A movement unit for moving a blank includes a drum, a blank with central and lateral panels, and a retention device for retaining the blank. The lateral panel has an end secured to the central panel by a folding zone and an opposite free end. The retention device is secured to the drum and includes a support, a first gripping portion secured to the support and having first retention elements configured to retain the central panel, and a second gripping portion secured to the support or to the first gripping portion and having second retention elements configured to retain the lateral panel.

A transfer device for one or more flat substrates (4, 4a, 4b), which can be inserted between two successive units upstream and downstream (3, 6, 9) in a packaging production machine (1), the device including a bridge (14) with an upper surface (16) providing a junction between the upstream unit (3, 6) and the downstream unit (9). An adjustment device (19) varies a length (L1, L2) of the bridge (14). The bridge (14) is a static apron on which the substrate (4, 4a, 4b) slides, having a fixed transversal end (36) and a mobile transversal end (22). The adjustment device (19) varies a position of the mobile end (22), as a function of a spacing (E1, E2) between the two units.

A retention device for retaining blanks includes: a support, a first gripping portion secured to the support and provided with first retention elements of a blank, a second gripping portion secured to the support or to the first gripping portion and provided with second retention elements of the blank, and a movement mechanism for the second gripping portion with respect to the first gripping portion. The movement mechanism is configured to perform a pure rotation of the second gripping portion about a virtual rotation axis defined outside the retention device.

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.

In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes an at least one pile formation device. The at least one pile formation device is arranged so as to be displaceable at least in an inward-moving direction. The at least one pile formation device includes a plane. The at least one pile formation device is displaceable at least in a vertical direction relative to at least one lower multiple-up separating tool by means of a lifting device. In a temporary storage position, at least the plane is arranged in a vertical direction beneath a plane of the at least one lower multiple-up separating tool.

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).

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.

The invention relates to a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution (1) for a sheet processing machine (100), the device includes: at least one controllable pilot valve (4; 40), a fixed body (5) including: at least one main gas inlet (7) to be connected to a gas or vacuum source, at least one main gas outlet (8) intended to be connected to at least one suction cup and/or to at least one nozzle, at least a first and a second control gas openings (10, 11), at least one of the openings being connected to the controllable pilot valve (4; 40), at least one housing (9) having a first chamber (9a) communicating with the main gas inlet (7) and outlet (8) and a second chamber (9b) communicating with the first and second control gas openings (10, 11), at least one mobile piston (6) axially movable in the housing (9) by the action of a control gas or vacuum supplied in the second chamber (9b) through the at least one control gas opening (10, 11) connected to the controllable pilot valve (4; 40), the mobile piston (6) being movable between: a closed position in which the mobile piston (6) blocks a gas path (16) between the main gas inlet (7) and outlet (8) in the first chamber (9a), and an open position in which the mobile piston (6) releases the gas path (16), first and second chambers (9a, 9b) isolated from each other by cooperation of shapes between the mobile piston (6) and the housing (9) without frictional seal between the mobile piston (6) and the housing (9). Also disclosed are a suction unit and a feeder including such a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution and a sheet processing machine comprising such feeder or such a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution.

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.

An ejection device for ejecting sample blanks for a processing machine for processing elements in sheet form, the processing machine comprising: a plurality of work stations including at least one waste removal station, and a conveying device comprising a plurality of gripper bars configured to drive the elements through the work stations, the ejection device comprises at least one actuating element able to move between: an inactive position positioned away from the path of the gripper bars, and an active position positioned on the path of the gripper bars, the at least one actuating element being configured to collaborate with the gripper bars as they pass by, so as to open the gripper bars and eject, flat, a sample of blanks. The present invention also relates to a waste removal station, a processing machine for processing elements in sheet form, and a method for ejecting blanks samples in a machine.