Equipment for the metered supply of arrays of products

An apparatus for the metered provision of product arranged in an array, said apparatus comprising:

• a generally flat abutment structure having an upstream portion and a downstream portion;
• partitions disposed above and extending generally transverse to said abutment structure and, in cooperation with said abutment structure, defining a plurality of compartments arranged along at least a portion of said abutment structure for receiving said product, said partitions having resiliently flexible lips extending generally adjacent to an upper surface of said abutment structure;
• and
• at least one apertured plate having apertures extending therethrough for receiving a supply of said product, said apertures being arranged in a manner corresponding to said array, said apertured plate being movable relative to said upper surface of said abutment structure, from said upstream portion to said downstream potion, so as to pass from one compartment to another through bottom portions of said compartments, said apertured plate and said abutment structure disengaging from each other at or near said downstream portion;
• whereby, in operation, product received in at least one of said compartments is introduced into said apertures by means of gravity and by means of force exerted on said product by said resiliently flexible lips as said apertured plate moves from one compartment to another such that, when said apertured plate reaches said downstream portion and disengages from said abutment structure, substantially all of said apertures contain said product.