Apparatus for erecting boxes

A box erecting apparatus for removing folded blank boxes (1), from a delivery station (A) and transferring them to a receiving station (B), comprising a plurality of suction cups (22) a rotor (20) carrying said suction cups (22) which protrude outward, said suction cups being distributed uniformly over a circle;

• a crank (30) rotatably supporting said rotor on an eccentric shaft (31), said crank being arranged to rotate uniformly counter to the direction of conveyance of the suction cups;
• and a planetary gear assembly, said planetary gear assembly having a sun gear (35) disposed coaxially with the axis of rotation of said crank, a planet gear (33) that is firmly connected to the rotor and rotatable on the eccentric axis of the crank, and an intermediate gear 34 arranged to mesh with both said gears;
• said cups, rotor, crank, and gear assembly being arranged so that said suction cups revolve on a self-contained cycloid path (C) including four sharply pointed reversal points (F, G, H, T) and arc therebetween, said delivery station (A) and receiving station (B) being disposed at opposite reversal points (F, H) of said cycloid path;
• that three suction cups are disposed offset by 120.degree. on the rotor (20);
• that the gear ratio between the sun gear (35) and the planet gear (33) is 4:3;
• and that the radial spacing between the suction clips and the axis of the rotor (20) is on the order of three times the eccentricity (E) of the crank (30).