Device and method for manipulating flat-lying products using controlled finger mechanisms

A device (100, 200) for manipulating and transporting flat baked products (10a-10x), comprising:

• a transport mechanism (20) arranged to feed flat baked products (10-10x) grouped into shingled rows (10) in a transport direction T, each shingled row comprising a plurality of individual products (10a, 10b, 10c, . . . , 10x), including one flat-lying product (10a) as a trailing product and the remaining products resting in an inclined orientation on the next product in the row in a shingled manner;
• a plurality of manipulators (25a-25x) each comprising a finger (26a-26x), and wherein the manipulators are configured to operate in sets of two fingers (26a-26b, 26c-26d, 26e-26f, . . . ), wherein:
• a leading finger (26b, 26d, 26f, 26h) of the set is configured to contact and support a leading product (10x) of the shingled row (10) in an upright orientation (10′), and
• a trailing finger (26a, 26c, 26e, 26g) of the set is positioned at an incline relative to the trailing flat-lying product, and configured to engage the inclined products of the shingled row;
• wherein the manipulator (25a, 25c, 25e, 25g) of the trailing finger is configured to transition the trailing finger (26a, 26c, 26e, 26g) from the inclined position (30) to an upright orientation (30′), while the distance (d) between the leading and trailing fingers decreases (d′), thereby progressively bringing each product of the shingled row into an upright orientation while compacting the shingled row into a slug (32).