Blank joining module

Abstract

The invention relates to a blank joining module (10) comprising an upper feeder device (32b) and a lower feeder device (32a), an upper conveyor (84) configured to transport an upper blank (2b), and a lower conveyor (82) configured to transport a lower blank (2a) towards a joining point (J) at which the upper blank overlaps the lower blank. The lower conveyor is provided with an inlet portion (83a) and an outlet portion (83b), and wherein the outlet portion is located downstream of the junction. The upper conveyor is located directly above the lower conveyor and includes a funnel-shaped inlet portion (88a) and a horizontal outlet portion (88b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a converting machine for producing folding boxes and other similar packaging containers. In particular, the present invention relates to a blank joining module configured to join two blanks before folding the blanks together. Background Art

[0002] Converting machines such as folder-gluers are used in the production of packaging items such as paperboard and carton boxes. These machines include multiple workstations that fold and glue blanks to form boxes, then count, stack, and collate the boxes into batches.

[0003] Folder-gluers can be configured to produce many different types of folding boxes and packaging containers. One type of box consisting of two blanks joined together is often referred to as a "shelf-ready" box. A shelf-ready box consists of an outer blank and an inner blank that are folded and glued together. The inner blank can be used as an inner container for the items to be stored, while the outer blank can be used for protection during transport. This type of box is often used in supermarkets and stores, where the inner container is placed on the shelf and the items remain inside.

[0004] When producing packaging containers from a plurality of blanks connected together, a blank joining module with a double feeder is required. Specifically, a dedicated feeder is required for each of the first blank and the second blank. An example of a blank joining module including a double feeder is described in document EP2072241.

[0005] The first blank and the second blank need to be bonded and pressed together at the joining point so that they form a combined and single blank. However, there is a risk of bending and breaking of the cellulose fibers of the blank at the joining point. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to ensure correct alignment and engagement of the upper and lower blanks while reducing the risk of damaging the constituent blanks.

[0007] This object is achieved by a blank joining module according to claim 1 .

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blank joining module, comprising an upper feeder device and a lower feeder device, each feeder device being configured to feed a respective first blank and a second blank in a transport direction. The blank joining module comprises a joining conveying device, the joining conveying device comprising a lower transfer conveyor and an upper transfer conveyor, wherein the lower transfer conveyor comprises an inlet portion, the inlet portion being configured to transport the lower blank towards a joining point, where the upper blank is positioned onto the lower blank to form a composed blank. The lower transfer conveyor further comprises an outlet portion located downstream of the joining point.

[0009] The upper transfer conveyor includes a downwardly inclined inlet portion and a horizontal outlet portion upstream of the joining point in the direction of transport.

[0010] The upper transfer conveyor includes an upper conveyor belt, and wherein a contact roller is located at the junction, the contact roller being configured to indirectly apply pressure to the composed blank by pressing against an inner periphery of the upper conveyor belt, and wherein the contact roller is attached to a linearly movable piston rod.

[0011] The transport direction may be defined as a horizontal direction extending from the upper and lower feeder devices to the junction. The transport direction preferably coincides with the longitudinal direction of the conversion machine. The transport direction extends between the inlet and the outlet of the conversion machine. Thus, the transport direction may extend from the upper and lower feeder devices up to the folding and gluing module of the conversion machine and further downstream to the conveying module of the conversion machine.

[0012] The invention is based on the recognition that the alignment and joining of the two blanks can be improved by providing a seamless and optimized trajectory of the upper blank at the joining point of the two blanks.

[0013] In one embodiment, the outlet portion of the upper transfer conveyor is parallel to the outlet portion of the lower transfer conveyor such that the composed blanks can be received between the respective outlet portions of the upper and lower transfer conveyors.

[0014] The composed blank is preferably sandwiched between the outlet section of the lower transfer conveyor and the horizontal outlet section of the upper transfer conveyor.

[0015] The conveyor belt of the upper transfer conveyor preferably extends further upstream in the transport direction than the connection point.

[0016] The conveyor belt forms a loop with an outer periphery and an inner periphery. The contact roller presses against the inner periphery of the conveyor belt, thereby indirectly applying pressure to the blank. The outer periphery contacts and drives the blank, while the inner periphery does not contact the blank. In one embodiment, the contact roller is attached to a hydraulic or pneumatic piston rod, and the contact roller can move linearly.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the axis of the pneumatic piston rod is arranged at an angle relative to the vertical, and wherein the angle is selected to be approximately 50% of the inclination angle of the downwardly inclined inlet portion relative to the horizontal.

[0018] The vertical direction is the direction of gravity. The horizontal direction is the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0019] In one embodiment, the angle of the axis of the piston rod is between 5° and 10°, preferably about 7.5°.

[0020] The downwardly inclined inlet section can be formed by a distal inlet roller and a contact roller. The distal inlet roller is preferably arranged upstream of the contact roller in the transport direction and above the contact roller in the transport direction. The conveyor belt is preferably guided by the contact roller and the distal inlet roller.

[0021] The distal entry rollers of the upper transfer conveyor may be attached to a movable frame, and wherein the movable frame is adjustable such that the inclination angle of the funnel-shaped portion is modifiable.

[0022] The upper transfer conveyor may be arranged downstream of the transport conveyor, and wherein the funnel-shaped inlet portion of the upper transfer conveyor is arranged at the same inclination angle relative to the horizontal as the transport conveyor.

[0023] The transport conveyor may be an upper register conveyor. The upper register conveyor may include a conveyor belt and a slider. The slider may be a low friction surface or a row of idler rollers.

[0024] In one embodiment, the lower transfer conveyor comprises a conveyor belt provided with holes, and wherein at least one suction box is located upstream of the entry portion and the junction of the lower transfer conveyor.

[0025] In one embodiment, the lower transfer conveyor comprises an exit section having a variable length in the transport direction.The exit section of the lower transfer conveyor may be provided with a plurality of idler rollers.

[0026] The idler rollers in the outlet section can be attached to a frame with a fixed length. This allows the composed blanks to be completely bonded and joined together before their leading edges reach the folding pre-breaking module located downstream.

[0027] In one embodiment, the contact pressure of the contact roller is adjustable from a user interface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like features are indicated by like reference numerals, and in which:

[0029] - Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a converting machine in a folder-gluer configuration;

[0030] - Figure 2a is a schematic perspective view of a folding box in a shelf-easy box configuration;

[0031] - Figure 2b It is used for production Figure 2a A plan view of a blank composed of a folding box;

[0032] - Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a blank joining module according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] - Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a blank joining module;

[0034] - Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lower alignment device of a blank engagement module;

[0035] - Figure 6a and Figure 6b a schematic cross-sectional view of an upper alignment device of a blank engagement module from a first side and a second side, respectively; and

[0036] - Figure 6c yes Figure 6a and Figure 6b A schematic perspective view of an upper alignment device;

[0037] - Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of an upper transfer conveyor and an upper registration conveyor according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] - Figure 8a and Figure 8b is from Figure 7 Detailed cross-sectional views of a first side and a second side of an upper transfer conveyor;

[0039] - Figure 9a is a cross-sectional view of the lower transfer conveyor; and

[0040] - Figure 9b yes Figure 9a Top view of the lower transfer conveyor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] See the accompanying drawings, especially Figure 1 , which shows a converting machine 1 in the form of a folder-gluer 1. The folder-gluer 1 is configured to receive first and second piles of blanks 2, join blanks from each pile to form a composed blank 2', and then fold the composed blank 2' to form a folded box 2" or other composed packaging container.

[0042] The folder-gluer 1 can produce various types of boxes 2″ and packaging containers. Figure 2a and Figure 2b One such box 2'' is shown, which may be referred to as a 'shelf-friendly' box 2''. This box 2'' consists of two blanks 2b, 2a joined together. One blank 2a may form an inner container and the other blank 2b may form an outer container. In use, the outer container may be manually removed when the inner container contains the items to be stored.

[0043] like Figure 1As shown, the present folding and gluing machine 1 includes a series of workstations in the form of different modules. These modules may include: a blank joining module 10, a folding pre-breaking module 12, a bonding module 15 and a folding module 16 in the transport direction T extending from the entrance A to the exit B. The folding and gluing machine 1 may also include a main user interface 11 and a quality control system 18. After the bonding and folding modules, a conveying module and an adjustment section 20 may be provided to count the shingle flow of the folding box 2' and divide it into separate batches. The conversion machine 1 also includes a conveying system 19, which includes a conveyor (e.g., an endless belt and rollers) configured to transport the first blank 2a and the second blank 2b along the transport direction T. The conversion machine 1 also includes a control circuit 80 configured to control the operation of the blank joining module 10.

[0044] The blank joining module 10 enables the folder-gluer 1 to produce composed blanks 2'. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the blank bonding module 10 includes a feeder unit 32 , an alignment unit 34 , a gluing device 100 , a registration control device 36 , and a bonding conveying device 38 .

[0045] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As best shown, the feeder unit 32 comprises a lower feeder device 32a and an upper feeder device 32b. The upper and lower feeder devices 32b, 32a are configured to feed the blanks 2a, 2b, respectively, one by one, along the transport direction T.

[0046] The upper feeder device 32b is configured to supply a first blank 2b (also referred to as "upper blank" 2b) from a pile positioned on an upper loading surface 33b. The lower feeder device 32a is configured to supply a second blank 2a (also referred to as "lower blank" 2a) from a pile positioned on a lower loading surface 33a in the lower feeder device 32a.

[0047] The upper loading surface 33b is located vertically above the lower loading surface 33a. In order to facilitate access to the upper loading surface 33b, the upper feeder device 32b can be moved in the longitudinal direction L and the transport direction T. The longitudinal direction L is defined by the longitudinal extension of the upper loading surface 33b. Therefore, the longitudinal direction L is inclined downward along the transport direction T. In this way, the upper loading surface 33b can be shifted to a horizontal offset position relative to the lower loading surface 33a. This can allow the trailing edge of the blank 2b on the upper loading surface 33b to be vertically aligned with the trailing edge of the blank 2a on the lower loading surface 33a. Therefore, the upper loading surface 33b can be moved further upstream along the transport direction T. This allows the upper loading surface 33a to move closer to the machine operator.

[0048] like Figure 4As shown, the alignment unit 34 is arranged downstream of the feeder unit 32 in the transport direction T. The alignment unit 34 is configured to align the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a laterally to their respective predetermined lateral positions. Therefore, the alignment unit 34 is configured to align the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction T. In this way, when the blanks 2a, 2b contact each other at the junction point J, the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a are in the correct lateral position. The correct lateral position allows the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a to be assembled according to the predetermined assembly instructions.

[0049] The gluing device 100 is located upstream of the joining point J. The gluing device 100 is arranged to dispense glue onto the top side of the lower blank 2a so that the glue is located between the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a.

[0050] The alignment unit 34 comprises an upper alignment device 34b configured to align the upper blank 2b and a lower alignment device 34a configured to align the lower blank 2a. The upper alignment device 34b and the lower alignment device 34a are provided with respective distal upstream connection ends 35b, 35a, which are preferably fixedly connected to each corresponding upper feeder device 32b and lower feeder device 32a.

[0051] The lower alignment device 34a is configured to transport the lower blank 2a along a substantially horizontal transport path Pa. Figure 5 As best shown in FIG. 3 , the lower alignment device 34a includes an upper pressing member 60a, a lower conveyor 61a and a guide (not shown). The lower conveyor 61a includes an endless conveyor belt 62a having a contact length Lca, which is configured to contact and drive the lower blank 2a forward along the transport direction T.

[0052] like Figures 6a to 6c As best shown, the upper alignment device 34b comprises an upper pressing member 60b and an upper conveyor 61b. The upper conveyor 61b comprises an endless conveyor belt 62b having a contact length Lcb, which is configured to contact the upper blank 2b and drive the upper blank 2b forward in the transport direction T. The guide 63 is arranged so that its longitudinal extension coincides with the transport direction T. The upper pressing member 60b and the upper conveyor 61b are arranged at an angle relative to the transport direction T to guide the lateral edge of the lower blank 2a against the guide 63.

[0053] Thus, the upper alignment device 34b is configured similarly to the lower alignment device 34a. However, the upper alignment device 34b has a variable contact length Lcb in the transport direction T. The upper alignment device 34b also comprises a mobile distal end 35a connected to the upper feeder device 32b and a fixed distal end 37b connected to the structural frame 40 of the blank engagement module 10. This allows displacement of the upper feeder device 32b in the longitudinal direction L while maintaining a fixed connection to the upper alignment device 34b.

[0054] like Figure 6b and Figure 6c As shown, the upper conveyor 61b of the upper alignment device 34b also includes a support structure 69, which is configured to support the conveyor belt 62b. The support structure 69 includes a plurality of guide rollers 67 (see Figure 6a ), the conveyor belt 62b is mounted on guide rollers 67. The guide rollers 67 are attached to the frame members 70. The connecting mechanism 68 connects adjacent frame members 70 to each other. The connecting mechanism 68 is expandable so that the distance between the frame members 70 can be modified. The frame members 70 are movable in the transport direction T. Each guide roller 67 is attached to the frame member 70 and arranged in a row. The connecting mechanism 68 allows the contact length Lcb to be modified while all guide rollers 67 remain in contact with the upper blank 2b.

[0055] Preferably, the connecting mechanism 68 includes a plurality of pivotable links 74a, 74b that allow equidistant displacement of the frame member 70. The pivotable connecting links 74a, 74b can be provided by two linear elements. The pivotable connecting links 74a, 74b are connected to each frame member 70 at a central pivot 75. The pivotable connecting links 74a, 74b are also connected to each other in an upper pivot 76 and a lower pivot 77. The upper pivot 76 and the lower pivot 77 can move in the longitudinal direction L.

[0056] By connecting the frame member 70 to the central pivot 75, the horizontal position of the central pivot 75 remains unchanged.

[0057] Each frame member 70 also includes a first cantilever extension 70a and a second cantilever extension 70b that are connected to a frame member bracket 70c.

[0058] The guide roller 67 of the conveyor belt 62b is attached to the first cantilever extension 70a, and the pressure roller 66 is attached to the second cantilever extension 70b. The first cantilever extension 70a and the second cantilever extension 70b extend horizontally and parallel to each other. The second cantilever extension 70b is arranged vertically above the first cantilever extension 70a.

[0059] The second cantilever extension 70b may be supported by the upper rail 71b, and the second cantilever extension 70b may be supported by the lower rail 71a. The rails 71a, 71b may be in the form of longitudinal bars disposed below the first and second cantilever extensions 70a, 70b, respectively.

[0060] The support structure has a first distal end 35 b connected to the upper feeder device 32 b and a second distal end 37 b connected to the frame 40 of the blank engagement module 10 .

[0061] The distal inlet end 35b of the upper alignment device 34b may include an attachment bracket 79 configured to be attached to the upper feeder device 32b. The attachment bracket 79 may also provide a fixed structure to form an inlet portion I for the upper pressure roller 66 and guide roller 67 of the conveyor belt 62b. The attachment bracket 79 provides a fixed connection with the cantilever extensions 70b, 70c so that the inlet portion I has a constant length regardless of the extension or retraction of the connection mechanism 68. A distal center pivot 79a is attached to the attachment bracket 79. A second distal center pivot 79b is attached to the frame member 77 of the upper alignment module 34b.

[0062] To further facilitate access to the upper feeder device 32b, the blank engagement module 10 may also include a modular base 50. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the base 50 includes at least one stepping surface 52a. Preferably, the base 50 includes a second stepping surface 52b located on top of the first stepping surface 52a.

[0063] The register control device 36 is preferably arranged downstream of the alignment module and includes an upper register conveyor 78 configured to convey the upper blank 2b. The upper register conveyor 78 may include a conveyor belt and a slide, between which the upper blank 2b is received. The slide may be a low friction surface or a row of idle rollers.

[0064] The register control device 36 also includes a position correction device 72 located above the register conveyor 78. The position correction device 72 may include a clamping plate belt provided with one or more supports. The position of the upper blank 2b can be corrected by contacting the support against the leading edge E1b or the trailing edge E2b of the upper blank 2b and accelerating or decelerating the upper blank 2b along the transport direction T.

[0065] like Figure 4 As best shown, the engagement conveyor 38 is located downstream of the alignment unit 34 and includes a lower transfer conveyor 82 and an upper transfer conveyor 84 .

[0066] like Figure 9a and Figure 9bAs shown, the lower transfer conveyor 82 includes an inlet portion 83a and an outlet portion 83b. The inlet portion 83a extends from a distal inlet end E1 located at the outlet of the lower alignment conveyor 61a to a junction J.

[0067] The outlet portion 83b of the lower transfer conveyor 82 extends from the junction point J to a distal outlet end E2 of the lower transfer conveyor 82. After the junction point J and in the transport direction T, the lower transfer conveyor 82 comprises a plurality of idle rollers 97.

[0068] The inlet portion 83a comprises a lower conveyor belt 85 extending from the inlet distal end E1 to a position upstream of the junction point J. The inlet portion 83a may be provided with at least one suction box 86 configured to apply suction to the bottom surface of the lower blank 2a. The lower conveyor belt 85 is preferably provided with holes S that allow suction to be applied to the lower blank 2a.

[0069] The suction box 86 restricts the movement of the lower blank 2a and holds the rear edge of the lower blank 2a until the upper blank 2a is joined to the top of the lower blank 2a.

[0070] like Figure 7 , Figure 8a and Figure 8b As shown, the upper transfer conveyor 84 comprises an inlet portion 88a inclined downwardly and a horizontal outlet portion 88b along the transport direction T. The horizontal outlet portion 88b may have an extension coinciding with the horizontal direction H, or be positioned at an angle between 0 and 15° relative to the horizontal direction H. The upper transfer conveyor belt 89 extends from an inlet end E3 of the upper transfer conveyor 84 to an outlet end E4.

[0071] The entry end E3 is defined by a distal entry roller 87 which is located upstream of the junction J in the transport direction T. The exit end E4 may be vertically aligned with the distal exit end E2 of the lower transfer conveyor 82 .

[0072] The transition point P is located between the entry portion 88a and the horizontal transfer portion 88b of the upper transfer conveyor 84 and is characterized by a change in the inclination of the upper transfer conveyor belt 89 relative to the horizontal direction H. The transition point P corresponds to the junction J.

[0073] The inlet portion 88a is provided with an inclination angle α. The angle α may also be referred to as a transport angle α. The inclination angle α preferably corresponds to the angle of the upper register conveyor 78 located upstream. The inclination angle α is approximately between 25° and 35°, preferably 30°.

[0074] like Figure 8a As best shown in FIG. 8 , the distal entry roller 87 may be attached to a movable frame 90. The movable frame 90 may be adjustable so that the inclination angle a of the entry portion 88a may be varied.

[0075] The downwardly sloped entry portion 88a allows the upper blank 2b to seamlessly contact the upper transfer conveyor 84 and be redirected to follow a substantially horizontal transport path in the horizontal transfer portion 88b.

[0076] The contact roller 99 is located at the transition point P between the downwardly inclined inlet portion 88a and the horizontal transfer portion 88b of the upper transfer conveyor 84. The contact roller 99 is configured to apply pressure to the composed blank 2 at the junction point J. The contact roller 99 applies pressure to the composed blank 2 indirectly by pressing on the inner periphery of the upper transfer conveyor belt 89 of the upper transfer conveyor 84. This allows the applied pressure to be distributed and ensures that the transport speed at the contact point J is constant. This also reduces any potential interference or friction from the contact roller 99.

[0077] The contact roller 99 thus positions the upper conveyor belt 89 in the transition point and together with the distal entry roller 87 defines the inclined shape of the entry portion 88a.

[0078] like Figure 8a As best shown in FIG. 1 , the contact roller 99 is attached to a piston rod 100 and is linearly movable. The piston rod 100 is preferably connected to a pneumatic cylinder 102. Alternatively, a hydraulic cylinder may be used.

[0079] The piston rod 100 may be arranged at an angle β relative to the vertical direction V. The angle β may be between 12.5° and 17.5°, preferably about 15°. The angle β is selected to be 40% to 60%, preferably about 50%, of the inclination angle α. In this way, the pressure applied from the contact roller 99 is gradually applied in the junction point J, which is located in the transition between the inlet portion 88a and the horizontal outlet portion 88b.

[0080] The contact pressure of the contact roller 99 can be modified according to the stiffness, slotting and thickness of the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a. In this way, the pressure can be adjusted to ensure contact between the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a and to avoid slotting rupture of the corrugated board blank. The contact pressure can be controlled from the user interface 11. Alternatively, the contact pressure can be calculated and automatically set by the control unit 91 of the blank engagement module 10. In one example, the contact pressure can be between 0 and 5 bar, preferably between 0 and 3 bar.

[0081] The double bending roller 104 may be located downstream of the contact roller 99. The double bending roller 104 applies pressure to the composed blanks 2 so that the glue adheres to the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a.

[0082] Downstream of the junction J, the lower transfer conveyor 82 and the upper transfer conveyor 84 are configured to receive the composed blank 2 between them and apply pressure to clamp the composed blank 2. The pressure can be selected so that the composed blanks are pressed together to a gap corresponding to the thickness of the composed blank 2' and the thickness of the glue layer.

[0083] The exit portion 83b of the lower transfer conveyor 82 is preferably provided with an extendable and retractable portion 92. Preferably, idler rollers 97 are attached to an extendable connection mechanism 94. The connection mechanism 94 is similar to the connection mechanism 68 provided for the upper alignment conveyor 61b and therefore includes a connection mechanism 94 having a plurality of pivotable links 98.

[0084] The outlet portion 83b includes a first linear frame member 101 that is movable relative to a second frame member 102. The connecting mechanism 94 is connected to the first linear frame member 101 and is configured to move the first linear frame member 101 in the transport direction T, thereby changing the position of the distal outlet end E2 of the lower transfer conveyor 82. In other words, the position of the distal outlet end E2 can be moved upstream and downstream in the transport direction T.

[0085] In this way, the distal outlet end E2 of the lower transfer conveyor 82 can be moved in the transport direction T. In addition, the outlet portion 83b of the lower transfer conveyor 82 can be provided with a length corresponding to the length of the composed box 2 in the transport direction T. This allows the upper blank 2b and the lower blank 2a to be completely bonded and joined together before the leading edge of the composed blank 2 reaches the folding pre-breaking module 12 located downstream.

Claims

1. A blank joining module (10) comprising an upper feeder device (32b) and a lower feeder device (32a), each feeder device being configured to feed respective first and second blanks along a transport direction (T), the blank joining module comprising a joining conveying device (82), the joining conveying device comprising a lower conveying conveyor (83) and an upper conveying conveyor (84), wherein the lower conveying conveyor (83) comprises an inlet portion (83a), the inlet portion being configured to convey the lower blank (2a) towards a joining point (J), where the upper blank is positioned on the lower blank to form a composed blank (2), and wherein the lower conveying conveyor further comprises an outlet portion (83b) located downstream of the joining point (J), wherein the upper transfer conveyor comprises a downwardly inclined inlet portion (88a) and a horizontal outlet portion (88b) located upstream of the junction (J) in the transport direction, wherein the upper transfer conveyor comprises an upper conveyor belt (89), and wherein a contact roller (99) is located at the junction (J), the contact roller being configured to indirectly apply pressure to the composed blank by pressing the inner periphery of the upper conveyor belt (89), and wherein the contact roller is attached to a linearly movable piston rod (100).

2. The blank engagement module of claim 1, wherein the exit portion of the upper transfer conveyor is parallel to the exit portion of the lower transfer conveyor such that the composed blank can be received between the respective exit portions of the upper and lower transfer conveyors.

3. The blank joining module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor belt (89) of the upper transfer conveyor (84) extends further upstream in the transport direction (T) than the connection point (J).

4. A blank joining module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the axis of the piston rod is arranged at an angle (β) relative to the vertical direction (V), and wherein the angle (β) is selected to be approximately 50% of the inclination angle (α) of the funnel-shaped inlet portion (88a) relative to the horizontal direction (H).

5. The blank joining module according to claim 3, wherein the angle (β) is between 5° and 10°, preferably about 7.5°.

6. The blank engaging module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the downwardly inclined entry portion (88a) is formed by a distal entry roller (87) and the contact roller (99).

7. A blank joining module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper transfer conveyor is arranged downstream of the transport conveyor (78), and wherein the entrance portion (88a) of the upper transfer conveyor is arranged at an inclination angle (α) that is the same as the inclination angle of the upper transport conveyor relative to the horizontal direction (H).

8. A blank joining module according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lower transfer conveyor comprises a conveyor belt (85) provided with holes (S), and wherein at least one suction box (86) is located in the entrance part of the lower transfer conveyor and upstream of the joining point.

9. The blank joining module according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet section (83b) of the lower transfer conveyor has a variable length in the transport direction.

10. Blank joining module according to the preceding claim, wherein the outlet portion (83b) of the lower transfer conveyor is provided with a plurality of idler rollers (97).

11. Blank engaging module according to the preceding claim, wherein the idler rollers in the exit section are attached to a movable frame (101) of fixed length.

12. The blank joining module according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the contact pressure of the contact roller is adjustable from a user interface (11).

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