Patent ID: 7475771

Claim:
A stacker comprising: a transfer device ( 4 ) for serially accommodating individual products ( 1 ) consecutively conveyed to the transfer device ( 4 ) along their long axes, wherein the transfer device ( 4 ) has receptacles ( 5 ), each of which accommodates an individual product ( 1 ) between a pair of sidewalls ( 6 ), wherein the sidewalls ( 6 ) are carried by a conveyor ( 7 ) at an acute angle and travel over an idler ( 10 ) that spreads the sidewalls ( 6 ) further apart to receive one of the products ( 1 ) that is inserted in each of the receptacles ( 5 ), and wherein the idler ( 10 ) is positioned intermediate two opposite ends of the conveyor ( 7 ) to divide the conveyor ( 7 ) into two sections with a slight bend around the idler ( 10 ) so as to close together the sidewalls ( 6 ) shortly after one of the products ( 1 ) has been inserted in one of the receptacles ( 5 ); a serializing device for realigning individual products ( 1 ) coming from the transfer device ( 4 ) that are laid out flat next to one another such that their flat sides will be parallel and face one another; and a row of compartments ( 11 ) for the products ( 1 ) that may be conveyed along a direction orthogonal to the flat sides of the products ( 1 ) being carried by the transfer device ( 4 ), wherein each such compartment ( 11 ) is configured for accommodating at least one product ( 1 ).