Arrangement for grouping into rows the products of a batch on a high-speed conveyor belt

An arrangement (10) for the grouping of several products (Pn,Pn+1) in the form of batches (Li), wherein the products (Pn, Pn+1) are transported on at least one conveyor belt (12) which runs in a longitudinal direction from an upstream entrance zone (18) to a downstream exit zone (20), at a determined speed (V1) called the traveling speed, wherein the products (Pn, Pn+1) are placed longitudinally on the conveyor belt in at least one first line (F1) of products and one second line (F2) of products parallel to the first line (F1) and comprising respectively products (Pn, Pn+1) which, from one line (F1) to the other line (F2), are offset longitudinally from one another by at least one upstream spacing (E), and comprising phasing means (22, 23) which, arranged on the path of the products (Pn, Pn+1) between the entrance zone (18) and the exit zone (20), are capable of forming batches (L1, L1) made up by the grouping of at least two products (Pn, P1) and (Pn+1, P2) in a transverse row, the phasing means (22, 23) comprising at least one phaser (22, 23) which comprises at least one stop (26, 28, 60, 62, 64) operated successively between:

• at least one engaged position in which the stop (26, 28, 60, 62, 64) is interposed, by contact, in front of a product (Pn, P1) of one (F1) of the lines (F1, F2) for the purpose of decelerating it until it is joined by at least one other product (Pn+1, P2) situated immediately upstream on the other (F2) of the lines (F1, F2), and
• at least one retracted position which makes it possible to let the previously-formed batch (L1, L1) to continue its movement downstream at the traveling speed (V1),
• characterized in that the phaser (22, 23) comprises at least one drive belt (30, 50, 52) which supports at least the stop (26, 28, 60, 62, 64) and which is arranged on the side of the upper face (32) of the conveyor belt (12), in that the drive belt (30, 50, 52) is wound onto at least two drive pulleys (34, 36, 54) so that a lower strand (38) of the drive belt (30, 50, 52) extends substantially parallel to the upper face (32) of the conveyor belt (12), the stop (26, 28, 60, 62, 64) occupying engaged positions when it is situated on the lower strand (38), and in that the phaser (22, 23) comprises means (40, 56, 58) for rotating the pulleys (34, 36, 54) so that the longitudinal speed (VL) for driving the stop (26, 28, 60, 62, 64) downstream by the drive belt (30, 50, 52) in the engaged position is equal to a determined speed (V2) called the decelerated speed, less than the traveling speed (V1), in order to transversely align the products (Pn) and (Pn+1) in a row to form the batch (Li).