Palleting device

In a device for the palleting of slab-form products, especially of book blocks or books, provided with a first arrangement for feeding the products, a second arrangement for forming the products into a product row, and a third arrangement for receiving a product set consisting of several product rows, with the third receiving arrangement being provided with drive means for advancing and retracting the third receiving arrangement relatively to the second forming arrangement, an improvement comprising:

• said third receiving arrangement including a double rolling band;
• said double rolling band including a first endlessly guided upper band and a second endlessly guided lower band;
• said first upper band having upper and lower band portions;
• said second lower band having upper and lower band portions;
• said lower band portion of said second lower band being spaced below said upper band portion of said first upper band;
• said first upper band being provided with a first coupling, and said second lower band being provided with a second coupling;
• each of said first and second couplings having an out-of-engagement arrangement with respect to said drive means so that the double rolling band is not driven during said advancing of said third arrangement and so that said first upper band remains stationary relatively to said second lower band;
• and
• each of said first and second couplings further having an in-engagement arrangement with respect to said drive means for driving said first upper and second lower bands in opposite directions during said retracting of said third receiving arrangement in such a manner that an upper surface of said upper band portion of said first upper band remains stationary relatively to a lower surface of said lower band portion of said second lower band and to said second forming arrangement to provide a roll-off relationship between said upper band portion of said first upper band and the product set when the product set is disposed on said upper surface so that said upper band portion of said first upper band rolls off from under the product set when said third receiving arrangement is retracting, and to also provide a roll-off relationship between said lower band portion of said second lower band and a pallet on which said lower surface rests so that said lower band portion of said second lower band rolls off from above said pallet in order for said pallet to receive the product set thereon.