A depalletizing machine for picking up and moving groups of articles, specifically bundles of blanks, includes a containing structure internally provided with at least one receiving area for a movable magazine containing one or more groups of articles. The machine also includes at least one access opening for allowing the magazine to be inserted into, or removed from, the receiving area. The machine also includes a collection zone configured for receiving a succession of groups of articles from the movable magazine and for moving the groups of articles towards the outside of the machine. The machine also includes at least one sensor configured for detecting a position of the movable magazine within the at least one receiving area and a pickup head configured to pick up groups of articles from the movable magazine and transferring them into the collection zone. The machine also includes a control unit configured for setting a predetermined law of motion for the pickup head as a function of at least one information item obtained from the sensor, regarding the position of the movable magazine.

An extraction device and method (1) for moving, from a pile (3), a batch (4) of stacked flat products (2) that are not connected to one another and that form the top of the pile (3), with the extraction device (1) including a frame (5), and, mounted in the frame (5), a gripping element (6) in the form of a controlled vise for firmly grasping section by section the batch (4) to be extracted. This device also includes, mounted in the frame (5), a separation element (8), separated from the gripping element (6), carrying a support surface (9) to come under the batch (4).

A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

A feeding unit to feed blanks in a packer machine having: a frame; a hopper for holding a stack of blanks, supported by the frame, and having a pick-up opening, through which one blank at a time can be retrieved from the stack; and a conveyor, supported by the frame, which moves the blanks along a moving path ending in the hopper. The feeding unit can be adjusted by a format change operation to accommodate blacks of different formats by changing the feeding unit from a first configuration for containing a first format of blanks, to a second configuration for containing a second format of blanks, different from the first format. The hopper has a reference element, which, in use, is placed in contact with the stack of blanks to establish reference positions for the blanks relative to the frame that do not move due to a format change operation.

Cartoning machine comprising a magazine configured to store stacks of cardboard dies (F) and means for picking up and transporting the dies (F) to move the dies (F) along a path (FM, FS) between the magazine, an unfolding station (S) and a product insertion station (N). The magazine comprises two mobile storage units (M1, M2) for storing the stacked dies, each mobile storage unit (M1, M2) being configured to store a respective stack (P1, P2) of dies (F). Cyclically, each mobile storage unit is in a waiting position while the other unit is in an operating position in which the means for picking up and transporting the dies are arranged and active. The storage units (M1, M2) are arranged one on a right side (DT) and one on a left side (ST) of the machine with respect to said path.

A vacuum belt conveyor sequentially delivers sheet articles to a digital printer. The sheets are held in position by vacuum on the underside of the sheets through apertures in the belts and covered by the sheets. A plurality of independent plenums on the underside of the belt have chambers respectively communicating with rows of apertures extending along the belt. Vacuum is selectively applied from a manifold only to the plenum chambers that supply apertures that are covered by the sheets so that the ink from the printer will not be directed from its intended position on the sheet by vacuum from adjacent uncovered belt apertures. The sheets are fed to the conveyor in synchronism with the conveyor speed by a timed feeder so that the sheets are carried by the conveyor with a predetermined gap between the sheets and no belt apertures in the gap. A sensor counts the apertures in the belt and activates the feeder at predetermined time intervals.

A loading device to supply successively with cardboard sheets a station for handling the sheets by folding to form from them boxes for packaging, the handling station having a storage area to receive the successive sheets, optionally grouped in bundles, the device itself having a manipulator that includes: a gripping tool to pick up the sheets; an actuator to move the tool between an inventory of sheets and the receiving storage area of the station; a detection unit for detecting the status of filling of the storage area; and a control unit that directs the action of the device and that receives detection information from the detection unit to do this, the control unit being independent of the control of the handling station and programmable to adapt the operation of the loading device to the type of sheets handled. A corresponding process is also described.

A feeding unit to feed blanks in a packer machine has a frame supporting a hopper and conveyor. The hopper holds a stack of blanks and has a pick-up opening, through which one blank at a time can be retrieved from the stack. The conveyor moves the blanks along a moving path ending in the hopper. The feeding unit can be adjusted by a format change operation to contain blanks with different formats by changing the feeding unit from a first configuration for containing a first format to a second configuration for containing a second format, different from the first format. A plurality of different and interchangeable hoppers are provided, each associated with a corresponding format of the blanks. Each hopper is fixed to the frame in a removable manner in order to be replaced during a format change operation.

A magazine for packs of blanks includes a vertical channel configured for inserting and extracting packs of blanks, a succession of groups of supporting parts movable between a retracted position to allow the packs of blanks to move along the channel towards a portion under the supporting part, and an at least partly extracted position, in which the supporting part intercepts a pack of blanks moving down the channel and provides a steady support for the pack of blanks, and transmission means configured to automatically move each supporting part from the retracted position to the at least partly extracted position when the supporting part immediately below it intercepts a respective pack of blanks, thereby defining the steady support.

A system and method of packing an order. A first sequence of bins corresponding to orders is transported on a first conveyor to a packing station. A case for each order is constructed by a case forming system, the case forming system able to construct cases from blanks of various sizes. The cases are transported from the case construction apparatus to the packing station in a second sequence, wherein the sequential order of the cases corresponds to the bins in the first sequence. The bin in the first sequence are brought to the packing station with the cases in the second sequence.