Patent ID: 7198146

Claim:
A device for forming groups of products in conveyance systems, comprising: a conveyance structure configured to advance an array of products in mutual contact along a direction of conveyance, said direction of conveyance of the products being inclined relative to a vertical plane, such that said products advance along said conveyance structure under the action of gravity; a separator element able to be inserted in a predetermined area of the conveyance structure to separate from the array a group of products with a predetermined dimension in the direction of conveyance, at least one nozzle capable of applying to the array of products at least one jet of gas to distance at least partially from each other the products in said predetermined area before the insertion of said separator element; a support element downstream of the separator element, said support element configured to support a first array of products and moveable relative to the separator element at a distance corresponding to the desired length of the groups of products; a retaining device upstream of the separator element, the retaining device being configured to hold a second array of products upstream of the separator element to inhibit movement of the second array toward the first array; and wherein, in use, an empty space is formed by the at least one jet of gas between the first array of products which bears against the support element and the second array of products held by the retaining device.