Stacking profile elements in nested groups

An apparatus for making small bundles of elongated profile elements arriving generally regularly at an intake station, said apparatus comprising:

• conveyor means for displacing the elements in a transport direction generally perpendicular to their elongation direction from the intake station to a pickup station;
• means including two stops at the pickup station for arresting the elements in a pair of groups with the elements closely spaced in their respective groups and the groups widely spaced in the transport direction, and other stops spaced along said conveyor means for separating said elements into said pairs of groups with the groups of successive pairs differing as to the number of elements therein;
• and
• transfer means between the pickup station and a downstream takeoff station for picking up the pairs of spaced groups in the pickup station without substantially changing their spacings and depositing the pairs of spaced groups in the pickup station whereby further pairs of groups formed by the conveyor means and stops are deposited in the takeoff station on top of the previously deposited groups to form a pair of stacks each of the pairs constituting a bundle, the transfer means including:
• a pair of transfer magnets jointly orbital about an axis transverse to the direction of displacement of said conveyor means between a position with one transfer magnet facing down in the takeoff station and the other magnet facing up in an upstream transfer station and another position with the other transfer magnet facing down in the takeoff station and the one magnet facing up in the transfer station;
• a turning magnet pivotal upstream of the transfer magnets between a position facing down in the pickup station and in which said turning magnet extends over both groups arrested by said two stops, and a position facing up in the transfer station;
• and
• a pickup cart displaceable between a lower position in the pickup station in which said pickup cart can lift both groups arrested by said two stops at said pickup station and an upper position in the transfer station, the transfer magnets being displaceable upward through the turning magnet and pickup cart when said turning magnet and said pickup cart are respectively in the transfer station to take up a pair of groups from the cart in their original orientations on the conveyor means alternating with takeup of a pair of groups from said turning magnet in inverted relationship to their original orientation on the conveyor means whereby said groups of elements are deposited in pairs in said bundles with alternating inversion of groups so that the successively deposited groups interfit in each bundle.