Handling device for making sleeve assemblies while making use of an automated opening/buffering/positioning station

A handling device for making sleeve assemblies, in particular anti-intruder sleeve covering assemblies for potted plants, comprising:

• a supply station of flexible protective sleeve material, in particular elastically stretchable flexible protective sleeve material, for example made out of a meshed nylon material, more in particular having relative small mesh openings, like smaller than 5 mm2;
• a sleeve handling station;
• and
• a gripping assembly that is configured movable back and forth relative to the sleeve handling station, and that is equipped with opposing grippers, and that is operable for:
• gripping a leading sleeve end portion of the sleeve material;
• moving this leading sleeve end portion back and forth relative to the sleeve handling station,
• an opening/buffering/positioning station that is provided between the supply station and the sleeve handling station, and that is equipped with:
• an elongate core element that is configured for the sleeve material coming from the supply station to be pulled over an upstream end of the core element and guided along the core element while automatically opening up the sleeve shape to outer cross-sectional dimensions of the core element;
• and
• a holding construction that is configured to keep the core element in place while the sleeve material is pulled over and guided along it, and
• an operable cutter that is provided at a downstream end of the core element and that is configured for each time cutting of a length of the sleeve material while leaving behind a new leading sleeve end portion at the downstream end of the core element,
• wherein the gripping assembly is configured movable back and forth between the downstream end of the core element and the sleeve handling station for each time gripping the new leading sleeve end portion, and then pulling said length of the sleeve material from the core element towards the sleeve handling station.