APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING, OPENING FLAT FOLDED BLANKS AND FOR FEEDING THEM TO A PACKAGING LINE ADVANCED WITH STEPWISE MOTION

摘要

An apparatus includes a chain conveyor (20) that transports blanks (2) withdrawn from a magazine (3), in which they are stored in flat folded condition. The conveyor (20) is lined up with a line (4) for packaging products into cases (200) obtained from the blanks (2). Pushing bars (24) are pivoted to the conveyor (2) so that they can swing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the same conveyor (20). The pushing bars (24), which are to push the rear edges of the blanks (2), are hinged to respective connecting rods (26), which are also hinged to the conveyor (20) so as to provoke oscillation of the bars. A gripping member (30) with suction cups (31) is situated at the outlet of the conveyor (20) and is operated by a crank mechanism (33) that rotates in phase relation with the movement of the conveyor (20), so that the gripping member moves between a withdrawing position, in which the suction cup (31) engages an upper panel of a flat folded blank (2) lying thereunder, and a position in which the blank (2) is erected.