Patent ID: 8568080

Claim:
A device for forming layers of mutually superposed products to be packaged, comprising: a stacking surface in a first orientation movable in a substantially vertical direction on top of which layers of products to be packaged are superposed; a pair of substantially superposed conveyors arranged to feed said layers of products from a side orientation to said stacking surface onto the stacking surface; and a pair of substantially parallel and substantially vertical planar walls in a second orientation which is different from said first orientation of the stacking surface, between which said layers of products are inserted by said conveyors when the layers of products are stacked on said stacking surface; wherein said walls are reciprocally movable towards and away from each other to take a position of greater reciprocal distance, in which said walls do not interfere with the products placed on the stacking surface, and a position of lesser reciprocal distance, in which said walls interfere with the products inserted therebetween; and wherein said stacking surface, said conveyors and said walls are structured and actuator controlled in a coordinated manner to perform operations in sequence as follows: at least one of said conveyors depositing from said side orientation a first number of said layers of products on top of said stacking surface; lowering said stacking surface, with said first number of said layers deposited thereon, by a degree at least equal to a height of said first number of said layers of products, and in coordination with the walls being in said position of greater reciprocal distance so as not to obstruct lowering of the products; moving, based on actuator control, said walls reciprocally towards each other; inserting a second number of said layers of products from said side orientation between said walls by said conveyors, distance between said walls being actuator controlled to be in said position of lesser reciprocal distance such as to cause friction between the products and the walls; wherein said first number of layers is different from said second number of layers.