Patent ID: 8002105

Claim:
An arrangement ( 10 ) for the grouping of several products (Pn,Pn+1) in the form of batches (Li), wherein the products (Pn, Pn+1) are transported on at least one conveyor belt ( 12 ) which runs in a longitudinal direction from an upstream entrance zone ( 18 ) to a downstream exit zone ( 20 ), at a determined speed (V 1 ) called the traveling speed, wherein the products (Pn, Pn+1) are placed longitudinally on the conveyor belt in at least one first line (F 1 ) of products and one second line (F 2 ) of products parallel to the first line (F 1 ) and comprising respectively products (Pn, Pn+1) which, from one line (F 1 ) to the other line (F 2 ), are offset longitudinally from one another by at least one upstream spacing (E), and comprising phasing means ( 22 , 23 ) which, arranged on the path of the products (Pn, Pn+1) between the entrance zone ( 18 ) and the exit zone ( 20 ), are capable of forming batches (Li, L 1 ) made up by the grouping of at least two products (Pn, P 1 ) and (Pn+1, P 2 ) in a transverse row, the phasing means ( 22 , 23 ) comprising at least one phaser ( 22 , 23 ) which comprises at least one stop ( 26 , 28 , 60 , 62 , 64 ) operated successively between: at least one engaged position in which the stop ( 26 , 28 , 60 , 62 , 64 ) is interposed, by contact, in front of a product (Pn, P 1 ) of one (F 1 ) of the lines (F 1 , F 2 ) for the purpose of decelerating it until it is joined by at least one other product (Pn+1, P 2 ) situated immediately upstream on the other (F 2 ) of the lines (F 1 , F 2 ), and at least one retracted position which makes it possible to let the previously-formed batch (Li, L 1 ) to continue its movement downstream at the traveling speed (V 1 ), characterized in that the phaser ( 22 , 23 ) comprises at least one drive belt ( 30 , 50 , 52 ) which supports at least the stop ( 26 , 28 , 60 , 62 , 64 ) and which is arranged on the side of the upper face ( 32 ) of the conveyor belt ( 12 ), in that the drive belt ( 30 , 50 , 52 ) is wound onto at least two drive pulleys ( 34 , 36 , 54 ) so that a lower strand ( 38 ) of the drive belt ( 30 , 50 , 52 ) extends substantially parallel to the upper face ( 32 ) of the conveyor belt ( 12 ), the stop ( 26 , 28 , 60 , 62 , 64 ) occupying engaged positions when it is situated on the lower strand ( 38 ), and in that the phaser ( 22 , 23 ) comprises means ( 40 , 56 , 58 ) for rotating the pulleys ( 34 , 36 , 54 ) so that the longitudinal speed (VL) for driving the stop ( 26 , 28 , 60 , 62 , 64 ) downstream by the drive belt ( 30 , 50 , 52 ) in the engaged position is equal to a determined speed (V 2 ) called the decelerated speed, less than the traveling speed (V 1 ), in order to transversely align the products (Pn) and (Pn+1) in a row to form the batch (Li).