Method for Withdrawing Flat Folded Piled up Articles from the Open Bottom of a Magazine and an Apparatus for Carrying out this Method

An apparatus for withdrawing flat folded articles from a magazine with an open bottom, the articles being arranged to form a pile of articles, the apparatus including:

• support means situated below the open bottom of said magazine and holding a lowermost article of the pile at one side;
• first movable hold up means also situated below the open bottom of said magazine, for holding said lowermost article on a side opposite with respect to the support means, said first movable hold up means moving between a holding position, situated below the bottom of the magazine, and a release position situated away from the bottom of the magazine;
• second movable hold up means, situated near the open bottom of said magazine, on a same side as said first movable hold up means, and operated to insert between said lowermost article of said pile and an above article situated just above the lowermost article, to hold up the above article while said first movable hold up means are moved from the holding position to the release position to release the lowermost article, and removed from the pile of articles after said first movable hold up means having been returned to the holding position to let the above article, now lowermost article, being held by the first movable hold up means and the support means.

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first movable hold up means in the holding position are operated to slightly lower or lift said pile of articles, with sensor means being situated near said open bottom of said magazine, on a same side as the first movable hold up means, for detecting said contact surfaces between said lowermost article of said pile and an above article situated just above the lowermost article, and consequently for stopping said first movable hold up means in a position to place the contact surfaces in a translation plane for insertion of the second movable hold up means.