Patent ID: 8813948

Claim:
A device for transferring articles between a first machine implementing intermittent movement of the articles at a first predetermined pitch, and a second machine implementing continuous movement of the articles at a second predetermined pitch, the device comprising a flexible conveyor extending around at least two pulleys so as to have at least one rectilinear segment facing a conveyor of the first machine and a rounded segment facing a conveyor of the second machine, the flexible conveyor of the device carrying laterally-projecting article-handling members arranged at regular intervals in such a manner that the handling members are at a pitch corresponding to the first pitch in said rectilinear segment, and said rounded segment has a radius such that the handling members are at a pitch corresponding to the second pitch in the rounded segment, the device including at least one guide rail from which the articles are suspended, the guide rail extending along the rectilinear segment and along at least a portion of the rounded segment and wherein the handling members are arranged to be movable between an active position in the vicinity of the guide rail for making contact with the articles, and a retracted inactive position in which the articles escape from contact with the handling members, the device having control means for controlling the handling members and arranged to bring the handling members into the active position in an article-transfer zone that extends over at least a portion of the rectilinear segment and at least an adjacent portion of the rounded segment, and an inactive position outside said zone, at least at the two ends of the zone.