Application unit, method for operating an application unit and a packaging machine with an application unit

Abstract

Application unit (1a, 1b) for a packaging machine for the container-forming application of a material blank (2) to cans or bottles (3) assembled into a container group (4), with - at least one pressure element (7a, 7b) having a tool plate (8a, 8b) for connecting the material blank (2) with the cans or bottles (3) of the container group (4) to be conveyed along a transport plane in a transport direction (27) and - a drive unit (6a, 6b) designed to move the pressure element (7a, 7b) such that the tool plate (8a, 8b) is adjustable between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the cans or bottles (3), wherein - the drive unit (6a, 6b) comprises a first drive disk (11a, 11b) rotatable about a first axis of rotation (9a, 9b) and a second drive disk (12a, 12b) arranged parallel to and at a distance from the first drive disk (11a, 11b) and rotatable about a second axis of rotation (10a, 10b), wherein the first and the second axes of rotation (10a, 10b) are horizontally aligned and at the same height and are not coaxial with each other and - the pressure element (7a, 7b) comprises a first and a second pivot axis (13a, 13b, 25a, 25b), wherein the pressure element (7a, 7b) is pivotally connected to the first drive disc (11a, 11b) via its first pivot axis (13a, 13b) and pivotally connected to the second drive disc (12a, 12b) via its second pivot axis (25a, 25b) such that the tool plate (8a, 8b) is horizontally aligned when the two drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) rotate about their respective axes of rotation (9a, 9b, 10a, 10b), characterized in that - the drive discs (11a, 12a) are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other, transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and / or - each pressure element (7a, 7b) is arranged in a direction transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and along a direction of the first and second axis of rotation (10a, 10b) in the area between the first drive disk (11a, 11b) and the second drive disk (12a, 12b).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an application unit for the container-forming application of a material blank to containers assembled into a container group, which - at least one pressure element having a tool plate for connecting the material blank to the containers of the container group to be conveyed along a transport plane in one transport direction and - a drive unit designed to move the pressure element in such a way that the tool plate is adjustable between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers, wherein - the drive unit comprises a first drive disk rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a second drive disk arranged parallel to and at a distance from the first drive disk and rotatable about a second axis of rotation, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are horizontally aligned and at the same height and not coaxial to each other and The pressure element comprises a first and a second pivot axis, wherein the pressure element is pivotally connected to the first drive disc via its first pivot axis and to the second drive disc via its second pivot axis such that the tool plate is horizontally aligned when the two drive discs rotate about their respective axes of rotation. The invention also relates to methods for operating such an application unit and to a packaging machine with such an application unit.

[0002] Application units for packaging machines for pressing a material blank, e.g., a cardboard blank, onto a group of containers formed into a group, such as cans or bottles according to the invention, are known in various embodiments from the prior art. In the case of a container-forming application, the material blank is pressed onto the containers in such a way that the material blank is positively connected to the containers via suitable openings adapted to the containers, whereby the material blank is slid over the containers section by section in the area of ​​the openings.

[0003] Essential to the function of such application units is that their pressure elements are guided and held horizontally when the material blank is pressed onto the containers. The known application units have the disadvantage that they have a particularly complex design and cannot be adapted to changing production conditions, such as varying product divisions, changing containers, or the like, either only to a limited extent and with considerable effort.

[0004] From EP 2 239 200 B1, an application unit for the production of a cardboard packaging is known, which has pressure elements attached to a rotary disc that close a cardboard blank, forming the base and side walls of the cardboard packaging, with a lid. A circulating toothed belt ensures that the pressure elements of the application unit always remain horizontally aligned.

[0005] Furthermore, documents DE 698 16 507 T2, WO 96 / 29247 A1, WO 02 / 060780 A2 and DE 1 220 323 B disclose an application unit for attaching a material blank to containers assembled into a container group, which includes a rotatingly driven pressure element for connecting the material blank to the containers to be conveyed along a transport plane.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of providing an application unit that can be manufactured cost-effectively and allows for easy adaptation to changing production conditions, as well as providing methods for operating such an application unit and a packaging machine with such an application unit.

[0007] The invention solves the problem by means of an application unit with the features of claim 1, the methods for operating an application unit or a packaging machine with the features of claim 14 or claim 16 respectively, and by means of a packaging machine with the features of claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified for the application unit in claims 2 to 9, for the packaging machine in claims 11 to 13, and for the methods in claims 15 and 17.

[0008] A characteristic feature of the application unit according to the invention is that - the drive discs (11a, 12a) are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other, transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and / or - each pressure element (7a, 7b) is arranged in a direction transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and along a direction of the first and second axis of rotation (10a, 10b) in the area between the first drive disk (11a, 11b) and the second drive disk (12a, 12b).

[0009] According to the invention, the drive unit has at least one pressure element comprising a tool plate, wherein the pressure element is pivotally connected to the first drive disc via its first pivot axis and to the second drive disc via its second pivot axis. The connection of the pivot axes of the pressure element to the first and second drive discs is preferably designed such that, due to an arrangement of the pivot axes at the same height, the tool plate arranged on the pressure element is always horizontally aligned when the drive discs are rotated, whereby a horizontal alignment corresponds to a intended arrangement of the application unit on or...This refers to the packaging machine in which the application unit is arranged parallel to, and at a distance from, a generally horizontal transport plane on which the containers, fitted with the material blank, are moved past the application unit in the transport direction. Advantageously, with respect to the intended installation position of the application unit, the arrangement of the pivot axes at the same height results in their identical distance from the transport plane during rotation of the drive discs. The non-coaxial arrangement of the rotary axes results in a distance or offset between them, which—with respect to the intended installation position of the application unit—are preferably arranged one behind the other in the transport direction.

[0010] The resulting reliable horizontal alignment of the tool plate ensures that it guides and holds the material blank to be attached to the containers horizontally. This ensures that if the tool plate shifts due to the rotation of the drive pulleys, the material blank is reliably attached to the containers. The material blank is attached during the shift of the tool plate from the position outside the containers to the position in contact with them. In the in-contact position, the material blank is positioned on or against the containers, depending on the specific configuration of this position, i.e., the maximum shift towards the containers.In the case of the material cut-out being attached, a form-fitting connection of the material cut-out with the individual containers of the container group is made, whereby a container-forming connection is preferably created via the material cut-out.

[0011] The application unit according to the invention is characterized by its particularly simple and cost-effective manufacture and its ability to ensure reliable horizontal alignment of the tool plates of the pressure elements. Deviations of the tool plate from the horizontal alignment required for smooth operation are effectively prevented by the application unit according to the invention. The application unit can be easily adapted to the transport speed of the containers by adjusting the rotational speed of the drive discs around their respective axis of rotation. Using the application unit, it is possible to apply a material cut to the containers in a continuous process.

[0012] The container group can consist of, for example, 4, 6 or 8 containers, preferably grouped in a 2x2 arrangement, a 3x2 arrangement or a 4x2 arrangement.

[0013] The containers in this group are preferably beverage containers or containers for liquid foodstuffs. According to the invention, the containers are designed as cans or bottles.

[0014] In principle, the specific design of the material blanks is freely selectable. Advantageously, each material blank has several holes through which the containers, particularly their upper section, can be inserted. Tooth-like fixing elements, inclined relative to the base of the material blank, can be provided around the circumference of the holes to ensure a positive connection with the containers. The material blanks are preferably made of cardboard, especially corrugated cardboard, or card stock. Optionally, each material blank can have lateral folding flaps. When folded, these flaps advantageously form a cover for the upper section of the containers, for example, to protect them from contamination.

[0015] The design of the connection between the pressure element and the tool plate is generally freely selectable. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pressure element is designed for detachable mounting of the tool plate. This embodiment of the invention makes it possible to adapt the application unit in a particularly simple manner to changing production conditions, such as the size of the container groups, the size of the containers, product division, or the like. In the event of a format change, it is only necessary to attach the tool plate required for processing to the pressure element, which can then be easily replaced again in the event of a further format change. Downtime resulting from retooling the application unit for changing formats can thus be significantly reduced.In this context, the term "product division" refers to the center-to-center distance between two consecutive groups of containers in the direction of transport.

[0016] The arrangement of the pressure elements on the first and second drive pulleys can, in principle, be designed in any way. For example, the pressure element or several pressure elements can be fixed to the drive pulleys, whereby adjustments to, for example, changing product divisions in the containers can be made by simply changing the rotational speed of the pressure elements, which results from the rotational speed of the drive pulley.

[0017] However, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and second drive discs have receiving openings for the detachable arrangement of the joint axes of the pressure element. The detachable arrangement of the joint axes allows the pressure elements to be easily replaced if necessary, thereby also facilitating inspection and maintenance work.

[0018] The arrangement of several receiving openings on each of the drive discs, provided in a particularly advantageous manner, wherein the receiving openings are distributed around their circumference on the drive discs in such a way that several pressure elements can be attached to the drive discs, makes it possible to provide the application unit with several pressure elements, wherein the number and arrangement of the pressure elements can then be selected depending on the product divisions of the containers, wherein an arrangement of the receiving openings is particularly preferred which allows the application unit to be adapted to product divisions of 160 mm, 240 mm and / or 320 mm.

[0019] This embodiment of the invention thus makes it possible to adapt the application unit to different product divisions simply by repositioning the pressure elements, without requiring any adjustment of the rotational speed of the pressure elements via regulation of the drive pulleys. The peripheral speed of the pressure elements can permanently correspond to the production speed of the packaging machine, thus eliminating the need for different speed profiles for drive motors or the like.

[0020] Particularly advantageously, each of the drive discs has several, preferably at least eight, receiving openings arranged on a circular path with a predetermined circumference, in particular a circumference of 960 mm. The receiving openings are divided into a first group with n receiving openings arranged equidistantly to each other, a second group with n receiving openings arranged equidistantly to each other, which is arranged opposite the receiving openings of the first group, and two individual receiving openings, each arranged centrally between the two groups, which are arranged on a common circular path, where n is a natural number and preferably greater than or equal to 3.

[0021] To adapt the application unit to a changed product division, it is still possible to replace the two drive discs with other drive discs in which the receiving openings for the pressure elements are arranged on a circular path with a smaller or larger circumference.

[0022] Particularly advantageous is the application unit comprising several, preferably three, four, or six, pressure elements, each with a tool plate, the first pivot axes of which are connected to the first drive disc and the second pivot axes of which are connected to the second drive disc. The corresponding pressure elements enable, in particular, a reliable arrangement of the material blanks on containers assembled into groups of four, six, or eight, which, for example, have a diameter of 58 or 66 mm, when the pressure elements are arranged on a circular path with a preferably provided circumference of 960 mm. It may be limited, for example, that when processing eight containers assembled into a group with a circumference of 960 mm and three tools evenly distributed around the circumference, only containers with a diameter of 58 mm can generally be processed.

[0023] In principle, the arrangement of the pressure elements is freely selectable, whereby in a particularly advantageous embodiment it is provided that these are arranged equidistantly to each other in order to ensure reliable attachment of the material blanks in a continuously running production process with a constant product division.

[0024] The drive of the drive discs can, in principle, be achieved in any manner. However, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the drive unit comprises a drive motor, preferably an electric motor, and most preferably a servo motor, for driving the drive discs. The use of a drive motor, in particular an electric or servo motor, makes it possible to determine the rotational speed of the drive discs and thus the rotational speed of the pressure elements with particular precision, so that optimal adaptation to the transport speed of the containers to be processed can be achieved.

[0025] It is particularly preferred that the drive pulleys have drive gears that can be engaged with the output gears of the drive motor in a rotationally fixed manner, thereby ensuring a particularly reliable drive of the drive pulleys. Furthermore, the use of output and drive gears via a reduction or overdrive allows the drive motor to be operated within an optimal speed range.

[0026] The problem underlying the invention is further solved by a packaging machine with an application unit according to the invention or further developed as described above. The packaging machine according to the invention is a device for attaching the material blanks to the containers, which, in addition to the application unit, also includes a feeding unit for the material blanks and a transport device for moving the containers to be provided with the material blanks along the application unit. The packaging machine according to the invention is characterized in that, due to the simple and compact design of the application unit, the packaging machine can be manufactured particularly easily and cost-effectively.The continuously operating application unit ensures the processing of a consistent product flow, thus enabling easy integration of the packaging machine into preceding and subsequent production processes.

[0027] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transport device for conveying the containers in the transport direction along a transport plane is arranged opposite the packaging machine such that the two axes of rotation of the application unit are aligned perpendicular to the transport direction, equidistant from the transport plane, and offset from each other in the transport direction. According to this embodiment of the invention, the tool plates of the pressure elements are aligned parallel to the transport plane by the provided arrangement of the application unit, thereby ensuring particularly reliable and simple guidance, holding, and final attachment of the material blanks to the containers.

[0028] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the application unit is mounted in such a way that its height position can be changed. This particularly enables the processing of containers of different heights in the packaging machine.

[0029] In an advantageous embodiment, the packaging machine includes an additional application unit. This additional application unit is expediently arranged downstream of the first application unit in the transport direction. Advantageously, the first application unit is designed to attach a blank of material to containers assembled into a container group, while the additional application unit is designed to lock two lateral folding flaps of the blank of material attached to the containers.

[0030] The first and the second application unit can be essentially identical in construction, except that the second application unit preferably has a locking element on the underside of the tool plate, or instead of the tool plate, for locking the lateral folding tabs. This locking element can, for example, have a downwardly tapered shape.

[0031] A folding device for folding or folding over the side flaps of the material blank is preferably arranged between the first application unit and the second application unit.

[0032] To solve the aforementioned problem underlying the invention, an inventive method for operating an application unit or a packaging machine – as described above in an inventive or further developed manner – provides that the containers are first conveyed with a first product division and then the product division is changed so that the containers are conveyed with a second product division that differs from the first product division, wherein a fixed number of pressure elements are used regardless of the product division and their position on the drive discs remains unchanged.

[0033] According to the inventive method, the application unit has a fixed number of pressure elements whose position on the drive discs is unchangeable, so that a conversion of the application unit in the event of a change of product division can be avoided, which makes it possible to carry out the method in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner, wherein the pressure elements are designed in such a way that they can be used with several product divisions.

[0034] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method, the rotational speed of the pressure elements is variable for each specified product division. Changing the rotational speed by altering the speed of the drive discs allows the application unit to be adapted to varying product divisions in a unique way, thereby significantly increasing the flexibility of the method.

[0035] According to an alternative method according to the invention for operating an application unit or a packaging machine - as described above in a manner according to the invention or in a further developed manner - it is provided that the containers are first conveyed with a first product division and then the product division is changed so that the containers are conveyed with a second product division which differs from the first product division, wherein when changing the product division the number of pressure elements and / or their position on the drive discs is changed.

[0036] According to this method, modifications are made to the application unit depending on the product division, whereby the pressure elements are changed in their position and / or number and thus adapted to the altered product division. This method according to the invention allows for simple adaptation to different product divisions using a consistent application unit, which can be adapted to the changed product division by simply adjusting the number or position of the pressure elements.

[0037] It is particularly advantageous that the rotational speed of the pressure elements remains constant during each specified product division, i.e., the rotational speed does not vary over time during each product division, with the rotational speed corresponding to the transport speed of the containers. According to this design, the rotational speed advantageously corresponds to the transport speed of the containers, thus ensuring optimal interaction between the tool plates arranged on the pressure elements and the material blanks to be arranged on the containers.

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show: Fig. 1 in a schematic representation a perspective view of an application unit and several grouped containers; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the application unit from Fig. 1 in conjunction with the grouped containers; Fig. 3 a perspective view of a second embodiment of an application unit; Fig. Figures 4 & 5 show a perspective view of the application unit. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 when processing a material cut with folding flaps; Fig. 6 a perspective view of another, the application unit from Fig. 5 application units following in the direction of transport for locking the folding flaps.

[0039] Fig. Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of an application unit 1a in its position relative to several container groups 4 to be processed, composed of containers 3, on a packaging machine (not shown here) having a transport device.

[0040] The application unit 1a comprises four pressure elements 7a. Furthermore, the application unit 1a includes a drive unit 6a for driving the pressure elements 7a, comprising a first drive disk 11a and a second drive disk 12a. The drive disks 11a and 12a are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other, transverse to the transport direction 27 of the containers 3. The first drive disk 11a rotates about its first axis of rotation 9a, and the second drive disk 12a rotates about its second axis of rotation 10a. The first axis of rotation 9a and the second axis of rotation 10a are arranged one behind the other at a distance from each other when viewed in the transport direction, and the height of the first and second axes of rotation 9a and 10a, i.e., their distance from a transport plane of the containers 3, is the same.

[0041] The drive unit 6a, comprising the two drive discs 11a and 12a, serves to adjust the pressure elements 7a, which are equipped with tool plates 8a and are arranged in the area between the first drive disc 11a and the second drive disc 12a. The pressure elements 7a are each connected to the first drive disc 11a via a first pivot axis 13a and to the second drive disc 12a via a second pivot axis 25a. The pressure elements 7a are arranged on the first and second drive discs 11a and 12a by pivot pins 24, which are rotatably mounted on the pressure elements 7a. The ends of these pivot pins opposite the free ends are connected to the first and second drive discs 11a and 12a via square elements 26 arranged in receiving openings 14a.

[0042] If the receiving openings 14a differ from the embodiment shown in the example, Fig. 1. If the connecting elements do not have a square shape, instead of the square elements 26, differently shaped, for example round, connecting elements are preferably used.

[0043] The arrangement of the pressure elements 7a on the first and second drive discs 11a, 12a is such that the first joint axis 13a and second joint axis 25a of each pressure element 7a always have the same distance from the transport plane, so that the pressure elements 7a and the tool plates 8a arranged on the pressure elements 7a are always horizontal, i.e. parallel to the transport plane and parallel to the containers 3 arranged to form a container group 4, during the rotation of the drive discs 11a, 12a.

[0044] The pressure elements 7a are arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the first drive disk 11a and the second drive disk 12a, each having a first receiving opening group 20a and a second receiving opening group 21a. Each of these receiving groups 20a, 21a has three receiving openings 14a distributed around the circumference and arranged equidistantly from one another. Two further receiving openings 14a are arranged centrally between the first receiving opening group 20a and the second receiving opening group 21a on the circular path on which the receiving openings 14a of the first and second receiving opening groups 20a, 21a are arranged opposite each other on the drive disks 11a, 11b.

[0045] By means of a drive of the application unit 1a, the first and second drive discs 11a, 12a are set into rotation about their first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a, whereby the pressure elements 7a with their tool plates 8a rotate about the first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a. In doing so, the tool plates 8a engage with the containers 3 assembled into container groups 4 and displace the material blanks 2 arranged on the container groups 4 – preferably cardboard blanks – towards the containers 3.

[0046] In conjunction with the tool plates 8a, the material blanks 2 are removed from their positions as the container groups 4 are guided along the application unit 1a in the transport direction 27. Fig. 1 shown, placed on the container groups 4 for the formation of containers 5 in the Fig. The material blanks 2 with holes 23 are shifted in the transport direction 27 following the application unit, in which they are placed over the top of the containers 3, such that the holes 23 are arranged coaxially with the containers 3 in the area of ​​the tops of the containers 3. During interaction with the container groups 4, the tool plates 8a guide the material blanks 2, hold them parallel to the tops of the containers 3, and shift them from an out-of-engagement position to an in-engagement position with the container groups 4.

[0047] Another embodiment of an application unit 1b is described in Fig. 3 is shown in a perspective view. In contrast to the one in the Fig. 1 and Fig. In the application unit 1a shown in Figure 2, the drive unit 6b of the application unit 1b has two wheel-shaped drive discs 11b, 12b, wherein the first drive disc 11b is rotatable about the first axis of rotation 9b and the second drive disc 12b is rotatable about the second axis of rotation 10b. Screws 22 serve to articulately arrange the pressure elements 7b on the first drive disc 11b and the second drive disc 12b, by means of which the pivot pins 24 extending through the pressure elements 7b are articulatedly connected to the first and second drive discs 11b, 12b. The pivot pins 24 form the first and second pivot axes 13b, 25b of the pressure elements 7b.

[0048] In contrast to the design of the receiving openings 14a of the in Fig. 1 and Fig. The first and second drive discs 11b, 12b of the drive unit 6a shown in 2 are Fig. The application unit 1b shown in Figure 3 has circular receiving openings 14b through which the screws 22 extend. Analogous to the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the first drive disk 11b and the second drive disk 12b have a first receiving opening group 20b and a second receiving opening group 21b, respectively, which are arranged opposite each other. Between the two receiving opening groups 20b, 21b, two individual receiving openings 14b are arranged on the circular path of the receiving opening 14b, each positioned centrally between the two receiving opening groups 20b, 21b.

[0049] The drive unit 6b is powered by a drive motor 15 mounted on a frame 18. The motor's rotary motion is transmitted via two output gears 16 to drive gears 17 that are fixedly connected to the drive discs 11b and 12b. The drive causes the first and second drive discs 11b and 12b to rotate about their first and second axes of rotation 9b and 10b, respectively. The pressure elements 7b, with their attached tool plates 8b, remain permanently horizontally oriented and rotate in accordance with the rotation of the first and second drive discs 11b and 12b. The tool plate 8b has openings 19 that are adapted to the containers 3 of the container groups 4 to be processed. These openings allow the material blank 2 to be displaced towards the containers 3, thus forming the containers 5.

[0050] Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows the application unit 1a. Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 as well as several container groups 4 to be processed, composed of containers 3, wherein the application unit 1a is used for processing a different type of material blanks 2. In the present case, material blanks 2 are processed, each of which has two lateral folding flaps 2a. These serve in the folded state (cf. Fig. 6) as protection against contamination for the lids of the containers 3.

[0051] Using the application unit 1a, these material blanks 2 are attached to the containers 3 of the respective container group 4 in the manner described above. The side folding flaps 2a are then folded using a folding device (not shown) that follows the application unit 1a in the transport direction 27.

[0052] Following the aforementioned application unit 1a in the transport direction 27 is another application unit 1c. This application unit 1c serves to lock the folded folding flaps 2a of a material blank 2 together.

[0053] The further application unit 1c is essentially identical in construction to the first application unit 1a, but has an additional locking element 28 on each of its pressure elements 7a on the tool plates 8a. The respective locking element 28 has a downwardly tapered shape and preferably extends over the entire length of the associated tool plate 8a.

[0054] The container groups 4, with the folded material blanks 2 arranged on them, are transported by the transport device along the transport direction 27 to the application unit 1c. A drive in the application unit 1c rotates its first and second drive discs 11a, 12a about their first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a, causing the pressure elements 7a, with their tool plates 8a and the locking elements 28 attached thereto, to rotate about the first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a. During this rotation, the locking elements 28 engage with the material blanks 2 and lock the two folding flaps 28 of the respective material blank 2 together. Reference symbol list 1a, 1b, 1c Application unit 2. Material cutting 2a Folding flap 3 containers 4 Container group 5 containers 6a, 6b Drive unit 7a, 7b Pressure element 8a, 8b Tool plate 9a, 9b first axis of rotation 10a, 10b second axis of rotation 11a, 11b first drive pulley 12a, 12b second drive pulley 13a, 13b first joint axis 14a, 14b Intake opening 15 Drive motor 16 Output gear 17 Drive gear 18 frames 19 Opening 20a, 20b first admission opening group 21a, 21b second admission opening group 22 screw 23 holes 24 hinge bolts 25a, 25b second joint axis 26 square element 27 Transport direction 28 Locking element

Claims

[1] Application unit (1a, 1b) for a packaging machine for the container-forming application of a material blank (2) to cans or bottles (3) assembled into a container group (4), with - at least one pressure element (7a, 7b) having a tool plate (8a, 8b) for connecting the material blank (2) with the cans or bottles (3) of the container group (4) to be conveyed along a transport plane in a transport direction (27) and - a drive unit (6a, 6b) designed to move the pressure element (7a, 7b) such that the tool plate (8a, 8b) is adjustable between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the cans or bottles (3), wherein - the drive unit (6a, 6b) comprises a first drive disk (11a, 11b) rotatable about a first axis of rotation (9a, 9b) and a second drive disk (12a, 12b) arranged parallel to and at a distance from the first drive disk (11a, 11b) and rotatable about a second axis of rotation (10a, 10b), wherein the first and the second axes of rotation (10a, 10b) are horizontally aligned and at the same height and are not coaxial with each other and - the pressure element (7a, 7b) comprises a first and a second articulation axis (13a, 13b, 25a, 25b), wherein the pressure element (7a, 7b) is articulated to the first drive disc (11a, 11b) via its first articulation axis (13a, 13b) and to the second drive disc (12a, 12b) via its second articulation axis (25a, 25b) such that the tool plate (8a, 8b) is horizontally oriented when the two drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) rotate about their respective axes of rotation (9a, 9b, 10a, 10b), characterized by , that - the drive discs (11a, 12a) are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other, transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and / or - each pressure element (7a, 7b) is arranged in a direction transverse to the transport direction (27) of the cans or bottles (3) and along a direction of the first and second axis of rotation (10a, 10b) in the area between the first drive disk (11a, 11b) and the second drive disk (12a, 12b). [2] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the pressure element (7a, 7b) is designed for the detachable arrangement of the tool plate (8a, 8b). [3] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the first and second drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) have receiving openings (14a, 14b) for the detachable arrangement of the joint axes (13a, 13b, 25a, 25b) of the pressure element (7a, 7b). [4] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that each of the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) has several receiving openings (14a, 14b) distributed around its circumference, so that several pressure elements (7a, 7b) can be attached to the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) and their distance from each other can be adapted to different product divisions, in particular product divisions of 160 mm, 240 mm and / or 320 mm. [5] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by, that each of the drive disks (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) has several, preferably at least eight, receiving openings (14a, 14b) arranged on a circular path with a predetermined circumference, in particular a circumference of 960 mm, and which are arranged in a first receiving opening group (20a, 20b) of n receiving openings (14a, 14b) arranged equidistantly to each other, a second receiving opening group (21a, 21b) of n receiving openings (14a, 14b) arranged equidistantly to each other, which are arranged opposite the receiving openings (14a, 14b) of the first receiving opening group (20a, 20b), and two individual receiving openings (14a, 14b) arranged centrally between the two receiving opening groups (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) on the are arranged in a circular path, where n is a natural number and preferably greater than or equal to 3. [6] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized bySeveral, preferably 3, 4 or 6, pressure elements (7a, 7b) each having a tool plate (8a, 8b), the first joint axes (13a, 13b) of which are connected to the first drive disc (11a, 11b) and the second joint axes (25a, 25b) of which are connected to the second drive disc (12a, 12b). [7] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the pressure elements (7a, 7b) are arranged equidistantly to each other. [8] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the drive unit (6a, 6b) comprises a drive motor (15), preferably an electric motor, particularly preferably a servo motor, for driving the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b). [9] Application unit (1a, 1b) according to claim 8, characterized by , that the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) have drive gears (17) that can be brought into engagement with output gears (16) of the drive motor (15) in a rotationally fixed manner. [10] Packaging machine with an application unit (1a, 1b) according to one or more of the preceding claims. [11] Packaging machine according to claim 10, characterized by a transport device for conveying the cans or bottles (3) in the transport direction (27) along a transport plane, wherein the two axes of rotation (9a, 9b, 10a, 10b) are aligned perpendicular to the transport direction (27) and are arranged at the same distance from the transport plane and offset from each other in the transport direction (27). [12] Packaging machine according to claim 10 or 11, characterized bya further application unit (1c), in particular according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first-mentioned application unit (1a, 1b) is designed for attaching, in particular for container-forming, a material blank (2) to cans or bottles (3) assembled to form a container group (4), and the further application unit (1c) is designed for locking two lateral folding flaps (2a) of the material blank (2) attached to the cans or bottles (3). [13] Packaging machine according to claim 12, characterized by a folding device arranged between the first application unit (1a, 1b) and the further application unit (1c) for folding the side folding flaps (2a) of the material blank (2). [14] Method for operating an application unit (1a, 1b) or a packaging machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the cans or bottles (3) are first conveyed with a first product division and then the product division is changed so that the cans or bottles (3) are conveyed with a second product division which is different from the first product division, characterized by , that regardless of the product division a fixed number of pressure elements (7a, 7b) are used and their position on the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) is left unchanged. [15] Method according to claim 14, characterized by , that the rotational speed of the pressure elements (7a, 7b) is variable for the respective given product division. [16] Method for operating an application unit (1a, 1b) or a packaging machine according to one or more of claims 1 to 13, in which the cans or bottles (3) are initially conveyed with a first product division and then the product division is changed so that the cans or bottles (3) are conveyed with a second product division which is different from the first product division, characterized by , that When changing the product division, the number of pressure elements (7a, 7b) and / or their position on the drive discs (11a, 11b, 12a, 12b) is changed. [17] Method according to claim 16, characterized by , that for each specified product division the rotational speed of the pressure elements (7a, 7b) is constant, where the rotational speed corresponds to the transport speed of the cans or bottles (3).

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