Patent ID: 8011492

Claim:
A device for the accumulation and release of products (P) arranged in ranks, of the type comprising: an accumulation buffer ( 2 ) with corresponding openings for receipt ( 4 ) and delivery ( 6 ) of the products (P), a plurality of container elements ( 7 ) guided so as to move between said receiving and delivery openings ( 4 , 6 ) within said buffer ( 2 ), each container element ( 7 ) being provided with a plurality of supporting planes ( 9 ) in order to hold ranks of products (P), drive means ( 10 , 11 , 42 , 50 ) for said container elements ( 7 ) to control movement of said containers within the accumulation buffer ( 2 ) so as to present each container element ( 7 ) which has to be filled at the receiving opening ( 4 ) in sequence so that ranks of products (P) arriving at the corresponding supporting planes ( 9 ) of the container can be loaded, and conveying containers ( 7 ) previously filled with products (P) to the delivery opening ( 6 ) for the corresponding release of ranks of products leaving the accumulation buffer ( 2 ), and pusher means ( 70 ) provided at the delivery opening ( 6 ) capable of moving the ranks of products from each supporting plane ( 9 ) in a corresponding container ( 7 ) onto conveyor means ( 69 ) for discharging products (P) from the buffer ( 2 ), the pusher means comprising a plurality of pusher elements ( 71 , 72 ) which can be moved towards and away from the corresponding container ( 7 ) being discharged in a direction transverse to the path of the container's movement, to engage each supporting plane ( 9 ) in the container in sequence and push the products (P) out of the container onto the discharge conveyor means ( 69 ), characterised in that said plurality of pusher elements ( 71 , 72 ) of the pusher means ( 70 ) are further guided so as to move along a direction substantially parallel to the direction (Z) of movement of the container ( 7 ) close to the delivery opening ( 6 ) in order to be able to follow the container ( 7 ) during the discharge stage for at least parts of the path along which it moves in that direction, wherein the plurality of pusher elements ( 71 , 72 ) can be independently moved perpendicularly to the direction (Z) of movement of the container ( 7 ) being discharged at the delivery opening along a first course approaching the container to push the products (P) in each rank onto the discharge conveyor means ( 69 ), and along a second course away from the container to disengage from the supporting plane ( 9 ) emptied of products, the plurality of pusher elements being capable of moving parallel to the direction of movement (Z) of the container during the discharge stage at the same time as it moves along at least part of the first and/or second course.