Patent ID: 7475769

Claim:
A device for handling packets, the device ( 1 ) comprising at least one conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ′) for conveying at least one line ( 10 ) of packets ( 2 ) at a given travelling speed (V 1 ) to an intermediate station ( 5 ); at least one transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ′); and at least one support assembly ( 22 ) located at the intermediate station ( 5 ), between the conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ′) and the transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ′), and which supports at least one packet ( 2 ′) coming off the conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ′); in actual use, said packet ( 2 ′) being pushed, at the intermediate station ( 5 ), to the transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ′) by the line ( 10 ) of packets ( 2 ) conveyed by the conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ′); the transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ′) transferring said packet ( 2 ′) from an extraction location (E) at the intermediate station ( 5 ) to an output conveyor ( 7 ); and the device ( 1 ) being characterized by comprising a detector ( 24 ) for sensing the location of said packet ( 2 ′) at the intermediate station ( 5 ); and a control unit ( 20 ) connected to the conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ′), to the detector ( 24 ), and to the transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ), and for controlling operation of the conveyor assembly ( 9 ; 9 ) to adjust the travelling speed (V 1 ) of the line ( 10 ) of packets ( 2 ) to the intermediate station ( 5 ) as a function of a machine angle of the transfer unit ( 6 ; 6 ′) and of the findings of the detector ( 24 ).