FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a transport apparatus and method for transporting packets for smoking articles. In particular, the apparatus and the method in accordance with the present invention are configured to modify the orientation of these packets during their transport in a determinate direction of advance.

The present invention also concerns an automatic packaging machine comprising the apparatus as above.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of packaging machines for smoking articles, machines are known which are capable of forming a packet around a group of smoking articles and subsequently wrapping it with a hermetic protection casing.

In order to do this, known machines comprise packaging stations, where the packets are formed and filled with the smoking articles, and one or more stations able to execute the same number of processes on the formed packet. For example, known machines comprise a station for applying a seal of guarantee and/or government stamps on the packet, and a station for wrapping the packet with a sealed casing that guarantees the hermetic seal of the packet.

In known machines, apparatuses are provided for transporting the packets which feed the latter from the packaging stations toward the other stations.

The transport apparatuses comprised in the machines known in the state of the art generally comprise one or more conveyor belts which advance a row of packets.

Sometimes, it is necessary to modify the orientation of the packets before they reach the processing stations disposed downstream, so that these stations can manipulate the packets in the correct way.

Transport apparatuses are known in the state of the art that allow to modify the orientation of the packets of smoking articles from an initial orientation to a final orientation, which is typically different from the previous one.

These known apparatuses comprise members for gripping the packets provided with suckers or similar elements, connected to a suction unit which allows these members to temporarily hold, by suction, the packets. The movement of the gripping members determines the modification of the orientation of the packets, which are first lifted from the inlet conveyor belt that is transporting the packets, and subsequently deposited onto an outlet conveyor belt according to the final orientation as above.

Furthermore, known transport apparatuses comprise a lifting device, usually associated with the inlet conveyor belt, to selectively lift the packets with respect to the horizontal plane in which the belt develops, so as to take the packets to interact with the suckers.

The apparatuses for transporting packets that are known in the state of the art have various disadvantages.

A first disadvantage of these apparatuses is their mechanical complexity, which makes controlling them in a manner that is coordinated with the upstream and downstream stations, optimizing the flow of the packets, complex. In particular, the coordinated management of the suction unit connected to the suckers and of the device for lifting the packets makes these transport apparatuses, and controlling them, very complicated.

This disadvantage is even more relevant in the event that the known systems have to be integrated into machinery with high productivity, such as for example machinery capable of packaging several thousand of smoking articles per minute.

Another disadvantage is that these apparatuses do not guarantee that the packet remains stably in the position it should assume according to the final orientation as above. In addition, the packets could accidentally fall or get damaged due to collisions while they are being picked up, lifted and deposited by the gripping members, which could ruin both the aesthetic appearance as well as the structural integrity of the packets.

In the state of the art, in sectors different from that of packaging packets for smoking articles, there exist apparatuses capable of modifying the orientation of the products transported on transport lines. These products can have either large sizes, such as packages, boxes or pallets, or small sizes, such as envelopes or packaging for food product.

Some examples of these apparatuses are described in patent documents DE 102011104900 Al, EP 1767474 A2, EP 1790593 Al, DE 4125342 A1 and US 10894673 B2.

The apparatuses described by DE 102011104900 Al and EP 1767474 A2 provide that each gripping member is independently motorized. These solutions are therefore expensive, bulky and very costly from an energy point of view.

The apparatus described by EP 1790593 Al comprises a cam mechanism that commands the rotation of the gripping members.

The apparatus described by DE 4125342 Al comprises a complex system of pneumatic actuators that are activated on the basis of signals received from photoelectric sensors.

These apparatuses have the disadvantage of not being very versatile and being complicated to use.

The apparatus described by US 10894673 B2 comprises a very bulky and expensive magnetic control system that provides the interaction between permanent magnets, which are provided in each gripping member, and the coils embedded in the guides. There is therefore the need to provide an apparatus and to perfect a corresponding method which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for transporting packets for smoking articles, and to perfect the corresponding method, which, by overcoming the disadvantages of the state of the art, is simple and reliable and allows to modify its orientation.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, and to perfect the corresponding method, capable of manipulating the packets individually during their advance without damaging them, and of guaranteeing a firm, albeit temporary, engagement with the packets during the modification of their orientation.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, and to perfect the corresponding method, which guarantee that after having modified the orientation of the packets, the latter remain stably in the intended position.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic machine for packaging packets of smoking articles that allows to achieve high productivity, as defined above. The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, the invention concerns a transport apparatus for transporting and rotating packets for smoking articles comprising a transport conveyor advancing in a direction of advance.

The transport apparatus comprises a manipulator device that has one or more manipulation units configured to contact a respective packet in order to modify its orientation with respect to the direction of advance.

According to one aspect of the present invention, each manipulation unit comprises an engagement member, which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of its own and is also configured and sized in order to temporarily cooperate with one of the packets so as to rotate it by dragging while the packet advances on the transport conveyor in the direction of advance. Each manipulation unit also comprises mechanical actuation means connected to the engagement member in order to selectively command the rotation of the latter about the longitudinal axis.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the manipulator device comprises a member that is rotatable about a main axis of rotation, disposed perpendicular both with respect the direction of advance and also with respect to the longitudinal axis of the engagement member.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the manipulator device comprises mechanical motion transmission means configured to cause the engagement member to maintain the longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to a support plane of the transport conveyor on which the packets rest, at least when the engagement member rotates the packet and while the manipulator device rotates about the main axis of rotation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the engagement member comprises a cavity that has larger sizes than the sizes of each of the packets.

The engagement member comprises an upper plate and a plurality of projecting elements that protrude downward from the upper plate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, these projecting elements are configured to contact each of the packets at least in correspondence with two distinct contact zones thereof, which are preferably disposed in correspondence with at least two diagonally opposite edges of a larger lateral wall of the packets, or of two opposite walls of the packets.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the projecting elements have a tapered shape moving away from the upper plate so as to selectively engage or disengage with/from the packets while they advance on the transport conveyor. According to one aspect of the present invention, the manipulator device comprises a plurality of manipulation units angularly equidistant from each other by a determinate angular pitch.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the mechanical motion transmission means are also configured to cause an upper plate of the engagement member to continuously remain substantially parallel to the support plane of the transport conveyor on which the packets rest, during the rotation of the manipulation units about the main axis of rotation. In other words, the mechanical motion transmission means are configured to cause the longitudinal axis of the engagement member to continuously remain substantially perpendicular to the support plane.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the mechanical actuation members comprise, for each manipulation unit, both a command member connected to the rotating member, and also a driven member integral with the engagement member and configured to rotate the engagement member about its own longitudinal axis.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the transport conveyor comprises a plurality of advance elements which rise upward from the support plane in order to each one contact and advance a respective packet in the direction of advance. The advance elements are distanced from each other by a linear pitch correlated to the amplitude of the angular pitch between two consecutive manipulation units.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting packets for smoking articles comprising a step of advance in which the packets are made to advance on a transport conveyor in a direction of advance, and a step of contact in which each packet is contacted in order to modify the orientation of the latter with respect to the direction of advance by means of one or more manipulation units. According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of contact provides a temporary engagement of an engagement member comprised in each of the manipulation units with one of the packets, and also provides, during the step of contact, a step of rotation of the engagement member, about a longitudinal axis, in particular by means of mechanical actuation means, so as to rotate the packet by dragging and modify its orientation while the packet advances on the transport conveyor in the direction of advance.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the method also provides to make the manipulation units rotate about a main axis of rotation which is disposed perpendicular both to the direction of advance and also to the longitudinal axis of the engagement member.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the method also provides that when the packet is rotated, the longitudinal axis of the engagement member remains perpendicular to the direction of advance, while the one or more manipulation units rotate about the main axis of rotation. According to one aspect of the present invention, the steps of contact and of rotation are contextual to the step of advance of the packets in the direction of advance, therefore during the steps of contact and of rotation it is provided that the packets remain resting on a support plane of the transport conveyor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of advance of the packets provides that the latter are each contacted by a respective advance element that rises upward from the support plane and is mobile together with the transport conveyor.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the step of contact provides, before the step of rotation, to distance each packet from the respective advance element by a distance, measured parallel to the direction of advance, such as to prevent collisions between the packets and the corresponding advance elements during the step of rotation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, after the step of rotation, there is provided a step of disengagement of the packets, during which the manipulation units move away from the packets and the advance elements gradually move closer to the packets until they return in contact with them.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the packet occurs by rotating the packet by 90°.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the engagement member comprises at least one pair of projecting elements, opposite each other and located at a reciprocal distance greater than the distance between two corresponding opposite faces of the packet. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic packaging machine for packaging packets for smoking articles, comprising a transport apparatus such as the one described above, also provided with programmable control means capable of commanding the movement of the transport conveyor and of the manipulator device in a coordinated manner. The apparatus and the method according to the present invention advantageously allow to modify the orientation of the packets during their advance in the direction of advance.

One advantage of the apparatus and of the method according to the present invention is that they are simple and reliable. Advantageously, the absence of gripping members, such as suckers connected to suction systems, and of devices for lifting the packets, makes the apparatus simpler and cheaper compared to the solutions known in the state of the art, and the corresponding method less complex to control.

Another advantage of the apparatus and of the method according to the present invention is that of guaranteeing a correct positioning of the packet in each of its orientations, thanks to the presence of the engagement member which temporarily cooperates with the packet in order to modify its orientation, by means of a rotation by dragging, during its advance.

Another advantage of the apparatus and of the method according to the present invention is to prevent accidental collisions or falls of the packets, thanks to the fact that at each step of the method the packets are always disposed resting on the support plane of the transport conveyor. Furthermore, the presence of guide rails that the transport conveyor is provided with also helps to keep the packets correctly positioned on the transport conveyor.

Another advantage of the apparatus and of the method according to the present invention is given by the fact that, since the longitudinal axis of the engagement members always remains perpendicular to the support plane of the transport conveyor on which the packets rest, the upper plate of the manipulation units is always kept horizontal, that is, parallel, to the support plane. This is advantageous because it makes the apparatus more reliable and the control of movements easier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a schematic and simplified front view of a transport apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

- figs from 2a to 2f are schematic and simplified front views of a detail of the apparatus of fig. 1, showing an operating sequence of the apparatus itself, as well as the method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

- fig. 2g is an enlarged detail of fig. 2c;

- figs from 3 a to 3 f are top plan views of the respective front views referred to in figs from 2a to 2f, in which some components of the apparatus have been removed for reasons of clarity;

- fig. 4 is a partly sectioned, schematic and enlarged front view of another operating position of the apparatus according to the present invention;

- figs from 5a to 5f are schematic top plan views, which show some variants of another detail of the apparatus in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention;

- fig. 6 is a three-dimensional view of a packet for smoking articles suitable to be transported by the apparatus of fig. 1.

We must clarify that in the present description the phraseology and terminology, such as for example the terms horizontal, vertical, lower, upper, high and low, with their declinations, have the sole function of better illustrating the present invention with reference to the drawings and must not be in any way used to limit the scope of the invention itself, or the field of protection defined by the attached claims. For example, by the term horizontal we mean an axis of a plane that can be either parallel to the line of the horizon, or inclined, even by several degrees, for example up to 20°, with respect to the latter.

Furthermore, the people of skill in the art will recognize that certain sizes or characteristics in the drawings may have been enlarged, deformed, or shown in an unconventional or non-proportional way in order to provide a version of the present invention that is easier to understand. When sizes and/or values are specified in the following description, the sizes and/or values are provided for illustrative purposes only and must not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention, unless such sizes and or values are present in the attached claims.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications. DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference to figs from 1 to 4, a transport apparatus 10 according to the present invention is configured to transport packets 100 for smoking articles.

Before describing the apparatus 10 and its operation in detail, we will now describe an example of a packet 100 that can be transported by means of the apparatus 10. It is understood that, in other embodiments, the transport apparatus 10 can transport packets 100 that have various shapes and sizes, even different from those described below with reference to fig. 6. A person of skill in the art will understand without difficulty that the apparatus, the method and the machine according to the present invention can be advantageously used to transport any object whatsoever that has characteristics similar or compatible with those of the packets for smoking articles, once the necessary structural or functional adaptations have been made, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

The packet 100 has substantially the shape of a parallelepiped and is configured to contain articles of small sizes, such as for example traditional smoking articles, such as cigarettes or small cigars.

The packet 100 comprises a top wall 101, a bottom wall 102, two opposite larger lateral walls 103 a and 103 b, and two opposite smaller lateral walls 104, each interposed between the two larger lateral walls 103a and 103b. The walls 101,102, 103a, 103b and 104 define a housing for the smoking articles.

The packet 100 comprises an aperture for removing the smoking articles from the housing and a re-closable lid 105 configured to selectively close the removal aperture. The re-closable lid 105 is hinged to the second larger lateral wall 103b and comprises both the top wall 101 and also a front wall 107, which is configured to close a removal window (not shown), for example U-shaped, made on the larger lateral wall 103 a.

The apparatus 10 (fig. 1) comprises a transport conveyor 11 configured to transport the packets 100 in a direction of advance A (figs. 1-3). To this end, the transport conveyor 11 , which can be of a type known per se or of a type that will be developed in the future, is disposed parallel to the direction of advance A.

In the example provided here, the transport conveyor 11 is configured as a conveyor belt closed in a loop on at least one pair of rollers (not shown), one of which is suitably motorized by means of suitable drive means, of a type known per se or which will be developed in the future.

The transport conveyor 11 defines a horizontal support plane 12 for the packets 100. In the example described here, it is the second larger lateral wall 103b of each of the packets 100 that rests on the support plane 12, but it is entirely evident that another wall of the packets 100 could rest on the support plane 12 without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

The transport conveyor 11 comprises a plurality of advance elements or small blocks 18 which rise upward from the support plane 12 to each contact and advance a respective packet 100 in the direction of advance A. The advance elements 18 are preferably distributed homogeneously on the transport conveyor 11 and are distanced from each other by a linear pitch P.

The apparatus 10 also comprises two guide rails 13 and 14 (fig. 4), disposed parallel to each other, on opposite sides of the transport conveyor 11, which is therefore interposed between them. The two guide rails 13 and 14 are parallel to the direction of advance A and are distanced from each other by a distance that is correlated to the sizes of the larger lateral walls 103a and 103b of the packet 100.

By way of a non-limiting example, the two guide rails 13 and 14 can be the same as each other and shaped as lateral borders that rise upward from the horizontal plane defined by the support plane 12.

The apparatus 10 comprises a transition zone 15 (fig. 3c), in correspondence with which the two guide rails 13 and 14 are interrupted. The transition zone 15 constitutes a discontinuity in correspondence with which it is provided that the reciprocal distance between the two rails 13 and 14 changes.

In the example provided here, the transition zone 15 separates a first segment 16 of the transport conveyor 11, disposed upstream of the transition zone 15 with reference to the direction of advance A, from a second segment 17 of the transport conveyor 11, disposed instead downstream of the transition zone 15.

In particular, in the first segment 16, the two rails 13 and 14 are distanced from each other by a first distance D1 (figs. 3a and 3c), measured on the support plane 12 perpendicular to the direction of advance A. The first distance D1 is slightly greater than the short side of the first larger lateral walls 103 a and 103 b of each packet 100.

In the second segment 17, the two guide rails 13 and 14 are distanced from each other by a second distance D2 (flg.3c), also measured on the support plane 12 perpendicular to the direction of advance A. The second distance D2 is slightly greater than the long side of the first larger lateral walls 103a and 103b of each packet 100.

In an initial set-up phase of the apparatus 10 the first and second distances D1 and D2 can be adjustable by means of suitable adjustment means, not shown, of a type known per se or which will be developed in the future.

The first and second distances D1 and D2 are a function both of the sizes of the packets 100 and also of their disposition on the support plane 12. For example, in another embodiment of the present invention, not shown in the drawings, in the first segment 16 the two guide rails 13 and 14 can be distanced from each other by the second distance D2, while in the second segment 17 they can be distanced by the first distance D1. The apparatus 10 (figs. 1 and 4) comprises a manipulator device 20 comprising one or more manipulation units 21, for example four (fig. 1), each configured to contact a respective packet 100 so as to modify its orientation, as will be described in more detail below. It is evident that in other embodiments of the present invention, not shown in the drawings, the manipulator device 20 can comprise a number of manipulation units 21 other than four, for example two, three, five, etc., without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The manipulator device 20 comprises a rotating member 22, rotatable about a main axis of rotation X of the apparatus 10, which is also disposed horizontally, but perpendicular to the direction of advance A. The rotating member 22, which in the example provided here rotates in a counterclockwise sense, as indicated by the arrow R1 in fig. 1, can be configured as a disc or a wheel which develops symmetrically with respect to the main axis of rotation X. The rotating member 22 is connected to a shaft 23 (figs. 1 and 4), coaxial to the main axis of rotation X and motorized by means of suitable actuation means, of a type known per se and not shown in the drawings. The rotation of the shaft 23 determines the rotation of the rotating member 22.

The manipulation units 21 are connected to the rotating member 22 so as to rotate with it about the main axis of rotation X.

Preferably, the manipulation units 21 are connected to the rotating member 22 in such a way as to be angularly equidistant each one with respect to the other by an angular pitch a (fig. 1). The amplitude of the angular pitch a is correlated to the linear pitch P that separates two consecutive advance elements 18. In a preferred embodiment, the linear development of the angular pitch a at a determinate radius of the rotating member 22, or of the members mounted thereon, as will be described in detail below, is greater than the linear pitch P.

In one variant, the linear development of the angular pitch a is substantially equal to the linear pitch P. As will be clarified below, each manipulation unit 21 is equipped with three degrees of freedom of movement. A first degree of freedom is constituted by the rotation about the main axis of rotation X. The other two degrees of freedom give each manipulation unit 21, during its rotation about the main axis of rotation X, a relative movement with respect to the rotating member 22. In the example provided here, each manipulation unit 21 comprises a rod 25, configured as an elongated cylindrical element, which develops symmetrically around a longitudinal axis Y of its own. In the example provided here, the axis Y is a vertical axis, perpendicular to the main axis of rotation X. Each manipulation unit 21 comprises an engagement member 26 configured to temporarily cooperate with one of the packets 100, while the latter is passing below the manipulation unit 21 on the transport conveyor 11, in the manner that will be explained in greater detail below with particular reference to the operating sequence shown in figs. 2 and 3.

Each engagement member 26 comprises a cavity 27 with sizes larger than the sizes of each of the packets 100 to be oriented. In the example described here, the cavity 27 substantially has a rectangular shape and has an extension that is equal to, or slightly greater than, the extension of one of the larger lateral walls 103 a and 103b of the packet 100. This is best seen in the enlargement of fig. 2g, which clearly shows the engagement with clearance between the engagement member 26 and the packet 100 to be rotated.

The engagement member 26 is attached to the rod 25 so that it can move together with the latter in operating conditions. It is preferable that the engagement member 26 is connected to the rod 25 by means of a connection of a removable and non-permanent type, so that when the format of the packets 100 to be oriented varies, only each engagement member 26 can be replaced with other engagement members that have cavities 27 with a shape and size correlated to the new format of the packets 100. Each engagement member 26 comprises an upper plate 28, for example rectangular in shape, integral with the rod 25, and a plurality of projecting elements 29 that protrude downward from the upper plate 28 and which are configured to contact a single packet 100. Please note that the elements 29 can be disposed at a distance of a few millimeters, for example about 2-3 millimeters, from the walls of the packet 100, when the engagement member 26 is disposed above the packet 100, and they contact the packet 100 during the step of rotation, as will be clarified in more detail below.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the elements 29 (figs from 3a to 3f) are four and are disposed in correspondence with the four comers of the upper plate 28, and each have an L-shaped cross-section in order to cooperate with a lateral edge of a packet 100.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the elements 29 (fig. 5d) are four, they are disposed in correspondence with the four sides of the upper plate 28 and have a substantially rectangular cross-section in order to cooperate with the bottom wall 102, the larger lateral walls 103a and 103b and the smaller lateral walls 104 of a packet 100.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the elements 29 (figs from 5a to 5c) are only two and are disposed, in a first version (fig. 5a) opposite each other with respect to two diagonally opposite edges of a packet 100; in a second version (fig. 5b), opposite each other with respect to two smaller lateral walls 104 of a packet 100; in a third version (fig. 5c), opposite each other with respect to the bottom wall 102 and to the top wall 101 of a packet 100.

Furthermore, each element 29 has a tapered shape moving away from the upper plate 28 so as to easily engage and disengage with/from the packets 100 that are advancing on the transport conveyor 11 in the direction of advance A in a gradual manner.

We must clarify that, for greater clarity of the drawings, in the plan views of the sequence in figs. 3a-3f, only some segments of the elements 29 have been shown, in particular in correspondence with the four comers that delimit the larger lateral wall 103 a, despite the fact that these elements 29 can extend for the entire perimeter of the upper plate 28 and therefore of the engagement member 26.

In fact, it is sufficient that the elements 29 contact the packet 100 at least in correspondence with two different contact zones to effectively guarantee that the orientation of the packet 100 will be modified.

Each manipulation unit 21 comprises mechanical actuation members connected to the rod 25 in order to selectively command the rotation of the rod 25 and of the associated engagement member 26 about the longitudinal axis Y. The rotation of the rod 25 about the longitudinal axis Y constitutes a second degree of freedom of the manipulation units 21.

In the example provided here, the mechanical actuation members comprise a mechanism 35 (fig. 4), which can be of any known type, or one which will be developed in the future, for example of the bevel gear or cam type; however, the present invention is not limited to this.

Specifically, the mechanism 35 comprises a command member 36, connected to the rotating member 22, which sets it in motion, for example in rotation, and a driven member 38 connected to the command member 36 and integral with the rod 25, to make the rod 25 rotate about its own longitudinal axis Y.

The manipulator device 20 also comprises mechanical motion transmission members 40, configured to cause the upper plate 28 of the engagement member 26 to remain substantially always horizontal, that is, parallel to the support plane 12, during the rotation of the manipulation units 21 about the main axis of rotation X.

In the example described here, the mechanical motion transmission members 40, indicated with a dashed line in fig. 1, comprise a plurality of gear wheels, suitably sized and designed so that the position of the manipulation units 21 is unconstrained from their rotation about the main axis of rotation X. The parameters for the design and sizing of the mechanical motion transmission members 40 are well known to the person of skill in the art and are not reported here in detail, since they fall outside the scope of protection of the present invention.

The mechanical motion transmission members 40 therefore allow to give the manipulation units 21 a third degree of freedom, in addition to the first two degrees of freedom mentioned previously.

The apparatus 10 also comprises programmable control means, of any known type whatsoever, or one that will be developed in the future and not shown in the drawings, capable of commanding the movement of the transport conveyor 11 and of the manipulator device 20 in a coordinated manner.

For example, the transport conveyor 11 and the manipulator device 20 can move in a continuous manner, with respective speeds of movement that are constant but different from each other. In this case, for the correct operation of the apparatus 10, the linear development of the angular pitch a is greater than the linear pitch P, in order to allow the manipulation units 21 to correctly engage/disengage with/from the packets 100, without interfering with the advance element 18, and the angular speed of rotation of the manipulator device 20 is greater than the speed of displacement of the transport conveyor 11.

According to another example, alternative to the previous one, the transport conveyor 11 can move in a continuous manner, with a constant speed of movement, while the manipulator device 20 rotates according to a law of motion that provides suitable accelerations and decelerations, in order to guarantee the correct interaction of the manipulation units 21 with the packets 100. In this case, the linear development of the angular pitch a can be equal to the linear pitch P.

The operation of the apparatus 10 described heretofore, which corresponds to the method according to the present invention, comprises the following steps.

The rotation of the rotating member 22 (fig. 1) about the main axis of rotation X moves one of the manipulation units 21 closer to a packet 100 to be manipulated, which is advancing on the transport conveyor 11 in the direction of advance A, pushed by a corresponding advance element 18 (figs. 2a and 3a). Continuing the rotation, the manipulation unit 21 temporarily cooperates with the packet 100 (figs. 2b and 3b). In this condition, while the packet 100 continues to advance along the first segment 16 of the guide rails 13 and 14, the upper plate 28 is placed in contact with the larger lateral wall 103 a of the packet 100 and each element 29 is placed in contact with an upper portion of a respective smaller lateral wall 104.

Please note that the relative movement between the manipulation unit 21 and the transport conveyor 11 determines the detachment of the packet 100 from the corresponding advance element 18. Specifically, the horizontal motion component of the manipulation unit 21, that is, the component parallel to the direction of advance A, causes the bottom wall 102 of the packet 100 to move away from the advance element 18 by a first quantity LI (figs. 2b and 3b), measured parallel to the direction of advance A.

Subsequently, this relative movement allows to increase the detachment between the packet 100 and the advance element 18 up to a second quantity L2 (figs. 2c and 3c), greater than the first quantity LI. Please note that in this position the packet 100 has arrived in the transition zone 15 between the two segments 16 and 17 of the guide rails 13 and 14.

In this position, the mechanism 35 makes the rod 25 rotate, together with the engagement member 26, about the longitudinal axis Y, for example in a clockwise sense, as indicated by the arrow R2 in fig. 3c. In the example provided here, this rotation is of about 90°, so that the engagement member 26 moves into the configuration shown in figs. 2d-2f.

Once this rotation has ended, the manipulation unit 21 has therefore rotated the packet 100 by about 90° (figs. 2d and 3d).

Subsequently, the manipulation unit 21 (fig. 1) continues its rotation about the main axis of rotation X. This movement of the manipulation unit 21 determines another advance of the packet 100 in the direction of advance A (figs. 2e and 3e). In this position, the packet 100 leaves the transition zone 15 and begins to travel along the second segment 17 of the guide rails 13 and 14. Please note that the relative movement between the manipulation unit 21 and the transport conveyor 11 causes the advance element 18 to move progressively closer to the smaller lateral wall 104 of the packet 100. This condition is shown in figs. 2e and 3e, in which the advance element 18 is detached from the packet 100 by a third quantity L3.

As the rotating member 22 continues its rotation about the main axis of rotation X, the manipulation unit 21 rises with respect to the transport conveyor 11 and the engagement member 26 disengages, that is, it detaches, from the packet 100 (figs. 2f and 3f), in order to then rotate in the sense of rotation indicated by the arrow R3, opposite to the sense R2, that is, in an anti-clockwise sense, so as to return to the condition shown in fig. 1. In this condition, the advance element 18 has returned in contact with the packet 100 and continues to make it advance in the direction of advance A.

The sequence previously described occurs in a work zone of the manipulation units 21, which can extend for an arc of circumference subtended by a central angle b (fig. 1), for example comprised between about 45° and 90°. In fig. 1, the work zone of the manipulation units 21 has been delimited with dashed lines indicated with the references W1 and W2. Please note that, in the work zone, the longitudinal axis Y is oriented in such a way as to remain perpendicular to the direction of advance A during the movement of the manipulation unit.

Please note that when the packet 100 is not made to advance by a respective advance element 18, the manipulation unit 21 that is engaging the packet 100, in addition to modifying its orientation, also determines its advance in the direction of advance A. Thereafter, the mechanism 35 makes the rod 25 rotate again, for example in a sense of rotation opposite to the previous one, that is, in the anti clockwise sense indicated by the arrow R3, opposite to the one indicated by the arrow R2. In this way, the engagement member 26 is again disposed in the configuration shown in fig. 1. The operation described above is repeated cyclically each time a manipulation unit 21 approaches a corresponding packet 100 to be manipulated.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the apparatus and to the method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of apparatuses, methods and/or machines, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading and they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.