The present invention relates to an inversion transfer module (60) for a converting machine having a printing module (16) comprising a first printing unit (17) arranged to print on a top side (S1) of the sheet (1), and a second printing unit (17) arranged to print a bottom side (S2) of the sheet. The inversion transfer module is arranged between the first printing unit and the second printing unit and comprises a first inversion vacuum transfer (62) arranged to contact the first side of the sheet and a second inversion vacuum transfer (64) configured to contact the second side of the sheet, whereby the inversion transfer module is configured to change the side of adherence and transportation of the sheet.

Methods of separating and positioning discrete articles formed from a continuous length of articles are provided. The methods may comprise the steps of receiving a first portion of the continuous length on a first head in a receiving position of an orbit about a first rotational axis and receiving a second portion of the continuous length on a second head in the receiving position of the orbit about the first rotational axis. The methods may comprise providing a laser system configured to produce and direct a laser beam, and ablating a portion of the continuous length of articles intermediate the first head and the second head with the laser beam to separate the first portion of the continuous length of articles from the second portion of the continuous length of articles, thereby forming a discrete article on the first head.

A medium processing apparatus includes a processing unit that performs processing on a sheet-like medium; an outer wall on which a discharge port, from which the medium processed by the processing unit is discharged, is open; a stacking portion that has a stacking surface on which the medium discharged from the discharge port is stacked; a suction unit that sucks air on the stacking surface via a suction port provided below the discharge port; and a control unit that controls a workload of the suction unit. The control unit reduces the workload of the suction unit according to an open area of the suction port which is occluded by the medium stacked on the stacking portion and is decreased.

An apparatus for picking a product, including a control circuit, at least one vacuum cup arranged to adhere at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup, and at least one sensor configured to monitor an area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, and transmit at least one signal regarding a presence of at least one sheet of material in the area, wherein the apparatus is arranged to displace to a second location while continuously monitoring the area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, the at least one sensor is configured to transmit the at least one signal, and the control circuit is arranged to determine, responsive to the at least one signal, the sheet of material is not present in the area, and generate an error signal indicating that the at least one sheet of material is not present in the area.

An articulating end-of-arm tool includes back-drive capability. The tool has a cable drive including a vertically oriented capstan head, a pair of idler pulleys, a driven pulley and a tensioner. The driven pulley pivot on a hollow shaft, through which a vacuum channel passes. The vacuum channel extends through the length of the body, including past the vertically oriented motor. The driven pulley is within 10 degrees of perpendicular of the longitudinal axis of the tool.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a transporting a discrete element, by activating a discrete vacuum zone on a puck at or before an acquisition, rotating the puck about an axis (and optionally twisting the puck), and deactivating the discrete vacuum zone at a deposition point, through tightly controlled piecewise vacuum porting particularly in applications where vacuum commutation length changes in radial direction.

An image forming apparatus includes an ejection port, a stacker, a fan, and a duct. From the ejection port, a sheet is ejected to an ejection space in an ejection direction. The stacker stacks the sheet ejected from the ejection port, and the ejection space is disposed above the stacker. The fan is disposed outside the ejection space to suck air. The duct is connected to the fan. The duct has an exhaust port and a guide. The exhaust port is disposed above the ejection port and downstream from the ejection port in the ejection direction to exhaust the air from the exhaust port toward an upper face of the sheet in the ejection space. The guide connects the fan and the exhaust port to guide the air from the fan to the exhaust port.

A method for separating blanks includes continuous conveying of a sheet metal strip in a transport direction to a laser cutting station, concurrent cutting of the sheet metal strip by at least one cutting laser, wherein a cut sheet metal strip is formed from successive sections of the same cutting geometry, transporting the cut sheet metal strip on a first conveyor belt in the transport direction, taking over the cut sheet metal strip from the first conveyor belt, transporting the cut sheet metal strip in the transport direction, separately ejecting the at least one residual blank of each section, transporting the at least one blank of each section into overlap with a second conveyor belt and ejecting the at least one blank from the suction conveyor, and transporting the blanks ejected one after the other from the suction conveyor horizontally in the transport direction to a collecting station.

Methods of transferring discrete articles are provided. A method comprises providing a transfer device having a frame defining a rotation axis, and circumnavigating a plurality of transfer heads of the transfer device about the rotation axis in an orbit, with the orbit passing through a pick-up location and a drop-off location. The method comprises providing a web accumulation device proximate to the drop-off location, moving the web through the web accumulation device at a variable speed, picking up a discrete article at the pick-up location, carrying the discrete article on the one of the plurality of transfer heads between the pick-up location and the drop-off location, and placing the discrete article onto a portion of the web in the drop-off location at a first discrete article pitch and when the portion of the web is moving at a first speed.

A device for forming and applying accessory elements to a continuous band of absorbent material, includes a unit for feeding a continuous strip to a conveyor roller, a unit for cutting the strip in a continuous and alternating succession of first and second pieces, a first and a second roller rotating about respective axes parallel to the first direction, each including a movement device acting along a circumferential direction around the respective axis and configured for imparting to each unit a respective motion between positions for picking up and releasing the pieces. A unit for applying a pair of pieces to the band is equipped with a separating unit equipped with a spacer device for moving first and/or second carriages along a separating direction between close and far axial positions, wherein the spacer device includes a plurality of linear actuators each associated with a respective first carriage.