Machine for grouping together filter bags for infusion products

A machine for grouping together filter bags for infusion products, comprising:

• a movement wheel which can be rotated about a first axis of rotation;
• a transfer wheel which can be operated, in a synchronised fashion with the movement wheel, in rotation about a second axis of rotation, parallel to the first axis of rotation;
• a collecting device for collecting filter bags configured for receiving filter bags and positioned close to said transfer wheel;
• a plurality of gripping elements positioned along the circumference of the transfer wheel and movable with it between a picking up configuration for picking up, in a first angular position, a filter bag from the movement wheel and a release configuration for releasing the filter bag in the collecting device, in a second angular position and after an angular stretch of rotation has been travelled along a feed direction,
• sensor means configured for detecting a possible defect of the filter bags, in such a way as to identify defective filter bags before they reach said second angular position where the collecting device is located;
• a rejection area configured for receiving the defective filter bags, said rejection area being located in a position lower than the collecting device;
• characterised in that the rejection area is located downstream of the collecting device and upstream of the first angular position, relative to the feed direction, in that said machine also comprises locking control means configured to control the gripping element in such a way as to prevent the release of the filter bag in the second angular position, that is to say, in the collecting device, when the filter bag being gripped has been detected to be defective by the sensor means, and in that said collecting device is equipped with a bottom opening located close to the transfer wheel and sized to be passed through by the gripping elements when they pass along the second angular position.