Patent ID: 7146891

Claim:
A method for segregation and ordered transfer of product segments punched out from a web of material, said method comprising the steps of: a) conveying said web of material between a punching roll and a counter pressure roll, said punching roll having a plurality of cutting edges arranged on a circumference thereof, and a plurality of suction orifices, each cutting edge having a closed contour corresponding to a shape of the product segments; b) punching out a first of said product segments from said web with one of said cutting edges to provide a punched-out product segment; c) adhering said first punched-out product segment on said punching roll by a vacuum connected to at least one of said suction orifices; d) rotating said punching roll until said punched-out product segment is proximate to a deflecting roll and a conveyor belt which is deflected along said deflecting roll; e) detaching said punched-out product segment from said punching roll by removing said vacuum to said at least one suction orifice, and ventilating said at least one suction orifice with a gas stream to urge said punched-out product segment from said punching roll; and f) transferring said punched-out product segment from said punching roll onto said conveyor belt by aspiring said product segment to said conveyor belt by applying a vacuum to said deflecting roll and to said conveyor belt as said segment detaches from said punching roll; and repeating the above-mentioned steps to punch out and to transfer, in an ordered manner, at least one further product segment to said conveyor belt, the punched-out product segments being successively aspirated and disposed on said conveyor belt in an ordered arrangement predetermined by an arrangement of said plurality of cutting edges provided on the circumference of the punching roll and being continuously transported in said predetermined arrangement.