A method for supplying plate elements to a machine for processing the plate elements, from an initial pile of elements, the method includes: pushing a first batch of plate elements, from the top of the pile, downstream until the first batch comes at a storage capable of storing the first pushed batch, and simultaneously, displacing the storage downstream over a distance corresponding to the length of the first batch to separate the first batch from the pile; and thereafter transferring the elements of the first batch one after the other to the machine.

The present invention relates to a device (1) for removing plate-shaped elements (2), in particular cardboard blanks, comprising a carrier device (16), a holding device (9) which is arranged on the carrier device (16) for holding the plate-shaped element (2), a drive (7) with a driven shaft (8), a first lever (11) which is arranged fixedly on the shaft (8) so as to rotate with it, a second lever (12) which is connected rotatably to the first lever (11) and rotatably to the carrier device (16), a fourth lever (14) which is arranged such that it can be rotated about a fixed point (18), wherein the fourth lever (14) is connected rotatably to the carrier device (16), and a third lever (13) which is connected rotatably to the first lever (11) and rotatably to the fourth lever (14).

A plant for making packages includes at least a machine to work packaging material and an automatic feed apparatus to feed the packaging material to the machine in a direction of automatic feed; a manual feeding and loading station of the packaging material, adjacent and parallel to the automatic feed apparatus, the machine being mobile in a direction of movement transverse to the direction of automatic feed and selectively positionable in a first position aligned to the automatic feed apparatus and in a second position aligned to the manual feeding and loading station; and a guide system to guide the machine between the first position and the second position and vice versa.

A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

A device and a method for separating sheet material is provided. The separation of sheet material is not effected statically, but a suitable pick-up position and/or a suitable pick-up mechanism is selected for each sheet material piece, for example in dependence on the quality of a surface of the sheet material piece to be picked up, in order to pick up the sheet material piece from the sheet material stack and remove it from the same.

A belt having a first cover layer with a first top surface and preferably also a second cover layer with a second top surface, wherein the first cover layer and, if present, the second cover layer are made of a foam having a thermoplastic or thermoplastic elastomer, in particular a TPU or PEBA. The belt is suitable e.g. as a machine tape in mail sorting machines and for power transmission.

A loading device to supply successively with cardboard sheets a station for handling the sheets by folding to form from them boxes for packaging, the handling station having a storage area to receive the successive sheets, optionally grouped in bundles, the device itself having a manipulator that includes: a gripping tool to pick up the sheets; an actuator to move the tool between an inventory of sheets and the receiving storage area of the station; a detection unit for detecting the status of filling of the storage area; and a control unit that directs the action of the device and that receives detection information from the detection unit to do this, the control unit being independent of the control of the handling station and programmable to adapt the operation of the loading device to the type of sheets handled. A corresponding process is also described.

Examples include a processing machine for processing a substrate. At least one alignment segment is arranged before at least one processing unit of the processing machine. The at least one alignment segment includes a plurality of transport sections following one another in the transport direction. The at least one alignment segment includes a dedicated drive for axially adjusting at least one of the transport section. The at least one transport section includes at least one first transport sub-section and at least one second transport sub-section in the transverse direction. The first transport sub-section and the second transport sub-section are drivable relative to one another at differing speeds in the circumferential direction. The alignment segment includes a transport section that includes the dedicated drive for axially adjusting the transport section and the transport sub-sections that can be driven relative to one another at differing speeds.

Examples include activating at least one alignment segment of a processing machine. The at least one alignment segment is arranged before at least one processing unit of the processing machine that is activated. The at least one alignment segment includes a plurality of transport sections following one another in the transport direction. At least two transport sections, following one another in the transport direction, each have a basic position and at least one adjustment position. The at least one adjustment position in each case is offset relative to the basic position in the transverse direction. At least one transport section of the transport sections is axially adjusted. At least one dedicated drive axially adjusts the at least one transport section of the transport sections, and the at least one dedicated drive is designed as a direct drive.

A carton handling system for a carton blank magazine. The carton handling system includes a carriage assembly with a carton handling tool. The carriage assembly moves the carton handling tool in two axes of motion to receive a slug of carton blanks and to position the slug of carton blanks in the carton blank magazine. The carton handling system further includes a finger carried on the carton handling tool. The carton handling tool is movable to engage the finger with an underside of a fallen carton blank lying at an end of an advancing stack of blanks in the carton blank magazine so as to lift the fallen carton blank against a preceding blank at the end of the advancing stack of blanks. The carton handling tool is also movable to position the slug of carton blanks at an endmost blank in the advancing stack of blanks.