Patent ID: 7073312

Claim:
A device for transferring articles in a controlled configuration from a feeding line to a receiving line, with the feeding line supplying an inlet station with the articles arranged in a first configuration and the receiving line supplying a boxing machine, the device including: oscillating means moving to-and-fro between said feeding line and receiving line, in step relation with motion of said articles along said feeding line; gripping means connected to said oscillating means and operated in step relation with said oscillating means and with motion of said articles along said feeding line, for picking up articles arranged in said first configuration at said inlet station, and for transferring said articles up to an outlet station, where the articles are released arranged according to a second configuration, with a same spatial orientation as said first configuration; a plurality of collecting compartments, situated at said outlet station for receiving said articles in said second configuration; guiding means cooperating with said gripping means for changing uniformly distance between said articles during transition from said inlet station to said outlet station, where said distance corresponds to mutual spacing of said collecting compartments; pusher means, situated at said outlet station and operated in step relation with said oscillating means for conveying the articles positioned in said collecting compartments into seats made in said receiving line.