Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.a.

Jon Paul Laskis

Brian Alfred Williams

Robert C Beesley

Alessandro Morselli

J Mark Nunn

Robert Leslie Dillard

Mathias N Coulomb

Giorgio Santoni

Slobodan Milosevic

Tony Kinas

Joshua Riddle

A lifting apparatus for a case on a conveyor system. A chain vertically hangs over a conveyor belt. A hook is positioned on an end of the chain. A piston retracts and releases the chain. The hook interacts with and moves front flaps on cases traveling on the conveyor system.

Front flap lifting mechanism

An apparatus for transporting a case along a conveyor moving in a transport direction includes an engagement plate for positive engagement with the case. The engagement plate has a planar face and a vacuum source for vacuum attachment to a case outer surface face. The apparatus further includes a mechanism for moving the plate in the transport direction and for rotating the plate a selected angle from the transport direction. Related, corresponding, or associated methods for transporting a case along a conveyor moving in a transport direction are also disclosed.

Case turner

Package grouping unit for a packaging line operable to produce multipacks; the grouping unit () comprises a linear conveyor () operable to feed a succession of packages () at a first speed (V); and at least one grouping assembly () formed by two sub-assemblies (); wherein each sub-assembly comprises a pair of endless conveyors () and define, with the endless conveyors () of the other sub-assembly (), a package grouping channel () having a package inlet () and a group outlet (); each endless conveyor is provided with a number of package retaining elements (); the endless conveyors are operable independently from each other to move a first retaining element () through the package inlet () at a second speed (V) lower than the first speed (V) so as to intercept and slow down a first package () in the succession and cause the packages () to group; and to move a second retaining element (), carried by a different endless conveyor (), through the package inlet () so as to intercept the last package () in the succession and define, with the first retaining element (), a seat that is so sized as to accommodate a package group () and is movable, with the package group (), along the grouping channel ().

Package grouping unit with package linear speed reduction

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Jon Paul Laskis