Method and device for transferring and separating a stream of stacked packets
AssigneeG.D Societa' Per Azioni
InventorsSilvano Boriani, Stefano Negrini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and device for transferring packets, whereby two parallel, superimposed rows of packets are fed in a horizontal direction to a first transfer station, and the lead packets in the two rows are then conveyed in a vertical direction from the first transfer station to a second transfer station, where the lead packets are parted in the vertical direction; at this point, the parted lead packets are transferred in the horizontal direction to a heat-shrink unit having two parallel, superimposed, substantially horizontal channels, each of which is engaged by a respective row of packets.
Claims3
A method of transferring packets, the method comprising the steps of:
- conveying a first row (4) of packets (2) and at least a second row (5) of packets (2), to the first row (4), along a feed path (P) to an operating unit (6) having at least one pair of channels (20);
- conveying the first and the second rows (4, 5), parallel to and in contact with each other, in a given first direction (A), along the feed path (P) to a second transfer station (9);
- and
- inserting each row (4, 5) inside a respective channel (20) of the operating unit (6) by transferring the rows (4, 5) in the first direction (A);
- the method further comprising the steps of:
- feeding at least one lead packet (2a) of the first row (4) and at least one lead packet (2b) of the second row (5) from the second transfer station (9) to a first transfer station (12) located upstream from the operating unit(6) along the feed path (P);
- the lead packet (2a) in the first row (4) being pushed and, in turn, pushing the lead packet (2b) in the second row (5) upwards in a second direction (B), which is substantially vertical and crosswise to the first direction (A);
- parting the lead packets (2a, 2b) at the first transfer station (12) crosswise to the first direction (A);
- positioning means (14), located at the first transfer station (12), gripping the lead packet (2b) of the second row (5) and then the lead packet (2a) of the first row (4) being moved vertically downwards to detach itself from the lead packet (2b) in the second row (5);
- and
- transferring, after the lead packets (2a, 2b) have been parted, each lead packet (2a, 2b) in the first direction (A) into the respective channel (20) of the operating unit (6).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.