Patent ID: 9669954
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: B31B,B65B

Claim:
1. An apparatus for feeding tubular blanks to a packaging machine, the apparatus comprising: a collecting group, provided with a first gripping member for gripping single flat-folded tubular blanks at a first face, and alternatively mobile between a station for picking up said single tubular blanks from a store, wherein said tubular blanks are arranged flat folded, and a station for releasing said single tubular blanks erected, at a transport line; and an opening group, provided with a second gripping member for gripping said single flat folded tubular blanks at a second face, opposite to said first face gripped by said first gripping member, to perform the erecting of the tubular blanks, said collecting group comprising a drive mechanism provided with a first arm tilting on a vertical plane parallel to said transport line, about a first rotation axis, under control of motor members, and with a second arm, carrying said first gripping member, said second arm being mounted tilting on said first arm, about a second rotation axis, and said second arm being slidable axially with respect to a fixed point, to impart to said first gripping member an alternated rototranslation motion on said longitudinal plane, and said opening group comprising a support member for said second gripping member pivoted on said second arm of the collecting group, about a further rotation axis, and constrained to a pulling member for causing, in relation with said alternated rototranslation motion of the first gripping member, an alternated angular rotation of said second gripping member to perform the gripping and erecting of said tubular blanks, wherein said further rotation axis of said support member for the second gripping member is coaxial with a creasing line defined between said first face and said second face of a tubular blank respectively gripped by said first gripping member and by the second gripping member.