Methods and apparatus for forming containers from container blanks are provided. An apparatus comprises a blank holding apparatus operable to releasably hold a plurality of carton blanks in a first configuration. The apparatus also has a rotary apparatus operable to rotate an engagement device along a rotational path from a first retrieval location where the engagement device is operable to engage with and retrieve a blank from the plurality of blanks held in the blank holding apparatus, to a second operational location. The apparatus also has a movement apparatus inter-connected to the rotary apparatus. The movement apparatus is operable to move the rotary apparatus and the engagement device with the engaged blank away from the blank holding apparatus, which may be translational movement away from the blank holding apparatus.

A station for feeding closing seals for containers includes, at least one fixed magazine of seals which is provided with an outlet from which the seals can be taken individually. The station further includes a carousel for feeding seals which can rotate with respect to a first central rotation axis and is provided with pickers which are radially spaced apart from the first rotation axis. The pickers are individually rotatable about a second rotation axis which is not parallel to the first axis of the carousel. During rotation of the carousel, at least one picker is configured to rotate about the second axis from a position for taking the seal from the magazine to a position for releasing the seal.

A register (20; 60) for a processing machine (1) for processing plate-like elements (10) includes a gripping element (21; 22) for placing the plate-like elements (10) in a gripper bar (31) of a conveyor (30) of a processing machine (1) conveying the plate-like elements (10) in a longitudinal direction, an actuator module (201, 202) to drive the gripping element (21; 22), at least one front correction sensor module (7) configured to measure the front position of register marks (12a) printed on a front section of the plate-like element (10) grasped by the gripping element (21; 22). The register (20; 60) includes at least one front pre-correction sensor module (80), placed upstream of the front correction sensor module (7) in the longitudinal direction, the front pre-correction sensor module (80) is configured: to detect the passage of a front transversel edge of the plate-like element (10) in at least two longitudinally spaced lateral axis of detection (P1, P2), one located in front of the other, and to provide measurements to a computation and control unit (40) of the processing machine (1) that is configured: to control the actuator module (201, 202) in order to move the gripping element (21; 22) toward the gripper bar (31) and to activate the gripping element (21; 22) in order to grasp a plate-like element (10). Also a processing machine for processing plate-like elements includes the register. A method for placing plate-like elements within a processing machine is disclosed.

An insertion assembly for the continuous and automated feeding of laminar elements into a graphic printing station without the involvement of roller elements in the process, allowing the distance between the laminar elements in question to be adjusted such that adjacent laminar elements may be positioned very close to each other regardless of their length. Said assembly comprises an insertion device (1) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements (3) can be moved horizontally, and suction means, with the insertion device (1) connected to a stacking area (4) and; a pulling device (2) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements from the insertion device (1) can be moved, and suction means, with the pulling device (2) connected to a graphic printing station, said pulling device adjoining the insertion device (1) in a direction of forward motion.

A refilling device on a stacking magazine (2) comprises a refilling magazine (18) which is disposed above the stacking magazine and has a rotatably drivable shaft (10) on each of two sides of the refilling magazine, the shafts together forming a support for a stack (11), and at least one controllably activatable air nozzle, by way of which air can be blown into the refilling magazine in such a way that metal sheets on the bottom side of the stack (11) can be bent by the air supply in the direction of the stacking magazine.

A vacuum plate which may be used in a system in which sheet material articles are handled by a vacuum plate. The vacuum plate comprises a first wall, a plurality of bores in the first wall, and at least one air outlet for connection to a source of vacuum pressure for applying a vacuum pressure to the bores. The first wall provides, in use, a vacuum lifting surface for pulling and holding the sheet material article to the vacuum surface when vacuum pressure is applied to the bores. Each bore comprises a flared opening terminating at the vacuum surface for admitting air pulled through the bore by the applied vacuum pressure, and opposite this opening, an exit for the air pulled through the bore, this exit being surrounded by a rim that extends above a surrounding surface of the second side of the first wall.

In a destacking device comprising a stacking magazine (2), the respective lowest sheet of a stack (1) of metal sheets is destacked by way of a suction element (5, 15). This element can be moved upward and downward by way of a drive (6). At the end of the upward movement, the respective lowest metal sheet (4) of the stack (1) is gripped by suction power and pulled from the stack. A second suction element (5, 15) is provided, which can be moved upward and downward by way of a drive (6) and by way of which the lowest sheet (4) of the stack (1) can be gripped at the end of the upward movement. The second suction element is driven so as to be leading with respect to the first suction element, so that the respective lowest sheet (4) of the stack (1) can first be pulled from the stack by the second suction element (5), and subsequently by the first suction element (5). In this way, it becomes possible to destack thin sheets having a thickness of only 0.12 mm and a square shape without disruption. The stack is held magnetically in the stacking magazine, which facilitates destacking.

An insertion assembly for the continuous and automated feeding of laminar elements into a graphic printing station without the involvement of roller elements in the process, allowing the distance between the laminar elements in question to be adjusted such that adjacent laminar elements may be positioned very close to each other regardless of their length. Said assembly comprises an insertion device (1) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements (3) can be moved horizontally, and suction means, with the insertion device (1) connected to a stacking area (4) and; a pulling device (2) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements from the insertion device (1) can be moved, and suction means, with the pulling device (2) connected to a graphic printing station, said pulling device adjoining the insertion device (1) in a direction of forward motion.

In a paper feeding apparatus, paper feed rolls in paper feed roll rows for feeding the lowermost one of cardboard sheets placed in a stacked manner on a paper feeding table intermittently one by one toward the printing device are coupled via shafts to separate servomotors. The servomotors are controlled so to be accelerated synchronously and rapidly from a stopped state to a high rotational speed during one cycle of feeding through contact with the lowermost cardboard sheet, while controlled so to be decelerated from the high rotational speed to be stopped rapidly and respectively when determined not to be in contact with the lowermost cardboard sheet.

The present invention provides, in various embodiments, a batch feeder and a method for stocking and gravity conveying of piece goods made of flat material. A feeder pit comprises an upper opening for inputting the piece goods in batches, a lower opening for extraction of the piece goods, and at least two lateral pit delimitations, which are located opposite to one another, for guiding of the piece goods. As carrying structures for supporting the piece goods on one side, that are arranged on top of each other as floors and that protrude into the feeder pit, are formed on at least one of the pit delimitations, the piece goods can be retained alternatingly on the carrying structures in an easy way and advance respectively for each floor.