Device for the transfer of articles from a first to a second conveyor

#The present invention relates to a device which is intended for transferring articles, preferably absorbent bodies intended for diapers or the like, from a first conveyor to a second conveyor, and which comprises a plurality of transporting devices which are capable of rotation about a rotational axis and which during their rotation are intended to collect articles from a first conveyor at a first location on the rotational path and to hold the articles firmly until reaching a second location on said path, at which location the articles are transferred to the second conveyor. More specifically the invention relates to a device, which transfers articles successively to the second conveyor at a mutual spacing between the articles different to the corresponding spacing on the first conveyor.

#With known arrangements of similar kinds the transporting devices comprises a plurality of suction openings which are arranged circumferentially around a drum and which are connected with a source of vacuum along part of the curvilinear path rotated by the drum, wherewith absorption bodies or pads are sucked firmly in the openings and accompany the drum in its rotary movement and are subsequently deposited onto a continuous conveyor consisting of liquid-impermeable material. With an arrangement of this kind, the spacing between respective absorption bodies deposited on the moving conveyor can be varied, by changing the rotational speed of the drum and/or by changing the forward speed of the moving conveyor.

#However, when the distance between the advanced absorption bodies to be picked up by the drum is short in relation to the interspacing desired between respective bodies when deposited onto the moving conveyor, these variation possibilities are, in many instances, insufficient to fulfill requirements and desiderata related with the technicalities of manufacture. For example, when manufacturing diapers or corresponding products which incorporate absorption bodies, or pads, it is difficult when using machines known hitherto to fulfill technical manufacturing requirements relating to the speed of manufacture.

#So that the invention will be more readily understood, a preferred embodiment of an article transfer device constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

#FIG. 1 illustrates a part of a diaper manufacturing plant in which an inventive article transfer device is used;

#FIG. 2 illustrates the principle construction of one embodiment of an inventive transfer device;

#FIG. 1 illustrates an application of the invention in which absorption bodies A are transferred from a first conveyor 1 to a second conveyor 2 which advances absorption bodies B placed on a liquid impermeable material C, the absorption bodies B being less compact than the bodies A. Arranged upstream of that part of the diaper manufacturing plant illustrated in FIG. 1 are compacting rolls between which the continuous web of absorption material A is compacted prior to reaching the cutting roll 3, shown in FIG. 1, which cuts the web A' into absorption bodies A. The absorption material and the bodies A are retained on the conveyor 1, by connecting the conveyor in a known manner to a source of vacuum, so as to hold the bodies firmly by suction. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the spacing a between respective bodies A on the conveyor 1 is very small, and in practice in the order of 10 mm.

#The bodies A are transferred from the conveyor 1 to the conveyor 2 by means of an inventive device 4, the distance b between mutually adjacent bodies A on the second conveyor being large and in practice in the order of 300 mm.

#Thus, the illustrated device 4 collects the bodies A at a mutual interspacing a at the terminal location of the conveyor 1 adjacent the device and, subsequent to rotating through 180.degree., deposits the bodies at a mutual interspacing b which is more wider than the interspacing a.