Patent ID: 7341141

Claim:
A method of grouping products into groups containing a given K number of products ( 2 ); the method comprising the steps of: feeding an orderly succession of products ( 2 ) in a first direction by means of a first conveyor ( 22 ) having a succession of first pockets ( 23 ) spaced with a first spacing and each housing a relative product ( 2 ); imparting a first movement to a transfer member ( 37 ) to transfer each product ( 2 ) from the relative first pocket ( 23 ) to a relative second pocket ( 32 ) of a second conveyor ( 29 ), along which the second pockets ( 32 ) are spaced with a second spacing; and successively feeding the second pockets ( 32 ) and the relative products ( 2 ) in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to group-forming means ( 6 ) for forming said groups; the method being characterized by comprising, in response to detection of at least one empty first pocket ( 23 ) along the first conveyor ( 22 ) and upstream from the transfer member ( 37 ), the further steps of arresting the first movement and imparting to the transfer member ( 37 ) a second movement achieved by making the transfer member ( 37 ) integral with one of said first and said second conveyor ( 22 , 29 ), and by moving the transfer member ( 37 ) along the other of said first and said second conveyor ( 22 , 29 ); the second movement, when performed in said second direction, is equal in length to one said first spacing, in response to detection of each empty said first pocket ( 23 ), to compensate for the presence of the empty first pocket ( 23 ), and, when performed in said first direction, being equal in length to such a number of second spacings as to form, on the second conveyor ( 29 ), a group of K consecutive empty second pockets ( 32 ) in time with said group-forming means ( 6 ).