G.d S.p.a.

G.d Societa' Per Azioni

Azionaria Costruzioni Meccaniche Automatiche A.c.m.a. S.p.a.

Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.c.m.a. S.p.a.

Antonio Vitali

Salvatore Carboni

Andrea Biondi

Ivanoe Bertuzzi

Cristian Dakessian

Luca Cavazza

Luca Testoni

Giacomo Noferini

Eugenio Navacchia

Riccardo Ruggeri

Mirco Legnani

Lucio Librio

Maurizio Ventura

Alessandro Brizzi

Mauro Passerini

Stefano Piazzi

A method for forming a container starting from a blank. A forming unit includes a conveyor and equipment secured to the conveyor, including a forming device to form the container from the blank. The method includes: moving the conveyor; supplying the blank to the conveyor at the forming device; starting the forming of the container from the blank by said forming device; and completing the forming of the container from the blank by the forming device independently of a movement of the conveyor.

Method for forming a container

A magazine for packs of blanks includes a vertical channel configured for inserting and extracting packs of blanks, a succession of groups of supporting parts movable between a retracted position to allow the packs of blanks to move along the channel towards a portion under the supporting part, and an at least partly extracted position, in which the supporting part intercepts a pack of blanks moving down the channel and provides a steady support for the pack of blanks, and transmission means configured to automatically move each supporting part from the retracted position to the at least partly extracted position when the supporting part immediately below it intercepts a respective pack of blanks, thereby defining the steady support.

Magazine for packs of blanks, and method for making containers from blanks

A feeding unit to feed blanks in a packer machine has a frame supporting a hopper and conveyor. The hopper holds a stack of blanks and has a pick-up opening, through which one blank at a time can be retrieved from the stack. The conveyor moves the blanks along a moving path ending in the hopper. The feeding unit can be adjusted by a format change operation to contain blanks with different formats by changing the feeding unit from a first configuration for containing a first format to a second configuration for containing a second format, different from the first format. A plurality of different and interchangeable hoppers are provided, each associated with a corresponding format of the blanks. Each hopper is fixed to the frame in a removable manner in order to be replaced during a format change operation.

Blank feeding unit for a packer machine and provided with a series of interchangeable hoppers

A packaging device and a process for packaging articles arranged according to a predetermined pattern and supplied on a conveyor line are presented, where buffers for the preparation of layers to be packaged are eliminated, while maintaining a high degree of flexibility for a wide range of formats. The packaging device includes one or more transfer devices that pick up the articles and deposit them in layers. The transfer devices have a handling member connected to a respective gripping device, both movable along three orthogonal axes. Each gripping device has gripping elements to pick up an article from the conveyor line. The gripping elements are arranged to form, on each gripping device, a single layer of articles. Each layer is obtained with one or more pickings from the conveyor line, in order to place the articles in a single operation in a respective container of the flow.

Packaging device and process for articles to be packaged

A rotary machine includes a fixed internal body, a rotating external body and a lubrication system to lubricate one or more components of the internal body or external body during rotation. The lubrication system includes: an inlet conduit for a lubricant, formed in the internal body; one or more distribution conduits for the lubricant; a lubricant collection chamber between the external body and the internal body; and an outlet conduit communicating with the collection chamber.

Rotary machine with recirculating oil lubrication system

A transfer device to transfer articles by removing the articles from a removal zone and depositing the articles in a discharge zone, wherein a support plane and a deposit direction substantially perpendicular to the support plane are defined at the discharge zone. The transfer device includes a gripping head with retention elements, each for retaining a respective article, and a movement mechanism configured to move at least one retention element with respect to at least one other retention element in a staggering direction having a non-null component parallel with the deposit direction.

Transfer device, particularly for a packing machine

A device and a process for feeding articles to be packaged with a packaging apparatus are presented. The articles are transported on a first conveying line and can be arranged according to a desired pattern, which is repeated on a second conveying line from which the articles will be picked up in a subsequent station. For this purpose, at least one transfer device is provided for transferring the articles from the first conveying line to the second conveying line, with a self-moving transfer arm and a respective gripping device to pick up the articles. The gripping device has a plurality of gripping elements which are movable between a first configuration, in which the gripping elements are aligned with each other to grip the articles from the first conveying line, and a second configuration, in which at least two of the gripping elements are staggered with respect to each other, to lay the articles according to a predetermined pattern.

Device and process for feeding articles to be packaged

A feeding unit to feed blanks in a packer machine having: a frame; a hopper for holding a stack of blanks, supported by the frame, and having a pick-up opening, through which one blank at a time can be retrieved from the stack; and a conveyor, supported by the frame, which moves the blanks along a moving path ending in the hopper. The feeding unit can be adjusted by a format change operation to accommodate blacks of different formats by changing the feeding unit from a first configuration for containing a first format of blanks, to a second configuration for containing a second format of blanks, different from the first format. The hopper has a reference element, which, in use, is placed in contact with the stack of blanks to establish reference positions for the blanks relative to the frame that do not move due to a format change operation.

Blank feeding unit for a packer machine and provided with a position reference element

A transport unit for moving articles along a conveyor from a first station to a second station is presented. The unit includes a first conveyor segment having entry lanes separated from each other, a second conveyor segment downstream of the first conveyor segment to receive the articles from the first segment and having exit lanes separated from each other, in a number equal to the entry lanes, and a switching device, interposed between the first conveyor segment and the second conveyor segment. The switching device is movable between a first operating configuration, where each entry lane is in communication with a respective exit lane, and at least one second operating configuration, where at least one entry lane is selectively put in communication with an exit lane different from the exit lane with which the at least one entry lane communicates in the first operating configuration.

Transport unit for articles

A depalletizing machine for picking up and moving groups of articles, specifically bundles of blanks, includes a containing structure internally provided with at least one receiving area for a movable magazine containing one or more groups of articles. The machine also includes at least one access opening for allowing the magazine to be inserted into, or removed from, the receiving area. The machine also includes a collection zone configured for receiving a succession of groups of articles from the movable magazine and for moving the groups of articles towards the outside of the machine. The machine also includes at least one sensor configured for detecting a position of the movable magazine within the at least one receiving area and a pickup head configured to pick up groups of articles from the movable magazine and transferring them into the collection zone. The machine also includes a control unit configured for setting a predetermined law of motion for the pickup head as a function of at least one information item obtained from the sensor, regarding the position of the movable magazine.

Depalletizing machine for picking up and moving groups of articles

A packaging process, apparatus and control system for articles to be packaged in box-shaped packagings are presented. The flow of box-shaped packagings and the flow of articles are efficiently managed, avoiding an excessive discarding of the box-shaped packagings during the process. Articles and open box-shaped packagings are conveyed in a continuous flow. Packaging compliance with the instructions related to the box-shaped packagings and article compliance with instructions related to the deposit of the articles are verified. Upon verification of the packaging compliance, the articles are transferred to the box-shaped packagings. In case of lack of packaging compliance, the flow of articles is suspended. In case of lack of article compliance, the articles to be transferred are moved to a buffer.

Packaging process, packaging apparatus and related control system

A forming unit for a container from a blank of the container. The unit includes a conveyor and at least one equipment secured to the conveyor. The equipment includes a forming device moving with continuous movement and forming a container from the blank during a predetermined forming path on the conveyor.

Forming unit and method for forming a container and packing apparatus with such a forming unit

A magazine for bundles of blanks includes a vertical channel configured for inserting and extracting bundles of blanks and a succession of groups of supporting parts distributed along the channel. The supporting parts are configured to support the underside of a respective bundle of blanks. More specifically, each supporting part is movable between an extracted position, where it projects from the channel, towards the inside of the channel, to intercept a bundle that is moving down along the channel and to provide a steady support for the bundle, and a retracted position, where the supporting part is aligned or recessed with respect to the channel to allow the bundle to move along the channel towards a portion under the supporting part. The magazine also includes, for each supporting part, an actuating device configured to promote the passage of the supporting part from the retracted position to the extracted position and controllable by an operator, preferably manually.

Magazine for bundles of blanks

A package of tobacco articles having a group of tobacco articles; a cup-shaped outer container having an open top end, and a cup-shaped lid hinged to the outer container along a hinge to rotate, with respect to the outer container, between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the open top end respectively; and an inner package, which is housed in the outer container, encloses the group of tobacco articles, and has a tobacco article extraction opening closed by a sealing flap; the sealing flap having a connecting tab glued permanently and non-removably to the lid, so that opening and closing the lid also simultaneously opens and closes the sealing flap.

Package of tobacco articles with an inner package fitted with a sealing flap fixed to a hinged lid

A method and wrapping unit for producing a package containing a group of cigarettes, and which include: feeding the group of cigarettes along a path; feeding a sheet of wrapping perpendicularly to the path of the group of cigarettes; feeding a tubular spindle along the path of the group of cigarettes to intercept the sheet of wrapping and fold the sheet of wrapping into a U about the tubular spindle; and feeding the group of cigarettes through the tubular spindle to slide the sheet of wrapping off the tubular spindle and apply the U-folded sheet of wrapping to the group of cigarettes.

Growing community of inventors

Molinella, Italy

Antonio Vitali