US 11,939,090 B2
Apparatus for the treatment of articles
Massimo Franzaroli, Castel Maggiore (IT)
Assigned to PULSAR S.R.L.
Appl. No. 16/956,443
Filed by PULSAR S.R.L., Castel Maggiore (IT)
PCT Filed Dec. 21, 2018, PCT No. PCT/IB2018/060530
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 19, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/123421, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 27, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102017000149467 (IT), filed on Dec. 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0339291 A1, Oct. 29, 2020
Int. Cl. B65B 35/44 (2006.01); B65B 25/14 (2006.01); B65B 35/24 (2006.01); B65B 59/00 (2006.01); B65B 63/02 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 25/146 (2013.01) [B65B 35/44 (2013.01); B65B 35/243 (2013.01); B65B 59/001 (2019.05); B65B 63/02 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0232 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for the treatment of articles being defined by products and/or by packages of the products, the apparatus comprising:
a first feeding device configured for feeding said articles, the first feeding device including at least one driven conveyor belt,
a treatment device configured for treating said articles,
a transfer device configured for transferring said articles from said first feeding device to the treatment device,
an arrangement device configured to arrange said articles in respective groups of articles, in which each of the respective groups of articles includes one or more of a plurality of articles that are arranged according to a respective and desired configuration of use by said treatment device,
wherein said arrangement device is defined by the transfer device, which includes a plurality of robots, with each of the plurality of robots providing a respective portion of the articles for the each of the respective groups of articles,
wherein the treatment device comprises a packaging device configured for inserting the respective groups of articles into respective packages, the packaging device configured for receiving the respective groups of articles in a respective receipt position and inserting the respective groups of articles inside the respective packages, such that the articles leaving the treatment device are packaged but not palletized,
the at least one driven conveyor belt being configured to advance articles that are not homogeneous, or that are different from each other, the at least one driven conveyor belt including a plurality of driven conveyor belts side by side and parallel to each other and adapted to convey the articles that are not homogeneous, or that are different from each other to the transfer device and to the packaging device;
wherein the first feeding device includes a first bearing surface configured for receiving and supporting the articles, and the transfer device is positioned above the first bearing surface;
a support structure supporting the transfer device in a hanging condition to extend downward toward the first bearing surface;
the plurality of robots comprising a first robot and a second robot;
the first and second robots each contributing a respective quantity of the articles to each of the groups of articles, transferring the articles that are picked up from a respective row of articles being fed by the first feeding device;
the treatment device comprising a second feeding device configured for feeding the groups of articles in the treatment device, the second feeding device including a second bearing surface and configured for receiving and supporting the articles in respective partial forming positions of the respective groups of articles, the second feeding device being configured for removing the groups of articles or parts thereof from the corresponding reception area,
the first feeding device and the second feeding device being parallel to each other and arranged side by side to have parallel respective longitudinal advancement directions,
the first and second robots moving the respective articles from the first feeding device to the second feeding device in a direction transverse to the parallel longitudinal advancement directions.