Patent ID: 7374033

Claim:
A method for transferring articles from a first conveying line to a second article conveying line, including: placing at least two manipulating members near and above said first conveying line; operating each of said manipulating members to follow the first conveying line with a relative substantially zero speed; operating each of the two manipulating members to pick up a corresponding pair of articles carried by the first conveying line in a picking up step; placing each of the two manipulating members near and above the second conveying line; operating each of the two manipulating members to follow the second conveying line with a relative substantially zero speed; operating each of the two manipulating members to release the corresponding pair of articles onto the second conveying line in a release step; with said at least two manipulating members operated independently from each other, the least two manipulating members, operated independently from each other, being movable along at least four axes in the above placing, following, picking up and release steps.