Transfer device, particularly for a packing machine

A transfer device to transfer a plurality of articles by removing the plurality of articles from a removal zone and depositing the plurality of articles in a discharge zone, wherein a support plane and a deposit direction substantially perpendicular to said support plane are defined at the discharge zone, said transfer device comprising:

• a gripping head movable between said removal zone and said discharge zone, the gripping head comprising retention elements, the retention elements comprising a plurality of first retention elements and a plurality of second retention elements and each retention element configured to simultaneously retain a single respective article of said plurality of articles, the gripping head configured to retain said plurality of articles, and
• a movement mechanism configured to simultaneously move said plurality of first retention elements with respect to said plurality of second retention elements in a staggering direction having a non-null component parallel with said deposit direction while retaining said plurality of articles,
• wherein:
• said plurality of first retention elements are configured to move in said staggering direction between a first position, wherein said plurality of first retention elements are coplanar with said plurality of second retention elements, and a second position, wherein said plurality of first retention elements and said plurality of second retention elements are located in respective reference planes parallel with and spaced apart from each other, and
• said plurality of second retention elements are not movable in said staggering direction with respect to said gripping head.