Handling method and machine to re-arrange ceramic articles of a group of ceramic articles
AssigneeSacmi Cooperativa Meccanici Imola Societa' Cooperativa
InventorsPaolo Gonni, Filippo Marchetti
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Abstract
Handling method and machine to re-arrange ceramic articles; the handling machine comprises: a first moving device to pick up and move at least part of the ceramic articles from a first support structure to a splitting-up station; a support comprising a base portion, a plurality of projections and a plurality of recesses; and a second moving device to transfer such ceramic articles from the splitting-up station to an output station and place them on a second support structure according to a second given arrangement so as to obtain a modified group of ceramic articles.
Claims17
A handling machine to re-arrange ceramic articles of a group (G) of ceramic articles, which comprises a plurality of ceramic articles and a first support structure;
- said plurality of ceramic articles is placed on said first support structure, which is placed at an input station, according to a first given arrangement;
- the handling machine being configured to re-arrange said ceramic articles so as to obtain a modified group (MG) of ceramic articles, said modified group (MG) of ceramic articles comprising at least one sub-group (SG) of said plurality of ceramic articles and a second support structure, on which said at least one sub-group (SG) of said plurality of ceramic articles is placed according to a second given arrangement, which is different from the first given arrangement;
- the handling machine comprises:
- a first moving device, which is configured to pick up at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles from said first support structure and move said at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles from said input station to a splitting-up station;
- a support, which is arranged at said splitting-up station, is configured to support said at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles and comprises a base portion and a plurality of projections, which project from the base portion so as to define a plurality of recesses, each placed between said projections;
- and
- a second moving device, which is configured to transfer said at least one sub-group (SG), which is at least a portion of said at least part of the plurality of ceramic articles, from the splitting-up station to an output station and to place said at least one sub-group (SG) on said second support structure, which is placed at the output station, according to said second given arrangement, so as to obtain said modified group (MG) of ceramic articles;
- said second moving device comprises a holding head, said holding head comprising at least two tines, and is configured to insert at least part of said tines into corresponding first recesses of said support so as to pick up, from said support, at least one ceramic article of said at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles.
A method to re-arrange ceramic articles of a group (G) of ceramic articles, said group (G) comprising a plurality of ceramic articles and a first support structure, so as to obtain a modified group (MG) of ceramic articles;
- said plurality of ceramic articles is placed on said first support structure with a first given arrangement at an input station;
- said modified group (MG) of ceramic articles comprises at least one sub-group (SG) of said plurality of ceramic articles and a second support structure, on which said at least one sub-group (SG) of said plurality of ceramic articles has a second given arrangement, which is different from the first given arrangement;
- the method comprises:
- a first holding step, during which a first moving device gets hold of at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles;
- a first transfer step, which is at least partially subsequent to said first holding step and during which said first moving device transfers said at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles towards a splitting-up station, which comprises at least one support comprising a base portion and a plurality of projections, which project from the base portion so as to define a plurality of recesses, each placed between said projections;
- a second holding step, during which a second moving device, which is provided with a holding head, said holding head comprising at least two tines, inserts at least part of said tines into corresponding first recesses of said support and picks up, from said support, at least one ceramic article of said at least part of said plurality of ceramic articles;
- and
- a second transfer step, during which said second moving device transfers said at least one ceramic article onto the second support structure according to said second given arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.