An automated machine for organizing and feeding cylindrical products includes a conveyor to space apart the cylindrical products. A pair of elongated rollers is disposed downstream from the conveyor to orient the cylindrical products in the same direction. A miter wheel disposed downstream of the pair of elongated rollers transfers the cylindrical products from the pair of rollers to a vertical accumulation chamber while changing the orientation of the cylindrical products from a vertical alignment to a horizontal alignment. The cylindrical products are discharged from the vertical accumulation chamber to a take away conveyance. Operation of the components of the automated machine can be controlled by a computer. Optical sensors can be employed to monitor flow of the cylindrical products through the automated machine during operation.

A method for performing operations on items (A) transported along a manufacturing line including feeding a sequence of items (A) with respective resting portions along a first feed path onto a first transport surface, arranging a gripping assembly having a first gripping head and a second gripping head, picking up a first item (A) from the first feed path using the first gripping head, rotating the first item (A) around a first rotation axis (R1), performing at least one operation on the item (A) during the rotation thereof around the first rotation axis (R1), swapping the positions of the first gripping head and the second gripping head, resting the first item (A) on a second transport surface and releasing the first item (A), and picking up a further item (A) from the first feed path using the second gripping head.

A method for transporting pairs of packs (100) comprising arranging a first pair of packs on a horizontal transport device (50), transporting the first pair of packs in a horizontal direction, arranging a second pair of packs on the horizontal transport device (50), therein, for each of the first pair and the second pair of the pair of packs, spacing a first pack of the pair of packs and a second pack of the pair of packs vertically from each other and further spacing the first pair of packs and the second pair of packs horizontally from each other on the horizontal transport device.

A handling device for transferring workpieces includes a workpiece carrier arranged to receive workpieces and a rotatable workpiece-conveying apparatus arranged to receive the workpieces from the workpiece carrier in a first angular position and to transfer the workpieces to a storage station in a second angular position. The workpiece-conveying apparatus includes an axis of rotation, a first linearly displaceable feed element and a second linearly displaceable feed element, intersecting the first feed element at the axis of rotation and simultaneously actuatable with the first feed element. The apparatus also includes first and second non-rotatable linear actuators. The first and second feed elements have end pieces, each arranged for direct interaction with the workpiece and a respective linear actuator. The feed elements may intersect at an angle of 90°. The first feed element may have a straight shape and the second feed element may have an offset shape.

A method for performing operations on items (A) transported along a manufacturing line including feeding a sequence of items (A) with respective resting portions along a first feed path onto a first transport surface, arranging a gripping assembly having a first gripping head and a second gripping head, picking up a first item (A) from the first feed path using the first gripping head, rotating the first item (A) around a first rotation axis (R1), performing at least one operation on the item (A) during the rotation thereof around the first rotation axis (R1), swapping the positions of the first gripping head and the second gripping head, resting the first item (A) on a second transport surface and releasing the first item (A), and picking up a further item (A) from the first feed path using the second gripping head.

The invention relates to a picking device (1) for arranging between at least one automatic placement point (95) and at least one picking workstation (91), comprising at least one container holder (3) movable along a travel path (V) from the picking workstation (91) to the placement point (95), and comprising a rotation unit (5) for moving the at least one container holder (3) along the travel path (V). The invention further relates to a storage system (89), which enables a fast picking of goods and simultaneously increases safety and ergonomics for an operator (93), the picking device (1) has a tilt device (13) for the at least one container holder (3) by means of which the at least one container holder (3) can be tilted toward the at least one picking workstation (91) during a movement along the travel path (V).

The invention relates to a picking device (1) for arranging between at least one automatic placement point (95) and at least one picking workstation (91), comprising at least one container holder (3) movable along a travel path (V) from the picking workstation (91) to the placement point (95), and comprising a rotation unit (5) for moving the at least one container holder (3) along the travel path (V). The invention further relates to a storage system (89), which enables a fast picking of goods and simultaneously increases safety and ergonomics for an operator (93), the picking device (1) has a tilt device (13) for the at least one container holder (3) by means of which the at least one container holder (3) can be tilted toward the at least one picking workstation (91) during a movement along the travel path (V).

The object of the application is an apparatus for the manufacturing of multi-segment rods, comprising a feeder (2) delivering rod-like elements (S1, S2) in the form of a rod-like elements train (ST1); a wrapping device (6) situated downstream of the feeder (2) in the direction of movement of the elements train (ST1), for wrapping the rod-like elements train (ST1) into the wrapping material (7) thereby forming a continuous rod (CR); a conveying unit (1) disposed between the feeder (2) and the wrapping device (6) for the formation of the train (ST2) of axially positioned rod-like elements (S1, S2) and for transferring rod-like elements (S1, S2) by means of a number of conveying wheels (9, 10, 11) to the wrapping device (6), whereas the rod-like elements are moved along guides (20, 21, 22); as well as cutting means (8) used for cutting the continuous rod (CR) into rods (R), each containing a set of rod-like elements (S1, S2), wherein at least the last of the wheels (11) in the unit (1) conveying the rod-like elements (S1, S2) to the wrapping device (6) is a wheel whose circumferential surface (11A) has no lugs.

The object of the application is an apparatus for the manufacturing of multi-segment rods, comprising a feeder (2) delivering rod-like elements (S1, S2) in the form of a rod-like elements train (ST1); a wrapping device (6) situated downstream of the feeder (2) in the direction of movement of the elements train (ST1), for wrapping the rod-like elements train (ST1) into the wrapping material (7) thereby forming a continuous rod (CR); a conveying unit (1) disposed between the feeder (2) and the wrapping device (6) for the formation of the train (ST2) of axially positioned rod-like elements (S1, S2) and for transferring rod-like elements (S1, S2) by means of a number of conveying wheels (9, 10, 11) to the wrapping device (6), whereas the rod-like elements are moved along guides (20, 21, 22); as well as cutting means (8) used for cutting the continuous rod (CR) into rods (R), each containing a set of rod-like elements (S1, S2), wherein at least the last of the wheels (11) in the unit (1) conveying the rod-like elements (S1, S2) to the wrapping device (6) is a wheel whose circumferential surface (11A) has no lugs.

A device for transferring rod-like articles (6) of the tobacco industry from a longitudinal conveyor (7), which transports rod-like articles (6) in the transport direction (T1), along the axis of rod-like articles (6), to a transverse conveyor (10), which transports rod-like articles (6) in the direction of transport (T2) transverse to the axis of rod-like articles (6), or inversely, containing a rotary transport device (13) with a horizontal rotation axis (X), equipped with rotary arms (14) on which brackets (15) maintaining a horizontal position during rotation of the transport device (13), with grippers (16) for gripping rod-like articles (6) attached to the brackets (15), characterized in that the gripper (16) is rotationally mounted on the bracket (15), so that the gripper's (16) axis of rotation (n) is directed vertically during the bracket's (15) movement.