Patent ID: 8919533

Claim:
A transfer device for transferring a flat folding box along a curved track from a receiving station to a conveyor device of a transfer station and for simultaneously erecting the flat folding box, the transfer device having retaining devices that are subdivided into a plurality of groups, the transfer device comprising: a rotationally driven first support part, said first support part disposed to rotate about an axis of rotation with a speed of rotation which varies during a rotation cycle; a plurality of first supports disposed at and distributed about a circumference of said first support part, each of said first supports having a first retaining device, wherein each first retaining device is structured to receive one single folding box at the receiving station for conveying the folding box to the transfer station and for transfer of the folding box to the conveyor device, said first retaining devices thereby constituting a first group of retaining devices which are all mounted to and rotate as a unit along with said first support part, wherein said first group of retaining devices comprises at least two first retaining devices; a first drive mechanism connected to said first support part, said first drive mechanism thereby constituting one single common drive for all of said first retaining devices in said first group: at least one rotationally driven second support part, said at least one second support part disposed to rotate about the axis of rotation, coaxially with respect to said first support part and with a second speed of rotation which varies during said rotation cycle; a plurality of second supports disposed at and distributed about a circumference of said second support part, each of said second supports having a second retaining device, wherein each second retaining device is structured to receive one single folding box at the receiving station for conveying the folding box to the transfer station and for transferring the folding box to a downstream conveyor device, said second retaining devices thereby constituting a second group of retaining devices which are all mounted to and rotate as a unit along with said second support part, wherein said second group of retaining devices comprises at least two second retaining devices; and a second drive mechanism connected to said second support part, said second drive mechanism thereby constituting one single common drive for all of said second retaining devices in said second group, said first support part with said first group of retaining devices and said second support part with said second group of retaining thereby being structured to rotate with respect to another with a mutual relative rotation whose magnitude and direction vary throughout the rotation cycle, wherein said first and said second retaining devices are arranged alternately and consecutively in a circumferential direction.