A facility for the automated opening of a carrier and for the provision of the carrier in loading and transport aids, the facility including a carrier feed appliance for feeding flatly closed carrier to a holder of a first conveying appliance, and a first conveying appliance for conveying the flatly closed carrier, which are held the holder, to a carrier opening appliance. The carrier opening appliance opens the flatly closed carrier. A merging appliance brings the carrier into the loading and transport aids. A second conveying appliance transports away the loading and transport aids with the opened carriers, which are arranged in the loading and transport aids.

An integrated carton and container which includes a collapsible container and a plurality of cartons. The carton or cartons can be filled with a product or products while the carton or cartons remain integrated with the container. The carton and container are integrated in such a way that when the container is expanded into an open position, the carton or cartons correspondingly expand into an open position. The integrated carton and container may be integrated in such a way that the integrated carton and container may be filled with a product and closed on a single apparatus.

Methods and apparatus for forming containers from container blanks are provided. An apparatus comprises a blank holding apparatus operable to releasably hold a plurality of carton blanks in a first configuration. The apparatus also has a rotary apparatus operable to rotate an engagement device along a rotational path from a first retrieval location where the engagement device is operable to engage with and retrieve a blank from the plurality of blanks held in the blank holding apparatus, to a second operational location. The apparatus also has a movement apparatus inter-connected to the rotary apparatus. The movement apparatus is operable to move the rotary apparatus and the engagement device with the engaged blank away from the blank holding apparatus, which may be translational movement away from the blank holding apparatus.

A bagging assembly for bagging bales of fibrous material is disclosed. The bagging assembly incorporates a chute defining a channel for receiving a bale, which is pushed there between by a stuffing assembly. Aspects of the bagging assembly include raising a bale using a bale elevator to a higher elevation position so that the bale could be stuffed by the stuffing assembly and using a bag retrieving mechanism for retrieving a bag from a bag location for use in bagging the bale.

A bagging assembly for bagging bales of fibrous material is disclosed. The bagging assembly incorporates a chute defining a channel for receiving a bale, which is pushed there between by a stuffing assembly. Aspects of the bagging assembly include raising a bale using a bale elevator to a higher elevation position so that the bale could be stuffed by the stuffing assembly and using a bag retrieving mechanism for retrieving a bag from a bag location for use in bagging the bale.

A gripper having jaws (11,12) is transported from a first position (FIG. 2) in which it grips a case blank (1) in a flat, folded condition to a second position (FIG. 4) in which the case (8) is erected. Gripping devices (13) on the jaws (11,12) are aligned with one another when the gripper is in its first position. The gripping devices (13) on the jaws (11,12) are oriented at right angles to one another when the gripper is in its second position. Mutual rotation is effected between the jaws (11,12) as the gripper is moved from its first to its second position, in order to unfold a case blank (1) gripped by the gripper jaws (11,12).

A suction transfer device suction-holds a bag-like article with a suction component and moves the suction component suction-holding the article to thereby transfer the article. The suction component has a negative pressure chamber, one or more suction openings, and a first surface. The negative pressure chamber forms a negative pressure space inside when a negative pressure generator is driven. The suction openings communicate with the negative pressure chamber. The first surface is disposed around the suction openings and opposes an article subjected to suction. An area of the first surface is from 0.5 times to 2 times an area of a sucked surface, which opposes the first surface, of the article subjected to suction.

A suction transfer device suction-holds a bag-like article with a suction component and moves the suction component suction-holding the article to thereby transfer the article. The suction component has a negative pressure chamber, one or more suction openings, and a first surface. The negative pressure chamber forms a negative pressure space inside when a negative pressure generator is driven. The suction openings communicate with the negative pressure chamber. The first surface is disposed around the suction openings and opposes an article subjected to suction. An area of the first surface is from 0.5 times to 2 times an area of a sucked surface, which opposes the first surface, of the article subjected to suction.

A bag supply system includes a bag accommodating unit having a holding member to externally support a bag bundle; and a bag supply device to which bags are supplied from the bag accommodating unit. The bag supply device includes a taking-out unit that takes the bag bundle out of the bag accommodating unit and carries the bag bundle to a depositing unit. The holding member supports the bag bundle in the state of exposing a part of one of a front surface and a back surface of each of a bag arranged on a frontmost side and a bag arranged on a backmost side of two or more bags included in the bag bundle. The taking-out unit takes the bag bundle out of the bag accommodating unit while holding the exposed part of the bag bundle supported by the holding member.

A bag supply system includes a bag accommodating unit having a holding member to externally support a bag bundle; and a bag supply device to which bags are supplied from the bag accommodating unit. The bag supply device includes a taking-out unit that takes the bag bundle out of the bag accommodating unit and carries the bag bundle to a depositing unit. The holding member supports the bag bundle in the state of exposing a part of one of a front surface and a back surface of each of a bag arranged on a frontmost side and a bag arranged on a backmost side of two or more bags included in the bag bundle. The taking-out unit takes the bag bundle out of the bag accommodating unit while holding the exposed part of the bag bundle supported by the holding member.