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 packing unit and method for folding a blank on a packing machine; the packing unit having: a packing conveyor having at least one pocket for receiving the blank; and a feed device for inserting the blank into the pocket on the packing conveyor; the packing conveyor has at least a first conveyor belt defining a bottom wall, of the pocket; at least a second conveyor belt separate from, parallel to, and alongside the first conveyor belt, and defining the bottom wall of the pocket together with the first conveyor belt; a first retaining member, which projects perpendicularly from the first conveyor belt and defines a front wall of the pocket; and a second retaining member, which projects perpendicularly from the second conveyor belt and defines a rear wall of the pocket.

Equipment for feeding containers to a packaging machine comprising a magazine containing stacked containers. The equipment comprising a carousel device for collecting and inserting the containers into a conveyor. The magazine is positioned with its lower end slightly above that of the conveyor and suitably upstream thereof, in that a carousel device, rotating about a horizontal axis orthogonal to the direction of continuous advance of the upper run of the conveyor of the packaging machine, is located under the magazine and upstream of the conveyor, in that this carousel device comprises a plurality of suction cup units positioned in a way determined by interaction with cams, and in that the units are designed to grip the container and draw it from the base of the store by gripping the base wall by means of which these units subsequently deposit the container in a dynamic way on to the conveyor.

A packaging unit for packaging (100; 200; 300) articles (1) in boxes (2), comprises: a mandrel (10) for accommodating an article (1) inside it; a movement device (50) for moving said mandrel (10) along a movement trajectory (M); a feed device (30) for feeding a blank (7) towards said mandrel (10) along a feeding trajectory which intersects the movement trajectory (M); a folding device (20) mounted at the movement trajectory (M) for cooperating with said mandrel (10) to fold said blank (7) around the mandrel (10) and to form a box (2). The folding device (20) comprises a folding element (21) for abutting said blank (7) positioned between said mandrel (10) and said folding element (21), and an adjustment device for modifying the position of the folding element (21) and for adjusting the folding of the blank (7) around the mandrel (10).

Cartoning machine comprising means (GD, GS) for picking up and transporting the cardboard dies in use comprising two independent units (GD, GS) for picking up and transporting the cardboard dies.

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.

An apparatus for handling food products comprises an alignment trough disposed at an incline for holding a stack of the food products at an incline. The alignment trough defines a portion of a passage upon which the food products travel. The stack defines a bottom food product. At least one movable member extends into the passage to control the separation of the bottom food product from the remainder of the stack by moving to provide clearance fro the food product to pass.

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.

The invention relates to a device for transporting objects, in particular packaging means, said device comprising a continuous conveying section (3) and a plurality of conveying assemblies (40) that circulate on the conveying section (3). Each conveying assembly (40) comprises a first conveying element (4) and a second conveying element (5) and each of said conveying elements (4, 5) can be driven individually and independently of one another. The conveying elements (4, 5) are designed to jointly transport one individual object (2).

An apparatus for fetching a blank from a magazine holding a number of blanks is presented. Each of the blanks is a sleeve shaped piece of packaging material folded planar. The apparatus comprises a rotary feeder provided with a gripper. The rotary feeder and the gripper are arranged to rotate around a main rotational axis, such that the gripper is moved between a fetching position in which a blank is fetched and a releasing position in which the blank is released. The gripper is arranged to rotate around a gripper specific rotational axis, such that fetching the blank in the fetching position is facilitated.