Patent ID: 6854936

Claim:
Switching device ( 1 ) comprising a pneumatic conveyor ( 2 ), which conveys plastic bottles ( 3 ) suspended by their neck ( 4 ) and includes at least two pneumatic incoming straight tracks ( 2 a , 2 b ) and two pneumatic removal straight tracks ( 2 c , 2 d ); at least one shifting device ( 6 ) which moves back and forth along a straight direction substantially perpendicular to the tracks ( 2 a , 2 b , 2 c , 2 d ) of the pneumatic conveyor ( 2 ); and a number of shifting conveyor track sections ( 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , 7 d ), which are provided on the shifting device ( 6 ) and each of which connects one of the incoming tracks ( 2 a , 2 b ) to one of the removal tracks ( 2 c , 2 d ), and wherein at least one of the shifting conveyor track sections ( 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , 7 d ) is a straight conveyor track ( 7 b , 7 c ), which runs the entire distance from a selected one of the incoming straight tracks ( 2 a , 2 b ) into a corresponding one of the removal straight tracks ( 2 c , 2 d ).