Apparatus for handling reels

Apparatus for handling reels (10), comprising wound material webs of packaging material selected from the group consisting of paper, cardboard, tin foil or film, comprising a reel conveyor (15) for picking-up the reels (10) individually from a stock of reels and feeding the reels to a working journal (16) and which moves into a center opening (11) formed by each reel (10), in conjunction with a packaging machine, including the following features:

• a) the reels (10) are positioned above one another in the region of the stock of reels (13), with their center openings (11) extending vertically;
• b) the reel conveyor (15) has a lifting head (18) structured to be moved up and down in order to take hold, in each instance, of one reel (10);
• c) a reel bearing member for taking hold of a reel (10) in a positively-locking and/or non-positively-locking manner arranged on the lifting head (18);
• d) after it has picked up a reel (10) from the stock of reels (13), the lifting head (18) or the reel bearing member are structured to be rotated whereby the reel (10) can be fed to the working journal (16) in the vertical position with the center opening (11) oriented horizontally;
• e) after the rotational movement of the lifting head (18), the lifting head (18) is located in an upper end position and positioned directly adjacent to the working journal (16), the reel (10) adapted to being transferred by means of axial movement from the lifting head (18) to the working journal (16);
• f) the lifting head being structured to be moved up and down by means of a single vertical drive and adapted to being rotated in the upper end position by a vertical movement;
• and
• g) during upward movement of the lifting head, in the region of an upper end position, the lifting head (18) runs against a stop (39) whereby rotational movement is accomplished by virtue of the continued upward movement of the lifting head (18) after reaching the stop (39).