Patent ID: 6385947
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: B65B,B65G

Abstract:
Apparatus for supplying groups of commodities to a processing machine, comprising:group building means having a plurality of assemblies each including a plurality of group forming units each arranged to gather a succession of groups; means for transporting groups from said units to the processing machine; the processing machine being a packing machine having at least two tracks spaced apart from each other by a first distance, said transporting means comprising a conveyor having a plurality of neighboring receptacles spaced apart from each other by identical second distances each of which at least approximates said first distance, each of said receptacles being arranged to accommodate a group of rod-shaped articles; said transporting means further comprises means for intermittently moving said conveyor by increments each having a length of m second distances, m being the number, of tracks in the packing machine, each group forming means gathering an entire group of rod-shaped articles and transferring the entire group into a receptacle while said conveyor is stopped at a position between incremental movements.