Patent ID: 7328560
Filing Date: 2008-02-12
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for packaging products in boxes, comprising: a supporting footing; a magazine for a continuous feeding of boxes in a flattened configuration; at least one pick-up and opening device for picking up the boxes from said magazine and for opening said boxes in a substantially parallelepipedal configuration; at least one feeder conveyor for feeding products to be placed in the boxes; at least one rotating carousel having a plurality of peripheral receptacles each of which has at least one open side, and which is adapted to receive the boxes, in a parallelepipedal configuration, from said pick-up and opening device in said plurality of peripheral receptacles, said at least one rotating carousel being further provided with axial pusher means, which are suitable to insert the products in the respective boxes through said open sides of said receptacles, and being further suitable to convey the boxes filled with the products toward subsequent production stations, and wherein said at least one feeder conveyor comprises at least one loop element, which is closed in a loop and is provided, on an external surface thereof, with a uniform distribution of supporting cups, said supporting cups being adapted to convey the products to be placed in boxes from the at least one feeder conveyor to said at least one rotating carousel, said loop element being provided with actuation means which are suitable to produce advancement of said supporting cups with the products to be placed in boxes in step with rotation of said at least one rotating carousel, so as to allow insertion of the products, one by one, in the respective boxes by action of said axial pusher means; first guides which are peripherally rigidly coupled to said loop element and are parallel to an axis of symmetry of said at least one rotating carousel; first cam means which are suitable to provide sequential translational motion of each one of said cups from a first inactive axial position to a second axial position, in which each one of said cups is fitted substantially at said open side of the respective peripheral receptacle of said at least one rotating carousel, so as to insert the product in the box by way of said axial pusher means, each one of said cups for supporting the products to be packaged being mounted slidingly on said first guides.