A gripper, which removes blanks from a web of material lying flat, includes gripping elements which can each be actuated separately. The gripping elements are mounted independently of one another in a frame so as to be displaceable perpendicularly to a reference plane parallel to the web of material. The gripping elements are set against the web of material and actuated in a takeover position of the gripper aligned with respect to the blank by means of a control device. In addition to the gripping elements located inside the contour line, there are also other gripping elements adjacent to the blank and located outside the contour line that are set against the material web as downholders. Gripping elements within the contour line of the blank are actuated and retracted from the material web, taking along the blank, before the gripper is lifted off the material web from the takeover position.

A laminating device is adapted to laminate a plurality of sheet members on a lamination stage and includes: a plurality of laminating heads2 that each has a curved holding surface; a drum section in which the plurality of laminating heads are arranged, the drum section holding each laminating head, and rotation of the drum section causing each laminating head to advance to a laminating position facing a planar lamination surface; and a rolling motion mechanism that rolls the holding surface on the lamination surface so that a delivery point of the sheet member moves from a rear end to a front end of the sheet member while each laminating head is caused to move by the drum section.

The invention relates to a cell stacking system for stacking segments of energy cells, comprisinga feed device which continuously feeds the segments at a feed speed, a discharge device which discharges the segments in stacks, andat least one cell stacking apparatus which receives the segments from the feed device and transfers the segments to the discharge device in a stacked manner, whereinthe cell stacking apparatus has at least one removal apparatus and a depositing element, andthe depositing element has a transfer device, a depositing lever, and a receptacle which can be moved from a receiving position into a dispensing position and vice versa, whereinthe depositing lever removes the segments from the removal apparatus and transfers the segments into the receptacle arranged in the receiving position andthe transfer device can be moved from a ready position into a holding position, whereinthe transfer device is arranged in the holding position during the movement of the receptacle from the receiving position into the dispensing position and forms a intermediate support for depositing the segments.

A rotary storage device includes a body and a transfer material. The transfer material includes a first end coupled to the body, a second end opposite the first end, and a transfer material length between the first end and the second end. The transfer material length is wound around the body for an entirety of the transfer material length. The rotary storage device also includes a plurality of manufactured items disposed in a singulated manner along the transfer material length. Each of the plurality of manufactured items is removable from the transfer material.

A laminating device includes: a plurality of laminating heads that each holds a unit laminated body; a drum section in which the plurality of laminating heads are arranged, which holds each laminating head swingably via a support shaft, and which rotates to advance each laminating head to a laminating position facing a lamination stage; a cam section which is in contact with each laminating head and which causes each laminating head to swing around the support shaft in association with a movement of each laminating head caused by a rotation of the drum section; and a biasing member that biases each laminating head in a radial direction of the drum section.

An advancement unit (1) for causing a plurality of sheets (5) of paper, or any other material permeable to air, to move along a predetermined advancing direction (101) in a machine for paper converting, comprises a cutting group (10) which divides a web (4) made of paper, or another material permeable to air, into the sheets (5). The advancement unit (1), furthermore, provides a transfer roll (20) positioned downstream del cutting group (10), having an external surface (25) and adapted to rotate at a first predetermined angular velocity (1) about a longitudinal rotation axis (120) and to hold, alternately, on a first and on a second predetermined portion (26, 27) of the external surface (25) the head edge (5a) and the tail edge (5b) of the sheets (5) coming from the cutting group (10). A displacement group (30) is, furthermore, positioned downstream of the transfer roll (20) to move a plurality of catching members (35) along a movement trajectory (130) comprising at least one curvilinear portion (131) and at least one straight portion (132) to move the sheets (5) in a partly overlapped configuration along a predetermined advancement trajectory (135).

A suction cup gripping system has suction cup gripping devices each provided with a gripping suction cup having an internal cavity, a Venturi vacuum generator connectable to a compressed air line and connected to the internal cavity to generate therein a partial vacuum, a release valve connected to the internal cavity and operable to connect the internal cavity to an external environment or the compressed air line to eliminate the partial vacuum in the internal cavity, and a check valve interposed between Venturi vacuum generator and internal cavity. The gripping system includes a valve system connected to the Venturi vacuum generators and the release valves, a manifold connected to the internal cavities, a vacuum sensor connected to the manifold, and a control unit configured to control the valve system.

A method for folding pads shaped as pants includes overturning the first wing and the second wing of a semifinished product provided with Velcro by 180 on a plane of the pad and maintaining the first wing and the second wing in that position until the pad shaped as pants is closed.

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 rotary storage device includes a body and a transfer material. The transfer material includes a first end coupled to the body, a second end opposite the first end, and a transfer material length between the first end and the second end. The transfer material length is wound around the body for an entirety of the transfer material length. The rotary storage device also includes a plurality of manufactured items disposed in a singulated manner along the transfer material length. Each of the plurality of manufactured items is removable from the transfer material.