Krones Ag

Roland Hofstetter

Herbert Spindler

Alban Hutter

Peter Koch

Wolfgang Fechter

Jürgen Werner

Hans Luber

The invention includes an apparatus () and a method for handling articles (). The apparatus () includes a first conveyor () for supplying articles (), a second conveyor () for supplying outer packagings (), a third conveyor () for discharging filled outer packagings (), and a placing surface () arranged between the second conveyor () and the third conveyor (). The apparatus also includes a device () for transferring supplied outer packagings () from the second conveyor () to the placing surface (), a device () for transferring articles () from the first conveyor () into outer packagings (), and a device () for transferring filled outer packagings () from the placing surface () onto the third conveyor (). The method places articles () into outer packagings (), staged on a placing surface (), from one or more article flows lined up one after the other uninterruptedly and/or with gaps between them and/or grouped. The outer packagings () themselves in turn are supplied independently of the articles () in a transport direction () and are transferred () onto the placing surface () individually or groupwise transversely to the transport direction (). After the articles () have been placed in the outer packagings (), they are transferred (), in turn individually or groupwise, transversely to the transport direction () in order to be subsequently discharged in the direction of the transport direction () or opposite to it in parallel to the transport direction ().

Apparatus and method for handling articles

The method of the present invention removes at least a plurality of articles () arriving consecutively in a transport direction (FR) from an infeed (), and subsequently, arranging and grouping the articles (), while simultaneously lifting and collectively transferring the article () from the infeed () to a staging surface (). At the staging area are one or more outer packagings (), and into which the articles () are placed. Individually or groupwise, as seen in a direction in parallel to the transport direction (FR), the individual distances between the articles () corresponding to a defined arrangement () are increased and/or decreased, and finally, the articles () are simultaneously lowered and released into the one or a plurality of outer packagings (). The apparatus of the present invention comprises an infeed () of articles () being transported, at least one staging surface () arranged next to the infeed (). On the staging surface (), outer packagings () are staged, and which will be filled with articles () removed from the infeed (). From the staging surface (), the filled outer packagings () are discharged. A gripping device () is used to simultaneously seize a plurality of articles () from the infeed (). The gripping device () has one gripper head () per article. The gripping device () has at least one manipulator () with a horizontally and vertically movable manipulator head ().

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Rott am Inn, Germany

Roland Hofstetter