Machines used for orienting and aligning items supplied in bulk.

Abstract

A machine for orienting and aligning bulk-fed articles includes a first conveyor (10) having a feeding section (11), a collecting section (12), and a return section (13); a second conveyor (20); a detection system (30); and a plurality of transfer robots (40) for transferring articles from the first conveyor to the second conveyor and changing their orientation, wherein the articles are fed to the feeding section by a feeding device for bulk articles, including a circular centrifugal disc (50) rotating about an inclined axis (E), the upper peripheral region (51) of which is adjacent to the feeding section (11) and substantially at the same level, and wherein the return section (13) is adjacent to the containers (50, 53) for feeding the bulk articles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a machine for orienting and aligning articles supplied in bulk. Typically, these articles are empty packages that must be oriented, preferably upright, and aligned on a conveyor used for a supply packaging line.

[0002] In this case, the orientation and arrangement of the items are performed by multiple conveyor robots that pick up the items from a first conveyor, where the items are in an inclined position and randomly arranged, and then place them on a second conveyor in the desired orientation and alignment. Background Technology

[0003] For example, picking up tilted and randomly arranged items from a first conveyor and placing them in an upright and aligned position on a second conveyor is known in document WO2019082111A1.

[0004] However, in this document, the supply of items at an inclined and random position on the first conveyor is done by dropping them. This may cause some items to bounce off the first conveyor or become piled up, hindering the conveyor robot from collecting them.

[0005] The solution further requires adjusting the supply speed of the items to match the speed of the first conveyor.

[0006] For example, documents EP2746165A1 and ES201830276U are also known, similar to the previously described documents, but they do not consider changing the vertical orientation of the item from an inclined position to an upright position, and they also consider supplying the item by dropping it.

[0007] Documents EP2796393 and EP2899148 are also known, which describe the collection and orientation of items from an inclined position to an upright position by means of a conveyor robot, but in which the items are supplied on a first conveyor in an inclined and aligned position.

[0008] Furthermore, in all the solutions described above, if an item placed on the first conveyor is not picked up by one of the conveying robots, the item must be returned to the packaging feeder. This requires a specific conveyor and ramp system to be placed back at the starting point of the first conveyor, which necessitates additional equipment, complicates matters, and makes the final product more expensive.

[0009] This invention solves these and other problems. Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a machine for orienting and aligning articles supplied in bulk.

[0011] The machine includes, in a manner known per se, the following:

[0012] A first conveyor, which is formed by a substantially horizontal surface to support and move articles in an inclined position and randomly arranged in the conveying direction, includes a feeding section supplied by a feeding device for bulk articles and a collection section immediately following it in the conveying direction.

[0013] A detection system configured to detect the position and orientation of items placed on a first conveyor;

[0014] A second conveyor, which includes a conveying section;

[0015] Multiple transfer robots are arranged in a transfer area comprising a collection section and a transfer section, wherein each transfer robot is configured to pick up items individually from the collection section, orient them in a defined direction, and align them on the transfer section in response to a detection performed by a detection system.

[0016] It is understood that the first and second conveyors can be conveying surfaces, such as rotating discs or rings, belts or bands, which present themselves as substantially horizontal movable conveying surfaces that move in the conveying direction.

[0017] It is understood that the basic level direction includes a completely level surface, but also includes a surface with a slight downward slope toward the outer periphery of the first conveyor and away from the container, for example, a slope equal to or less than 5%.

[0018] Preferably, the first conveyor lacks alignment elements or cavities to determine the position of items, thereby allowing items to be positioned randomly, and also allowing the type or size of items to be modified without adjusting the machine.

[0019] According to the invention, the machine includes a first conveyor, which includes a feeding section and a collecting section along its path. In the feeding section, articles are placed on the first conveyor by a feeding device; in the collecting section, articles are individually picked up by a transfer robot.

[0020] The machine also includes a second conveyor, which includes a conveying section. The collection section of the first conveyor and the conveying section of the second conveyor are located in a conveying area. The collection section of the first conveyor and the conveying section of the second conveyor are associated with a plurality of conveying robots arranged sequentially along the conveying area. The plurality of conveying robots are used to pick up items placed on the collection section and place the items on the conveying section.

[0021] The collecting section and the conveying section are preferably parallel to each other, providing a certain length of conveying area, wherein the multiple conveying robots can be placed sequentially.

[0022] The detection system, typically including a camera (e.g., positioned above a first conveyor and upstream of the transport robot) and connected to a control device, executes an algorithm to identify items captured by the camera and their position and orientation. The transport robot then determines the position and orientation of the items to be collected. Optionally, the first conveyor may be transparent or semi-transparent and backlit to enhance the contrast of the items. The control device also controls the transport robot based on the position and orientation of the items to guide it in grasping one of the items and modifying its orientation, thereby successfully placing them on the second conveyor in a defined orientation. Preferably, the defined orientation is an upright orientation in which the items stand upright and have an opening at their upper end.

[0023] Optionally, at least one first conveying robot is proposed to grasp items substantially in a first direction and place them in an upright position on a second conveyor, and at least one second conveying robot is proposed to grasp items substantially in a second direction and place them in an upright position on the second conveyor, each robot specifically grasping items with a defined orientation. Therefore, the construction of each particular robot is simplified, requires fewer degrees of freedom for item movement, and allows for faster item handling.

[0024] The first direction can be upward, while the second direction can be downward. Alternatively, the first direction can be substantially transverse to the first conveyor, while the second direction can be substantially longitudinal to the first conveyor.

[0025] The detection system may include a single camera whose information will guide all the conveyor robots, or it may include a camera upstream of each conveyor robot, or a camera integrated into each conveyor robot.

[0026] However, the present invention is also proposed in a manner unknown in the prior art:

[0027] The bulk article feeding device includes a circular container with a bottom portion and an upper peripheral region. The bottom portion is formed by a circular centrifugal disc that rotates about an inclined axis relative to the vertical direction and defines a lower peripheral region surrounded by a peripheral wall for storing the bulk article. The upper peripheral region is adjacent to and substantially at the same level as the feeding section, and there is no peripheral wall between the upper peripheral region and the feeding section, for laterally sliding the article from the upper peripheral region of the centrifugal disc to the feeding section when the centrifugal disc rotates at a sufficient speed.

[0028] The first conveyor also includes a return section that follows the collection section in the conveying direction, is adjacent to the container, and is configured to directly convey items that remain on the first conveyor after passing through the collection section into the interior of the container or directly to the feeding section.

[0029] Therefore, a feeding device for supplying articles to a first conveyor is proposed, comprising a container in which some bulk articles are placed and stored. The container can be filled by a filling device, such as a conveyor belt, or manually or automatically by periodically emptying batches of articles using a dumping device.

[0030] Optionally, a filling sensor for the container is proposed, which is configured to detect the filling level of the container or the quantity of items contained within the container. The filling device and the filling sensor may be coordinated by a control device to prevent the container from becoming completely full.

[0031] For example, the fill sensor can be an optical or acoustic sensor, such as a camera, photocell, sonar, or laser sensor, and can be located above and facing downwards from the container. Alternatively, it can be a weighing device connected to a centrifugal disc for weighing the items contained in the container. Or it can be an optical sensor, such as a laser, configured to detect items contained within the container that protrude above a horizontal or inclined plane above at least a portion of the container. It is also conceivable that the fill sensor includes a counter for items supplied to the container and a counter for items leaving via a second conveyor or handled by a transfer robot, so that the quantity of items contained in the container can be known from the difference between the two numbers.

[0032] The bottom portion of the container is formed by a centrifugal disc that rotates about an axis that is tilted relative to the vertical direction. The centrifugal disc is perpendicular to the tilted axis and is therefore tilted relative to the horizontal direction.

[0033] The tilting axis is preferably tilted 5° to 20° relative to the vertical direction, so the centrifugal disk will also be tilted 5° to 20° relative to the horizontal direction.

[0034] Because the centrifugal disc is tilted, it will have a lower side and a higher opposite side. The higher region of the centrifugal disc constitutes the upper peripheral region, which is adjacent to and substantially at the same level as the feeding section of the first conveyor, and is free from any interfering obstructions, thus allowing items to be transferred between the centrifugal disc and the feeding section without falling off. Since the centrifugal disc lacks a peripheral wall capable of retaining items, under the action of centrifugal force, the items will be discharged from the centrifugal disc through the upper peripheral region.

[0035] Understandably, the feeding section will be the basic horizontal area of ​​the first conveyor, and the feeding section will be at approximately the same horizontal level as the peripheral edge of the inclined centrifugal disc in the upper peripheral area of ​​the centrifugal disc. The inner edge of the feeding section is adjacent to the peripheral edge of the inclined centrifugal disc in the upper peripheral area of ​​the centrifugal disc, so that items can be smoothly conveyed directly from the inclined centrifugal disc to the feeding section without falling off.

[0036] Because the periphery of the disc is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, the periphery of the centrifugal disc in the upper peripheral region will be arched relative to the horizontal plane, while the feeding section of the first conveyor forms a horizontal surface; therefore, the outer periphery of the centrifugal disc in the upper peripheral region and the horizontal surface of the feeding section will be at essentially the same horizontal height, although they are not completely coplanar along their entire length.

[0037] Understandably, the phrase “substantially at the same level” means that when items are conveyed from the centrifugal disc to the first conveyor, there will be no vertical drop, or the drop is insufficient to cause items to pile up or bounce; for example, the drop is equal to or less than 2 cm, or preferably equal to or less than 1 cm.

[0038] The lower remainder of the centrifugal disc forms a lower peripheral region, which is surrounded by a peripheral wall that holds items located in the lower peripheral region on the centrifugal disc.

[0039] The items contained in the container will be gathered by gravity to the lowest region of the container, above the lower periphery of the centrifugal disc. The rotation of the centrifugal disc will cause the items to be pulled upward from the lower periphery to the upper periphery.

[0040] The centrifugal disc rotates at a predetermined speed sufficient to generate centrifugal force on items placed in the upper peripheral region, enough to drive the items out of the centrifugal disc. When the items are in the lower peripheral region, the peripheral wall holds them on the centrifugal disc, but when the items reach the upper peripheral region, which lacks a peripheral wall, the centrifugal force will discharge the items from the centrifugal disc in a direction tangential to the centrifugal disc and convey them to the feeding section of the first conveyor.

[0041] Because the upper peripheral area and the feeding section of the first conveyor are at essentially the same horizontal level—that is, they coincide essentially within a single horizontal plane—items are conveyed from the centrifugal disc to the first conveyor via lateral sliding without any associated falling. This prevents items from bouncing or piling up and hindering the supply of items when the feeding section is full.

[0042] The angle of the centrifugal disk and the coefficient of friction of its surface will be suitable for ensuring the lifting of the article from the lower peripheral region to the upper peripheral region, and also for ensuring the sliding transfer.

[0043] Obviously, the centrifugal disc, the first conveyor, and the second conveyor will be driven by motors, such as electric motors.

[0044] The first conveyor is also proposed to include a return section following the collection section in the conveying direction. After passing the collection section, items remaining on the first conveyor because they were not picked up by the conveying robot reach the return section of the first conveyor. The return section is adjacent to a container and is configured to convey items directly within the container, for example, by pushing items from the first conveyor into the container via a deflector, or by conveying the items directly to the feeding section of the first conveyor, for example, because they are two consecutive sections of the first conveyor.

[0045] Understandably, the deflector may be a vertical wall located above the first conveyor, the height of which is insufficient to allow items to pass under the vertical wall, and the vertical wall preferably extends from one side of the first conveyor to the other side at an acute angle.

[0046] Preferably, the centrifugal disc will be a smooth metal surface without any unevenness, which facilitates the lateral sliding of the item, and the angle will be selected so that the lifting of the item can be achieved through the surface.

[0047] The feeding section of the first conveyor is the section preceding the collecting section in the direction of movement of the first conveyor, so that the items supplied on the feeding section have time to stabilize before entering the collecting section, which helps the conveying robot to detect and collect the items.

[0048] This solution further allows for the absence of space for new items to be conveyed via lateral sliding if the feeding section is already full, leaving the items on the centrifugal disc until the feeding section makes room. This allows the number of items conveyed to the first conveyor to be automatically adjusted, and always as much as possible, without requiring complex and expensive control and adjustment systems.

[0049] Therefore, it is proposed that the first conveyor can be a closed-loop conveyor, wherein in the conveying direction, the feeding section follows the return section.

[0050] The collecting section of the first conveyor and the conveying section of the second conveyor are preferably parallel sections to maximize the length of the conveying area and allow for the placement of more conveying robots.

[0051] The collection section and the conveying section can be laterally adjacent. In this case, multiple conveying robots can be located on one side of the collection section, one side of the conveying section, or above both sections.

[0052] Alternatively, the collection and conveying sections can be separated laterally, leaving a partition space between them. Multiple conveying robots can be installed within this partition space.

[0053] The container is proposed to have a peripheral wall that is a vertical cylindrical wall surrounding a centrifugal disk, and the peripheral wall includes an upper edge that is located at or below a horizontal level defined by a first conveyor. The lower peripheral region of the centrifugal disk lies below the upper edge of the peripheral wall, while the upper peripheral region is flush with or above the upper edge of the peripheral wall. This allows the centrifugal disk to rise due to its tilt until it passes over the peripheral wall of its upper peripheral region.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment, the first conveyor is a ring conveyor concentric with and surrounding the container.

[0055] This feature allows any package that falls into the container from the first conveyor at any point in its path (e.g., if it accidentally falls out of the gripper of the conveyor robot) to be resupplyed to the feeding device without any additional hassle.

[0056] In this configuration, the conveying robots can be positioned at different angular locations relative to the center of the container, such that the conveying area covers the angular portion of the first annular conveyor. Preferably, the conveying area covers more than half of the first annular conveyor and / or comprises four or more conveying robots.

[0057] The container's peripheral wall can be connected to the first conveyor, and the peripheral wall and the first conveyor rotate together, concentric with the container. That is, the centrifugal disc will be completely surrounded by the feeding section and the collecting section of the first conveyor.

[0058] Preferably, the first conveyor will be surrounded by a limiting wall on the outside, which will prevent items from falling off or being discharged outside the first conveyor due to centrifugal force.

[0059] The conveying section of the second conveyor is preferably flush with or higher than the upper edge of the limiting wall. Therefore, the limiting wall will not obstruct the robot from placing items on the second conveyor. Alternatively, the conveying section of the second conveyor may be included within the external limiting wall.

[0060] According to an alternative embodiment, the feeding section of the first conveyor will be a semi-circular portion of the first conveyor, concentric with the container surrounding the upper peripheral region of the centrifugal disc, while the collecting section will include at least a straight portion and / or at least a portion not concentric with the container.

[0061] As described above, the feeding section will be concentric with and adjacent to the container, and will connect to other non-semi-circular and / or non-concentric sections of the container, defining a collection section that will be located away from the container. According to one example, the first conveyor will include two straight sections and two back-to-back connected semi-circular sections forming a loop, where one semi-circular section is the feeding section, and at least one straight section, or two straight sections, or two straight sections and an intermediate semi-circular section constitute the collection section. Placing the conveyor robots along the straight sections simplifies their programming because it eliminates the need to handle angular changes in the item's position or velocity changes that cause angular displacement.

[0062] Preferably, each conveying robot is equipped with a suction head or gripping head that is movable horizontally, movable vertically, rotatable about a vertical axis, and rotatable about a horizontal axis to place items in a defined orientation. These degrees of freedom allow the conveying robot to grasp items in any inclined position and transport items in any upright position.

[0063] It is understood that these items are preferably elongated along a main axis, and that when they are randomly dispersed, the main axis will have a transverse shape and be substantially horizontal due to gravity. It is also understood that the items preferably have an opening at one end, and that when the items are placed in an upright position, the opening is preferably at the top of the item.

[0064] It is also proposed that the centrifugal disc is a smooth disc and / or the first conveyor has protrusions that stabilize the items. The protrusions that stabilize the items can consist of a matrix of protrusion elements with sufficient density, such that each item is placed on several of the protrusion elements, stabilizing their position and preventing them from swaying, and having reduced protrusions, typically equal to or less than 5 mm, which does not impede the lateral sliding conveyance of the items.

[0065] According to another proposed embodiment, at least the conveying portion of the second conveyor includes a suction device and / or multiple insertion bases, referred to in the art as “carriers,” for holding articles placed on it, the insertion bases being configured to receive and hold articles placed on the second conveyor in a defined orientation when the articles are articles lacking a flat bottom.

[0066] Preferably, the first conveyor will be configured to move in the same direction as the centrifugal disc, such that the first conveyor will move in the same direction as the centrifugal disc in the feeding area.

[0067] Additionally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the first conveyor is configured to move at a speed lower than the rotational speed of the centrifugal disc, that is, the feeding speed of the first conveyor in the feeding section is lower than the rotational speed of the centrifugal disc around its periphery.

[0068] It is also proposed that the second conveyor be configured to move in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the first conveyor (10) and / or at the same speed as the first conveyor (10), although it is not excluded that it may rotate in the same direction and at a different speed.

[0069] According to a second aspect not claimed in this application, the present invention also provides a method for orienting and aligning articles supplied in bulk.

[0070] The method includes, in a manner known per se, the following:

[0071] Items are supplied on the first conveyor in an inclined position and in a random arrangement;

[0072] Detect the position and orientation of the items being transported by the first conveyor;

[0073] In response to the performed detection, a single item placed on the collection section of the first conveyor is picked up, the item is oriented in the desired direction, and the item is aligned and placed on the collection section of the second conveyor by multiple transfer robots.

[0074] However, it was also proposed, in a manner unknown in the prior art, that the steps of supplying the goods include the following:

[0075] Bulk items are placed inside a container whose bottom portion is formed by a centrifugal disc tilted relative to the horizontal direction;

[0076] The centrifugal disc rotates at a certain speed about an axis that is tilted relative to the vertical direction, a speed sufficient to cause the item to be transferred from the centrifugal disc through the upper peripheral area of ​​the centrifugal disc by lateral sliding to the feeding section of the first conveyor due to centrifugal force.

[0077] Items that remain on the first conveyor after passing through the collection section (12) are either directly conveyed from the first conveyor to the interior of the containers (50, 53), or directly conveyed from the return section (13) to the feeding section (11).

[0078] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the feeding section of the first conveyor moves along an arc-shaped horizontal trajectory concentric with the first disk, that is, around the upper peripheral area of ​​the centrifugal disk surrounding it.

[0079] Optionally, the first conveyor will move along a circular horizontal track concentric with the first disk, around the first disk, and the conveying portion of the second conveyor will move along an arc-shaped horizontal track concentric with the first disk.

[0080] It was also proposed that the first conveyor be configured to move in the same direction as the centrifugal disc and / or at a speed lower than the centrifugal disc's rotational speed.

[0081] It is understood that references to geometric positions, such as parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc., are allowed to deviate from the theoretical position defined by the term by up to ±5°.

[0082] Other features of the present invention will appear in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0083] The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more fully understood through the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the description is to be carried out in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, wherein:

[0084] Figure 1 A plan view of the machine according to the first embodiment is shown, wherein the first conveyor is an annular conveyor completely surrounding the centrifugal disc, and the second conveyor includes a semi-circular portion constituting the conveying section, which is parallel to a portion of the first conveyor constituting the collecting section. Both the collecting and conveying sections constitute a transfer area, which is highlighted with a rectangular dashed line around its perimeter, where multiple transfer robots operate. In this figure, the upper peripheral area of ​​the centrifugal disc and the collecting section of the first conveyor are highlighted within the dashed circle, and the return section is highlighted within the dashed hexagon.

[0085] Figure 2 It shows that according to Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the machine in the illustrated embodiment;

[0086] Figure 3 A perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the machine is shown, including a first annular conveyor surrounding a centrifugal disc;

[0087] Figure 4 A plan view of another embodiment of the proposed machine is shown. According to this plan view, a first conveyor forms a closed loop, which is formed by a first curved portion, a second curved portion, and two straight portions between the ends of the first and second curved portions. The first curved portion is concentric with the centrifugal disk and tangent to its upper peripheral region. The straight portions and the second curved portions are separated from the centrifugal disk and define a conveying area. In this figure, the upper peripheral region of the centrifugal disk and the collecting portion of the first conveyor are highlighted within dashed circles, and the return portion is highlighted within dashed hexagons.

[0088] Figure 5 A floor plan of another alternative embodiment is shown, with Figure 4 Similar to the one shown, but in which the second conveyor is located between the two straight sections of the first conveyor. Detailed Implementation

[0089] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are illustrative and non-limiting.

[0090] According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the machine includes containers (50, 53) defined by a cylindrical vertical peripheral wall (53) and a bottom portion formed by a centrifugal disk (50) contained within the peripheral wall (53). The centrifugal disk is inclined relative to a horizontal plane and rotates at its center about an axis (E) that is inclined relative to a vertical plane and perpendicular to the centrifugal disk (50).

[0091] The containers (50, 53) are completely surrounded by a first conveyor (10), which is a horizontally closed-loop annular conveyor concentric with the containers (50, 43). In this embodiment, the peripheral wall (53) of the containers (50, 53) is attached to the first conveyor (10), and the peripheral wall (53) rotates together with the first conveyor (10).

[0092] The first conveyor (10) includes, in sequence, a feeding section (11), a collecting section (12), and a return section (13) in the conveying direction, with the return section (13) preceding the feeding section (11).

[0093] The machine also includes a second conveyor (20) having a conveying section (22), which in this embodiment is a semi-circular portion adjacent to and parallel to the collection section (12) of the first conveyor (10), surrounding the collection section (12) on the outside.

[0094] The centrifugal disc (50) has a larger recessed end that is completely surrounded by a peripheral wall (53), which forms the lower peripheral region (52), and the centrifugal disc (50) has a higher relative end corresponding to the upper peripheral region (51), which is not surrounded by the peripheral wall (53), and the higher relative end is adjacent to the feeding section (11) of the first conveyor (10) and is substantially at the same level.

[0095] The rotation of the centrifugal disc (50) causes the items in the containers (50, 53) placed in the upper peripheral area (51) to be transferred to the feeding section (11) by lateral sliding due to the centrifugal force generated.

[0096] The items are placed on the first conveyor (10) in a horizontal position and arranged randomly.

[0097] As the items are conveyed toward the collection section, the detection system (30) determines the position and orientation of each item placed on the first conveyor (10).

[0098] Multiple transfer robots (40) are located in a transfer area, which includes a collection section (12) and a conveying section (22). The transfer robots (40) individually pick up items from the collection section (12), place the items in the desired direction, and sequentially align the items on the conveying section (22) of the second conveyor (20).

[0099] Items that remain on the first conveyor (10) after passing through the collection section (12) will reach the return section (13) adjacent to the containers (50, 53) and will remain on the first conveyor (10) until they reach the feeding section (11), where they will pass through the collection section (11) again with new items.

[0100] according to Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first conveyor (10) includes two semicircular sections and two straight sections, which are connected to form a closed-loop conveyor. One of the semicircular sections includes a feeding section (11), and the two straight sections and the other semicircular section are included in a collecting section.

[0101] In this embodiment, items that remain on the first conveyor (10) after passing through the collection section (12) reach the return section (13) and are returned directly from the first conveyor (10) to the interior of the containers (50, 53) via the deflector.

Claims

1. Machine for the orientation and alignment of elongated articles supplied in bulk, comprising: a first conveyor formed by a substantially horizontal surface to support elongated articles and move them in an inclined position and randomly arranged in a conveying direction, said first conveyor comprising a feeding portion supplied by a feeding device of the bulk elongated articles, followed in the conveying direction by a collection portion; the feeding device of the bulk elongated articles comprises a circular container having a bottom portion formed by a circular centrifugal disc rotating around an inclined axis with respect to the vertical and defining a lower peripheral area surrounded by a peripheral wall to store the bulk elongated articles, also comprising an upper peripheral area adjacent and substantially at the same level as the feeding portion of the first conveyor and between which and the feeding portion there is no peripheral wall, so that when the centrifugal disc rotates at a sufficient speed, the elongated articles are transferred from the upper peripheral area of the centrifugal disc to the feeding portion of the first conveyor by lateral sliding; characterized in that it further comprises: a detection system configured for detecting the position and direction of the elongated articles located on the first conveyor; a plurality of transfer robots arranged in a transfer area containing the collection portion, wherein each of the transfer robots is configured to individually pick up an elongated article from the collection portion in the inclined position in response to the detection performed by the detection system; a second conveyor comprising a conveying portion contained in the transfer area, adjacent and parallel to the collection portion of the first conveyor, the plurality of transfer robots being configured to orient the picked-up elongated articles in an upright direction and place them aligned on the conveying portion; the first conveyor further comprises a return portion following the collection portion in the conveying direction, adjacent to the container and configured to transfer directly from the first conveyor to the interior of the container or from the return portion to the feeding portion those elongated articles that remain on the first conveyor after passing through the collection portion.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein, the first conveyor is a closed loop conveyor, wherein the return portion is followed in the conveying direction by the feeding portion.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein, the peripheral wall is a vertical cylindrical wall surrounding the centrifugal disc and comprises an upper edge located at the same level or below the level defined by the first conveyor, the lower peripheral area of the centrifugal disc being below the upper edge of the peripheral wall, while the upper peripheral area is flush with or above the upper edge of the peripheral wall.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein, the first conveyor is an annular conveyor concentric with and surrounding the container.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein, the plurality of transfer robots are located at different angular positions with respect to the center of the container.

6. The machine of claim 4, wherein, The peripheral wall of the container is attached to the first conveyor and co-rotates with the first conveyor.

7. The machine of claim 4, wherein, The first conveyor is externally surrounded by a confinement wall.

8. The machine of claim 7, wherein, The second conveyor is flush with or higher than the upper edge of the confinement wall of the first conveyor.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The feeding portion of the first conveyor is a semi-circular portion of the first conveyor, which is concentric with the container surrounding the upper peripheral area of the centrifugal disc, and wherein the collecting portion comprises at least a straight portion and / or at least a portion which is not concentric with the container.

10. The machine of claim 1, wherein, Each transfer robot is provided with a suction head or a gripping head, which is horizontally movable, vertically movable, rotatable around a vertical axis and rotatable around a horizontal axis, in order to place the elongated articles in a defined orientation.

11. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The centrifugal disc is a smooth disc and / or wherein the first conveyor has protrusions which stabilize the articles.

12. The machine of claim 1, wherein, At least the conveying portion of the second conveyor comprises suction means for holding elongated articles placed thereon and / or a plurality of insertion seats configured to receive and hold elongated articles placed on the second conveyor in a defined orientation.

13. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The first conveyor is configured to move in the same direction as the rotation direction of the centrifugal disc and / or at a speed lower than the rotation speed of the centrifugal disc.

14. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The second conveyor is configured to move in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the first conveyor and / or at the same speed as the first conveyor.

15. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The transfer robots comprise at least a first transfer robot adapted to grasp elongated articles located substantially in a first direction of the first conveyor and place them in an upright position on the second conveyor and at least a second transfer robot adapted to grasp elongated articles located substantially in a second direction and place them in an upright position on the second conveyor.

16. The machine of claim 1, wherein, The machine comprises a filling sensor of the container configured to detect the filling level of the container or the number of elongated articles contained within the container.

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