Apparatus and method for sorting randomly fed closing elements of different types or formats

A sorting apparatus for sorting randomly fed closing elements, comprising:

• a processing and control unit;
• an input conveyor plane designed to transport in a longitudinal input direction a plurality of closing elements arranged randomly on the conveyor plane;
• a first extraction system, configured to output an orderly flow of closing elements which advance with a predefined extraction position and/or orientation;
• a first intermediate transport system for transporting closing elements, arranged between the input conveyor plane and the first extraction system;
• one or more pick and place devices, arranged and controllable so as to pick up a closing element arranged randomly on the input conveyor plane and position it in the first intermediate transport system with a predefined intermediate position and/or orientation, controlled based on the position and arrangement detected;
• a detection system for detecting the position and the arrangement of the closing elements in transit on the input conveyor plane and for making the information available for controlling the one or more pick and place devices by the control unit;
• wherein said first intermediate transport system is arranged and configured to feed to an input of the first extraction system the closing elements positioned by the one or more pick and place devices further comprising:
• a second extraction system for extracting closing elements, configured to output an orderly flow of closing elements of a different type and/or format from that of the first extraction system, arranged with a predefined extraction position and/or orientation;
• and
• a second intermediate transport system, arranged and configured to feed to an input of the second extraction system the closing elements of different type and/or format,
• wherein the one or more pick and place devices are arranged and are controllable so as to pick up a closing element of said different type and/or format arranged randomly on the input conveyor plane and to position it in the second intermediate transport system with a predefined intermediate position and/or orientation.

A method for sorting randomly fed closing elements, comprising:

• transporting a plurality of closing elements of a first and of a second type and/or format, for closing containers, arranged randomly on an input conveyor plane;
• detecting the position and the arrangement of the closing elements of the first type and/or format, in transit on the input conveyor plane, by means of a detection system;
• picking up one or more closing elements of the first type and/or format arranged randomly on the input conveyor plane and positioning them in an intermediate transport system with a predefined intermediate position and/or orientation, by means of one or more pick and place devices controlled based on the position and arrangement detected,
• transporting the closing elements of the first type and/or format positioned in the intermediate transport system to the input of an extraction system, with feeding of the closing elements into the extraction system;
• outputting from the extraction system an orderly flow of closing elements of the first type and/or format which advance with a predefined extraction position and/or orientation.
• detecting the position and the arrangement of the closing elements of the second type and/or format in transit on the input conveyor plane, by means of the detection system;
• picking up one or more closing elements of the second type and/or format arranged randomly on the input conveyor surface and positioning them in a second, different, intermediate transport system with a predefined intermediate position and/or orientation, by means of said one or more pick and place devices, controlled based on the position and arrangement detected;
• transporting the closing elements positioned in the second intermediate transport system to the input of a second, different, extraction system, with feeding of the closing elements to the input of the second extraction system;
• outputting from the second extraction system an orderly flow of closing elements which advance with a predefined extraction position and/or orientation.