of fulfilling an order comprising at least one product is provided. The method includes receiving an order comprising at least one product, determining a suitable case from a plurality of available cases for holding the at least one product, said determining being a function of one or more characteristics of each product of the at least one product and one or more characteristics of the plurality of available cases; forwarding information identifying the suitable case to a case former; providing a case blank corresponding to said suitable case to said case former; erecting a suitable case from said case blank corresponding to said suitable case with said case former; and prior to the loading said suitable case with said at least one product, labelling said suitable case with at least one label.

A loading device to supply successively with cardboard sheets a station for handling the sheets by folding to form from them boxes for packaging, the handling station having a storage area to receive the successive sheets, optionally grouped in bundles, the device itself having a manipulator that includes: a gripping tool to pick up the sheets; an actuator to move the tool between an inventory of sheets and the receiving storage area of the station; a detection unit for detecting the status of filling of the storage area; and a control unit that directs the action of the device and that receives detection information from the detection unit to do this, the control unit being independent of the control of the handling station and programmable to adapt the operation of the loading device to the type of sheets handled. A corresponding process is also described.

An apparatus for fetching a blank from a magazine holding a number of blanks is presented. Each of the blanks is a sleeve shaped piece of packaging material folded planar. The apparatus comprises a rotary feeder provided with a gripper. The rotary feeder and the gripper are arranged to rotate around a main rotational axis, such that the gripper is moved between a fetching position in which a blank is fetched and a releasing position in which the blank is released. The gripper is arranged to rotate around a gripper specific rotational axis, such that fetching the blank in the fetching position is facilitated.

The invention relates to grasping system comprising a grasping head (15) for a sheet transporting device, in particular for transporting an insert sheet to be inserted between rows of folding boxes in a receptacle, the grasping head (15) having at least one support frame (80) and a plurality of aspiration elements (17, 18). The aspiration elements (17, 18) are mounted on holding elements (50) which are received on the support frame (80) so as to be displaceable with respect to the support frame (80).