A system is provided comprising a carton conveyor and a bypass carton accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the carton conveyor. The bypass carton accumulator may comprise: a carton pick apparatus comprising a carton pick head; at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position; and a storage apparatus. When in the first position, the stopper does not interfere with the flow of cartons along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a carton to stop a flow of cartons along the conveyor. The carton pick apparatus may be configured to pick up via the carton pick head a set of cartons from a pick-up zone of the carton conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of cartons in the storage apparatus.

An unloading apparatus includes a holding apparatus configured to hold side a holding target article group in such a manner as to hold the holding target article group and an article subgroup above the holding target article group; a suction apparatus including a plurality of suction parts that are configured to hold a plurality of articles constituting a suction target article group, and are configured to operate independently from each other, the suction target article is an article subgroup in an uppermost level; a first lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower a placement part and the holding apparatus relative to each other; a second lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower the suction apparatus and the holding apparatus relative to each other; and a first transport apparatus configured to receive at least one article subgroup held by the holding apparatus, and transport the at least one received article subgroup.

The invention relates to a packaging apparatus (1) for combining a plurality of articles (8) an outer package (6) formed from a cardboard blank (3). The packaging apparatus (1) comprises a magazine (2) for cardboard blanks (3), the cardboard blanks (3) being stacked and lying on top of one another within the magazine (2), a removal apparatus (4) for the cardboard blanks (3), and a handling device (5). The removal apparatus (4) is vertically and horizontally movable and comprises at least one suction tool (9) for withdrawing a cardboard blank (3) from the magazine (2). The suction tool (9) arranged pivotally movable within the removal apparatus (4) or on the removal apparatus (4) for executing a compensation movement and aligning the withdrawn cardboard blank (3) in a horizontal plane. The invention also concerns the removal apparatus (4) (3) and a method for withdrawing cardboard blanks (3).

A system is provided comprising a carton conveyor and a bypass carton accumulator adjacent to, and interfaced with, the carton conveyor. The bypass carton accumulator may comprise: a carton pick apparatus comprising a carton pick head; at least one stop device comprising a stopper movable between a first and a second position; and a storage apparatus. When in the first position, the stopper does not interfere with the flow of cartons along the conveyor and when in the second position, the stopper engages with a carton to stop a flow of cartons along the conveyor. The carton pick apparatus may be configured to pick up via the carton pick head a set of cartons from a pick-up zone of the carton conveyor after the stopper has moved to its second position and place the set of cartons in the storage apparatus.

An unloading apparatus includes a holding apparatus configured to hold side a holding target article group in such a manner as to hold the holding target article group and an article subgroup above the holding target article group; a suction apparatus including a plurality of suction parts that are configured to hold a plurality of articles constituting a suction target article group, and are configured to operate independently from each other, the suction target article is an article subgroup in an uppermost level; a first lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower a placement part and the holding apparatus relative to each other; a second lifting apparatus configured to lift and lower the suction apparatus and the holding apparatus relative to each other; and a first transport apparatus configured to receive at least one article subgroup held by the holding apparatus, and transport the at least one received article subgroup.

A conveying apparatus for a separator for a fuel cell includes: a conveying portion configured to hold an intermediate part of the separator and lift the separator; and restricting portions configured to restrict the opposite ends of the separator to warp the intermediate part of the separator in the lifting direction when the conveying portion lifts the separator. The restricting portions are configured to release the opposite ends when the intermediate part of the separator warps in the lifting direction with a target curvature amount.

Workpiece handling apparatus for handling at least one panel-type workpiece which preferably consists at least in part of wood, wood-containing material, composite material or plastics material, comprising a lifting unit and a gripping unit, wherein the gripping unit is adapted to perform a displacement movement parallel to at least a first direction, and the gripping unit has a workpiece pick-up device which is so configured that it is able to enter into a reversible, force-based and/or form-fitting connection with at least one panel-type workpiece, characterised in that the gripping unit is so configured that the workpiece pick-up device can perform a displacement movement parallel to a second direction which is different from the first direction, and the lifting unit has at least one guide element which is configured to perform a displacement movement parallel to the second direction, and which is additionally configured to limit at least one degree of freedom of movement of the at least one panel-type workpiece.

An apparatus for unstacking plate-like parts with at least one supply station, in which at least one part stack of plate-like parts is located and with an unstacking device which is assigned to the supply station and is for the singularised unstacking of the part stack and for bringing an unstacked part along a run-through direction onto a function station which is arranged downstream. The unstacking device includes a carrier device with at least one runner rail which is aligned along the run-through direction and on which an unstacking slide is movably guided in the run-through direction between the supply station and the function station. The unstacking slide includes a carrier structure on which several gripping units are arranged. The gripping units each include at least one gripping head which can be moved in the height direction for lifting the parts out of the part stack.

An apparatus for repeatedly separating and displacing a topmost bag between a bag stack location and a second location. The apparatus comprises a separating manipulator having a prehension end-effector selectively activable/deactivable to seize and maintain the topmost bag and subsequently release the topmost bag. The separating manipulator is selectively configurable in a bag engaging configuration to seize a separation section of the topmost bag and a lifted configuration where the prehension end-effector is spaced-apart from a second topmost bag of the stack. The displacing manipulator has a prehension end-effector selectively activable/deactivable to seize and maintain a displacement engagement section of and to subsequently release the topmost bag. The prehension end-effector is translatable along the displacement axis X to displace the topmost bag between the bag stack location and the second location. A method for repeatedly separating and displacing a topmost bag of a stack of bags is also provided.

The invention relates to a packaging apparatus (1) for combining a plurality of articles (8) an outer package (6) formed from a cardboard blank (3). The packaging apparatus (1) comprises a magazine (2) for cardboard blanks (3), the cardboard blanks (3) being stacked and lying on top of one another within the magazine (2), a removal apparatus (4) for the cardboard blanks (3), and a handling device (5). The removal apparatus (4) is vertically and horizontally movable and comprises at least one suction tool (9) for withdrawing a cardboard blank (3) from the magazine (2). The suction tool (9) arranged pivotally movable within the removal apparatus (4) or on the removal apparatus (4) for executing a compensation movement and aligning the withdrawn cardboard blank (3) in a horizontal plane. The invention also concerns the removal apparatus (4) (3) and a method for withdrawing cardboard blanks (3).