Patent ID: 6923311

Claim:
A variable pitch apparatus for the thrust and phase feed of products to a subsequent workstation, said apparatus comprising: a first thrust bar and a second thrust bar, each said thrust bar disposed transversely on a product feed channel, fixed to overhang a respective one of a pair of parallel conveyors, and connected to opposite sides of said channel, said conveyors each having a respective active branch for operating a respective one of said thrust bars which is less than the maximum length of the products which said apparatus feeds in phase to the workstation, wherein said thrust bars are each operable in a correct phase by driving means such that in traversing a respective outbound branch of said conveyors, each of said thrust bars are arranged alternately and, one at a time, behind the products being fed in the correct phase in said channel to provide forward movement of the product to place the product in the subsequent workstation, and after placing the product at the workstation, said first thrust bar traverses around at the final end of the respective conveyor, and is transferred to a return branch of said respective conveyor, said first thrust bar is removed from said feed channel and product flow and said first thrust bar traverses a direction opposite a direction of the product flow to arrange said first thrust bar for repetition of a new work cycle; a first device and a second device associated with a respective one of said first thrust bar and said second thrust bar; and means for sliding said first device longitudinally relative to said second device when the length of the products exceeds that of one active branch of said conveyors so that the distance between a start of the active branch of a respective said conveyor of said first device in an advanced position and an end of an active branch of said other conveyor of said second device, which is in a downstream position relative to said first device, is from time to time greater and proportionate to the length of the products when said conveyors are moved by a respective driving means so that said first thrust bar of said first device picks up in phase the products which are fed in the correct phase forward and transfer in phase to said second thrust bar of said second device, when said second thrust bar of said second device further moves the products forward and places the products in phase in the workstation.