Patent ID: 7207429

Claim:
Feeding device of chocolates and similar products ( 100 ) for a wrapping machine characterized in that said feeding device includes: a first belt means ( 13 ), which has a continuous advance motion, supports and moves a plurality of products ( 100 ), aligned and arranged in a single line at mutual contact; a second belt means ( 14 ), aligned downstream from the first belt means ( 13 ), having an alternate advance motion and associated with holding means ( 15 ) for the product ( 100 ); a positioning wheel ( 9 ) rotating, facing the second belt means ( 14 ) immediately downstream of the holding means ( 15 ) and having angularly equidistant a plurality of pliers means ( 11 ) for gripping the product ( 100 ); the second belt means ( 14 ) moves the products ( 100 ), reciprocally spaced, from a picking condition (A), in which the second belt means ( 14 ) receives the product ( 100 ) from the first belt means ( 13 ), through moving conditions (M), in which the holding means ( 15 ) keep each product ( 100 ) fixed to the second belt means ( 14 ), to a transfer condition (T), in which the second belt means ( 14 ) is motionless and the product ( 100 ), not constrained thereto anymore, is grasped by a pliers means ( 11 ) of the positioning wheel ( 9 ), which moves the product ( 100 ) with circular motion, from the transfer condition (T) to a release condition (R) in which the wheel ( 9 ) is motionless and the pliers means ( 11 ) is opened for transferring the product ( 100 ) to the wrapping machine, the feeding device having at least sensor means, first ( 20 ) and second ( 25 ), of optical or inductive or capacitive type, fit for sensing the presence of products ( 100 ) respectively in correspondence of the first belt means ( 13 ) and of the second belt means ( 14 ).