Feeding method and apparatus
AssigneeG.D S.p.A.
InventorsDavide Parazza, Luca Federici
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a feeding apparatus for feeding spacers for cigarette packs are disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions; the spacers are stacked on a pallet that is positioned in a withdrawal station; the stacks of spacers are withdrawn from the withdrawal station and transferred to a respective hopper by passing each stack of spacers through an upper opening of the hopper, to then unload the spacers one by one through a lower opening of the hopper.
Claims6
A method for feeding spacers for cigarette packs, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs to space out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing at least one pallet, loaded with one or more stacks of spacers, in a withdrawal station;
- transferring each stack of spacers from the withdrawal station to a respective hopper passing the stack of spacers through an upper opening of the hopper;
- unloading the spacers one by one from the hopper through a lower opening of the hopper;
- wherein said transferring step comprises the steps of positioning two supporting feet of a manipulator on two opposite sides of at least one stack of spacers and moving the supporting feet to transport the stack keeping it resting on the supporting feet, the two supporting feet being carried by two respective vertical rods which, when the supporting feet are positioned under the stack of spacers, are at least partly inserted into recesses formed on two opposite sides of the spacers that form the stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.