Machine for forming filter bags for infusion products

A machine for forming filter bags for infusion products, comprising:

• a carousel rotating in a stepwise fashion about an axis of rotation having a plurality of grippers arranged circumferentially and configured for retaining respective filtering chambers provided with a thread;
• each gripper being configured to move the filtering chamber to a pickup zone;
• a first reel of a first strip and a second reel of a second strip;
• characterised in that it further comprises:
• a selector device comprising a first channel engaged by the first strip arriving from the first reel, and a second channel engaged by the second strip arriving from the second reel;
• said selector device having a shared outfeed at the pickup zone;
• first and second movement means, positioned, respectively, along the first and the second channel and configured for feeding, respectively, the first strip and the second strip, said first and second movement means being actuated selectively in such a way as to feed alternately:
• the first strip, when the running out of the second strip is detected, or
• the second strip, when the running out of the first strip is detected, in such a way as to guarantee continuity of operation;
• a unit for cutting tags positioned close to said shared outfeed of the selector device and configured to cut a single tag at a time from the first strip, when the first strip is fed, or from the second strip, when the second strip is fed, in such a way that the single tag is associated with the thread of the filtering chamber carried to the pickup zone by the gripper;
• a first and a second joining unit, respectively for the first and the second strip, positioned between the respective first and second reel and the respective first and second movement means, along a corresponding first and second path of the first and second strip;
• wherein each first joining unit is configured to join a final end of the first strip, when it is not fed by the first movement means, with an initial end of a new first strip coming from a new first reel, and each second joining unit is configured to join a final end of the second strip, when it is not fed by the second movement means, with an initial end of a new second strip coming from a new second reel;
• and
• a dividing wall positioned in such a way as to separate the first and the second joining units from the carousel, said dividing wall being provided with a first and second slit to allow the passage, respectively, of the first and second strips, in such a way as to not interrupt said first and second paths.