Patent ID: 7000755

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first conveyor; a second conveyor, the first conveyor and the second conveyor being arranged in line with each other and having the same conveying direction, and substantially the same conveying speed; and a manipulator for picking up products supplied by the first conveyor and for placing the products on the second conveyor, the manipulator being a pattern former comprising: two endless conveying elements which are arranged in mutually spaced relation and which extend in the conveying direction, the endless conveying elements passing around upstream bend wheels being located above a discharge end of the first conveyor, and the endless conveying elements passing around downstream bend wheels being located above a feed end of the second conveyor, the conveying speed of the endless conveying elements in use substantially corresponds with the conveying speed of the first conveyor and the second conveyor; guide elements which extend transversely to the conveying direction and which connect the endless conveying elements at regular distances; each guide element having mounted thereon a gripper which is slidable along the respective guide element, the grippers are arranged for gripping products to be handled; and steering means for displacing a gripper in a direction transverse to the conveying direction along the respective guide element to a desired position between picking up and placement of each product, and said steering means adapted to slide the grippers along the guide elements, said steering means comprising: a first steering track which is provided with a run-in part having a fixed run-in position, a run-out part having a position displaceable in transverse direction, and a connecting part which connects the run-in part with the run-out part and which is pivotable about a vertical axis which is located adjacent the downstream end of the run-in part, and a steering cam on each gripper, each steering cam, during travel of a respective gripper, falling into the first steering track and engaging the same track, such that the gripper follows the steering track.