Apparatus for unscrambling randomly arranged containers comprising extraction means independent of each other

Apparatus for unscrambling articles, in particular containers (100), fed randomly to an inlet of said apparatus, comprising:

• a transport system (20) for transporting the articles fed to the inlet, designed to transport through the apparatus articles arranged randomly on a transport plane, said transport system (20) extending substantially in the form of a “U” with a first outward section (21) configured to transport the containers in a first advancing direction (A1) and a second return section (22) configured to transport the containers in a second advancing direction (A2) different from the first direction (A1), the two sections (21;22) being connected by a curve (23);
• pick and release devices (31;32) for picking and releasing the articles (100), configured to pick up the articles arranged randomly on the transport system (20) and release them to an extraction system (50) with a predefined orientation and/or position;
• said extraction system (40;140,50) for extracting the articles (100) arranged with a predefined orientation and/or position;
• a detection system (60) designed to detect the position and the arrangement of the articles (100) in transit on the transport system and to provide information for controlling the pick and release devices (30);
• a unit (500) for processing and controlling components and drives of the apparatus, designed in particular to receive the information about the position and/or arrangement of the articles and to control the pick and release devices (30);
• wherein the extraction system comprises:
• a support plane (40;140) for supporting the articles (100) being extracted;
• means (50;150) for extracting the articles (100), designed to pick up the articles released by the pick and release devices (31;32) and transport them on the support plane (40;140) towards an outlet (“O”) of the apparatus;
• wherein said extraction means comprise a plurality of grippers (50;150), each comprising a pair of jaws (51;151) and each gripper (50;150) is displaceable along a fixed guide (55) independently of one or more of the other grippers (50;150);
• and wherein the support plane (40) of the extraction system is arranged equidistant from the first outward section (21) and from the second return section (22) of the transport system.