Patent ID: 6851544

Claim:
A transfer device for feeding a plurality of flat flexible, non-self-supporting products received serially from a line conveyor to a receiving device, said line conveyor having a plurality of line conveyor grippers each of which holds one of said products from a top edge thereby allowing said products to hang, said transfer device comprising: a circular conveyor mounted below said line conveyor and above said receiving device; a plurality of circular conveyor grippers, each mounted on a slide, said slide being movable in a radial direction, said circular conveyor grippers having jaws which open and close in a controlled manner to grip a bottom edge of said products as said line conveyor passes over said circular conveyor, said circular conveyor grippers release said products to said receiving device at the bottom of rotation of said circular conveyor; and a radial cam that operates on a cam follower mounted on said slide to provide each of said circular conveyor grippers with radial movement, wherein said receiving device is a bundler which has an articulating fork positioned below said circular conveyor for sequentially receiving said packages.