Apparatus for feeding a plurality of flat elements lying flat on one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus

A feed apparatus for feeding a plurality of planar elements, resting flat against one another, in particular carton blanks, to a packaging apparatus, comprising:

• a first feed portion having a first feed portion conveyor belt, the first feed portion conveying surface of which supports the planar elements and is formed of a first material that has a specified coefficient of static friction with respect to the interaction with the planar elements, and
• a second feed portion having a second feed portion conveyor belt, the second feed portion conveying surface of which supports the planar elements and is formed of a second material that has a coefficient of static friction of which with respect to the interaction with the planar elements has a lower value than the first material of the first feed portion,
• wherein the second feed portion slopes downwards towards the packaging apparatus,
• wherein a first feed portion angular orientation of the first feed portion and a second feed portion angular orientation of the second feed portion towards the packaging apparatus are different from one another, and
• further including a frame, on which first and second feed units are arranged so as to be displaceable relative to one another transversely to the conveying direction, wherein the first feed unit includes the first feed portion and the second feed portion, and wherein the first and second feed units are arranged so as to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal central plane but are otherwise identical to one another.

A feed apparatus comprising:

• a first feed portion having a first feed portion conveyor belt arranged to support a flat surface of an associated planar element to be conveyed by the first feed portion conveyor belt, the first feed portion conveyor belt further arranged at a first angular orientation and having a first feed portion conveying surface formed a first material;
• and
• a second feed portion having a second feed portion conveyor belt arranged to support said flat surface of the associated planar element to be conveyed by the second feed portion conveyor belt, the second feed portion conveyor belt further arranged at a second angular orientation and having a second feed portion conveying surface formed of a second material,
• wherein the second angular orientation is different than the first angular orientation, and wherein the second material has a coefficient of static friction that is less than that of the first material, and
• further including a first feed unit and a second feed unit, wherein the first feed unit includes the first feed portion and the second feed portion, and wherein the first and second feed units are arranged so as to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal central plane but are otherwise identical to one another, and wherein the first and second feed portion conveying belts are arranged laterally adjacent to one another at the transition from the first feed portion to the second feed portion and the first and second feed units are displaceable relative to one another transversely to the conveying direction.