Patent ID: 8392017

Claim:
An apparatus for grouping and palletizing a number of packaging units, comprising: a feed belt for conveying the units; a grouping belt; said grouping belt defines a grouping plane; wherein said feed and grouping belts are driven for movement parallel to one another; a robot which groups the units by positioning and orienting the units on the grouping plane; wherein at least one part of the feed belt runs beside the grouping belt wherein the robot is a multi-axial industrial robot comprising a robotic arm on which a pusher element is arranged; wherein the pusher element is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the grouping plane; wherein the rotation of the pusher element about said axis is independent of rotation about the other axes of the multi-axial industrial robot; wherein the pusher element allows the transfer of at least one unit from the feed belt to the grouping belt under a pushing action while orienting and positioning the unit on the grouping belt.