Patent ID: 7624856

Claim:
A method for conveying containers through operating stations involving use of a multiple conveyor comprising at least a first transporter and a second transporter, activated independently of each other, extending along a same ring-wound trajectory, one of the first and second transporters being superposed on the other thereof, to which first and second transporters gripping organs are constrained for gripping individual containers at an inlet station and for transferring the containers through stations for filling the containers, for closing the containers and for outlet of the closed containers from the conveyor, the gripping organs being grouped in equal numbers and in at least four batteries in which the gripping organs are spaced from each other, the first battery and the second battery thereof being reciprocally equidistant and associated to the first transporter, and the third battery and fourth battery thereof being reciprocally equidistant and associated to the second transporter, and dynamically intercalated with the first battery and second battery of the first transporter; the method being characterized in that it includes the steps of: halting one of the first or second transporters with a relative battery of the halted transporter pausing in the filling station, and contemporaneously step-activating and step moving the remaining of the first or second transporters in order to ensure a continuous step moving presence of gripping organs of a battery of the step moving transporter at the inlet station, and of gripping organs with product-filled containers of the remaining battery of the remaining first or second transporter being present at the closing station and outlet station; maintaining the preceding stage for both transporters until the step-activated and step moving batteries are positioned in a queue behind the preceding paused batteries; step-activating both the first and the second transporters to ensure a step moving presence of gripping organs at the inlet station and of gripping organs holding relative containers at the closing station and outlet station up to either disengagement of a last gripping organ of the battery occupying the inlet station therefrom, or disengagement from the outlet station of a last gripping organ holding a container of the battery occupying the closing station and outlet station; moving the transporter bearing the leading batteries by a multiple step until the most advanced battery is positioned and halted in the filling station, and step-moving the remaining transporter such as to ensure the step moving presence of the gripping organs of a battery of the remaining transporter in the inlet station, and to ensure the step moving presence of the gripping organs bearing relative filled containers of the remaining battery of the remaining transporter at the closing station and at the outlet station; repetition of the above steps stages.