A method and to a device for handling hygiene products, in particular nappies, wherein the products are transported by a feed conveyor in a first transport direction into compartments of a removal conveyor, in particular a grouping conveyor, which transports the products in a second transport direction, wherein the second transport direction extends transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the first transport direction. At least one intermediate conveyor which serves to reduce the transport speed of the products in the first transport direction is located between the feed conveyor and the removal conveyor.

A transport apparatus for pharmaceutical containers includes a drive body, a drive device actuatable by a control device for implementing a timed movement of the drive body, and holding elements operatively connected to the drive body. Each holding body has at least one container receiving area for receiving a respective container. The transport apparatus also has first and second transfer regions for containers in the circulating direction of the drive body, and a deflecting region between the transfer regions in the running direction of the drive body. The first transfer region has a receiving region, and the second transfer region forms a hand-over region. The first transfer region and/or the second transfer region extends in a linear manner with respect to the running direction of the drive body. The transport apparatus can be used with a transport system for containers and a processing machine for processing containers.

Disclosed is a system for distributing objects designed to be inserted between an upstream machine delivering an input flow of objects in single-row form and a downstream machine requiring an output flow of objects in a controlled multiple-row form, including a conveyor belt that is configured to support and drive the objects in the direction of the flow, a deflector configured to deflect the input flow toward one of the rows of the output flow, and a unit for creating streams, configured to separate the input flow into streams of a predetermined quantity of objects, the unit for creating streams being placed immediately upstream from the rows of the output flow. Also disclosed is a method for distributing objects using such a system.

A transfer system for piece objects includes a pushing device and a main conveyor with a conveying region. The pushing device includes first and second pushing members. The transfer system includes a supply zone, which is behind the conveying region in a pushing direction. In an initial position of the pushing device, the first pushing member is between the conveying region and the supply zone and the second pushing member is behind the supply zone in the pushing direction. In an end position of the pushing device, the first pushing member is in front of the conveying region in the pushing direction and the second pushing member is between the conveying region and the supply zone. The first pushing member, between the initial position and the end position, is at a fixed spacing to, and in front, of the second pushing member in the pushing direction.

A method and apparatus for horizontally shifting an article group or article layer, composed of a plurality of articles, from a first position and/or from a conveying movement into a second rest position while largely maintaining the relative positions of the articles in the article layer or group to each other, said transfer being effected by at least one first pusher bar engaging with the articles located at the back of the article group or article layer, as considered in relation to the conveying or feed direction. A support bar, which is at least temporarily allocated to the articles located at the front of the article group or layer, as considered in relation to the conveying direction, moves ahead at a slight distance from or abuts on the foremost articles of the article group or layer at least immediately before or on reaching the rest position.

A method for feeding products of the tobacco industry, particularly snus, from a production machine to a packaging machine, includes making the products advance along an advancement direction; and feeding to the packaging machine groups of products(S) having a predetermined number of products; wherein this feeding of groups of products includes: in a position for receiving the products, placing the products inside containers that are brought to the receiving position one after another, by depositing a predetermined number of products inside each container, so as to form, inside each container, a group of products of predetermined number; and transporting the containers containing the formed groups of products to a position for delivery of the products to the packaging machine.

A feeding unit for receiving sealed packs from a forming unit arranged to form the packs and feed the packs to a folding unit arranged to fold the packs so as to obtain folded packages comprises a feeding conveyor having at least one carrying element arranged for delivering the packs to the folding unit at an outlet region of the feeding unit, the feeding unit further comprising a braking conveyor arranged for slowing down the packs so that the packs are kept in contact with the at least one carrying element at the outlet region.

A moving apparatus for objects comprises a first moving system for moving and separating in groups of a set number objects that are arranged aligned one behind the other and in contact along a first advancement direction; a second moving system arranged to receive said groups of objects from said first moving system and move them separately along a transfer direction that is inclined by an angle with respect to said first advancement direction; and a third moving system comprising at least one transfer element mobile along a second advancement direction that is transversal, in particular almost orthogonal, to said first advancement direction and arranged to abut and pick up at least one group of objects at a time from said second moving system and then move along said second advancement direction the group of objects arranged in a row.

A method of transferring a plurality of articles onto an outfeed carrier is provided. The method includes: advancing a plurality of articles in a first direction; advancing an outfeed carrier surface of an outfeed carrier apparatus in a second direction at an outfeed carrier surface velocity; providing a transfer apparatus, wherein the transfer apparatus comprises a frame and an article stabilization member operatively connected with the frame; engaging the plurality of articles with the article stabilization member in the engaging location; accelerating the plurality of articles in the second direction to transfer the plurality of articles from the transport member to the outfeed carrier surface; decelerating the plurality of articles between the engaging zone and the discharge zone to substantially match the velocity of the plurality of articles and the outfeed carrier surface velocity; and disengaging the plurality of articles from the article stabilization member in the placement location.

The invention comprises a method for horizontal movement of a group or layer of articles (10) from a vertically movable first support level (38) of a first module (12) to a vertically movable second support level (40) of a second module (14) immediately downstream of the first conveyor module (12) in a direction of transport or transfer (20, 50) while substantially maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles (16) forming the group or layer of articles (10). The movement or transfer is carried out by means of a transfer device (19). Additionally, the horizontal movement of the group or layer of articles (10) while the first and second support levels (38, 40) of the first and second modules (12, 14), which can move vertically in a synchronized fashion during the transfer process, are approximately aligned.