Patent ID: 7398870
Filing Date: 2008-07-15
Classification: A61F,B65B,B65G,B65H

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for transferring articles from a first moving conveying device and depositing said articles onto a second moving conveyor, comprising: a central vacuum drum having a longitudinal central axis and being disposed to acquire and transport a central portion of an article to be transferred; a pair of canted outboard vacuum drums, each comprising a truncated cone having a central rotational axis disposed at an oblique angle relative to that of said central vacuum drum and adapted to acquire and transport the ends of said article, wherein, due to said oblique angle faces of the outboard drums are sloped toward the center of the article, wherein, due to said oblique angle faces of the outboard drums are sloped toward the center of the article at its acquisition point and are parallel to and generally in a plane with the face of the central drum at the deposition point; said central drum and each of said outboard drums being independently rotatable and independently controlled.