An apparatus for handling three-dimensionally curved snack food chips. The apparatus includes a first conveyor for conveying a series of the snack food chips on a conveying surface and an inverting station located at an output end of the first conveyor. The inverting station includes an inverter configured for transferring the snack food chips from an output end of the first conveyor into contact with an internal concave surface of the inverter. A drive system for the inverter is configured to move the internal concave surface downwardly to cause movement of the snack food chips downward from an upper portion to a lower portion of the internal concave surface. A depositing station is located and configured for depositing the snack food chips from the lower portion of the internal concave surface onto a second conveyor configured for receiving snack food chips from the depositing station and conveying them away.

An apparatus for the treatment of articles such as rolls made of paper material, and/or packets, packs, envelopes, bags, pallets or boxes, or another type of packaging. The apparatus includes a feeding device for feeding the articles, at least one unit for treating the articles, a transferring device for transferring the articles from the feeding device to the treatment unit, and an arranging device able to arrange the articles in respective groups of articles, each group including one or more articles arranged according to a respective and desired configuration of utilization by the treatment unit. In the apparatus, the arranging device is defined by the transferring device.

A system, and associated method, for launching and delivering separated food product in organized groups to a robotized packaging station for the product. The system initiates the delivery via a metered hopper of food product delivering the product to a launch V-belt that aligns the product end to end. A successive singulator belt, positioned adjacent to and receiving product from the launch belt, further organizes the product into a single file alignment. An optional separator belt may follow the singulator belt to create gaps between successive product units. The product is then delivered to a pick belt for product to be provided to the packaging robot. The system product information is from a single (per product delivery line) sensor, enabling intergrated end-to-end control from hopper to robot, and a nearly continuous motion of said pick belt.

An apparatus for placing pouches in retail-ready cartons includes pouch placer having an elevator assembly having paddles for receiving pouches provided by a first conveyor, and lifting the pouches, and a first robot arm for retrieving a pouch from a paddle of the elevator assembly and placing it in a retail-ready carton.

Grouping unit and method to form groups of hygiene absorbent articles in a packaging machine; a conveyor which receives the single hygiene absorbent articles in an input station is provided, which feeds the hygiene absorbent articles along a grouping path, and releases the groups of hygiene absorbent articles in an output station; wherein the conveyor has a belt which is closed so as to form a ring, is wound around at least two pulleys, and supports a plurality of blades, which extend perpendicular to the belt and delimit, between one another, respective pockets, which are each designed to hold a corresponding hygiene absorbent article; an active braking device is provided, which is arranged at the input station so as to cooperate with a pocket arranged in the input station to slow down the movement with which a corresponding hygiene absorbent article enters the pocket.

A system, and associated method, for launching and delivering separated food product in organized groups to a robotized packaging station for the product. The system initiates the delivery via a metered hopper of food product delivering the product to a launch V-belt that aligns the product end to end. A successive singulator belt, positioned adjacent to and receiving product from the launch belt, further organizes the product into a single file alignment. An optional separator belt may follow the singulator belt to create gaps between successive product units. The product is then delivered to a pick belt for product to be provided to the packaging robot. The system product information is from a single (per product delivery line) sensor, enabling intergrated end-to-end control from hopper to robot, and a nearly continuous motion of said pick belt.

A method for aligning rectangular packaging boxes comprises the steps of conveying packaging boxes along a transport path and of aligning each packaging box by means of at least one stop element. The step of aligning a packaging box comprises the steps of positioning the at least one stop element in a first position, in which it projects into the transport path; conveying the packaging box against the at least one stop element until each section of the packaging box facing the at least one stop element is resting against it; and moving the at least one stop element into a second position, in which it does not project into the transport path and thus releases the aligned packaging box for further transport.

Described and depicted is an application device for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, having at least one transport device for transporting the packages along a transport track having at least one applicator adjustable, from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements, to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back. To facilitate the application of the additional elements at a higher application speed without having to take on considerable losses with regard to the reliability of the application of the additional elements or the complexity of the equipment, it is provided that at least one positioning belt extending at least in sections along the transport track of the packages is provided such that the additional elements applied to the packages are held on the packages, in particular pressed onto the packages along at least a part of the transport track by the positioning belt.

A method for operating a production and packaging installation for hygiene products, wherein the hygiene products are produced by a production machine, and the hygiene products produced are packaged by at least two packaging machines which are assigned to the production machine and are intended for packaging the hygiene products in particular so that they are ready for dispatch. At least two packaging machines assigned to a grouping conveyor form a machine group, wherein the performance of the packaging machines of the machine group are adapted automatically in accordance with the performance of the production machine and/or the individual performances available for the packaging machines of the machine group, and/or wherein the number of hygiene products with which the holders of the grouping conveyor are filled is selected automatically for each holder in dependence on which of the packaging machines the hygiene product of the respective holder is intended.

An apparatus for the treatment of articles such as rolls made of paper material, and/or packets, packs, envelopes, bags, pallets or boxes, or another type of packaging. The apparatus includes a feeding device for feeding the articles, at least one unit for treating the articles, a transferring device for transferring the articles from the feeding device to the treatment unit, and an arranging device able to arrange the articles in respective groups of articles, each group including one or more articles arranged according to a respective and desired configuration of utilization by the treatment unit. In the apparatus, the arranging device is defined by the transferring device.