Leaflets are stacked horizontally in a stacker tray after folding, with the leaflets themselves aligned in a vertical orientation. A tray transport platform supports a plurality of tray sleeves and a plurality of corresponding trays located adjacent to the stacker tray. The trays can slide into the tray sleeves as each tray is filled with leaflets. A robot gripper is adapted to be selectively placed inside the stacking tray. The gripper captures a batch of the leaflets as they are stacked, and places them in a selected tray. A sleeve holder is selectively placed in and removed from the selected tray to control entry of the leaflets into a corresponding tray sleeve, and a stuffer pushes each batch of leaflets inside of the sleeve. A controller operates the components of the apparatus so that the leaflets are transferred from the stacker machine to trays without human labor.

A vibrating device (14) ensures the ordered rearrangement of folding boxes (3) in a receptacle (2) for an evacuation conveyor (8), provided with driving elements (12) whose vertices define a horizontal transport plane (S2). The device comprises: a movable support (15) able to support a receptacle (2) loaded with folding boxes (3), the support (15) having a contact surface (51) designed to be in contact with the receptacle (2), and at least one controllable actuator (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) comprising a displaceable end connected to the support (15) and able to displace the support (15) between: a retracted position in which the contact surface (S1) is positioned beneath the horizontal transport plane (S2), allowing a contact between the receptacle (2) and the driving elements (12), and a deployed position in which the contact surface (S1) is positioned above the horizontal transport plane (S2), preventing the contact between the receptacle (2) and the driving elements (12),
the actuator (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d) being likewise designed to cause the support (15) to vibrate about the deployed position in order to reorder the disposition of the folding boxes (3) contained in the receptacle (2).

System for transporting items to a packaging station comprising at least a first, a second and a third conveyor, said first conveyor configured for transporting arrangements of one or more items in a first transport direction to the third conveyor, said second conveyor configured for transporting arrangements of one or more items in a second transport direction to the third conveyor, said third conveyor configured for transporting said arrangements from the first and the second conveyor in a third transport direction, a fourth and a fifth transport direction towards a packaging station.

One aspect of the disclosure is a method of packaging a plurality siding panels. The method includes providing a plurality of siding panels, each siding panel having a front face, a rear face, top edge, a bottom edge, and a support member secured to the rear face, placing a first siding panel vertically within a box, the box having a first side, a second side, a top side, and a bottom side, and placing a second siding panel vertically within the box next to the first siding panel.

Leaflets are stacked horizontally in a stacker tray after folding, with the leaflets themselves aligned in a vertical orientation. A tray transport platform supports a plurality of tray sleeves and a plurality of corresponding trays located adjacent to the stacker tray. The trays can slide into the tray sleeves as each tray is filled with leaflets. A robot gripper is adapted to be selectively placed inside the stacking tray. The gripper captures a batch of the leaflets as they are stacked, and places them in a selected tray. A sleeve holder is selectively placed in and removed from the selected tray to control entry of the leaflets into a corresponding tray sleeve, and a stuffer pushes each batch of leaflets inside of the sleeve. A controller operates the components of the apparatus so that the leaflets are transferred from the stacker machine to trays without human labor.

According to the invention, the device comprises at least one flap spreading head (12a, 12b), the flap spreading head being vertically mobile for insertion thereof into a container (3) to be processed and including first and second flap spreading blades (121.sub.1, 121.sub.2) mounted on pivots and an actuator (122.sub.1, 122.sub.2). The actuator is adapted to command rotation of the flap spreading blades that on rotating come into contact with flaps (R1a, R1b) and bring about spreading thereof by folds toward the exterior of the container.

The invention relates to a gripping head (15) for insert sheets (11) for inserting between rows of folding boxes (3) in a receptacle (2), characterized in that it comprises: at least one first aspiration element (17a, 17b) designed to grasp an insert sheet (11), at least one second aspiration element (18a, 18b) designed to grasp an insert sheet (11), at least one linear element (19a, 19b) on which at least the first aspiration element (17a, 17b) is mounted and able to slide, a controllable actuating mechanism (20), designed to displace at least the first aspiration element (17a, 17b) by sliding on the at least one linear element (19a, 19b) into a position of grasping in which the at least one first aspiration element (17a, 17b) and the at least one second aspiration element (18a, 18b) are positioned at a spacing from each other in order to grasp an insert sheet (11).

A packing system includes a conveyor configured to transport one or more containers. Two or more printers are disposed along the conveyors. The printers are configured to print printed material. Each of the printers has a tray upon which the printed material is deposited from the printer. A robotic arm is disposed proximal to the conveyor and the printers. The robotic arm has an end of arm tool configured to pick the printed material from the tray of each printer. A controller is operatively connected to the printers and the robotic arm. The controller is configured to send one or more print instructions to one or more of the printers to print the printed material. The controller is configured to instruct the robotic arm to place the printed material from the tray into the container.

The present invention relates to an automated printer system for loading a printed set of printed material items into a container. The printer system is operative to determine which printer device, from one or more available printer devices, to output a print job to, for controlling the printer devices based on identifier marks provided on containers.