Machine for packaging articles inside containers

A machine for packaging articles inside containers, comprising:

• at least one conveyor provided with a longitudinally movable transporting section including at least one conveying channel for feeding the articles in a given direction and along a given conveying path;
• a station for loading the articles onto the transporting section;
• a sensor arranged along the conveying path for detecting at least a position of each article on the transporting section;
• at least one robot arranged along the conveying path;
• a control mechanism connected to the sensor and to the robot for imparting to the robot commands for picking up single articles from the transporting section and transferring each picked-up article inside a container;
• wherein, a conveying channel of the transporting section is delimited transversely by two side walls for contacting opposing sides of each article to stabilize the position and direction of each article with respect to the transporting section so the articles are stably seated on the transporting section between the side walls, with the articles aligned one directly behind another in a row in the conveying direction;
• wherein the two side walls are movable along the conveying direction;
• wherein the conveyor comprises at least one chain wound in a conveying loop around two pulleys and a plurality of links hinged to the at least one chain and placed adjacent to each other such that shoulders of the plurality of links define the two side walls, wherein gaps are open between the shoulders of the plurality of links when the plurality of links are in an arc portion of the loop and wherein, when the plurality of links are in a straight upper portion of the transporting section, there are no gaps between the shoulders of directly adjacent links;
• wherein the transporting section includes a plurality of adjacent parallel conveying channels extending along the conveying path defined by the plurality of links positioned adjacent to each other.