An apparatus for receiving blister packs from a product packaging line, and for inserting said blister packs into cartons coming from a carton ready-making line operating to obtain cartons from flat blanks or from flat tubular blanks, said apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor made as a closed loop and located downstream of a cutting station where said blister packs are formed in said packaging line, said conveyor being connected with its terminal part to said carton ready-making line for obtaining said cartons and featuring an upper surface fitted with crosspieces forming seats therebetween designed to receive blister packs oriented transversely in respect of said conveyor;
- guiding means located at both sides of said conveyor and designed to engage longitudinal edges of said blister packs placed in said seats so that said edges can slide along said guiding means and that said blister packs are centered in respect of said upper surface;
- a first device located and operating between said cutting station and the beginning of said upper surface, said device being operated in phase correlation with the operation of said cutting station, and with the motion of said conveyor, so to transfer said blister packs from said cutting station to relative receiving seats of said upper surface which are passing step by step at said beginning of said conveyor, with said blister packs resulting placed into said seats with the blisters turned upwards and with the related longitudinal edges engaging said guiding means;
- an ejecting station for ejecting faulty blister packs out from the related seats, said ejecting station being located downstream of said first device;
- a second device, positioned downstream of said ejecting station, said second device operating in phase correlation with the motion of said conveyor and being designed to fill empty seats of said upper surface with non-defective blister packs, when said faulty blister packs are removed from said seats, said second device being also able to feed itself, in occasion of a stop of said carton ready-making line in forming at least one carton, with said non-defective blister packs taken from said seats of said upper surface;
- a third device, positioned downstream of said second device near the terminal part of said upper surface, said third device being operated, in phase correlation with the motion of said conveyor and of said carton ready-making line, so as to form stacks of non-defective blister packs, to fold an information leaflet, to move a stack, together with a folded leaflet, perpendicularly in respect of said upper surface, to insert said stack and leaflet into a carton positioned on said carton ready-making line.