Patent ID: 7793484

Claim:
A folding unit for producing packages of pourable food products from sealed packs having a longitudinal axis and comprising at least one end tab to be folded and which projects in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said unit comprising: at least one conveying member which cyclically receives one of said packs, by an end of the pack at which is located said end tab and in a feed direction coaxial with said longitudinal axis, and which feeds the pack along a forming path crosswise to said longitudinal axis; and folding means which interact with each said pack along said forming path to fold the end tab onto the pack; said folding means comprising an impact surface which receives said pack by the end at which is located said end tab, and which is carried by said conveying member to move between a first operating position, in which said impact surface forms, with the feed direction of said pack, an angle of over 90° and open in the direction of said forming path, so that, upon impacting said end tab, said end tab is folded onto the pack in the travelling direction of the pack along said forming path, and a second operating position, in which said impact surface is rotated towards the pack, with which it cooperates to complete folding of said end tab onto the pack.