Apparatus and method for manipulating articles

Abstract

Apparatus and method for manipulating articles, comprising a step of transferring at least one article (11) from at least one transfer unit (10) to a first transport line (14), mobile in a first direction (X2), wherein such transfer unit (10) is provided with a bearing carriage (18) and an actuator carriage (17), both positioned on a second transport line (16), mobile in a second direction (X3), and connected to a thrust element (15) by means of motion transmission means (29, 30).

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANIPULATING ARTICLES”

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention concerns an apparatus and a method for manipulating articles for the transfer of at least one article from a transfer system towards a transport line.

[0004] The present invention also concerns a transfer unit that is configured as said transfer system and is included in said apparatus for manipulating articles.

[0005] Said transfer system and said transport line may for example be part of a packaging plant or machine, in which the transfer system transports and transfers the bulk articles and said transport line provides containers for their packaging.

[0006] Such articles may for example be of a flexible type such as sachets, blisters, pouches or bags, and may be used to contain foodstuffs, for example condiments such as oil, vinegar, sauces or the like, or pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or personal care products, such as for example drugs, creams, lotions.

[0007] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0008] As is known, there are plants for manipulating articles in which there is a need to transfer one or more articles from a first transport line to a second transport line carrying the containers inside which the articles must be packaged. There are therefore plants or machines for packaging articles that comprise a transfer system that transfers the articles, individually or stacked, from said first transport line to said second transport line for containers, for example boxes. An example of such a machine is the so-called “cartoning machine”, which inserts articles stacked one on top of the other inside box-like containers. The number of the articles inside each box may be variable according to the needs, and - once set - it is possible to provide for a suitably synchronized movement between said transfer system and said lines so that a desired number of articles is positioned inside a container. It is therefore possible to provide one or more articles, for example stacked, inside each box. The passage of the articles from said transfer system to the containers present on the line takes place automatically by means of devices that transfer the articles into the box, for example in a direction transverse to the directions of said lines.

[0009] These transfer systems can also work continuously, for example by means of an annular track on which the pusher elements are mounted in sequence, and their motion can be synchronized with that of the transport lines.

[0010] Further examples of plants for manipulating articles, in particular bottles, are described in patent documents DE 102012201059 Al and DE 102016211169 Al. Both solutions described by these documents comprise a plurality of bottle picking units. Each picking unit comprises two carriages, which can be operated independently of each other. When it is necessary to displace a bottle, for example to take it from the transport line to the reject line, as described by DE 102012201059 Al, it is envisaged to modify the relative distance between the carriages, for example by modifying the speed of one of them with respect to that of the other carriage. The picking unit comprises a gripping member, such as a gripper, whose longitudinal extension is variable as a function of the distance between the carriages. The gripping member is mounted on a mechanism that causes it to protrude farther from the picking unit when the carriages approach each other, and to retract towards the picking unit when, on the contrary, the carriages move away from each other. The carriages may comprise linear motors mobile on a guide closed in a loop, on which the carriages are moved thanks to electromagnetic interaction.

[0011] Such transfer systems often prove to be complex in structure and operation, laborious to maintain, expensive and often cause an excessive increase in the overall encumbrance of the packaging plant.

[0012] There is therefore the need to perfect a method and an apparatus for manipulating articles, for example of a flexible type such as sachets, blisters, pouches, bags, or the like, within a relative packaging plant, that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.

[0013] A purpose of the present invention is to develop an effective and simple method for manipulating articles, for example of a flexible type such as sachets, blisters, pouches or bags, in particular within a relative packaging plant.

[0014] Another purpose of the present invention is to develop a method for manipulating articles that allows their transfer between a transfer unit and a transport line in a reliable and precise manner.

[0015] Another purpose of the present invention is to realize an apparatus for manipulating articles that is constructively simple, little cumbersome, flexible and that functions effectively regardless of the type of articles being manipulated.

[0016] Another purpose of the present invention is to realize a manipulating apparatus that is automatic and does not cause a significant increase in the complexity and sizes of the packaging plant in which the use thereof can be envisaged.

[0017] Another purpose of the present invention is to realize a reliable manipulating apparatus that requires rapid, infrequent and not excessively laborious maintenance.

[0018] The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

[0019] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

[0021] In accordance with the above purposes, an apparatus for manipulating articles according to the present invention comprises at least one transfer unit and at least one first transport line, mobile in a first direction, on which said at least one article has to be transferred by said at least one transfer unit.

[0022] According to one aspect of the invention, said transfer unit is provided with a bearing carriage and an actuator carriage, both positioned on a second transport line, mobile in a second direction, and connected to a thrust element by means of motion transmission means, which, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage and said bearing carriage in said second direction, determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element from said transfer unit and therefore the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article from said transfer unit to said first transport line.

[0023] According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a support configured to accommodate one or more articles from said supply member.

[0024] Advantageously, according to the present invention, each transfer unit is made as a stand-alone module thanks to which each thrust element is directly associated with motion transmission means that correlate its movement to the relative movement between the actuator carriage and the bearing carriage. This avoids the need to provide for the complex and cumbersome movement systems of the solutions known in the art, in which the thrust elements are guided in their displacement in a closed path, for example configured as a flat cam, which extends into a mechanism adjacent to the movement lines. In this way, the present invention makes it possible to significantly reduce the structural complexity and the overall encumbrances of the solutions known in the art.

[0025] Moreover, thanks to the fact that the transfer unit directly integrates the support for the articles, the apparatus is more compact and more reliable than the solutions known in the art described by DE 102012201059 Al and DE 102016211169 Al . In fact, in both these solutions the bottles to be transferred travel on a dedicated transport line and are not supported by the picking units. The apparatus according to the present invention is therefore more compact in size and simpler in operation because it comprises one transport line less than these solutions known in the art.

[0026] According to a further aspect of the invention, said motion transmission means comprise an articulated parallelogram associated with said bearing carriage and said thrust element and a connecting rod associated with said articulated parallelogram and said actuator carriage.

[0027] According to a further aspect of the invention, said articulated parallelogram comprises a first bar associated with said bearing carriage and a pair of levers associated by means of respective hinges with said first bar and with said thrust element.

[0028] According to a further aspect of the invention, said bearing carriage comprises a pair of sides internally provided with linear guides along which a slide associated with said actuator carriage is mobile. Said slide and said actuator carriage move in one or the other direction in said second direction.

[0029] According to a further aspect of the invention, said bearing carriage is associated with a connection bar of a support, configured to accommodate one or more articles. Said support may comprise a rest base and possibly also a side wall and an upper wall, so as to assume a substantially “C” shape, suitable for accommodating multiple stacked articles, for example sachets, blisters or the like.

[0030] Another purpose of the invention is a mobile transfer unit configured to transfer at least one article to a first transport line, mobile in a first direction.

[0031] According to one aspect of the invention, said transfer unit comprises a bearing carriage and an actuator carriage, both connected to a thrust element by means of motion transmission means, which, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage and said bearing carriage in a given movement direction, determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element from said transfer unit, and therefore, in use, the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article to said first transport line.

[0032] According to one aspect of the invention, said transfer unit comprises a support configured to accommodate one or more articles.

[0033] Another purpose of the invention is a method for manipulating articles carried out by means of an apparatus as defined above and comprising a step of transferring at least one article from at least one transfer unit to a first transport line, mobile in a first direction. Said transfer unit can be supplied with one or more articles by means of a supply member.

[0034] According to one aspect of the invention, said transfer step provides a thrusting step of said at least one article by means of at least said transfer unit provided with a bearing carriage and an actuator carriage, both positioned on a second transport line mobile in a second direction and connected to a thrust element by means of motion transmission means. Said motion transmission means, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage and said bearing carriage in said second direction, determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element from said transfer unit and therefore the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article from said transfer unit to said first transport line.

[0035] Thanks to the transfer of one or more articles performed by means of said transfer unit that directly supports the articles to be transferred in said support and that exploits the relative motion of the bearing carriage and of the actuator carriage on said second mobile transport line, the procedure for manipulating articles is quick, effective and does not result in an increase in the encumbrances and complexity of the apparatus that implements it.

[0036] According to a further aspect of the invention, said method provides a step of continuously transferring articles to said first transport line by means of a series of transfer units placed in sequence in said second transport line. The operation of said transfer units can be suitably synchronised by means of a control unit that manages the apparatus. Furthermore, said second transport line on which said transfer units are positioned can be closed in a loop.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the invention, in said thrusting step the relative movement between said actuator carriage and said bearing carriage in said second direction is a distancing movement, which determines said at least partial exit of said thrust element from said transfer unit.

[0038] According to a further aspect of the invention, the method comprises an inactive step in which the relative movement between said actuator carriage and said bearing carriage in said second direction is an approaching movement which determines the re-entry of said thrust element in said transfer unit. According to a further aspect of the invention, said relative motion is determined by the movement of said actuator carriage with respect to said bearing carriage. Said bearing carriage can then be constrained to said second transport line and said actuator carriage can move with respect to said second transport line. According to a further aspect of the invention, said thrust element exits from, or re-enters in, said transfer unit in a substantially transverse direction at least with respect to said first direction.

[0039] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

[0041] - figs, la and lb are schematic plan views of part of an apparatus for manipulating articles according to the present invention in two operating steps; - fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus comprising a plurality of transfer units placed in sequence;

[0042] - fig. 3 is an axonometric view of a transfer unit according to the present invention in a first position;

[0043] - fig. 4 is an axonometric view of the transfer unit of fig. 3 in a second position. We must clarify that in the present description the phraseology and terminology used, as well as the figures in the attached drawings also as described, have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the present invention, their function being to provide a non-limiting example of the invention itself, since the scope of protection is defined by the claims.

[0044] To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

[0045] DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to the possible embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are illustrated in the accompanying figures by way of non-limiting example. The phraseology and terminology used herein is also for non-limiting exemplary purposes.

[0047] With reference to figs, la and lb of the accompanying drawings, an apparatus for manipulating articles 20 comprises at least one transfer unit 10, and at least one first transport line 14, mobile in a first direction X2, on which said at least one article 11 has to be transferred by said at least one transfer unit 10. Said apparatus 20 may further comprise a supply member 12 configured to supply at least one article 11 to said transfer unit 10, for example in a supply direction schematically indicated with XI in the figures. On said supply member 12 it might be provided for multiple stacked articles 11, for example pouches, blisters or the like, to be transferred to the transfer unit 10. Said supply member 12, said transfer unit 10 and said first transport line 14 may be part of a packaging plant or machine, for example a so-called “cartoning machine”. Said first transport line 14 may be a line for boxing said articles 11, for example in suitable box-like containers or the like. Said first transport line 14, of which only a section is shown in figures la and lb, may comprise a conveyor belt, for example closed into a loop on at least one pair of rollers, at least one of which is motorised, according to configurations known in the art. The supply member 12 may be a conveyor, a hopper or any other suitable means for supplying and / or transporting articles 11.

[0048] Said transfer unit 10 comprises a bearing carriage 18 and an actuator carriage 17 both positioned on a second transport line 16 mobile in a second direction X3. Said bearing carriage 18 and said actuator carriage 17 are connected to a thrust element 15 by means of motion transmission means 29, 30. Said bearing carriage 18 and / or said actuator carriage 17 can in turn move with respect to said second direction X3, in particular parallel thereto. Said motion transmission means 29, 30, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage 17 and said bearing carriage 18 with respect to said second movement direction X3 of said second transport line 16, determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element 15 from said transfer unit 10 and therefore the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article 11 from said transfer unit 10 to said first transport line 14.

[0049] The mutual approach and distancing of said actuator carriage 17 and of said bearing carriage 18 can take place by moving both carriages or by moving only one of them, for example the actuator carriage 17, by distancing or approach with respect to the bearing carriage 18, in one or the other direction in said second direction X3.

[0050] Said actuator carriage 17 can be moved with respect to said bearing carriage 18 by means of a control unit, not depicted. In particular, the mutual distancing of the actuator carriage 17 and of the bearing carriage 18 in said second direction X3 determines the at least partial exit of the thrust element 15 from said transfer unit 10 and therefore the transfer of the article 11 from said transfer unit 10 to said first transport line 14, see fig. lb. The mutual approach of the actuator carriage 17 and of the bearing carriage 18 determines the re-entry of the thrust element 15 in said transfer unit 10, in the position illustrated in fig. la. See also fig. 3, in which said transfer unit 10 has the thrust element 15 in the fully retracted position of fig. la and with the carriages 17 and 18 placed at a first distance DI. In fig. 4 said transfer unit 10 has completed the thrust operation and the thrust element 15 is in the position of fig. lb, with the carriages 17 and 18 placed at a second distance D2, greater than said first distance DI .

[0051] Said actuator carriage 17 and / or said bearing carriage 18 may comprise magnetic motors, known per se and therefore not illustrated. In particular, said actuator carriage 17 and / or said bearing carriage 18 may comprise permanent magnets and said second transport line 16 may comprise electromagnets configured to cooperate with said permanent magnets to command the displacement of the carriages. The control unit can manage the operation of said magnetic motors and therefore both the advancement movement of the carriages 17 and 18 along the second transport line 16 in the second direction X3, and the mutual approach or distancing of the carriages 17 and 18.

[0052] In other versions, not depicted, the actuator carriage 17 and the bearing carriage 18 may comprise mechanical means for the coupling to transport members, for example belts or conveyor belts. In this case, the actuator carriage 17 is connected to a first transport member, and the bearing carriage 18 is connected to a second transport member, operated independently of the first transport member so as to be able to be selectively moved at different linear advancement speeds to obtain the approach or distancing between the carriages.

[0053] It is possible to provide that the apparatus 20 comprises a single transfer unit 10 which carries out the thrust of one article 11 at a time or of a stack of articles

[0054] 11 at a time towards said first transport line 14, with the thrust element 15 repeatedly passing from the retracted position to the extended position, as illustrated in fig. la and fig. lb, and vice versa.

[0055] Alternatively, as schematically illustrated in fig. 2, it is possible to provide a series of “n” transfer units 10 placed in sequence in said second transport line 16 and synchronized so as to perform a continuous transfer of articles 11 to said first transport line 14. In this case, the series of “n” transfer units 10 can be configured as a drawer conveyor. In this case, it is possible to provide that the thrust elements 15 of each of the “n” transfer units 10 are in different positions. For example, the thrust element 15 of a first transfer unit 10 is in a fully retracted position and the thrust elements 15 of the successive transfer units 10 in said second direction X3 are gradually more and more extended towards said first transport line 14. Subsequently to the transfer unit 10 with the thrust element 15 at the maximum extension, it can be provided for a further transfer unit 10 with the thrust element 15 fully retracted and so on. Said second transport line 16 can be for example closed in a loop and provide transfer units 10 at regular intervals in its entire extension, so as to confer continuity to the manipulating process.

[0056] Said directions XI, X2 and X3 are substantially parallel. It is however possible to provide, for example, that the first direction X2, along which the first transport line 14 moves, is not parallel to said supply direction XI. The movement speeds of said lines 14 and 16 can be substantially the same or in any case correlated with each other with predetermined ratios. Said lines 14 and 16 can be realized by means of conveyor belts or the like. Said thrust element 15 exits from, or re-enters in, said transfer unit 10 mainly in a substantially transverse direction Y1 at least with respect to said first direction X2. The movement of said thrust element 15 can be a roto-translational movement obtained by a combination of a translation in the direction Y 1 and of a rotation determined by the motion transmission means 30.

[0057] As can be observed by comparing fig. la and fig. lb and also fig. 3 and fig. 4, the mutual distancing of the carriages, in particular of the actuator carriage 17 with respect to the bearing carriage 18, determines the exit of the thrust element 15 from the transfer unit 10 and therefore the passage of the article 11 from said transfer unit 10 to said first transport line 14. Conversely, the mutual approach of the carriages, in particular of the actuator carriage 17 with respect to the bearing carriage 18, determines the re-entry of the thrust element 15 in the transfer unit 10, once the transfer of the article 11 in the first transport line 14 has been completed.

[0058] It is noted that this arrangement of relative movement between the carriages 17, 18 and the thrust element 15 is opposite to what is described in the previous documents DE 102012201059 Al and DE 102016211169 Al, in which on the contrary, the gripping member exits when the carriages approach.

[0059] The fact that the mutual distancing between the carriages 17, 18 determines the exit of the thrust element 15 is advantageous due to the encumbrances and the spaces that are typically available for the transfer of the articles towards the first transport line 14 because this means that the relative arrangement between the carriages 17, 18 is normally close, except for the thrusting step in which they move away, thus occupying less space for most of the extension of the second transport line 16. In this way, with the same dimensions, it is possible to arrange a greater number of carriages 17, 18 on the second transport line 16 compared to the solutions known in the art.

[0060] Said bearing carriage 18 is connected to a pair of sides 21, 22 substantially parallel to said second direction X3, between which, at a certain height, a first bar 45 is fixed. Said sides 21, 22 can be connected to said bearing carriage 18 by means of bearings 46 or the like. Said first bar 45 is directed substantially in a transverse direction with respect to said sides 21, 22. A pair of levers 25, 26, in particular the return lever 26 and the lever 25 having an orientation substantially parallel to said re-entry lever 26, are hinged on said first bar 45 by means of relative hinges 23, 24.

[0061] Said levers 25 and 26 are also hinged, by means of further hinges 27, 28, with said thrust element 15. Said first bar 45, said levers 25, 26 and said thrust element 15, together with said hinges 23, 24, 27, 28, substantially form the above motion transmission means 29, which in the example are configured as an articulated parallelogram 49, schematised with a dotted line in figs, la and lb.

[0062] The motion transmission means 30 comprise further hinges 31, 32 and a connecting rod 50. By means of the further hinge 31, the lever 26 (included in the articulated parallelogram 49) is hinged to one end of the connecting rod 50, the other end of which is hinged by means of the further hinge 32 (fig. 4) to said actuator carriage 17. Said lever 26 may in particular have a substantially triangular shape, where at the vertices delimiting one side said hinges 24 and 31 for connection with said first bar 45 and said connecting rod 50 are positioned, while on the vertex opposite to said side said hinge 28 for connection with said thrust element 15 is positioned.

[0063] The shape, the size and the arrangement of the components forming said motion transmission means 30, in particular of the levers 25, 26 and of the connecting rod 50, as well as the placement of the hinges 23, 24, 27, 28, 31 and 32 may of course differ from that provided by way of non-limiting example in the embodiment described herein and depicted in the accompanying figures.

[0064] For example, the person skilled in the art will be able to size these components according to the trajectories of motion and of the spaces available.

[0065] In a variant, not depicted, the motion transmission means 30 may comprise motion multiplication members, for example configured as toothed gears, which amplify the linear displacement of the thrust element 15 with the same rotation or roto-translation of the components included in the motion transmission means 29, 30. In particular, a gearbox, possibly planetary, suitable for the purpose may be provided.

[0066] According to another variant, not depicted, the motion transmission means 30 may comprise an assembly of mechanical members, such as levers, connecting rods, hinges, or other, configured to ensure that the movement of the thrust element 15 is exclusively linear in the direction Yl, without any rotation component.

[0067] Said actuator carriage 17 comprises a second bar 33 on which said further hinge 32 for connection with said connecting rod 50 is positioned. Said second bar 33 is positioned at a certain height between two sides 34, 35 of said actuator carriage 17. Said sides 34, 35 are substantially parallel to said second direction X3 and can be connected to said actuator carriage 17 by means of bearings 47 or the like. Said second bar 33 is substantially transverse with respect to said sides 34, 35 and is parallel to the first bar 45 that connects the sides 21, 22 connected to the bearing carriage 18. Said sides 34, 35 of the actuator carriage 17 are placed at a mutual distance lower than the distance at which the sides 21, 22 of the bearing carriage 18 are placed, so as to be adjacent to these sides and at least partially inserted between these latter in the motion of distancing and approach of the carriages 17 and 18.

[0068] Each of said sides 21, 22 is internally provided with a linear guide 36, 37, which can be directed substantially in said second direction X3. A slide 38 (fig.

[0069] 3) associated with said actuator carriage 17 and configured to guide the motion of the latter with respect to the bearing carriage 18 is mobile in said linear guides 36, 37.

[0070] A connection bar 39 connected to a support 40, configured as a drawer capable of accommodating one or more articles 11 , is also associated with said bearing carriage 18. Said connection bar 39 may have a cylindrical, parallelepiped or other shape and is directed substantially transversely to said second direction X3 so as to be parallel to said first and second bar 45 and 33. Said connection bar 39 is in particular connected to the top of each of the sides 21, 22 of said bearing carriage 18.

[0071] Said thrust element 15 comprises a rod 41 directed substantially in said direction Y1 and a thrust plate 42 placed at the end of said rod 41 and configured to be inserted into said support 40. The hinges 27, 28 for connection with the levers 25, 26 are preferably positioned on said rod 41. Said plate 42 is directed substantially in a direction orthogonal to said direction Y 1.

[0072] Said support 40 substantially provides a rest base 19, configured to accommodate at least one article 11. Said support 40 can also be made as a sort of substantially “C” shaped drawer and thus comprise, in addition to the rest base 19, also a side wall 44 and an upper wall 13. In this case, there is provided a first side 43, open, configured to allow the entry of one or more articles 11, and a second closed side, opposite said first side 43 and defining said side wall 44. On the opposite side to the base 19, instead, an upper wall 13 is provided. Said drawer shape of the support 40 may be useful in the event that the apparatus 20 manipulates multiple stacked articles 11, for example pouches, blisters or the like. Substantially, said support 40 is supplied with one or more articles 11 by means of said supply member 12.

[0073] A method for manipulating articles, for example within a relative packaging plant, therefore comprises the transfer of said at least one article 11 from said transfer unit 10 to said transport line 14 that is movable in said first direction X2. Said transfer unit 10 can be supplied with one or more articles 11 by means of said supply member 12. Said transfer provides a step of thrusting said at least one article 11 by means of at least said transfer unit 10 provided with said bearing carriage 18 and said actuator carriage 17. Said bearing carriage 18 and said actuator carriage 17 are positioned on said second transport line 16 and are connected to said thrust element 15 by means of said motion transmission means 29, 30. Following the relative motion between said actuator carriage 17 and said bearing carriage 18 in said second movement direction X3 of said second transport line 16, said motion transmission means 29, 30 determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element 15 from said transfer unit 10 and therefore the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article 1 1 from said transfer unit 10 to said first transport line 14.

[0074] The mutual distancing of said carriages 17 and 18 determines the at least partial exit of said thrust element 15 from said transfer unit 10, while their mutual approach determines the re-entry of said thrust element 15 in said transfer unit 10.

[0075] It is clear that modifications and / or additions of parts may be made to the manipulating apparatus and method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims. It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve other equivalent forms of apparatus and method for manipulating articles, for example of a flexible type such as sachets, blisters, pouches or bags, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

[0076] In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate their reading and they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus (20) for manipulating articles, comprising a supply member (12) configured to supply at least one article (11), to at least one transfer unit (10), and at least one first transport line (14), mobile in a first direction (X2), on which said at least one article (11) has to be transferred by said at least one transfer unit (10), wherein said at least one transfer unit (10) is provided with a bearing carriage (18) and an actuator carriage (17), both positioned on a second transport line (16), mobile in a second direction (X3), and connected to a thrust element (15) by means of motion transmission means (29, 30), which, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage (17) and said bearing carriage (18) in said second direction (X3), determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element (15) from said at least one transfer unit (10) and therefore the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article (11) from said at least one transfer unit (10) to said first transport line (14) characterized in that said transfer unit (10) comprises a support (40) configured to accommodate one or more articles (11) from said supply member (12).

2. Apparatus (20) as in claim 1, characterized in that said support (40) is associated with a connection bar (39) connected to said bearing carriage (18).

3. Apparatus (20) as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said support (40) comprises a rest base (19).

4. Apparatus (20) as in claim 3, characterized in that said support (40) is configured as a drawer having a substantially “C” shape and further comprises a side wall (44) and an upper wall (13).

5. Apparatus (20) as in claim 4, characterized in that said support (40) comprises a first side (43), open, configured to allow the entry of one or more of said articles (11), wherein said side wall (44) is defined by a second side, closed, opposite said first side (43).

6. Apparatus (20) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said thrust element (15) comprises a rod (41) directed in a direction transverse to said first direction (X2) and to said second direction (X3).

7. Apparatus (20) as in claim 6, characterized in that said thrust element (15) comprises a thrust plate (42) placed at the end of said rod (41) and configured to be inserted into said support (40).

8. Apparatus (20) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said motion transmission means (29, 30) comprise an articulated parallelogram (49) associated with said bearing carriage (18) and with said thrust element (15) and a connecting rod (50) associated with said articulated parallelogram (49) and with said actuator carriage (17).

9. Apparatus (20) as in claim 8, characterized in that said articulated parallelogram (49) comprises a first bar (45) associated with said bearing carriage (18) and a pair of levers (25, 26) associated by means of respective hinges (23, 24, 27, 28) with said first bar (45) and with said thrust element (15).

10. Apparatus (20) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said bearing carriage (18) comprises a pair of sides (21, 22) internally provided with linear guides (36, 37) along which a slide (38) associated with said actuator carriage (17) and configured to guide the motion of said actuator carriage (17) with respect to said bearing carriage (18) is mobile.

11. Apparatus (20) as in claim 10, characterized in that said linear guides (36, 37) are directed in said second direction (X3).

12. Apparatus (20) as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said first direction (X2) and said second direction (X3) are parallel.

13. Transfer unit (10), configured to transfer at least one article (11) to a first transport line (14), mobile in a first direction (X2), and comprising a bearing carriage (18) and an actuator carriage (17), both connected to a thrust element (15) by means of motion transmission means (29, 30), which, following the relative motion between said actuator carriage (17) and said bearing carriage (18) in a given movement direction (X3), determine the at least partial exit of said thrust element (15) from said transfer unit (10), and therefore, in use, the thrust and the transfer of said at least one article (11) to said first transport line (14) characterized in that it comprises a support (40) configured to accommodate one or more articles (11).

14. Method for manipulating articles, comprising a transferring step of at least one article (11) from at least one transfer unit (10) to a first transport line (14), mobile in a first direction (X2), said method being characterized in that it is carried out by means of an apparatus (20) for manipulating articles (11) as in any one of the claims 1 to 13.

15. Method as in claim 14, characterized in that said transferring step provides a thrusting step of said at least one article (11) by means of said at least one transfer unit (10) and in that in said thrusting step the relative movement between said actuator carriage (17) and said bearing carriage (18) in said second direction (X3) is a distancing movement.

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