Device for selective transfer of rows of products between pairs of conveyor belts

A device for selective transfer of rows of products between a pair of conveyor belts arranged to travel at right angles to each other and comprising a first upper conveyor belt (12) for delivery of products (11), a second upper conveyor belt (13) normally aligned with said first upper belt and with the head end thereof facing upon the head end of said first upper belt to receive products (11) therefrom, and a third conveyor belt (18) positioned beneath said first (12) and second (13) belts and being perpendicular thereto, at least said head end of said first belt (12) being supported for inclination selectively downwardly toward said third belt (18) to effect transfer thereto of the products conveyed by said first belt, and characterised in that beneath the respective facing head ends of the upper belts (12, 13) are positioned two horizontal intermediate shelves (14, 15) each with means thereon for reception of an unloading therefrom of said products, one of said intermediate shelves (15) being positioned beneath said second upper belt (13) and being connected adjacent one end thereof for pivotal movement around a shaft (22) between a horizontal position and a position inclined upwardly to cause the opposite end thereof to be aligned with and confronting said head end of said first belt (12) when the latter has been inclined downward toward said third belt, the other of said shelves (14) being connected to means of translation to be movable thereby between a high position in which a head end thereof if aligned and juxtaposed to said head end of the first shelf (15) when the latter is in a horizontal position, and a low position in which said head end thereof is juxtaposed to one edge of the third belt (18), means for inclining the first belt (12) downwardly upon the arrival on the first belt (12) of products (11) to be transferred, and inclination means for inclining said one shelf (15) upwardly with its means of reception and unloading driven to receive the products from said first belt, said one shelf (15) upon rotating into its horizontal position having its reception and unloading means being driven simultaneously with the reception and unloading means of said other shelf (14) for passage of the products onto said other shelf (14), and means for moving said other shelf (14) into the low position thereof, and to operate its means of reception and discharge thereby to unload the products onto said third belt (18).