Patent ID: 8464501

Claim:
Method for grouping stackable products, comprising at least one of cases and small plates, so that the products are taken up for packaging, the products arriving in line on a first feed conveyor which has an accumulation function and a distribution function of said products, the distribution function being carried out sequentially to feed a supply conveyor, the method comprising: collecting the products being conveyed on said supply conveyor by a collector comprising a comb with superimposed cells having openings, form and dimensions of said superimposed cells being adapted to a section of the products to be collected from the supply conveyor, the collector being arranged transversally in relation to a longitudinal direction of advancing of said products on said supply conveyor to be movable along at least one side of the supply conveyor, and is shifted vertically with respect to the supply conveyor and horizontally in a direction opposite an advancement direction of the supply conveyor towards the products to collect a next product disposed upstream from the collector; depositing the products, which have been collected, on a take-up station which is located above a level of said supply conveyor; providing said collector with a cyclical loop movement, which comprises a collecting phase, a depositing phase, and a return phase, wherein said collecting phase is divided into a vertical rising movement to align the opening of one of the superimposed cells with the next product, and a longitudinal movement for advancing opposite to the direction of advancement of said supply conveyor of products to go back up a queue of the products arranged on said supply conveyor, and said return phase is divided into a longitudinal movement in the direction of advancement of said supply conveyor of products and a vertical descending movement; triggering the collecting phase of the products based on at least on one of the position of said products on said supply conveyor in relation to said collector and a speed of said supply conveyor; organizing the depositing phase by emptying all of the products forming a batch, which is located in the collector, by transferring the batch onto a receiving slider bed, on which said batch takes the form of a stack of products.