Patent ID: 8769913
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: A61M,B65B,B65G

Abstract:
1. A method for transferring a plurality of tubular receptacles made of a fragile material from containers in which the plurality of receptacles are housable separately, to a packing machine, the method comprising: moving each container by a conveyor line towards the packing machine, each container being a tray having a plurality of receptacle housings which are open, superiorly accessible and suitable for singly housing horizontally-arranged receptacles, the receptacles being separated from one another and arranged in the trays in parallel lines; supplying the trays along the conveyor line to a pickup position in proximity of an inlet of the packing machine; stopping the trays during each receptacle pick-up operation; collecting the plurality of receptacles from a parallel line of a tray, by vertically and contemporaneously lifting all of the plurality of horizontally arranged receptacles from the respective housings, picking up the receptacles from the tray, and maintaining the plurality of picked up receptacles in a horizontal arrangement separated from one another; taking the plurality of horizontally arranged picked up receptacles to the inlet of the packing machine arranged in a line, separated from one another, the line constituting said predefined formation; rotating the line of horizontally arranged picked up receptacles so that all the receptacles are arranged vertically, and; locating the rotated line of receptacles arranged in the vertical line formation at the inlet of the packing machine, maintaining the vertical line of receptacles separated from one another; bringing the collected and arranged vertical line of receptacles into the packing machine, maintaining the receptacles in the vertical line separated from one another, by translating the vertical line of receptacles longitudinally so as to bring the receptacles one at a time into the packing machine, constantly keeping the receptacles during the translation separated from one another, the packing machine receiving the vertical line of collected and arranged receptacles therein for processing; repeating the collecting, taking, rotating, locating and bringing steps cyclically to each of the parallel lines of the receptacles housed in the tray, wherein the bringing step has a duration which is at most equal to the sum of the durations of collecting, taking and locating steps, so that in a cycle, the bringing step for a line of receptacles is completed during the collecting, taking, rotating and locating steps applied to a further line of receptacles in a following cycle; and wherein, after all the receptacles housed in the tray located in the pick-up position have been collected, the tray is removed from the conveyor line and a further tray is advanced to the pick-up position, and repeating the steps of the method.