Buffer device for buffering containers, with an inlet, an inlet manipulator, a first buffer system, a transposition device, a second buffer system, an outlet manipulator, and an outlet, where containers can be transferred by the inlet manipulator from the inlet to the first buffer system and can be transported along a first direction in the first buffer system, where the transposition device can transfer containers from the first buffer system to the second buffer system, and the containers can be transported in the second buffer system along a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and the containers can be removed from the second buffer system by the outlet manipulator and fed to the outlet, where the buffer capacity of the buffer device is adjustable.

An accumulating conveyor comprises a conveyor belt successively follows a first helical track from a lower end thereof in upward direction to a location below an upper end thereof, a first bridge to a location at a second helical track below an upper end thereof, the second helical track in downward direction to a lower end thereof, a first set of auxiliary guides to the upper end of the second helical track, the second helical track in downward direction, a second bridge to the first helical track, the first helical track in upward direction to the upper end thereof, and the second set of auxiliary guides to the lower end of the first helical track. The bridges are synchronously movable along the first and second helical tracks for varying the effective lengths of the conveyor belt.

A transport device for transferring rod-like articles, the device comprising: a first conveyor configured to transfer the rod-like articles as a multilayer stream in a first transferring direction; a second conveyor configured to transfer the rod-like articles as the multilayer stream in a second transferring direction opposite to the first transferring direction; wherein the first conveyor is located at least partially above the second conveyor; a transferring channel for transferring the rod-like articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor in a third transferring direction, the transferring channel being formed by a first wall located at the end of the first conveyor and a second wall distanced from the first wall by a distance equal to a width of the multilayer stream of the rod-like articles, wherein the second wall is located above the second conveyor; wherein at least the first conveyor and the transferring channel are movable in a first conveyor displacing direction corresponding to the first transferring direction or to the second transferring direction. The first wall forms a cover of the first conveyor; and the first wall is shaped such that there is a variable distance between the first wall and the second wall in a transverse direction that is transverse with respect to the third transferring direction of the rod-like articles in the transferring channel.

A processing line processes logs of convolutely wound web material and has upstream and downstream sections. A main accumulator has buckets that receive, hold, and release logs. An input feeder receives logs from the upstream section and conveys them to a bucket of main accumulator. A loader has a loader accumulator and loader buckets that receive, hold, and release logs. A transfer conveyor between the main accumulator and the loader receives a log from the main accumulator bucket and conveys the log a loader bucket independently of the input feeder. The loader receives a log from the transfer conveyor. The loader conveys the log in the loader bucket to a discharge of the loader. The loader discharge discharges the log from the loader bucket to the downstream section of the processing line.

Apparatus to supply bars which includes a work plane on which to position a bundle of said bars and a removal device configured to remove at least one bar from said work plane in order to transfer it to a destination station. The supply apparatus includes a plurality of containing units each configured to house a respective bundle of a determinate type of bar.

Transport assembly of the smoking products manufacturing industry; the transport assembly comprises: a first conveying system for feeding components of the smoking products along a first conveying path to a first input station of a first manufacturing machine; and a second conveying system for conveying articles obtained from the components along a second conveying path from a first output station of the first machine to an input station of a second manufacturing machine (for example, a packaging machine); the first conveying system is configured to change the length of a stretch of the first conveying path; the second conveying system is configured to change the length of a stretch of the second conveying path; the mentioned stretches of the first path and of the second path are arranged overlapping one another and/or side by side.

Transport assembly of the smoking products manufacturing industry; the transport assembly comprises: a first conveying system for feeding components of the smoking products along a first conveying path to a first input station of a first manufacturing machine; and a second conveying system for conveying articles obtained from the components along a second conveying path from a first output station of the first machine to an input station of a second manufacturing machine (for example, a packaging machine); the first conveying system is configured to change the length of a stretch of the first conveying path; the second conveying system is configured to change the length of a stretch of the second conveying path; the mentioned stretches of the first path and of the second path are arranged overlapping one another and/or side by side.

A transport device for transferring rod-like articles, the device comprising: a first conveyor configured to transfer the rod-like articles as a multilayer stream in a first transferring direction; a second conveyor configured to transfer the rod-like articles as the multilayer stream in a second transferring direction opposite to the first transferring direction; wherein the first conveyor is located at least partially above the second conveyor; a transferring channel for transferring the rod-like articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor in a third transferring direction, the transferring channel being formed by a first wall located at the end of the first conveyor and a second wall distanced from the first wall by a distance equal to a width of the multilayer stream of the rod-like articles, wherein the second wall is located above the second conveyor; wherein at least the first conveyor and the transferring channel are movable in a first conveyor displacing direction corresponding to the first transferring direction or to the second transferring direction. The first wall forms a cover of the first conveyor; and the first wall is shaped such that there is a variable distance between the first wall and the second wall in a transverse direction that is transverse with respect to the third transferring direction of the rod-like articles in the transferring channel.

A transporter has stars arranged in series such that a container is transferred at a transfer point that is common to two successive stars. Some of the stars rotate about a fixed axis whereas other stars rotate about an axis that moves relative to the fixed axis.

Facility for the production of bottles of liquid products, the bottles being formed from thermoformable plastic, the facility including a blowing device for blowing bottles from preforms, with a heating tunnel, a filling and finishing line including bottle filling, sealing, and/or capping stations, with a buffer conveyor interposed between the blowing device and the filling and finishing line, formed mainly as an endless conveyor suitable for receiving bottles, the buffer conveyor including a first section used under normal flow conditions, and a second section complementary to the first section and serving as buffer storage space under conditions of unplanned stoppage of the filling line, the bottle storage capacity of the second section being at least equal to the number of bottles and preforms which can be received in the blowing machine including in the heating tunnel.