A load former includes a loading zone, a stacking zone adjacent to the loading zone, a platform in the stacking zone, a first drive configured to raise and to lower the platform, and a cookie sheet having a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion. The cookie sheet is shiftable from a first position in which the first portion of the cookie sheet forms a floor of the loading zone and the second portion of the cookie sheet is not located in the loading zone or in the stacking zone and a second position in which the first portion of the cookie sheet extends directly above the platform in the stacking zone and the second portion of the cookie sheet forms the floor of the loading zone. A second drive shifts the cookie sheet between the first position and the second position.

A folding box stack transferring apparatus in a packaging machine has a gripping apparatus which is arranged on an adjustable manipulator. The gripping apparatus has at least two gripping jaws which can be moved toward one another in a clamping direction and between which the folding box stack can be clamped. In addition, a suction apparatus is provided which can be adjusted by means of an adjusting apparatus in such a way that the suction apparatus can be brought selectively into or out of contact with the surface of the folding box stack. In the case of the transfer of a folding box stack, the suction apparatus is brought into contact with the surface of the folding box stack, and the suction apparatus is activated at least temporarily during the transfer of the folding box stack.

The invention relates to a sheet depositing arrangement. The sheet depositing arrangement comprises at least one sheet depositing apparatus having a sheet stacking chamber for creating a sheet stack, and a sheet extraction device which in turn has a sheet transporting means that is drivable in a direction of circulation, a sheet delivery region for delivering the sheets to be stacked to the sheet stacking chamber, a sheet stacking region, provided downstream of the sheet delivery region, for stacking the sheets to be stacked into the sheet stacking chamber, and a return region, provided downstream of the sheet stacking region. Furthermore, the sheet depositing apparatus has a sheet retaining device with at least one sheet retaining element, arranged adjacent to the sheet stacking region, for preventing at least one sheet to be stacked from being drawn into the sheet extraction device from the sheet stacking chamber by the sheet transporting means.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for feeding a plurality of flat elements (12) lying flat on one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus (V), comprising: a first feed section (18) having a conveying device (46), of which the conveying surface (22a1) intended to support the flat elements (12) is formed from a material which, with respect to the interaction with the flat elements (12), has a predetermined coefficient of adhesive friction, and a second feed section (20), which falls toward the packaging apparatus (V), wherein the inclination of the first feed section (18) and the inclination of the second feed section (20) toward the packaging apparatus (V) are different from each other.

A chain tensioner (50; 500) for a conveying device (70) of a machine (1; 1) for processing elements in the form of sheets (10), the conveying device (70) includes two lateral chain sets connected to the ends of transverse gripper bars (75) able to grasp the elements (10) and at least one chain-guiding device (90) configured to guide a respective chain set (80); the chain tensioner (50; 500) includes: an actuator (9) controlled by a control unit (8), a movable support (11), a transmission element (12) borne by the movable support (11), a rotary element (13) rotated by the actuator (9) and cooperating with the transmission element (12) in order to exert a thrust force on the movable support (11), the rotary element (13) being rotatable, to adjust the tension of the chain set (80). The actuator (9) is controlled in synchronism with the machine angle (MA). A machine (1; 1) for processing elements and a method for tensioning the chain sets (80) of the conveying device (70) are disclosed.

A device (10) for optically controlling a face (13) of a blank (12) has a vacuum conveyor (20) capable of transporting the blank (12) along a path of travel (15) and which includes a conveyor belt (22) having an apertured structure of which the conveying path follows the path of travel (15) of the blank (12). A suction device (40) is suitable for pressing the blank (12) against the conveyor belt (14). An inspection device (30) inspects the face (13) of the blank (12) during its conveyance by the vacuum conveyor (20). The inspection device is located on the side opposite the vacuum conveyor (20). The suction device (40) delimits three separate successive suction sections (41, 42, 43) along the path of travel (15), including a central suction section (42) that extends opposite the inspection device (30), an upstream suction section (41) and a downstream suction section (43).

An insert sheet loading device (10) comprising a movable carriage (12; 12) for inserting insert sheets into a receiving area (2) of a blank-receiving station (500). The movable carriage (12; 12) has a plurality of longitudinal bars (27a, 27b). At least one longitudinal bar (27a) has a suction channel (35) leading out, via at least one suction opening (30), onto the surface of the longitudinal bar (27a) for receiving an insert sheet, the suction channel (35) is connected to a vacuum source (31) for holding, by suction, the insert sheet transported by the movable carriage (12; 12). Also a blank-receiving station, a sheet-shaped element processing machine, and a method for transporting an insert sheet in a receiving area of a blank-receiving station are disclosed.

A feeding system for carton blanks is disclosed, comprising a pivotable linkage, a gripper head connected to the pivotable linkage at a first rotational axis. The feeding system comprises a magazine configured to store a plurality of stacked carton blanks in a stacking direction. The carton blanks are confined in a cassette being dimensioned so that the carton blanks are confined to extend between proximal and distal internal surfaces of the cassette along a cassette direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first rotational axis. The proximal internal surface is arranged to align proximal edges of the carton blanks in a proximal alignment plane being perpendicular to the cassette direction, the proximal alignment plane extending between the gripper head and said first rotational axis. The first rotational joint is positioned in relation to the magazine such that there is a separation distance between the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis.

A switching device (130) for transferring and ejecting a plate element (20) in a sorting unit (100), comprises: transport means (132), capable of transporting (A) the plate element (20) from upstream to downstream; a pivot (134), positioned in an upstream portion of the transport means (132), and allowing the transport means (132) to tilt relative to a horizontal transverse axis (R2); and raising means (135), secured in a downstream portion of the transport means (132), for tilting the downstream portion of the transport means (132) between a high first position and a low second position, and vice versa,
so as to switch the plate element (20), respectively upward and downward.

A rotary carton feeder includes a planetary drive having two sun rings with angular phase, cam surfaces on each ring about a common axis. Planetary members rotate about the common axis with a number of said planet members in operative engagement with one of the cams and another number of planet members in operative engagement with a second one of said sun rings. Spindles are selectively combined with selected planet members to selectively accommodate handling variably sized cartons of 1, 2, 3 or 4 count. Suction cups on spindle ends traverse an enclosed path having four cusps. Variations are disclosed.