Apparatus for handling reels of webs of material

An apparatus for handling reels (10) formed from wound webs of packaging material used in conjunction with packaging machines, said apparatus comprising:

• conveyor rails (32) mounted in a horizontal plane above the packaging machines and extending in a horizontal direction;
• an overhead reel conveyor (35) comprising an undercarriage (36) movably mounted on said rails;
• means (40, 38, 39) for moving said reel conveyor (35) on said conveyor rails (32) above the packaging machines;
• arranged on a bottom side of the reel conveyor (35) and below said undercarriage (36), a reel holder (37) for grasping and holding one of the reels (10) at a time, said reel holder (37) being movable up and down,
• three pressure medium cylinders (47, 48, 49) which solely connect said reel holder (37) to said undercarriage (36) so that said reel holder (37) is exclusively supported by said three pressure medium cylinders, and which move said reel holder up and down,
• a horizontal supporting frame (52, 53, 54) on said undercarriage (36);
• three first ball-and-socket joints (57) connecting upper ends of said three pressure medium cylinders (47, 48, 49), respectively, to said horizontal supporting frame;
• and
• three second ball-and-socket joints (58) connecting lower ends of said three pressure medium cylinders (47, 48, 49) to said reel holder (37), said upper ends being spaced apart from one another at a greater distance than said lower ends, so that the pressure medium cylinders (47, 48, 49) downwardly converge relative to one another,
• said pressure medium cylinders (47, 48, 49) being individually extendible and retractable.